Q&A With Kaira Rouda

Tonight I have the honor of doing a Q&A with USA Today Bestselling author and business woman Kaira Rouda. Kaira is the author of “Best Day Ever,” “In The Mirror,” “All The Difference,” “The Goodbye Year,” “Somebody’s Home”, The Next Wife” and her new novel “The Widow,” coming out on December 1^st of this year. If you want to get your loved one a Christmas present you should preorder “The Widow,” now. 

Q: What is your favorite part of writing psychological suspense novels? What is your least favorite part?

A: I love every part of it. I love writing domestic suspense and there’s nothing better than sitting down to craft a new story. 

Q: At what point did you realize your calling was to be a writer? 

A: I knew in third grade. Our teacher asked us to write to the person we wanted to become when we grew up. I wrote to the author, Robert McCloskey. And he wrote back!

Q: What advice do you give to those who want to write? What advice do you give to those who struggle with writers block?

A: The secret to writing is to sit down and do it. Seriously, that’s it. Of course, the more you write, the better you get at it. As for writer’s block, I don’t have any suggestions except sit down and write. Of course, if your muse is tired, or ill, it’s fine to give her a break. And after you do, sit down and write.

Q: If you had to choose, which novel was your favorite one to write and why?

A: I don’t really have a favorite. They are all my babies. The most exciting launch so far was Best Day Ever because I got to go on a big book tour. The publisher considered it a debut because I had been indie and small press published prior to that novel. 

Q: Does Hollywood have the rights to any of your novels?

A: Nope. Not yet. Fingers crossed someday that will happen. 

Q: If you were to collaborate with another author who would it be and why?

A: I do collaborate every other Tuesday with Kimberly Belle and Heather Gudenkauf when we host the Killer Author Club. We’ve been having a blast featuring other authors, talking about killing in the fictional sense, of course. More details about it are on www.killerauthorclub.com

I also write with my daughter, Avery, a screenwriter. We are adapting my novels into screenplays and it has been so fun. 

Q: Can you tell the readers a little bit about your novel “The Widow”? 

A: The idea for The Widow came about from my time spent in Washington, DC when my husband was in congress. The tradition of The Widow’s Mandate fascinated me. Jody Asher had a plan. Her charismatic husband, Martin, would be a political icon. She, the charming wife, would fuel his success. For fifteen congressional terms, they were the golden couple on the Hill. Life was good. Until he wasn’t.

Martin’s secret affair with a young staffer doesn’t bother Jody personally. But professionally? It’s a legacy killer. Soon a reporter gets word of this scandal in the making, and Martin’s indiscretions threaten to ruin everything Jody has accomplished.

When Martin suddenly dies, it’s a chance to change the narrative―but the reporter won’t let go of his lead. As the balance of power shifts in the Asher house and on the Hill, it’s time for Jody to take control. And there’s nothing the ruthless widow won’t do to secure the future she’s entitled to. Even if she has a secret of her own.

Q: Are you writing a new novel now? If so can you spoil a little bit about it?

A: My next novel, BENEATH THE SURFACE, will be out in September of 2023. It’s described as Succession meets Arrested Development set on a yacht on a weekend trip to Catalina Island. I’m excited about this one. 

Q:  How do you juggle being a writer and a business woman? What type of business do you have?

A: I’m a full-time writer now and I love it.