Today, I have the opportunity to introduce a debut mystery author, Kate Michaelson. Kate originally contacted me after I did a program for Buckeye Crime Writers. Buckeye Crime Writers is the Central Ohio Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Since her first book, Hidden Rooms, just came out, I jumped at the chance to ask her a few questions for Sunday Spotlight. Thank you, Kate, for taking time to answer questions. And, I hope your mother is surprised by the interview!

Kate, please introduce yourself to readers, and tell us what you did before you became
a writer.

First, thank you for having me as a guest on your blog, Lesa. I’m such a fan of your reviews and
love discovering great books here.

Although I’m new to writing mysteries, I’ve worked as a technical and academic writer for many
years, and I’ve written as a hobby all my life. I also spent many years teaching English for
different colleges, which was something I really loved. When I was teaching for the University of
Toledo, I had the opportunity to take classes toward a PhD in Educational Psychology. To earn
my degree, I wrote a 300-page dissertation. I’ve always wanted to write a mystery, and soon
after defending my dissertation, I realized that I had just proven to myself that I had it in me to
organize and complete a long work. I was running out of excuses not to try it!

It probably goes without saying that writing a mystery came with a steep learning curve, but I
threw myself into taking classes, joining critique groups, and meeting other writers. After so
many years of working within the constraints of academic writing, it was freeing to realize that I
could take my story in whatever direction felt right to me, as long as I made sure it was a ride
my readers would enjoy.

Tell us about Hidden Rooms, without spoilers.

Hidden Rooms is a traditional murder mystery crossed with a medical mystery. In part, it was
inspired by my own experiences searching for a diagnosis and treatment for a chronic illness.
That ordeal—along with my love of reading and writing—spurred me to write a mystery in which
the protagonist investigates a murder while looking for answers to her own puzzling illness. My
hope was to write an engaging page-turner that also depicts the real-life experiences of people
struggling with undiagnosed or poorly understood conditions.

Hidden Rooms follows Riley Svenson, a distance runner who has recently moved back to her
Ohio hometown, only to be struck with a variety of bewildering symptoms, from vertigo to
fainting spells. Worse, her doctors can’t tell her what’s wrong, leaving her to wonder if it’s stress
or something more threatening. But when someone close to her is killed—and her brother
becomes the prime suspect—she must prove his innocence, despite the toll on her health.

As Riley reacquaints herself with the familiar houses and wild woods of her childhood, the
secrets she uncovers take her on a trail to the real killer that leads right back to the very people
she knows best and loves most.

Why is your first mystery set in rural Ohio?

I grew up in rural Ohio, and although I couldn’t wait to get away from my small town as a kid, I
now realize how lucky I was. I had woods to explore, streams to play in, and quiet roads where
my friends and I could ride our bikes. There was also a comfort in knowing just about everyone
who lived nearby. Whenever I go back, I’m reminded of how beautiful it is, and of course it
carries a certain nostalgia for me too. I’ve also realized in recent years that I love reading novels
about places where I have some connection, whether I’ve lived there or traveled there. Aside
from Linda Castillo’s Kate Burkholder series, I know of very few novels set in rural Ohio, and
none in the immediate area where I grew up, so I wanted to portray that place I find so special.

Beyond my own connection to rural Ohio, there’s also something alluring about mysteries set in
remote locales, from the stark beauty of these areas to the tenuousness that comes with living
so far from the resources we take for granted in cities. In a small community, there’s also often
the illusion that everyone knows everyone else, but as mysteries show us, that there’s more to
people than what we can see.

If you had to recommend five books to someone so they could get a feeling for your
reading taste, what five books would you recommend?

It was difficult to pare this list down to five books, but these are some of my recent favorites.
Deer Season by Erin Flanagan
The Hunter by Tana French
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Black Hour by Lori Rader-Day

Thank you, Kate! If you’re looking for more about Kate, her website is https://katemichaelsonwriter.com/