Kerry Chaput joins the Spotlight today to chat about her latest in the Defying the Crown series, Daughter of Snow and Secrets
Author Name: Kerry Chaput
Book Title: Daughter of Snow and Secrets
Book Genre: Historical Fiction
Release Date: March 21, 2024
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Welcome, Kerry! How would you describe Daughter of Snow and Secrets?
Protestant fighter Isabelle embarks on a dangerous chase through France to save her daughter and kill the man responsible for her people’s torture. Her mission takes her to the Palace of Versailles where old enemies threaten to destroy Isabelle, her family, and the resistance they’ve risked their lives for.
What sparked the idea for this book?
This is the third book in the Defying the Crown trilogy. I discovered the story while researching my husband’s French-Canadian ancestry. Book one, Daughter of the King, tells the story of Isabelle, who leaves extreme poverty in France to become one of King Louis XIV’s chosen women to populate Canada. These women in the 1600s found money, power, and control over their lives in the colony of New France, but Isabelle can never fully turn away from who she is—a Protestant resistance fighter. She spends the series battling for her family and her community against the king who both ordered her torture and gifted her power.
How long did it take for you to write the book? Did you do any research?
As this is the final installment of the series, I had already done the bulk of research during the first two books. I’d been thinking about how to tie up this story for a while, so this book only took me eight months to complete. I set the book at the time of the Dragonnades, a vicious program enacted by Catholic leaders of France to force Protestant conversion. Despite the religious aspect of the book, this is truly a story of how heroines are made, and how far one is willing to go for a cause. My research took me to the dark Paris underground and the secret Huguenot trails Protestants used to flee France. The book is set in 1681, which required a deep dive into the construction of Versailles, which was fascinating. I drew detailed maps of the gardens, most of which have changed names and themes over time.
What drew you to the historical genre?
My dad was a high school US history teacher. Every Thursday he’d host his honors history class in our living room. From the time I was little, I’d hide behind the couch and listen to students debate history. But I noticed that no one was talking about the women. Everything I heard was about men, and it left me with a need to discover diverse stories. That became a love for historical fiction by women authors and eventually my own books to examine women’s history.
Fill in the blank: Readers who liked [Blank] will also like Daughter of Snow and Secrets.
Readers who liked the Outlander series will also like Daughter of Snow and Secrets. My books are a blend of history and adventure, with women at the core of every story. Like Diana Gabaldon, I examine the grittier side of life in the colonies with a hefty dose of romance weaved in!
Are you working on a new project? Please tell us about it.
In keeping with the time period of my trilogy, I’m exploring Venice at the end of the renaissance. It’s dual timeline with a modern historian and an important woman who was lost to the historical record.
What was the last book you read? What did you think of it?
Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet. I’m fascinated and saddened by the Japanese Internment Camps of the 1940’s, and this well-researched, heartfelt story from the viewpoint of a Chinese boy completely captivated me. It hits on friendship, community, and loss. Highly recommend.
Where can readers find you?
Kerrywrites.com. I’m also active on TikTok and Instagram @kerrywrites.
Thank you, Kerry! Daughter of Snow and Secrets is out March 21.
Daughter of Snow and Secrets
“It is rare that the third book in a trilogy is as captivating and page-turning as the first two, but Daughter of Snow and Secrets by Kerry Chaput delivers a special blend of well-developed characters, nail-biting adventure and a satisfying ending to a fabulous series.” -Gail Ward Olmsted, author of Landscape of a Marriage
1681. Isabelle lives safely in Geneva but travels to the French countryside along secret Huguenot trails to rescue Protestants from the king’s vicious dragonnade program. She protects her family from the dangers of battling the Royal Army, but her wild daughter Elizabeth has other ideas. Eager to prove herself, Elizabeth attempts a solo rescue that goes horribly wrong. Isabelle comes out of hiding and travels to Paris while all of France wants her dead.
On a dangerous mission to Versailles, old enemies threaten to tear her family apart. She must rely on surprising allies and the daughter she’s fought to protect to keep them alive and rescue every Protestant in France.
In the final installment of the award-winning Defying the Crown trilogy, Kerry Chaput takes readers on another thrilling adventure through the outlandish world of Paris and Versailles. Daughter of Snow and Secrets immerses you in a breathless tale of danger with a cast of brave, fierce women as they fight for love and freedom. You won’t want to miss the stunning conclusion to this riveting historical fiction series.
Author bio:
Kerry Chaput is an award-winning historical fiction author who’s been featured on Jane Friedman’s blog and Mutha Magazine. Born and raised in California, she now lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she can be found on hiking trails and in coffee shops. Connect with her at www.kerrywrites.com.