Kaira Rouda | Kaira Rouda

5 01, 2014

Real You: Happy New Year book news and woman power

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:49:48+00:00January 5, 2014|aha, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Happy New Year book news and woman power

I hope you're having a great start to 2014! So far, I've been enjoying my family, recovering from food poisoning (a pickle, of all things), and trying to get back in the writing saddle. The end of 2013 left me a bit adrift, from the writing standpoint. But, I should have some good news to announce shortly! In the meantime, I wanted to let you all know that IndieReader gave ALL THE DIFFERENCE a great review on their site, calling it "a quick and sexy mystery, a challenge to unravel, and proves there’s nothing humdrum about the ‘burbs." See the whole review here. I wasn't expecting the review and it reinvigorated me, the same way that five-star Amazon reviews can. It's odd, but us writers are such a sensitive lot. A tiny bit of applause goes a long way. My debut novel, HERE, HOME, HOPE, [...]

20 11, 2013

Real You: Making your dreams come true

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:02+00:00November 20, 2013|dreams, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Making your dreams come true

Reality check time!Here is the most important notion I've learned during the last five years: you are responsible for making your dreams come true. That's it. The truth. You can wish for help, you can pray for assistance, you can even believe in somebody who says they can make your dream come true. But they won't. They can't. In my first book - a business book for women entrepreneurs called REAL YOU INCORPORATED - I emphasize the fact that to make the business of your dreams become a reality, it all starts with you. Knowing who you are, and what you truly want. Knowing what you are willing to sacrifice to get there, and knowing what you won't. And, I'll tell you what. It's the same whether your dream is to become a small business owner, or a published author, or a (fill in the [...]

25 10, 2013

Real You: Hometown Memories

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:05+00:00October 25, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Hometown Memories

A friend of mine from my hometown of Upper Arlington, Ohio, asked me last summer if I would write my favorite memory of my time there. Hmmm. I was stumped. It took me until this fall to finally write the piece. Here's what I came up with. What's your favorite hometown memory? It’s hard to sum up a favorite UA memory, at least it is for me. UA is the place I spent my formative years – from fourth grade at Burbank Elementary through graduation from Upper Arlington High School. It’s the place where all four of my children were born – and it’s the place where my husband was born and raised. It’s also, the place where my father-in-law started his business. There is so much here – so many layers of remembrance on every street, each shopping center, even in the smell of [...]

8 10, 2013

Real You: The long haul

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:07+00:00October 8, 2013|Uncategorized, write|Comments Off on Real You: The long haul

That's what I'm reminding myself as I sit down to write this post - finally - after a several-month-long writer's block. It's about the long haul, the sum total of what you've done to make a difference in the world, and not about any one period of muck. Or drought. Or in my case, a flood, followed by a move, followed by a huge asthma attack due to the sealant used on the roads in my neighborhood, followed by a massive construction project RIGHT NEXT STORE that has been in full force every day since we moved into the new house at the beginning of April, just after the flood in our new home. How's that for a sentence? To me, it felt good to finally write because during this time, this time of unsettlement, I haven't been able to write, at least not very [...]

30 06, 2013

Real You: Welcome Author Meg Waite Clayton

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:18+00:00June 30, 2013|author interview, Uncategorized|Comments Off on Real You: Welcome Author Meg Waite Clayton

I'm so excited to welcome my friend, the New York Times bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton who is celebrating the publication of her newest novel, The Wednesday Daughters, to my blog. Below Meg explains the history of her writing career - and her firm belief in the comfort of writing friends. Take it away, Meg: The history of my own writing starts with a purse. Like the character of Linda in my novel, The Wednesday Sisters, my first writing teacher—at a college extension class—dumped hers out over the table and told us to write for five minutes about anything that spilled out. Ok, wait. The truth, if memory serves, is that my first writing teacher actually brought a brown paper lunch bag full of interesting things. The purse is fiction. But you get the idea. And perhaps I should say I was well into my 30s by [...]

28 05, 2013

ALL THE DIFFERENCE is National Indie Excellence Winner!

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:26+00:00May 28, 2013|Uncategorized|Comments Off on ALL THE DIFFERENCE is National Indie Excellence Winner!

I'm so excited to announce that my second novel, ALL THE DIFFERENCE, is a 2013 National Indie Excellence Award Winner, one of four finalists in the fiction suspense category! As the Indie Excellence press release notes, "Not only has the number of entrants increased, but the excellence has risen to a whole new level. Advances in technology and the increase in sophistication of self-publishers has produced a bumper crop of books that stand proudly next those published by mainstream houses. This has created a challenge of unexpected magnitude for the contest judges." "The National Indie Excellence Awards criteria for recognition are stringent and include overall excellence. This award celebrates the highest achievements in small publishing, a sector of the industry that has grown exponentially in recent years." Yay! Here is another reason I'm so excited! ALL THE DIFFERENCE was my first attempt writing suspense, even though [...]

10 05, 2013

Sonya Overstreet

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:27+00:00May 10, 2013|Featured Entrepreneurs, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on Sonya Overstreet

For years Sonya Overstreet dreamed of being a voice-over artist. In her early teens, she used her “voice-over” voice to read movie listings, real estate ads, fashion catalog descriptions and just about anything she could find. Years passed before she decided to pursue her dream, but the first time she recorded her voice in a professional studio, she felt right at home. “I’ve found a new passion,” she said at that time. Today, Sonya is the owner and voice-over talent for Vision Voice, a business that provides professional and affordable voice-over services. Sonya’s dream to use her voice-over talent as a way to help business owners bring their vision to life is born out of her belief that all business owners want a successful and prosperous business. “I started to think how visions become realities,” she said. “A vision begins in your head and in [...]

10 05, 2013

Bernice Ross

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:31+00:00May 10, 2013|Featured Entrepreneurs, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on Bernice Ross

She loves the freedom of entrepreneurship—the ability to innovate and set her own course. We’re talking about Bernice Ross, CEO and founder of RealEstateCoach.com, a virtual company that provides real-estate training, coaching and consulting for Realtors®. Ross is also a nationally syndicated real estate columnist for Inman News and the author of three books, including Real Estate Dough: The Recipe for Real Estate Success, due out mid-2008. To represent the new book and a new series of products, Ross recently changed the company tag line to: RealEstateCoach.com—the Place You Go to Make Real Estate Dough. There’s no doubt she’s passionate about helping Realtors® grow their business. Clear Vision Every business needs a vision statement, and for Ross that was the easy part. She’s crystal clear about her company’s mission: RealEstateCoach.com is committed to providing our clients with the highest quality coaching, training and consulting services [...]

10 05, 2013

Debba Haupert

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:32+00:00May 10, 2013|Featured Entrepreneurs, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on Debba Haupert

Debba Haupert didn’t have to go far to establish the idea for Girlfriendology. It started with a blog she created to show appreciation for one of her girlfriends. That, in turn, prompted Debba to research the topic, which reinforced what she already knew—that girlfriends make women happier, healthier and less stressed. She also learned that girlfriends increase longevity and make women feel more beautiful. This confirmed the goal of the site: to make the world a better place, one girlfriendship at a time. Today, Girlfriendology.com is an online community for women based on female friendship. It is designed to inspire women through semi-weekly podcast interviews with amazing women. The site also features shopping, reviews, blogs and more. The entire endeavor is a reflection of Debba’s passions for marketing, learning and friends. “The creative process of writing, finding images to support the story and finding products [...]

10 05, 2013

Linda Kick

By Kaira Rouda|2023-02-06T23:50:34+00:00May 10, 2013|Featured Entrepreneurs, Real You Incorporated|Comments Off on Linda Kick

Based in Dublin, Ohio, Our CupCakery is the brainchild of Linda Kick, a former teacher who left education to pursue her passion for baking. Our CupCakery began as a custom cake, cookie and cupcake business, catering to weddings, birthdays and other special events. Then in 2006, Linda introduced the idea of a retail cupcake bar where customers can decorate their own cupcake masterpieces to go. More recently, she expanded even further by adding classes, parties and camps, which are really more opportunities to enjoy delicious desserts with friends. Today, visitors to the cupcake bar can witness great-tasting treats and a kitchen overflowing with activity. Says Linda: “If you’re in need of something sweet, Our CupCakery is the place to create, order—and eat!But make no mistake. Linda is an astute businesswoman and entrepreneur. Inquisitive by nature, she is motivated to try new things, and she is [...]

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