Interview: Author Kaira Rouda talks The Next Wife

Kaira Rouda’s new book The Next Wife is like Gone Girl on crack. Just when you think you have it figured out, you don’t. The book debuted on May 1 and there’s no doubt that it will soon soar to the top of bestseller lists everywhere. Culturess had a chance to talk to Rouda about her new book and how she brought the story to life.

The Next Wife is the tale of two wives. Tish is the new wife and Kate is the ex-wife. John is the man in the middle, trying to find a way to appease his new wife, work with his ex-wife and business partner and be the father that his daughter Ashlyn deserves.

What follows is a sordid tale of deception and lies that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Tish is deliciously malevolent and Kate is easy to root for, but what unfolds in The Next Wife is a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Interview: Author Kaira Rouda talks about her new book The Next Wife

(Culturess) I’m sure you get this question a lot, but since The Next Wife isn’t a “typical” revenge book I have to ask how you came up with the concept and the twists. How do you keep track of everything, and did you have the entire story mapped out or did things change as you wrote it?

(Kaira Rouda) Ah, well this is a tricky question because I am a pantser, which means I write the first draft without an outline. When I sat down to write The Next Wife, I had Kate and Tish clearly in my head. John, too. Ashlyn, their daughter, popped into my head and demanded her turn on the page, and I’m so glad she did. The concept overall is based on the ten years my husband and I spent creating a business and growing it together. Fortunately, we didn’t get divorced over it, but there are so many stressors, especially when you have kids to raise, too. That’s the nugget of the idea. A couple growing a business and a family together, working so hard, and then, one of them makes a decision that changes everything. You can see why Kate might feel a little angry. 

Could you talk about the exact moment when John doomed himself? Was it when he married Tish, or was it long before that happened? It seems like things could have worked out with Kate if he hadn’t left…but maybe not.

But, maybe not. John doomed himself the minute he betrayed Kate. After everything they’d built together. How could he? Kate has a rigid moral standard and very high expectations for those around her. 

Tish and Kate are obviously very different people, but they do share a few key traits. Could they ever have been friends? 

In other circumstances, yes, I do think they could have been friends. Each has a strength the other would admire, does admire, in business and in life. Great question. 

Ashlyn has relationships with John, Kate and Tish and that makes her very central to the tale. How much does Kate need to worry about her daughter knowing that Ashlyn was piecing things together on her own?

Kate’s focus is on Tish. When she finally realizes Ashlyn is figuring things out, it’s a bit too late to stop her. Like mother, like daughter as they say.

What was it like writing a revenge thriller in the #MeToo era?

It’s great, actually. A long time ago, long before there was a hashtag, I filed a class action lawsuit against my employer for gender discrimination and sexual harassment. I’ve been in the trenches and have plenty of my own stories. I had a string of spectacularly bad male bosses in my day. I don’t think necessarily in those terms when I create stories, but you do write what you know. 

Unlike other revenge thrillers that leave the reader feeling satisfied with the act of revenge, The Next Wife muddies the waters with its big twist. Did anyone win? Who is the villain of the story? Is there a hero? 

Good question. I suppose the point of suspense is to keep you guessing, and I suppose, several people in the story do get revenge for different grievances, real or imagined. Is there a hero? Ashlyn, perhaps. As for the villain, John did create this whole mess, didn’t he? In the end though, I suppose it’s up to the reader to decide if anyone wins.

We want to thank Kaira Rouda for taking the time to speak with us. The Next Wife is available now.