I’ve realized that most of my romance heroes I write about have dark hair.  Not that I have anything against blond men, because I don’t.  In fact I try to mix things up a bit by making some of my heroes golden-haired, but I have to admit, I don’t like them as much. Oh, I’ll grant you that Brad Pitt is a gorgeous man, but my heart truly goes out to the black-haired guys.

             So where did this love of tall, dark and handsome come from? When I search my memories, my very first crush that I can recall was on Batman.  Yes.  Honestly.  The wham, pow, corny Adam West version. As young as five years old, I used to create scenarios in my head where Batman would have to burst in and save me.  Bruce Wayne had dark hair.   So did Superman and I had a little thing for him too. (I loved Underdog too, but I don’t think he counts.) 

            I also grew up watching endless I Love Lucy reruns and I freely confess to having a mad crush on Ricky Ricardo.  He was so handsome in a tuxedo, and the way he sang “Cuban Pete” and always forgave his crazy wife no matter what she did, completely won me over.  He had beautiful dark hair too.

            Now I must address my great love for Elvis. Was there ever a dark-haired man sexier than he was?  I honestly don’t think so.  Well, the young Elvis anyway. Those pouty lips.  Those heavy-lidded eyes.  Don’t get me started on his hips!  And that voice! That voice that just melts your heart. “Anyway you want me…”  Sigh.

            As a huge fan of Gone With the Wind, which I first watched when I was ten years old and even then I knew there was no way I could love the wimpy, blond Ashley Wilkes.  None at all!  It was the sexy, manly, witty, and decidedly dark-haired Rhett Butler that made my heart swoon. He’s a man who knows exactly what he wants and goes about getting it. (Although, I can somehow forgive Clark Gable’s mustache, in general I can’t abide facial hair of any kind.)            

            During my formative years, I think it was these early crushes that formed my partiality for black haired men. Batman.  Ricky Ricardo.  Clark Gable.  Elvis. When I watched old movies with my mother it was Cary Grant, Robert Taylor, and Glenn Ford that I loved.  That brunette theme just continued for me throughout the years.  Harrison Ford.  The young Alec Baldwin. Pierce Brosnan.  Ben Affleck over Matt Damon. John Stamos.  Chris Noth.  Kyle Chandler.  Jonathan Rhys Meyers.  John Hamm. And of course, my all time favorite, George Clooney, although now he has become charmingly gray.          

            There is just something about a handsome, clean-shaven, dark-haired man in a tuxedo that will win me over every single time. 

            There’s only one other blond man who made my heart race, besides the aforementioned Brad Pitt, and that was Robert Redford. (I don’t know that there is a more beautiful human being than he is in The Sting or The Way We Were.  Good God.)  My only two defections in a lifetime of tall, dark and handsome crushes.

            So what do you think?  Blond or Brunette?

Summer vacation.  Air-conditioning.  Good books. There's nothing more relaxing!

Well, I haven't posted anything on my blog in quite a while. It's been three months more or less, but who is counting? I don't know why I have such an issue with blogging, but I admit that I do. Certain people, whose opinion I respect, strongly recommended that as a romance author I should have a blog. I love writing my books, but I have a definite problem sharing my personal thoughts in a public forum. My feeling is, who cares? There are a myriad of bloggers out there. Who cares what Kaitlin O'Riley, historical romance author, has to say about anything?

Until very recently, I never even read anyone else's blog. And if I did, it was a one-time peek at something I'd clicked on through an interesting news item, but I certainly never read one with any consistency. I simply had no interest. That is until a dear friend of mine began a blog about raising her autistic sons. Since March I have been reading her almost daily posts and I've been fascinated by her seemingly endless source of humorous and heartbreaking topics about her family and her insightful and entertaining opinions on life in general. She has something valid and important to share, a reason to be writing, a connection to make with other parents in similar situations.

By the grace of God, I do not have an autistic child. I have no pearls of wisdom or pithy words of advice to offer about child rearing or family. Nor do I have any earth-shattering insights into the weightier issues that plague our world today that someone infinitely more qualified than I hasn't already written. It's truly awful out there. The terrible economy. Global warming. The devastating oil spill in the Gulf. Terrorism. Immigration. Disease. Crime. War in the Middle East. These are monumental and complex problems. What I would write about in my blog is merely fluff. Romance. Love. Relationships. Historical tidbits. Favorite books, movies, and songs. Things of little consequence. The small stuff. I have nothing influential to impart.

I wrestled with my ambivalence on this matter, and I have finally come to a conclusion. (I know you are all waiting with bated breath.)

Well,guess what I discovered? I don't have to write about anything of great magnitude. I can write about whatever I want and people can read it or not. I can write about funny, romantic and lovely topics becauseI simply cannot bear to read, see, or hear one more minute's worth of the heartbreaking damage we humans are doing to our society and this beautiful planet we live on. If I don't write about the things that give me some hope, some inspiration to get out of bed every single day, I might as well crawl into a hole and never come out. Which on more than one occasion has crossed my mind.

Writing about romance and love will allow me, for a little while at least, to escapefrom the 24/7 news cacophony of doom and gloom.


Perhaps after all this, I am mistaken. As corny as it sounds, isn't love the most important emotion of all? Isn't love what will ultimately cure all the horrific ills that ravage our world? And Who cares? takes on a whole new meaning.


P.S. Thanks, Kim, for reminding me about the small stuff. Check out her Blog at autismmommytherapist.wordpress.com

So why write romance novels? I get asked that question alot as a writer. But when I think about it, I always come up with the same answer. Romance is fun! Who doesn't want a little romance in their life? Who doesn't love that initial spark that ignites when you meet the eyes of a certain someone? The most exciting part of any relationship is the beginning. The chase. The wonderfully thrilling stage when you're wondering. Does he really like me? Is this it? Is he the one? The flirting, the sexual tension, the first kiss that melts you. That's the fun stuff, the good stuff, as far as I'm concerned. And that's what I love to write about.

Welcome to my blog! I'll be posting my thoughts here for your enjoyment.
Feel free to contact me with yours, too!

- Kaitlin