Q&A: Kathleen Shaputis, Author of Their Witch Wears Plaid @nwauthor

Kathleen Shaputis lives in the glorious Pacific Northwest with her husband, Bob, a clowder of cats and three pompously protective Pomeranians with little social aptitude: Brugh, Bouncer and Miss Jazzy. If not writing, she’s busy reading and watching romantic comedies, her ultimate paradise.

Her latest book is Their Witch Wears Plaid.

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As a book bloggin’ and book luvin’ Princess, I’m always curious to find out how authors got the ideas for their books.  Can you tell us what your book is about?

It’s a tale of magical realism set in the Highlands, centered around a restored castle made into a romantic bed and breakfast. A chilling adventure begins with the visit of an ancient Druid, sending Nell on a quest to find herself.   

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

Nell is a talented palm reader and psychic who moved to Scotland from Olympia, Washington to work at the castle as their fortune teller during castle tours and their first summer fair. She had worked with the co-owner, Baillie, years before regarding the resident ghost, Lord Kai, the gorgeous laird of the 17^th century.  Galen is a professional jouster who works at an entertainment restaurant in southern California until given the honor of filling a last-minute opening at the castle’s fair.

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would that be?

Stay bold and tenacious with your passion. Under duress from my mother to put away foolish notions of being a writer as a young girl, I didn’t seriously pursue my dreams until I was in my late thirties. I wish I had started going to writers’ conferences earlier, learning the craft surrounded by other writers.

What would you say is one of your interesting writing quirks?

Having conversations with my characters. They can be quite the chatty bunch at times. And tend to twist a storyline with their whims and demands. Gillian Nation is the pushiest. Created in my romantic comedy Changes in Attitude, imagine my surprise when he slides in, making himself at home in the Baillie Castle series. He endears himself to Nell with an entourage of T-Cup and Rafael, his girls, in Their Witch Wears Plaid.

Do you hear from your readers?  What do they say?

My readers are a delightful cut of women who enjoy a book knowing there will be a happily ever after at the end. Their support and encouragement in wanting to know more is how the Baillie Castle series came about.

What is the toughest criticism given to you as an author?

Time to rip off the Band-Aid, eh? Criticism is part of being a writer. My work was shredded with razor-sharp claws from a well-known literary author as trite, childish and weak. Ouch, but I licked my wounds knowing my work may be cotton candy against his filet mignon, but people like cotton candy. There is a market for sweet fluff.  

What has been your best accomplishment?

The Baillie Castle series is my shining trophy to date. Each book stands alone in relating its story, but together they allowed me to fulfill my fantasies of living in Scotland. Interestingly, I live in western Washington where the rainfall and days of cloud cover are similar to the Highlands. I have white heather growing in a garden in the front yard for good luck from my Scots ancestors.

Do you Google yourself?

I have! With a married last name like Shaputis, I can Google myself and rest assured it’s not cluttered with a variety of other people of the same name. I wrote a fun creative nonfiction book titled The Crowded Nest Syndrome, about the return of adult children, and during a Google search, found someone had written an article awarding me the title of American sociologist when quoting my work.

How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

The secret stash of yet-to-be’s holds three right now. I am currently polishing a work in progress set in the disco-dancing Seventies of a single working mother.

Fun question – if you were princess or prince, what’s one thing you would do to make your kingdom a better place?

My kingdom would see a blending of generations working together. Seniors would be involved with kindergarten classes and pre-school activities. And those in high school would learn skills in caring for older adults and appreciating their history. Listening to Gray Stories, bringing history to life, would be an important part of a child’s growing up. And the elders would give relief to the working parents trying to juggle a career and an overfilled calendar of soccer practice and piano lessons.   

Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?

Don’t forget to leave a review. It doesn’t have to be lengthy, just a few words will make a difference. Authors work in a solitary environment and reviews are vital in understanding how their readers perceive their books and characters as well as building new audiences.