Kaira Rouda

I’m pleased to welcome Bonnie back for her second appearance on my blog. Here, she shares the heart-wrenching and heartwarming tale behind her new novel, Neurotically Yours!

When you’ve been battling your way through the dating scene for almost two decades, it’s comforting to know that your many hellish experiences weren’t in vain. In fact, as a writer, they rarely are. I think I subconsciously knew that with each disappointment, each humiliation, I was building a valuable reservoir of material, or depending on how you see it, a goldmine of garbage! With some distance, I sensed that those ill-fated experiences could be converted—not just into great copy, but into humorous entertainment.

Although I began writing my second novel, Neurotically Yours, only two years ago, these indelible events had long been burned into my memory like branding on a cow. Despite the fact that six years ago I finally married my Long Awaited One, I never forgot the purgatory from whence I came, and I never stopped empathizing with those still out there body surfing the tidal waves of potential romance.

I think that’s why so many people identify with my protagonist, Dara. In some ways, she’s every woman who’s ever been out on the scene too long: frustrated, jaded, and yes, neurotic, but deep down, still hopeful that love will find its way into her life despite the odds.

Not everything that Dara weathers happened to me (if that were the case I’d probably be undergoing shock treatments at Bellevue). Some of the stories are from friends, others are tantamount to urban legend, or spurred from my imagination, but that doesn’t make them any less relatable. I think many women will see aspects of themselves in Dara as I do. In fact, as confirmed by my loving and long-suffering husband, I have once again created a character with whom I hold much in common. Dara is opinionated, sardonically witty, and often displays a cynical edge, but this is merely a cloak for her immense vulnerability, something that becomes more and more evident throughout the story. She also suffers from hormonal strife (read: serious PMS), and therefore, can react to situations in less than a lady-like way. In other words, she’s human, with human faults and frailties, and that’s one of the main reasons readers find themselves invested in her plight.

I hope you’ll read Neurotically Yours, laugh a little, and enjoy the wild ride of Dara’s life. If you do, I’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for joining us here, Bonnie! For more about Bonnie, and her novels – which are wonderful – please visit her website.

I am so excited to be a part of the Authors in Bloom event – and I hope you will find it fun, too. My part of the Authors in Bloom giveaway is a digital copy of both my new novel, ALL THE DIFFERENCE, and my short story, A MOTHER’S DAY. I’d love for you to win those prizes, and of course, to win the grand prize of the blog hop!

As part of this blog hop, you could win a Kindle or a Nook. That’s awesome, but what’s even better… if you hop on over to all of the participating bloggers, you will find fun tips and recipes.
Here’s mine: Vegetable Flower Snack

Cucumber
Cherry Tomatoes
Red apple or Kiwi
Celery
Carrots
Leaf Lettuce
Dip (yougurt, ranch, peanut butter)

What to do:
Cut the cucumbers in slices and make a circle, filling the inside. (5-6 slices) Add two more layers of cucumbers each using less slices and alternating spots to make it look like a flower.
Place a celery stick (cut to desired size and thickness) at the bottom of the flower to create a stem.
Place a cherry tomato in the middle of the flower to add color.
Use the leaf lettce as leaves on the flower.
Using your red apple or kiwi cut small wedges and form a flower using another celery stick as the stem.

Place the small carrots at the bottom of the creation to imitate grass.

Use yogurt, ranch dip or peanut butter to dip your creation in and enjoy!

You will need this for the Grand Prize: #Line 50: It seems like only yesterday my daughter was a little girl.

Ok, so this is my first attempt at participating in a multi-blog hop. I am on a much-needed vacation and this is true, I forgot my computer. This really doesn’t happen to me. But it did. So, for the complete details of this amazing blog hop, please visit A Cozy Reader’s Corner and everything will bloom for you! This Authors in Bloom Blog Hope contest is open until April 18, 2012. Same as my offer! Good luck!

It’s funny, the title of my new novel ALL THE DIFFERENCE has been set for years – yes, the years it takes to write, query, face rejection, re-write, more rejection, and well, you get it – but my titles typically don’t change. In fact, often when I’m beginning a novel that’s all I have. The title and a vague sense of the characters.

So I guess, you could say, for my writing life, what makes all the difference is a title. It sets the pace for the rest of the book. What makes all the difference in my life? Well, there are so many answers of course but mostly it’s the people. And especially lately, friends.

And that’s who I’ve dedicated this novel to – my friends, because you do make all the difference. Whether we’ve only met online, through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Goodreads, or we’ve been friends since childhood, those connections and relationships mean the world to me.

Since we moved to a new community in Thanksgiving, I’ve had the chance to rely on many of you for support and encouragement, virtually and cellularly. It’s lonely to be the new kid in town, even if you’re a grown up. And now, I feel as if I’ve started to make new friends in this new town. That warms my heart.

So now you know what makes all the difference to me. How about you?