Melissa's Mochas, Mysteries and Meows: Truffles Interviews: Valentine from Gilt by Association by Karen Rose Smith (w/Review & Giveaway)

Hey everybody, it's Truffles! Today I'm interviewing Caprice De Luca's latest rescue, Valentine the kitten, from Karen Rose Smith's new Home Stager mystery, Gilt By Association. Enjoy!

Welcome, Valentine! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions today. Could you start by telling us a little about yourself and how you came to meet Caprice?
The only thing I remember is being cold and shivering. I tried to hide behind a bush. I heard sniffing and panting and then Lady, Caprice's cocker spaniel, found me. Caprice scooped me up, held me close and took me inside her house. I lived in her bathroom until she took me to her really nice veterinarian and got me a flea treatment. A few days later-she and her sister Nikki sat on the floor with me, played with me and held me until I went to sleep-she took me to live with her Nana. I love Nana and she loves me. We're cuddle buddies and I'm with her all the time.

Is there any special meaning behind your name?
Caprice found me around Valentine's Day! That's why she named me Valentine.

You are on the cover of Gilt By Association! Do you play an important role in the story?
Caprice seems to be a stray magnet! In each book she finds a dog or cat who needs a home. I'm in her mystery along with her cat Sophia and her cocker spaniel Lady to show how much she loves animals and that all of us need someone to love-even fur babies.

How did you get along with Caprice's pets Lady and Sophia?
I didn't see Sophia and Lady very much because I went to live with Nana once I was ready. But Lady comes to visit me often. We like to chase and nap together.

Do you have a favorite toy, treat, and nap spot?
My favorite toy is a cat-proof stuffed bear that I can kick and hug and carry around with me. Nana gives me treats from the pet store Perky Paws that are especially made and healthy for me. My favorite nap spot is in Nana's lap.

After such a difficult start, what is life like for you now?
I'm spoiled! And I'm a happy kitty. It's always warm at Nana's. She bought me a condo so I can sit in the sunshine at the window. I also have a little pink bed that I can sleep in when Nana is cooking and can't hold me. But if I'm not cuddled with her on the sofa watching TV, I'm curled up beside her to sleep at night. Caprice and her mom and dad visit me a lot. They like to hold me too and wiggle a shoestring for me to play with. Life is good.

I understand that your character was based on your author's cat London. Can you tell us about the real-life London?

The real life London is almost 14. She's a bit of a grumpy cat. She lost her half sister in the fall. She was never too fond of Zoie, the young whipper-snapper kitten who took over the household two years ago after Karen and her hubby found her in the backyard in a bush! Then this past summer Karen and hubby took in a pregnant stray. Halo had kittens. Two of them went to live in forever loving homes. But Halo and one of the kittens-Miss Paddington (Paddy for short)-moved in. They're London's sisters too. She's getting used to them. Before Halo, she stayed upstairs a lot and was anti social. But now she comes downstairs to sit in the same room-if Paddy doesn't bother her too much. Most of all, she likes to snuggle in the crook of Karen's arm.

Blurb: Between training her new puppy, helping her sister with her baby, and searching for the perfect vintage dress for Kismet’s Valentine’s Day dance, home-stager Caprice De Luca has a lot on her to-do list. But she’s never too busy to do a little staging, and she’s looking forward to thawing February’s frozen real estate market with her Hearts and Flowers Open House. Her client Louise Downing’s romantically decorated home practically staged itself. But when Louise is found murdered, Caprice is forced to turn her attention from sweethearts to suspects. And as the truth comes out in stages, she discovers that Louise had more secrets than a box of chocolate truffles…

Tortie Shorties

Book reviews that are short and sweet...just like Truffles!

I find it embarrassing to admit, but even though the first two books in Karen Rose Smith's Home Stager mystery series have been at the top of my TBR pile from the beginning, this is the first one I've read!

Caprice De Luca is exactly the kind of heroine I love to root for: passionate about animals, her family, and the dream job she's created for herself. When her mother's best friend Louise (a part of Caprice's life since childhood) is found shot to death in her greenhouse with an unopened box of her favorite peanut butter creams beside her, Caprice feels obligated to investigate. She ends up discovering that not everyone loved her as much as the De Luca's did, and she's hiding a secret past that not even those closest to her knew about.

I enjoyed every moment of my glimpse into Caprice's life, from her love of retro fashion to her menagerie of pets to her complicated love life. A fast-paced page-turner that kept me guessing until the very end makes this one a must read for cozy lovers.

About the Author: Award winning and best-selling author, Karen Rose Smith’s plots are all about emotion. She began writing in her early teens when she listened to music and created stories to accompany the songs. An only child, she spent a lot of time in her imagination and with books–Nancy Drew, Zane Gray, The Black Stallion and Anne of Green Gables. She dreamed of brothers and sisters and a big family like her mother and father came from. This is the root of her plotlines that include small communities and family relationships as part of everyday living. Residing in Pennsylvania with her husband and four rescued cats, she welcomes interaction with readers on social media.

Author Links:
Webpage: http://karenrosesmithmysteries.com/
Blog: http://karenrosesmith.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenRoseSmithBooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/karenrosesmith
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21863.Karen_Rose_Smith
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/karosm/

Purchase Links
Amazon