Kaira Rouda, author of The Favorite Daughter, Best Day Ever, and several other best-sellers has a fantastic new thriller that is just days away from release! The Next Wife is both tense and gripping, but at the same time it is as much fun as your favorite guilty-pleasure reality show. Already an “Amazon First Reads” selection, and on multiple “Most Anticipated” lists, The Next Wife will be available May 1 st.
Kaira generously gave us some of her time to talk about her life, what brought her to writing, her writing process, what she reads for fun, and the importance of diversity and representation in what is published and what we read.
Hi, Kaira! Can you tell us about your background prior to becoming a writer, and how that led to writing fiction?
Hi! Yes, of course. My story is fairly common I suppose. I knew I wanted to be an author since third grade when my teacher had us write to the person you wished to become. I wrote to Robert McCloskey of MAKE ROOM FOR DUCKLINGS fame. He wrote back and told me good luck, but I’d picked an illustrator not an author. Oops. I feel like that story is indicative of the writer’s path. It’s never linear, has many challenges along the way, but is absolutely worth it. I’m living the life of my dreams. I graduated college as an English Literature major and spent the next chunk of my life as a reporter and editor, as well as in marketing, culminating in seven years spent building a company with my husband. When we sold the company, Real Living Real Estate, I finally put my dreams into action and wrote my first novel.
And can you tell us a little about you and your life, outside of being a writer?
I’m the luckiest mom of four fabulous twenty somethings who all live close enough to visit regularly. My husband and I have been married 30 gulp years and he is my best friend. We have three dogs who keep us busy, and fill our house with unconditional love. Oh, and I always dreamed of living on the coast and my office overlooks the ocean in Laguna Beach.
What is your favourite thing but being an author?
The best part of being an author is all of the incredible people who are part of this community: authors, editors, agents, book bloggers and bookstagrammers. It’s a fabulous group. I can’t wait to be back together again at Bouchercon or ThrillerFest. I’ve missed the in-person connections but have been having a blast staying in touch virtually.
What can you tell us about The Next Wife and its inspiration?
With my novels, it’s hard to say too much without giving the plot away. What I can share is the inspiration sprung from those years building a business with my husband. I’m also a product of divorce, so I have some insights there. I did want to turn a few clichés on their heads so hopefully I’ve accomplished that.
Has your writing process changed since your first book, and if so, how?
Great question. The biggest change has been realizing the beauty of an outline. Not so much for my clarity, as I’m a pantser, but for the clarity of my agents and my team. It makes them happy to know where I’m going before I get all the way there. I resisted for years, but I just turned in my first real outline and truth be told, it was kind of a great process to go through. Turns out you can learn new things even after seven novels, two romance series, and a smattering of short stories.
What is the hardest or most frustrating stage in writing a book?
Making sure you don’t get muddled in the middle. I have a note on my desk that says: “Don’t Worry! It’s your story, you’ve got this.” It helps when the inspiration wanes. I hear having an outline also helps.
How has it been to adjust to virtual book tours and Instagram live chats, instead of in-person tours, signings, and readings?
Well I’ll let you know! Unfortunately, I didn’t have a book release last year. My paperback release for The Favorite Daughter was pushed to this year, March 9, which is exciting now that it is finally here, and The Next Wife is May 1, so I will let you know. I’ve helped my author friends with releases during the pandemic. It’s not the same, but it is connecting with readers and that’s what is important.
When you have a chance to just read for fun, what authors or genres do you reach for?
Domestic suspense. Truly, I love it. I also enjoy historical fiction and literary fiction, too. Interestingly, during the past year of the pandemic, I haven’t been able to read as voraciously as I usually do. I’ve been able to write, but reading has been a challenge. Thank goodness for streaming content until I can jump back into the wonderful world of books.
What would you love to see more of (or less of) in today’s fiction?
I don’t have a thought on that except everyone’s perspectives should be represented in publishing. The tent needs to keep expanding.
I read an interview where you named The Great Gatsby as one of your top three books. (I could not agree more!) It made me think of what books are required reading in school. What are some releases in the last few years that you would love to see students reading in school?
Great question. Here’s a cheating answer: books written by women. I know, we had Eudora Welty and Shirley Jackson, but in terms of contemporary fiction, back in my day and my kids’ days, it was heavily male authors, like Fitzgerald. I’m just a fan of equality in everything. Our elevated fiction, books we force our kids to read, should reflect the diversity of our great country.
Thanks so much for having me here!
