Interview with Kathryn Schleich, author of Salvation Station

Kathryn Schleich has been a writer for thirty years. Her most recent publications include the short story “Reckless Acts,” featured in After Effects: A Zimbell House Anthology, and her story “Grand Slam,” published in The Acentos Review in May 2017. She is the author of two editions of the book Hollywood and Catholic Women: Virgins, Whores, Mothers, and Other Images, which evolved from her master’s thesis. Her guest posts have been featured on the Women On Writing blog, The Muffin, and she writes for the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation’s volunteer newsletter. When she’s not writing, Schleich is likely volunteering in the education and arts communities in the Twin Cities, where she lives. Friends, family, good food, wine, and traveling are important aspects of her life. Salvation Station is her first novel. It is available for sale on Amazon.

Readers can connect with Kathryn on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Goodreads. To learn more, go to www.kathrynschleich.com

Did you like mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels when you were growing up?

I don’t remember reading a specific genre growing up. But as an adult, I became fascinated by the realm of police work, due to a suspicious death in our family. I learned a great deal of how law enforcement operates. From that point I grew to love mysteries and suspense on television, particularly Australian and British mystery series (Doctor Blake Mysteries, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, Midsommer Murders, and many others). For me, the English and Australians really know how to write incredibly engaging mysteries and suspense.

What was the first story in that genre that you wrote?

In 2008, I wrote a mystery/suspense novel, Shades of Darkness, Shades of Grace released under the pen name of Catherine Johnson. At that time, the genre was often referred to as ‘family saga’. After the immense success of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, the genre of the ‘domestic thriller’ developed. Family relationships can be genuinely frightening and hold those dark secrets no one wants to discuss in public.

What is your favorite part of writing in this genre?

Much of what I write evolves from real life events, with women as the primarily protagonist and antagonist. In my research, law enforcement still tends to believe that women don’t generally commit truly vicious crimes. But they do, and far more often than people think. Again, citing research, I kept coming across men who nearly got away with serious crimes, but their downfall was having to tell someone. Women seem less apt to boast about not getting caught.

What do you find most difficult about writing in this genre?

Keeping the story fresh and giving readers issues to think about. For example, in Salvation Station, I’d like readers to contemplate that religion can serve a positive purpose, but also be a source of hypocrisy and danger.

Is there an author in this genre that you admire most?

Jane Harper. When I read her debut murder mystery, The Dry, I was hooked. Not simply because of the mystery, but her setting of the story amid a severe drought. You could literally feel the heat and taste the dust in this parched Australian town.

What is up next for you?

Releasing Shades of Darkness under my own name within the next year. The reviews have been excellent, and I decided the book deserved a bigger shot at a mass audience. I am also nearly finished writing another mystery that occurs in a small Midwestern college town.

Do you have anything to add?

Thank you for the opportunity to be interviewed on your blog and your interest in my writing!