Yippee! She’s finally here. The trade paperback of THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER is out in the world. My publisher kept the same cover and I love it, so I’m very glad. And, for a limited time to celebrate, the ebook is only $1.99. I am grateful to have a release after a year of pandemic delay. If you haven’t read THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER yet, I’d love for you to consider it. Happy reading!
Never heard of the mystery writers’ conference? That’s OK, I hadn’t either until two years ago when BEST DAY EVER launched and my publisher sent me to this event in Toronto. I’ve been hooked ever since. At Toronto two years ago, and this year in Dallas, I had the chance to meet and visit with the most wonderful women writing crime novels. Of course, yes, there are great male authors there, too, but for me, the most special part of the weekend is the women who write in the same domestic suspense genre as I do. It really is a special bond. So, until next Bouchercon, I’ll miss these faces but fortunately we keep in touch online! Hope you follow me on social media: @KairaRouda on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and BookBub, and KairaRoudaBooks on Facebook. And if you haven't read my first domestic thriller, check [...]
Mothers and daughters have such a special bond. And that’s the case with my daughter, Avery, and I. As a bonus, my daughter is a writer, too. She’s a screenwriter to be exact and that comes in so handy when your book-to-film agent asks if you would be interested in adapting THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER. Why no, that though terrifies me. But with my daughter’s encouragement, we said yes and the result was a wonderful experience for both of us. Hopefully, the script will find a home, but either way. Avery and I have discovered a wonderful way of working together. It’s awesome. We’re tackling another one of my novels next. Stay tuned! And, for a limited time, THE FAVORITE DAUGHTER ebook is on sale for just $2.99 EXCLUSIVELY on Amazon.
Recently, I hosted a a webinar for the Women’s Council of Realtors. The focus was on how to get your business up and going as a new sales associate in the real estate business. The thing is, the advice for new real estate entrepreneurs is the same for new entrepreneurs in any business. Today, you are your strongest competitive advantage. It all starts with you. Your personal brand, clearly articulated, is your killer app. Your shining story. Uniquely yours and there for you to use to connect with your perfect customer. We spent a lot of the webinar discussing personal branding and target marketing. As you know, the ability to target, truly reach the right customer at the right time, has never been better. But it’s also really confusing to folks unfamiliar with the social media tools and platforms. I know, I’m learning every day, [...]
Wow, imagine how surprised I was to find my face and my book on the front page of www.BlogTalkRadio.com! Yesterday, I was on the Secrets of Success radio show with Renee Belbeck of Like Minded Moms, and I was chosen as one of the day's top picks. Thanks BTR and Renee for having me. If you missed the show, you can listen to it at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/spotlightofsuccess/2009/07/30/Real-You-Inc.
Ok, here's a funny story. My friend Stefan Swanepoel is THE real estate trends guy. He publishes a well-researched, well-read Trends Report each year and the industry folks who are smart, read it. I realize it's April, and first quarter is over, BUT I am finally reading the report! In my defense, for some unknown reason, it took two months to arrive from California to my mailbox in Ohio. (Yes, even reports don't want to visit Ohio if they're from Laguna Nigel.) But enough excuses. I learned a lot, and here are the trends that resonated with me: 1. Real estate is in the "transformation years", and those years will continue until 2012 (yikes!) 2. Social media is a real estate agent and company's friend! (yay!) I'm not going to dwell on the negatives surrounding point 1 above, as I'm sure if you live in [...]
I’m excited to share with you that I have recently become a contributing columnist to eBrandMarketing—the No. 1 blog on marketing to women—published by Glam Media, which reaches 77 million unique visitors. You’ll hear from the foremost authorities on women, like Fara Warner, author of Power of the Purse. My column, called (you guessed it!) Real You, spotlights what women are looking for in a brand experience. I share my thoughts about how companies can do a better job connecting with us through emotional branding, authenticity and understanding women’s purchasing power. Check out one of the most read blogs on eBrandMarketing: Real You: “Ladies” you can ride, look pretty, but you cannot drive, and come back every Friday for a new Real You column!
Sure, as a writer, blogging comes fairly easy for me. I like sitting in front of the computer, with a white space to fill with words. The problem is, if nobody else reads the words, it's sort of like writing in a diary. Helpful personally, but not likely to help grow my business. So that's what I've been focusing on the last few days. Learning how to link, maximize, post, syndicate the content, and most importantly, find more readers who could benefit and learn from the content I love to share. My message to you: don't be afraid. Jump in. Learn the lessons of blogging and connecting - so you aren't just blogging to yourself! Ok, like this example?? This doesn't look good to you or me? Hopefully, I'll be able to fix it, but at least you know I'm trying. Go ahead. To grow [...]
