“My name is Sydney Lockhart. I solve murders, most of which I’m the primary suspect.
My boyfriend/partner, Ralph Dixon, and I came to the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans to get married. Instead, Dixon’s in jail for a double murder. I’m in a swamp, spying on the KKK. Helping me untangle this mess is my bubble-headed cousin Ruth who’s undercover as a chef at the Pontchartrain. My twelve-year-old charge, Lydia LaBeau, dressed as a voodoo queen, is looking for clues at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter. Rip Thigbee, a ghost detective, is my only hope.
I’m not making any of this up. This is my life and this is what I deal with, like it or not.
So, mix yourself a Hurricane and join me in the Big Easy for another historic hotel murder case.”
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Welcome to Ruff Drafts, Kathleen. Please tell us where hail from?
I live in Anacortes, Washington, a small town on the coast. I have the mountains and bays outside my window. But since I’m a Texas gal, I spend much of time in my home state. My family, the Gulf Coast, and TexMex Tacos keep pulling me home.
Nice. How long have you been published? What titles and/or series have you published and with which publisher? Have you self-published any titles?
My first book was released in 1996. It was the first of three mystery trivia books, each published by a different publisher.
The Agatha Christie Triviography and Quiz Book: Citadel Press
The Alfred Hitchcock Triviography and Quiz Book: Renaissance Books
The Sherlock Holmes Quiz Book: Globe Pequot reissued the updated Holmes book in 2020.
My next series was the Kate Caraway Animal Rights Mysteries, published by The Wild Rose Press. There are three books in that series: Run Dog Run, A Two Horse Town, and Eagle Crossing, which recently won first place in the Murder and Mayhem category of the Chanticleer International Book Awards. Each book in this series features an animal-right issue.
My Sydney Lockhart mysteries are published by Anamcara Press. These are lighthearted, humorous, and set in the early 1950s at different historic hotels.
Murder at the Arlington (The Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas)
Murder at the Luther (The Luther Hotel in Palacios, Texas)
Murder at the Galvez (The Galvez Hotel in Galveston, Texas)
Murder at the Driskill (The Driskill Hotel in Austin, Texas)
Murder at the Menger (The Menger Hotel in San Antonio, Texas)
Murder at the Pontchartrain (The Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans)
The Man Who Saved the Whooping Crane: The Robert Porter Allen Story is a biography published by the University Press of Florida.
Earlier this year, I wrote a children’s book with my grandniece, who is six years old. I wanted us to work on a special project together. She told me the story and drew the pictures. Then, I added the final touches. The title is Rapunzel and the Sea Monster. This book is self-published, available on Amazon, and she gets the royalties.
Wow! You are very prolific. I love that you helped your young niece write a book. I’d wanted to do that with my daughter when she was young. I wish I had. Kids have such imaginations.
Tell us a little bit about your books.
My Kate Caraway series, Run Dog Run, is set near Austin, Texas, and involves greyhound racing. A Two Horse Town deals with saving wild mustangs in Montana, and Eagle Crossing features a wildlife rehab facility for injured birds located on Lopez Island, Washington. Eagle Crossing was released in October 2022 and won first place in the Mystery and Mayhem category of the Chanticleer International Book Awards contest. The idea for this series came to me when I was a volunteer for Wildlife Rescue in Austin, Texas. Our purpose was to rescue orphaned and injured wildlife and, if possible, return them to the wild.
The Sydney Lockhart books came about from my love of traveling. My husband and I search for historic hotels in which to stay. On one trip to the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, our room was not ready, and we had to wait about two hours. My imagination kicked in, and I envisioned a dead body in the bathroom of our room. Then Sydney showed up and told me the story. That was when I discovered I could write humor.
So interesting. Describe your goals as a writer. What do you hope to achieve in the next few years? What are you planning to do to reach these goals?
I will continue to write my two series, but I like trying new things. I just finished a quirky British detective mystery set in a small village on the Cornish Coast and a gritty hardboiled mystery set in the 1940s in Manhattan. Those will be ready to submit by the end of the year.
I also have two mystery series: The Cobble Cove and Buttercup Bend mysteries. I hope to continue both of them, as well and also write other standalones. Like you, I enjoy trying new genres.
What type of reader are you hoping to attract? Who do you believe would be most interested in reading your books?
Readers who like humorous cozy mysteries will enjoy the Sydney Lockhart series. They have been compared to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series. Evanovich was a significance influence on me to start writing humor. The series is considered historic because it is set in the fifties. It also appeals to young women because my main character, Sydney Lockhart, is a feisty, sassy young woman who’s trying to make it in a man’s world. There weren’t many female private detectives during that decade, and Sydney is ahead of her time. I also have a lot of male readers who enjoy this series. One fellow who lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the setting of Murder at the Arlington, told me he read the entire book in the lobby of the Arlington Hotel.
I love that story.
What advice would you give other authors or those still trying to get published?
Do not give up. And in the meantime, keep honing your writing skills. If you’re having trouble finishing a WIP, join a critique group. Receiving help and advice from other writers keeps you on task. Writing is a lonely business; reaching out to other writers keeps your mind fresh and your imagination active.
Great advice.
What particular challenges and struggles did you face before first becoming published?
Before I gained the courage to write fiction, I tried my hand at different things: travel writing, writing stage plays, short stories, and even science writing for textbooks. When I started writing books, I went the agent route and found one quickly, so that part was easy. But challenges and struggles come with being a writer. It’s like riding a roller coaster that never stops.
I hear you. I’m still trying to land an agent. I began by writing for my college newspaper and then writing articles for pet magazines, but I was also writing full-length mysteries and short stories that I hadn’t published. I still have those manuscripts, some handwritten. I now have 16 published books by two Indie publishers, and the 17th is coming soon.
Do you belong to any writing groups? Which ones?
I belong to the Skagit Valley Writer’s League, the Houston Writer’s League, Whatcom Writers and Publishers. I’m also a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Authors Guild.
I belong to Sisters in Crime and am thinking of joining MWA and the Authors Guild.
What are your hobbies and interests besides writing?
Birding, running, and watching baseball. I have many friends who enjoy birding; and getting together with them is a blast, especially when we spot a rare bird. Running is a great way to let my mind wander to generate new ideas. My husband and I also love taking roads. Getting outdoors and seeing something new helps clear my mind and get my priorities straight. And during baseball season, watching a game is a great way to unwind. I won’t reveal my favorite team; you might hate me.
Lol. I’m not into baseball. I enjoy walking and am looking forward to moving to a more rural area next year where I can be closer to nature. Maybe I’ll take up birding, too.
What do you like most and least about being an author? What is your toughest challenge?
Creating something out of nothing is what I love. It never gets old, and I never take it for granted. When the ideas start rolling, I get them down immediately. The toughest challenge is having so many ideas pop into my head that I don’t have time to develop all of them.
I feel exactly the same. It’s a challenge. So many ideas, so little time to write them all.
What do you like about writing cozy mysteries?
I like writing what I like reading. Cozies help me unwind and relax when the world seems too insane and the news is troublesome.
I agree.
Can you share a short excerpt from your latest title or upcoming release?
Murder at the Pontchartrain is the sixth mystery in the Sydney series. It will be released by Anamcara Press on June 28. It is set at the Pontchartrain Hotel in New Orleans. This city has so much to offer, and I couldn’t help but use some of its culture and charm in the plot. I bring in the practice of voodoo, the festivities of Bourbon Street, and the eeriness of the swamps located nearby.
This excerpt features Sydney and her bubble-headed blonde cousin, Ruth, discussing the hotel. Sydney is trying to focus on the case she’s investigating, and Ruth is more interested in the goings-on involving the Pontchartrain.
“Hey, look at this.” Ruth held up the hotel’s brochure, kicked off her heels and crawled into my bed. “It says Tennessee Williams wrote A Streetcar Named Desire while staying here.”
“Yeah, I heard that.”
“I wonder which room he stayed in.”
“The concierge could probably tell you.”
“Why would any playwright name a streetcar Desire as part of the title?”
“Go see the play.”
“He could have named it, Streetcar Named New Orleans or Streetcar Named Louisiana.”
“Ruth! He named it Desire after the street in New Orleans named Desire.”
“Why would anyone name a street Desire? What’s wrong with Oak Street or Elm Street, or Main Street?”
“I can’t answer that, Ruth. But you have to admit that the title A Streetcar Named Main, doesn’t have the same ring to it. It’s flat. Something named Desire has a sultry, maybe passionate or erotic feel.”
“Hmmm, now that I think about it, why would anyone name a child Tennessee?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he was born in Tennessee.”
“Thank goodness, he wasn’t born in Massachusetts.”
That’s great. Thanks for sharing.
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know about you or your books?
I also write the humorous blog, “Growing Up Catholic in a Small Texas Town,” because sometimes, when you find yourself taking life too seriously, you just have to laugh.
That’s the truth.
Please list your social media links, website, blog, etc.
http://www.kathleenkaska.com
http://www.facebook.com/kathleenkaska
https://www.bookbub.com/search/authors?search=Kathleen%20Kaska
https://www.amazon.com/~/e/B001K88UMQ
https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor
https://www.instagram.com/kathleenkaska/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-kaska-942aa511/
https://bookshop.org/search?keywords=Kathleen+Kaska
Thanks so much for the interview, and best wishes on your new release and blog tour.
Ruff Drafts 