Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, born in Evanston, Illinois, is an American author and businesswoman. Rouda earned a Bachelor of Arts in English, *magna cum laude*, from Vanderbilt University in 1985. In the early-1990s, Rouda began her career as a reporter for *Business First* newspaper. She then worked as an account executive for Fahlgren & Swink before becoming vice president of marketing at Stanley Steemer in 1995. As a freelance writer, Rouda contributed articles to *Columbus Monthly* and *Midwest Living*. She was the "Connections" columnist for *This Week*, a publication of *The Columbus Dispatch*. In 2002, she created the Columbus, Ohio-based franchise company, Real Living Real Estate. Built as the first female-focused residential real estate brand, Rouda grew the brand to more than 22 states before its sale. Her first book was *Real You Incorporated: 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs*. In 2011, Rouda turned her focus to writing fiction. She 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. She is best known for her psychological suspense novels, including *Best Day Ever* and *All the Difference*. Her novels of domestic suspense include *Somebody’s Home*, *The Next Wife*, and *The Next Mrs. Strom*. Rouda’s work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and received numerous awards. Active in the areas of homelessness, food security, and empowering women and girls, she created the first walk-in emergency shelter for homeless families in Central Ohio. Rouda was appointed to the California Volunteers commission and 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*. Rouda lives in Southern California with her family. Sources: [Kaira Rouda](https://kairarouda.com/about/) and [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaira_Rouda)