Biography

Kaitlin has always loved books and loved to read.

As a young girl growing up on the New Jersey shore (yes, she is a Jersey Girl!) she spent hours and hours reading at the beach, out on the front porch, and in her bedroom very late at night when she was supposed to be sleeping. She would walk to the little public library in town and choose books as if they were delicious treats in a candy store. She read all the classic “girl” books: Little Women, as well as every other book written by Louisa May Alcott, the entire Ann of Green Gables series, and The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett. All of these stories took place in another time period, so different from her own life and that was very appealing.

Kaitlin fell in love with historical romances when she was fourteen years old and first read Mistress of Mellyn, by Victoria Holt. Even before she devoured every single one of her books, Kaitlin was hooked on historical romance fiction. She then moved on to the likes of the novels by Kathleen Woodiwiss (Shanna and The Flame and the Flower) which she read stealthily, when her older sisters were not home to see that she was reading their books. However, her all time favorite book was, and still is, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. Now she adores the works of Lisa Kleypas, Julia Quinn, and Phillipa Gregory.

Her love of reading translated naturally to a love of writing. She has written personal journals since she was fourteen and has adored every creative writing class she took in school. She actually wrote her first romances when she was fifteen, with her best friend. Sadly, they had no clue what they were writing about in those spiral notebooks, having no romantic experiences to draw from at that point! Most of those early efforts were tossed in a fireplace, but one notebook still survives to haunt her. In college Kaitlin took a detour from writing and became a foreign language major, spending her junior year in Spain. And because stories of the past always intrigued her, she also studied history. Kaitlin now lives in sunny Southern California with her family, where she is busy writing her next novel!

Q&A with Kaitlin O’Riley

On Writing:

How do you come up with the ideas for your books?

This is probably the question most frequently asked of me, and probably asked of most writers. I’m sure each author has her own methods of inspiration. As for myself, my ideas come to me in different ways. Sometimes I just close my eyes and imagine. Other times ideas come to me while listening to music. I often get inspiration from conversations with my family and friends. A lot of my writing, especially the dialogue, happens naturally, while I’m writing at the computer. The characters I’ve created will just start talking.

Why do you write historical romance?

Because I love the genre and always have. I’m also a bit of a history buff. Past eras fascinate me--the elegant clothing, the styles, the mannerisms, the confining societal elements. The past always seems more romantic and it has already happened it’s easy to idealize it. (Even when I look back to the 1980’s!) Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong century, but then again I couldn’t do without some of the modern comforts, like air conditioning and electricity.

Are your characters based on people you know in real life?

Now that’s a tricky question and one that could get me in trouble. I suppose most of the characters are combinations of everyone I know or have ever known. I don’t think I have ever intentionally based one particular character on one particular person. (And if I did, I’m not telling who it was!) However, I do use names of family members and friends for characters and even add the names of local places from my hometown in my books, for the amusement of those who know me.

Which is your favorite of the books you have written?

They are all my favorites in different ways. But I must say I enjoyed writing my first book, Secrets of a Duchess, the most, because it was the only book that was not written on a deadline. I wrote out of sheer pleasure and only when I felt like it.

Do you have a favorite character from your books?

Not really. I must confess that I do have more fun writing the “bad” characters, like Madeline Maxwell in Secrets of a Duchess and Susana Kavanaugh in One Sinful Night. They get to say and do all the nasty things I sometimes wish I could say and do, but never would in a million years.

How often do you write?

I should be more disciplined when I write, but I confess that I am not. Having a deadline for a book makes me turn off the television and sit myself in front of the computer.

How long does it usually take you to write a book?

That depends on the deadline! I spent almost ten years writing Secrets of a Duchess. I wrote One Sinful Night in about a year. And my newest book, When His Kiss Is Wicked, I wrote in six months. All while having a full-time job and raising my son.

Who are your favorite authors and what is your favorite book?

I love reading and I have many authors whose work I admire. I love anything by Phillipa Gregory. I enjoy Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, and Judith Ivory, among others. My all-time, hands-down favorite book is, Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With the Wind. And to think she wrote most of it by hand and on an old typewriter!

Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?

If you love to write, then just write for yourself. Write what you love. Read what you love. Join a writers group. RWA is an amazing organization. Join your local chapter. And remain positive.

Do you plan to write in another genre someday?

I would like to write something else eventually, but I’m enjoying historical romance right now.