Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kerry Chaput. Kerry was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Jen Craven.
Kerry, thank you so much for joining us today. We’d love for you to bring our readers up to speed – can you introduce yourself and share your story?
Growing up, I listened to my father’s eleventh grade US History class debate in my living room. For me, history come alive every Thursday evening as high schoolers discussed the most tumultuous times in our country. Even as young as eight years old I recognized one thing: no one was discussing women. In all the years I hid behind the couch and listened in awe to these cool teenagers, not one woman was brought to the discussion. It left me feeling both ignored and angry. So when I wrote my first story at age twelve, it involved a woman protagonist and was set decades before I was born. The story was terrible, but the excitement of creating something from the feelings in my teenage mess of a brain felt magical. The arts weren’t supported in my middle-class Scottish family, so I never believed I could pursue this little “hobby.” I went on to nine years of higher education and a career in healthcare that sucked the life out of me. Through the years I attempted to write more, even setting out to write my first novel at twenty-five. This also was a historical story with two women protagonists. I saved it to the hard drive and never told anyone.
By the time I hit forty, I was in full burn-out from my career. I was watching my kids nap, feeling overwhelmed that time was moving so fast and I wasn’t living my best life. Before they woke up, I walked to my computer and looked for the story I had saved fifteen years prior. It was there. It was mildly terrible. I began to read and edit, and spent every day for seven months becoming the writer I had always dreamed of being. I am now writing my tenth manuscript and my seventh book is slated to publish in June, 2025. And guess what? They are all about badass women in history.
Let’s talk about your work and career – what else should we know?
I’m drawn to stories of resilient women who contributed to our world but whose accomplishments were overlooked or erased. This is where I write, in the space where women were surprising and what we know of history is only part of the story. Many women thrived, and I want to tell their stories. I write historical adventure with plenty of action across various time periods, some with magical twists. Regardless of the book, my writing will always highlight those who dared to break convention and didn’t let anyone stop them from achieving their dreams.
Jen Craven has been a great friend to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Jen and your experience with them.
I first met Jen when she reached out to me on social media. We were both indie authors just starting out and she suggested we could support each other. A quick friendship and mutual admiration developed. We exchanged published projects, and I liked what I read right away. Jen’s storytelling is sharp and engaging, and the girl knows how to write a twist! Jen excels at building a layered narrative that shows the nuances of every day situations. Her approach to telling stories usually involves multiple points of view which shows different personalities and how they view difficult situations, She explores choices, and how one lapse in judgement can have rippling, devastating effects. I’ve always loved how she builds escalating tension in the most believable scenarios and makes the reader question what they would do if faced with the same dilemma. Her stories are always complex and exciting.
Website: www.kerrywrites.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/kerrywrites