We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kerry Chaput. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kerry below.

Kerry, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

When discussing women in history, the tales are often rife with drama and pain. Many historical fiction works recount the fascinating yet tragic stories of royalty like Anne Boleyn and Marie Antoinette, or they highlight the struggles of the poor and downtrodden. I get it. They are important things to remember. We shouldn’t forget the abhorrent treatment of women over the last several centuries. But I found myself hungry for books with powerful women who thrive. I was growing tired of hearing about their pain. Once you read about a scold’s bridle, you’ll never forget it.

When I began writing historical fiction seven years ago, I knew I wanted something different. Drawn to stories of women who broke barriers, I began researching what I call badass women in history. The sheer number of stories that have been suppressed and ignored by our history books is mindboggling. Look up Blunda, the sixteen-year-old who saved her entire village and changed voting rights for women. I discovered a purpose where the current market lacked. Books written by women with characters as multilayered and fascinating, and yes, successful as they are in real life. I strive to write books that highlight adventure, so women can see themselves as powerful and strong, and not merely as a gift for the male gaze. They are the stories I wanted to read in my younger years, and couldn’t find them anywhere.

Kerry, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a historical fiction author, I spend endless hours bringing the real stories of our past to life while crafting fast-paced adventure plots with plenty of surprises. My sixth book releases on March 21, 2024, and I’m just getting started. My books are gritty and adventurous, and help bring powerful women from history back to their rightful place in the spotlight.

Growing up, I was surrounded by history. My father taught 11th grade US History and hosted his honors class in our living room every Thursday night. From the time I could walk, I would hide behind the couch and listen to lively debates about important historical events, and the moral questions faced by our leaders. You know what else I noticed from a very young age? No one ever spoke about women. I grew up believing that women were submissive and unimportant in the past, with no one screaming that this couldn’t be right. Women were contributing to society on every level, and I set out to prove it. Not only did my senior project revolve around women from the past, but I never stopped reading and researching as a way to remember them.

The truth is, I was not permitted to study writing in college, and my family insisted on a safe, predictable career in healthcare. I went on to nine years in higher education, working to attain my doctorate degree, working in the field for fifteen years before I realized I wasn’t living the life the younger me dreamed of. I wanted to write stories. So when I turned forty, I dove into a brand new world and became an author. Every day of my life, I strive to provide books for my daughters to read one day. Books like I never had. I want young women especially to know how powerful their voices are and how much impact they can make in our world.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media can be a major stressor for the creatives types. While at times I feel overwhelmed by posting schedules and algorithms, I mostly enjoy this part of the marketing process. Social media to me is simply another medium for storytelling. I find TikTok refreshingly raw. I use my platform to shout from the rooftops about the things I care about in books and in life. Women empowerment, community, author support, and body positivity, and inclusivity. On social media, there are no gatekeepers dangling a key with rules for entry. Here, you have power to get your work out in the world and search for your audience every day.

I’ve found the key to any platform is authenticity. Don’t play a part. Discover the reason you write or paint or dance, and celebrate that one thing over and over on your page. Your ideal client will feel your passion. And if you aren’t being true, viewers will sense it immediately. My most successful strategy involved highlighting a different badass woman from history in a TikTok series. I’ve gone viral several times, and connected with others who want more stories about historical women.

When I set out to define my brand, I looked at the kind of stories I write, and made a list of the top things readers will get in my books: women, history, adventure, found family, first love, touch of magic. Most if not all my content now caters to that message in one way or another. My best advice is to celebrate your quirks. Nerd out on all the things you love, because that joy translates to avid followers. Your uniqueness is your superpower.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I’m an orchid. At least, that’s what one of my best friends calls me, It’s a theory about whether children are orchids (fragile, sensitive, require specific growing environments) or dandelions (hearty, resilient). I think of this label no less than a half dozen times a day. Why? Because it’s true for me. I think it might be true for many creatives.

We work in a business model of publishing and sales of books, but we live and breathe the sensitive life of words and emotions. We dive into stories and other creative pursuits to make sense of the chaotic world around us. In other words, we can’t be successful authors without swimming in sensitivity. I have days when the emotions are so overwhelming, I sleep or cry or both, just to get through the things my stories have pulled up from my subconscious.

I struggle with severe anxiety and panic disorder. It was eye-opening to become part of the author world and see just how many creatives struggle with this too. I think to write the kind of stories we believe in, we’re forced to wade right through things like trauma and loss and grief in such a tangible way we become walking fragile orchids. Here’s the thing about the orchid theory: when they find the right environment, they thrive more beautifully than anyone can imagine.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kerrywrites.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/kerrywrites
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KerryChaputAuthor/
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@kerrywrites

Image Credits
Headshot done by Maile Mason Photography