Kaira Rouda: Resilience Is Key in This Business
In this interview, author Kaira Rouda discusses wanting to terrify her readers with her new thriller, Jill is Not Happy.
Kaira Rouda is an award–winning USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. To date, Kaira’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages. Three of her novels have been named Amazon Editor’s Picks for Best Mystery, Thriller & Suspense. The Next Wife was one of Suspense magazine’s Best Books of 2021 and won a 2022 Silver Falchion for Best Suspense Novel. It was also a 2022 Silver Falchion first runner-up for Best Book of the Year.
Kaira is a leader and active proponent in the mystery and thriller writing community as a co-founder and co-host of the Killer Author Club, a live online show supporting authors. She’s also a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Women’s Fiction Author Association, and the International Thriller Writers Association. She served as a committee chair for the Edgar Awards 2024 and frequently appears on panels at conferences across the country. Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, in her 20s, as a volunteer, she created the first walk-in emergency shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio. Kaira has received numerous awards for her community service, including the national Kiwanis Service to Mankind Award, the Ohio Sertoma Service to Mankind Award, and Kick Ass Woman of Orange County by Orange Coast Magazine. Kaira was honored to be appointed by Governor Gavin Newsome to the California Volunteers commission. Kaira Rouda lives in Southern California with her family. Follow her on X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram.
In this interview, Kaira discusses wanting to terrify her readers with her new thriller, Jill is Not Happy, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Kaira Rouda
Literary agent: Liza Fleissig, Liza Royce Associates
Book title: Jill is Not Happy
Publisher: Scarlet
Release date: June 10, 2025
Genre/category: Thriller
Previous titles: Best Day Ever, The Favorite Daughter, The Next Wife, Somebody’s Home, The Widow, Beneath the Surface, Under the Palms, The Second Mrs. Strom, What the Nanny Saw
Elevator pitch: An ill-fated road trip resurrects a married couple’s darkest secrets. Jack and Jill Tingley are meant to be together for life—at least that’s what Jill wants. And when she doesn’t get her way, Jill is Not Happy.
What prompted you to write this book?
It was inspired by a road trip my husband and I took to the Utah National Parks.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
This book was tucked away in a drawer for a few years—I’m so happy it’s finally coming to a bookstore near you.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
My biggest surprise was that the book sold at auction. That was thrilling.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
This was a very fun story to write, and the Utah setting for the beginning of the story really added to the novel.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Hopefully, they’ll get a little terrified. As is typical in my novels, everything is not as it seems with this “happy” couple.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Don’t give up. I dreamed of being a published author for years before it finally happened. Resilience is key in this business, as with most other dreams in life. The only way they don’t happen is if you stop trying.
