Summer Reading: Kaira Rouda

I’ve got another wonderful guest author hanging out with us this weekend.  Readers, please help me welcome the wonderful Kaira Rouda, who lives in Laguna Beach…just a stone’s throw from me. So excited to be neighbors with Kaira.  And now without any further delays, let’s introduce Kaira!

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Jane! Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s an honor to be here with you and all of your readers. And I do hope we get to meet one day soon as you are just down the road from me, and I, too, have just arrived. Transitions are tough and I’ve found what helps the most are girlfriends. So, remember, I’m here! I loved She’s Gone Country and Flirting with Forty – and I can’t wait for your newest release in September!

A little about me

My name, Kaira, is pronounced “care-ahhh”, just in case anyone is wondering and yes, I’ve heard and answered to just about every variation of it! I’ve wanted to be a novelist for as long as I can remember. In fact, in third grade I wrote to the author of my favorite book, Make Way for Ducklings, and told him I wanted to be just like him someday. Robert McCloskey wrote back and said thanks for the note but that he was an illustrator not an author and wished me luck. Undeterred, the dream stayed alive but it took me until my 48th birthday last summer until I was able to hold my first novel in my hand. I’ve learned dreams will come true if you keep believing in yourself and don’t give up.

Dreams are at the heart of my new novel All The Difference as Ellen, Laura and Angie – three very different women – strive for their goals. Because it’s a chick-lit with a murder mystery tossed in (note darker than normal beach book cover), in All The Difference some of the characters go to extremes.  In my first novel, Here, Home, Hope, Kelly is facing her 40th birthday and decides to change her life, with the help of friends and family.  Are you living the life of your dreams? Are you fulfilled? Happy? I hope so. As with most everything in life, happiness and dreams flow in phases and stages so if you aren’t now, take steps to be sure you will be soon. I’ve found that it really is up to you.

A little more about All The Difference and a contest!

I’ve been a fan of light murder mysteries a la Jessica Fletcher and Susan Isaacs. Not bloody, just surprising. And the notion of an unreliable character appealed to me, too. So I’ve mixed some mystery into the traditional chick-lit, beach read. I had so much fun writing this book – and I’m proud of how it turned out. I’d be honored if you gave it a try!

Kirkus just gave All The Difference a great review, and I was thrilled! Here’s part of the review: “A trio of strong women living in Grandville forms the centerpiece of Rouda’s absorbing new novel. . . .The murder mystery serves as a captivating backdrop to the finely drawn characters and the twist at the end is a fantastic revelation. It’s a nod to Rouda’s talent that despite the inherent (and severe) flaws each woman displays, the reader still forms an attachment to each of them. A light, engaging read that keeps readers guessing until the end.”

Jane and I would like to give two readers a chance to win a copy of All The Difference, a Starbucks drink card, and lots of fun goodies. Just leave a comment below about how you’re making your dreams come true.  The contest will run from now until Monday, August 6th, and we’ll announce the winners in a comment below.  Be sure to check back on Monday, August 6th to see if you’re one of our lucky gals!

For more about Kaira and her novels, please visit her website. She loves to Skype with book clubs and she’s a social media addict. Please find her on FacebookGoodreads, Twitter and  Pinterest.

 

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