July | 2017 | Create on the Side Blog

Some folks are all about keeping it wild. While Friends of Nevada Wilderness is more about open spaces than the party scene, their opening reception for their Wild Nevada Exhibit was quite the festive event, packed with artists, advocates and volunteers. During Artown the local 502(c) non-profit headquarters becomes an art gallery featuring a variety of visual mediums and diverse landscapes and wildlife.

“Art is activism,” one of the volunteers remarked to me. She then noted how Ansel Adams brought remote spans of wilderness to public attention. In addition to raising awareness of Nevada’s public lands, the exhibit also provided visibility to local artists, like Rachel Micander, who fielded inquiries about her work like a veteran during her debut show.

As an office dweller, I was pleased to see the outside brought in—long white hallways populated with snowy mountains, wild flowers even a Lazuli Bunting and an Evening Grosbeak, birds native to the Great Basin. So corporate spaces can play host to art and nature if only for a little while.

Tell me about your latest book.

My latest book, Run Dog Run, just released by Black Opal Books last March, is the first of my new Kate Caraway animal-rights series. Run Dog Run revolves around the world of greyhound racing.

Here’s a short synopsis:

After five years in Africa researching the decline of elephant populations, animal-rights activist Kate Caraway’s project comes to a screeching halt when she shoots a poacher and is forced to leave the country. Kate travels to a friend’s ranch in Texas for a much-needed rest. But before she has a chance to unpack, her friend’s daughter pleads for Kate’s assistance. The young woman has become entangled in the ugly world of greyhound abuse and believes Kate is the only one with enough experience and tenacity to expose the crime and find out who is responsible. On the case for only a few hours, Kate discovers a body, which complicates the investigation by adding murder to the puzzle. Now, she’s in a race against time to find the killer before she becomes the next victim.

What’s next for you?

I’ve just finished the second Kate Caraway mystery. A Two Horse Town in set in Montana and Kate is on a mission to save wild horses living in the Prior Mountains. Also, I’m putting the finishing touches on a hardboiled-detective novel.

Who are your writing role models?

I have so many and they are all so different. As far as essays and blogs, I love reading anything by Roger Angell, The New Yorker editor and writer; William Zinsser, E.B. White, and Lisa Socttoline. Mystery writers Martha Grimes, Laurie R. King, Spencer Quinn, Elizabeth Peters, Agatha Chrisite, and Arthur Conan Doyle are tops on my list. For literary fiction I read Pat Conroy, John Irving, and Anthony Doerr. And I have an entire shelf of foodie books written by M.F.K. Fisher, Ruth Reichl, Anthony Bourdain, and Julia Child. My hardboiled-detective writer favorites are Raymond Chandler, Dashell Hammett, Mickey Spillane, and Rex Stout.

How do you balance your day-to-day commitments with your writing life?

I get up early. I’m a morning person so that’s easy for me. Sometimes I over schedule and put too much on my plate and the balancing act becomes tedious. But it also motivates me to get the work done. I set long-term goals and daily goals and that keeps me on track.

What are your other passions outside of writing?

I love birding. Living in Washington State most of the year and spending several weeks in Texas in the winter allows me to see a variety of birds, some local and some migratory. I have several friends who are birders and this gives us a great reason to spend time together and travel to exotic places. Cuba is next on our list.

I also love running, especially long runs. I live on Fidalgo Island and the scenes are spectacular. This is one of the few times I am by myself and it’s easy to get lost in my thoughts. I solve problems, plot mysteries, and plan my day, week, and year. I often run marathons with my three sisters. The big city races I participate in are quite different from my solitary runs. Running with thousands of people is a thrill like no other, especially the huge races like the ones in Houston and Seattle. Imagine thousands of people out there with the same goal: challenging yourself and having a blast.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I’d like readers to know that a portion of the sales of Run Dog Run will be donated to the Greyhound [adoption] Project Inc, which provides adoption and foresting services.

Books are available through Black Opal Books, Kathleen’s website, and Amazon.

http://www.kathleenkaska.com

http://www.blackopalbooks.com

https://twitter.com/KKaskaAuthor

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