On branding and going a little darker

The interesting thing about having a background in branding is that it's fairly easy for me to see other people's brands, and help them bring them to life. In fact, I wrote a whole book - REAL YOU INCORPORATED - about the process. But, just like the cobbler's children, when it came time for me to take a look at my brand, I froze. I mean, my stories have been "Sparkling with humor and heart" since 2011. I loved that tagline, and my happy Gerbera daisy, too. 

But, change can be good, too! I'm beyond excited for next September when my second domestic suspense novel, BEST DAY EVER, arrives in the world. I say second because it is. ALL THE DIFFERENCE was my first domestic suspense novel, but I've been forcing it under the "sparkling" branding all this time. (Sorry, ALL THE DIFFERENCE characters.)

But now, it's time for a change, a darker change. After consulting with my awesome agent, Katie, and my fabulous editor, Margo, I've figured out my shift and the stories I love to write. I am fascinated by what goes on behind closed doors in seemingly perfect lives. And truly, I've been writing about this all along: entitlement, narcissism, the push to overachievement, the destructive power of affluence and keeping up appearances. In HERE, HOME, HOPE, Kelly faces a midlife crisis and the novel also deals with eating disorders, adultery, suicide and ultimately, self empowerment. The young mother in IN THE MIRROR has her perfect life put on pause by a deadly disease. Themes include mental illness, the power of celebrity, divorce, adultery and attempted rape. As for THE GOODBYE YEAR, the question is about what it means to be a couple once your last child goes to college. Darker issues include divorce, bullying, drugs in school and the empty nest syndrome. The black widow in ALL THE DIFFERENCE is, obviously, a dark character. Even my short story, A MOTHER'S DAY, deals with one tragic event that changes the lives of three mothers forever. When I think about the story lines of my romance novels, of course there is darkness. How else can we appreciate the light, the happily ever after?

So, I guess, I've been sparkling and looking at the dark side of people all along. Suburban people, with strong women protagonists who overcome a lot to find real, true purpose. These places, these lives of luxury, can make you lose your anchor, your moral center. And that's where good stories begin.

BEST DAY EVER's arrival next year will signify an even darker shift, but hopefully, the light will sparkle through the story, too. My new tagline: Behind closed doors of seemingly perfect lives. My new imagery is a closed door. I like it. I hope you do, too.  

City of Love, contemporary romance novel, out now!

I'm so excited to share that City of Love, part of Melissa Foster's Remington's Kindle World, is out now for your Kindle (Amazon only!).  The book is a part of a big release, sixteen stories all tied together. Kindle Worlds are such a fun escape for me as a writer because I have a chance to create  characters who get to have fun and romance in the city of New York, a completely different setting than my beach-based stories. It's also great to work in conjunction with all of these talented authors to grow a great world. I hope you'll give City of Love, and all these wonderful stories a read!  

                  

More about City of Love:

Her heart is empty in the new life she’s living.

Charlotte Taylor knows she’s gorgeous. She’s been told that all her life. Since she was a child, her mom, a former model and Miss Georgia, has been grooming her for a professional modeling career and tomorrow, she’ll sign with the top agency in New York City. It should be a dream come true.

Alone, and unhappy, she doesn’t know where to turn.

Hale Scott works long hours as a chef at the hottest restaurant in Manhattan. It should be his dream job, serving hip food to the coolest crowd in the city. The only problem is his boss. The highlight of his evening is the gorgeous woman he keeps making eye contact with, sitting at the table closest to the kitchen. She looks sad and lonely and he hopes she’s still there when the dinner rush subsides.

Charlotte and Hale find an instant connection but a relationship is the last thing Charlotte needs and the only thing Hale wants. Can they find a way to stay together in the overwhelming city, or can they find their own city of love?

Cameos by: Siena Remington from Melissa Foster’s Flames of Love  Olivia Larson from Kaira Rouda's The Remington's Spotlight on Love

More about Spotlight on Love:

Since childhood, Olivia Larson has dreamed of becoming a top fashion model. Recruited by an elite New York agency, she’s about to board a private plane to fly to the Big Apple. As a promise to her dedicated mom, she’s focused on her career, and nothing else, but that determination is challenged when a sexy and secretive celebrity arrives for the same flight.

Bad boy pop star Reed Ralston has been famous since he was a tween, pushed into the spotlight by an overbearing stage mom and appearing on a popular kids’ TV show as a singer/songwriter. Against the odds, and with dark secrets from a troubled childhood hidden from the press, Reed has transitioned into a successful adult star with a carefully manufactured image designed to keep him on top of the charts and in the pop-culture media.

Sometimes opposites attract immediately, as Reed and Olivia discover during their spark-filled, hour-long flight to New York. But what happens when their attraction is exposed to the harsh spotlight of fame will make all the difference in this stand alone romance.

Cameo by: Siena Remington from Melissa Foster's Flames of Love

As always, have a great day and happy reading!

xo

Kaira

Redbook magazine names The Goodbye Year one of the best books of spring!

Here's how Redbook magazine described The Goodbye Year in its list of the 20 best books you absolutely must read this spring!

The Goodbye Year, by Kaira Rouda 

Will, Melanie and Sarah are all parents in three separate families grappling with the same issue: their children are graduating high school and soon will be off to college, leaving them with empty houses and no buffer to distract them from their domestic and personal problems. Told from the perspectives of both the parents and the kids, the novel covers how the uncertainty involved with children leaving home for the first time affects family as a whole.

Why we're looking forward to it: The family dramas and dynamics are things that we can all relate to while experiencing them in new ways through the characters.

Thank you, Redbook magazine! Here's the entire list! 20 Best Books to Read This Spring!

Happy reading!

So excited! THE GOODBYE YEAR made the list!!

The Goodbye Year made the list! What list you wonder? Well, the SheKnows media list of "10 Spring Book Releases by Women We Can't Wait to Read" list!

The Goodbye Year is in GREAT company and I can't wait to read all the rest of the books on the list! So, thank you SheKnows and thank you to everybody who has pre-ordered The Goodbye Year, coming out May 3rd! If you haven't reserved your copy yet, print or digital, you are just one click away!

In other exciting news, THE GOODBYE YEAR has been receiving amazing reviews from early readers, including bestselling authors like Kate Hilton! Here is what she thought!

"The Goodbye Year is a book about the profound transition that takes place in families as children prepare to graduate from high school and begin independent lives.  Told from varying perspectives – husbands, wives, sons, and daughters – The Goodbye Year offers a fascinating glimpse behind the façade of perfection in small, well-heeled community where image is everything.  As college acceptances roll in, or don’t, and marriages evolve, or don’t, parents and children alike struggle to write a future for themselves that may not be the one they planned.  A compassionate, wise, and suspenseful tale about the end of one life stage and the beginning of another."

– Kate Hilton, International Bestselling Author of HOLE IN THE MIDDLE

(If you haven't read Kate's book, Hole in the Middle, you should by the way!)

I can't wait until The Goodbye Year is out in the world! I hope you'll add it to your TBR shelf on Goodreads, too!

In other book world news, I finally have a new headshot. Why is that process so nerve-wracking, I just don't get it? But my photographer Kristin and her partner Deseree of Blue Sky's Studio in Laguna Beach made the experience fun, and I think the photo turned out as good as it, could given the subject!

Have a wonderful day!

xo

Kaira

Focused on September? I'm thinking about Christmas!

It's funny! I've never written a Christmas story before so when Tule Publishing asked me if Indigo Island could be festive for the holidays, I said of course! You of course have read book 1 -  Weekend with the Tycoon and book 2 - Lines in the Sand and are anxiously awaiting book 3! Right? (Thank you if you said yes!) In addition to MY Christmas story, The Trouble with Christmas, Southern Born Books will release three other Carolina-set novellas! I'm so excited to be a part of all the holiday festivities and I hope you will be, too! Here's the spectacular cover!

So enjoy the rush of back-to-school, the fun of fall and stay tuned for more about Christmas! The Trouble with Christmas releases November 10th! Indigo Island is wonderfully romantic during the holiday season, at least if you're Cole and Lily! Here's a teaser about their story!

IN THE MIRROR book release whirlwind of fun!

It's been such a blast watching IN THE MIRROR arrive in the world - and I'm so excited about the positive reviews the novel has been receiving! I thought I'd give you a little roundup of where you can find me this week, some cool contests you can enter to win a copy and a couple of reviews that made me smile! So here you have it...the week (almost) in review! And please, if you have read IN THE MIRROR, let me know! And if you liked/loved it, please leave a review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble! It really means a lot, and helps other people find the novel!! Blog appearances and contests:

I had the honor of kicking off International Chick Lit Month with a post about a day in the Life of Me! You might find it fun to read! Over on Jane Porter's Blog, Jane is offering a big grand prize just for commenting on the post! Head there now! For a great Mother's Day brunch recipe and a special excerpt of IN THE MIRROR, visit Debra Salonen's blog! I'm so happy to be there!

Chick Lit Goddess gave IN THE MIRROR a glowing 5-star review! Thank you Isabella! While Jennifer Vido named IN THE MIRROR a Top 5 Book Club pick for May!

Visit Jera's Jamboree for a fun interview and a list of more of my blog tour stops in May! Connie at Random Book Muses wrote  a lovely review of IN THE MIRROR, even though it was a personally tough moment in her life with the loss of her father to cancer. Thinking of you, Connie.

Book Mama Blog's Marlene Engel welcomed me with an interview about the tough subject the novel deals with - a young mom with cancer - and wrote a fabulous review! She's hosting a giveaway right now!

Some of my very favorite reviews of IN THE MIRROR can be found at Barnes & Noble, and of course on Goodreads (sort by 5 stars - those are my favorite ;-)

The Midwest Review of Books' review is great! And I'm really excited to reveal the IndieReader review - but it isn't up yet! Stay tuned!

Thank you all for helping to make these past few days fabulous! To those of you who clapped my Thunderclap, thank you!! And if you are in the Southern California area, my first signing for IN THE MIRROR is this Thursday, May 8th, at Laguna Beach Books! 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. I'd love to see you there!

Anticipation.

It's that time of year. Anticipation is in the air. Some of us watch and marvel at the first buds of spring, anticipating the glorious flowers to appear.

Others, like my high school son, anxiously await spring break to arrive this Friday.

It's of course, the time for Easter and Passover.

And for many authors, it's the time when new books are released. Including mine. I was trying to explain the feeling I have inside, the anxiety surrounding a new release and it's hard to explain to someone who isn't in the creative field. But for those of us who are, you get it. It's unveiling the work of art for the first time, playing your new song in front of a live crowd for the first time, that butterfly inducing, fingernail biting feeling.  And sure, reviews are already appearing, so I'm already getting accustomed to the good - and the not so good - that my newest creation is attracting. All I can hope is that on May 1st, when IN THE MIRROR is officially released,  the good reviews outnumber the bad and that like a bright field of flowers, my words will touch some readers' hearts.

That makes the anticipation and the work, worth it!

PS: This helps, too. Check out what Kirkus, Foreword, and the US Review of Books have to say about my newest baby, IN THE MIRROR!

Real You: Cover reveal! IN THE MIRROR is coming out May 1st!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

In the Mirror

by Kaira Rouda

Giveaway ends April 30, 2014.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

And to celebrate, my publisher is hosting a Goodreads Book Giveaway! Enter to win by clicking the link, or simply hop over to Goodreads and search giveaways! I'd really appreciate it if you'd add the book to your To Read list! Soon, I'll have more information for pre-ordering - but in the meantime, here is your chance to enter to win a copy for free!

What's IN THE MIRROR all about, you ask? The novel revolves around a simple question: If you knew you might die soon, what choices would you make?

Jennifer Benson has it all: a successful career, a perfect husband, two kids and abundant friendships. The only problem is she may be dying. IN THE MIRROR is the realistic love story about a woman facing a deadly illness, and her loves past and present. It's a story that unfolds with a delightful blend of humor and poignancy, ringing true in the heart of anyone who has ignored a warning of her own.

And look at these fabulous reviews! "Kaira Rouda has created relatable characters you'll care deeply about. Emotionally gripping and heart-achingly beautiful, this novel will make you think about what is truly important." ~ New York Times bestselling author Tracey Garvis Graves

"Balancing sadness and humor, the retrospective tone of this novel is both therapeutic and affecting. In the Mirror is an emotion-packed novel about a mother facing terminal cancer. It is a nostalgic tribute to the things that really matter: family and friends." ~ Foreword

"Jennifer's journey through cancer and her struggle to love her husband in the face of the return of her first love is something to cheer and rejoice in. A moving and uplifting novel about family and the struggles we all face to live every minute to the fullest." ~ Anita Hughes, author of Monarch Beach and Market Street

"I was completely absorbed by In the Mirror. This is a moving story from the unique perspective of a seriously ill patient who is a wife, sister, daughter and friend, examining all of those relationships with honesty and humor. This story will stay with you because of the questions it asks and the answers it offers." ~ Lian Dolan, bestselling author of Helen of Pasadena

Thank you for sharing in the excitement - and thank you, as always, for your support!

Real You: Heading to Hollywood Tonight

Really, I am. Tonight I'm doing a signing and reading of HERE, HOME, HOPE in Larchmont Village - very close to Hollywood.

Which got me thinking about the town where dreams are made...which then got me thinking about dreams coming true. All those years ago, when I dreamed of seeing a novel of mine on a bookstore shelf, I never dreamed that I'd be in Hollywood for a book signing! I know, I'm showing my Midwestern sensibilities here, but pinch me, please!

So if you cannot make it to Chevalier's Books tonight, imagine me, with a huge grin, soaking it all in. These are those moments when I thank God for all my blessings. And I thank you for supporting me.

And if your dreams still haven't yet come true, don't give up. Your pinchable moment is on the horizon. Keep believing!

Real You: Resilience

     The most important aspect of the writing life, to me, is resilience. You know it, if you’re a writer. Resilience isn’t a trait that is taught, it’s learned. It’s the inner drive that allows us to bounce back, to recover from adversity – whether it’s our first rejection or our latest. Because we know as writers that to do this thing, this craft and this job we love, we must be buoyant. We must keep hope floating, even in the face of all the facts.  And the facts are daunting. The journey from a completed manuscript to actually holding a published book in your hands can be a long and frustrating one. We’ve all heard of the overnight success stories. But that’s why we’ve all heard of them. For most of us, it will be a journey of perseverance, of heartache and ultimately, with enough resilience, success.

My story isn’t unique. I’ve dreamed of writing a novel since I can remember articulating a career. When our teacher in 3^rd grade told the class to write to a person who has the job you would like to have someday, I wrote to Robert McCloskey of Make Wake for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal fame. I explained how much I wanted to be a writer, like him, and how much I enjoyed his stories. He wrote back and told me, thanks, but he was an illustrator. Undaunted, I kept the dream alive.

Fast-forward to my life today. I’m a mom of four teens who just became a consultant for the real estate company I co-founded with my husband. For the first time, ever, I had a moment to stop and reflect on what I’d dreamed of since so long ago. Sure, I’d tried to pursue my writing dreams along the way. I’d even been honored with two different agents through the years, but somehow nothing clicked.  We’d get close, those agents and I, to the big acceptance, the “yes” from New York. But ultimately, a no would come my way and I’d put my hopes and my manuscripts back in the drawer. But I didn’t give up.

Was it because I didn’t have confidence to pursue this career of a novelist with single-minded focus? Perhaps, but most of us don’t have the luxury of simply writing full time. Was it because my writing wasn’t ready, my craft was still developing? I don’t think you ever stop growing, so I could have used that excuse to give up. I don’t have the answers to those questions. But I do know I continued to write. I continued to take online masters classes and attend writers’ conferences when I could. I remained convinced this was my calling, that someday a novel of mine would be published.

Don’t get me wrong. I had a great career as a journalist and later in marketing and finally, ironically, in what has become the most resilient of all industries, real estate. If you want a non-literary example of survivors, of buoyancy, sit down and talk to your favorite real estate agent who is still working in today’s market.  I found the inspiration for my first book by working with these amazing entrepreneurs.  In what is to me truly ironic, I pitched the nonfiction proposal for REAL YOU INCORPORATED: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs (Wiley|08) to a single literary agent and just one publisher, both of whom responded the next day with a yes.

That type of overnight yes didn’t happen for my novel, obviously.

Available May 1, 2011 

So when the yes did come last year, when the dream began to become reality, you better believe it was that much more exciting. This is the dream. This is what I’ve been bouncing back in hopes of. The advance reader copies of HERE, HOME, HOPE arrived on my doorstep in a brown cardboard box just before Christmas. My hands were shaking as I cut open the package and reached inside. As I picked up the ARC, I held the realization of a lifetime of dreams, of work, of springing back. Was it worth it, continuing to ignore the facts, the odds stacked against me? Of course. Now it is. But when I look back at the very long and exhausting road that most of us must take from our dreams of writing a novel to the reality of holding a published book in our hands, I know resilience is the reason I made it through.

 And, just as I know that this character trait is what worked for me, what allowed me to finally be able to say that I am now a published novelist, the ability to spring back can and will work for you, too. No matter your field, but especially in this one. Resilience is learned by those who make it: you don’t need it if you give up. So keep bouncing.

This column appeared the The Sacramento Book Review, a great place for book lovers.

Real You: Down to the wire and out to the world

     Have you ever worked on something for a decade or more? Something so important to you that your dreams, hopes and wishes are one with the project. I have. It happened as we created and built Real Living Real Estate, and it's happening again, now, as I launch my debut novel into the world.      Just like Real Living, my novel isn't for everybody. But I hope most people who pick it up and give it a read will like it. But all I can do is send it out to the world, knowing I did my best.

HERE, HOME, HOPE Giveaway on Goodreads starts today!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Here, Home, Hope

by Kaira Rouda

Giveaway ends April 30, 2011.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Real You: Waiting is the hardest part

Today, I'm waiting.
I am not a patient person. And that may be an understatement. So this feeling I'm feeling is not comfortable. But really, the entire process of book writing is filled with a lot of waiting - so I should be okay with it by now. But I'm not.
Today I'm waiting to see the second round of cover comps. It's true, that saying, you really do judge books by their covers. So to me, the cover is huge. Monumental. And if you're a visual person like me, waiting to see what the book designer selects to represent your words is agonizing.
Sharing my waiting has helped. Thanks for listening. And, when the waiting is over and my novel has a face, so to speak, I'll share that, too!