Archetype Deep Dive: Ayanna Dale

April 14, 2026

When we first met Ayanna Dale in her short story in Forbidden: An Anthology, our girl was in the middle of a payback. She’d just walked home in the rain to her boyfriend’s apartment, which he shared with his brother, after lending him her car, only for him to leave her stranded at work. Her choices in men were at the very least questionable, and so were her decisions that night. But over time, we got to know other sides of the girl who always walked to the beat of her own drum.

Ayanna, who was once a lover of love, became cautious of it. She isn’t one to do the things her parents want her to do, always looking to march to the beat of her own drum… and unapologetically.

Ayanna’s curious by nature, always exploring to find her answers. She’s spontaneous and fearless in places most would hesitate more than once to enter.

Ayanna is often unsure and doubts a lot, but she’s always interested in finding answers too.

What is her archetype?

The Skeptic.

Archetype Deep Dive: Trevon “Trey” Everest

March 31, 2026

Trevon “Trey” Everest started as a character meant to move a story along and ended up leaving a lasting impression in the process. He didn’t get many scenes when he first appeared in When Luke Met Juliette as Luke Lockett’s best friend, but when he spoke, what he had to say mattered. In his story, In Love, I Trust, we meet the kind of man who is perfectly suited to give advice to the people around him who need it most.

Trey’s natural zest for curiosity lends itself to his love of adventure and challenge. He doesn’t shy away from difficulty. In fact, he enjoys the idea of conquering what others might deem impossible. He loves love… one of the few in his group of friends who does. And he isn’t quiet about it. Nor does he care to follow the group when it comes to their hangups about giving a woman his heart.

Trey has always known the right things to say and how to say them. It would take a man like him to break down Serenity Payne’s walls and have her willingly give both her heart and her trust.

He’s an explorer with a big heart, and an MMC we can’t help but love and adore.

What is his archetype?

The Seeker.

Archetype Deep Dive: Juliette Hart

March 17, 2026

I adored Juliette Hart the moment I thought her up. Creating an emotionally vulnerable and open character who was fearless with her heart, even at the risk of having it broken, felt encouraging to write.

Juliette has never hidden that she loves love. Although she shied away from it after her experience with Luke in that motel on Long Island, she never hid how much it hurt her. She is honest with herself, honest about her feelings, and never downplays anything just to avoid feeling what she feels.

She knows what she wants, not only in love but in life too. She is adventurous in a soft way. Optimistic in a realistic way. And honestly, she is just the perfect FMC to live vicariously through.

Her heart is pure, but her mind is sharp. Even when she avoids falling in love, while secretly wanting to ascend in it, she never stops hoping.

What is her archetype?

The Romantic.

Archetype Deep Dive: Luke Lockett

March 3, 2026

When I created Luke Lockett’s character, much like many of the MMCs and FMCs before him, he was just energy without a name. And even from that energy alone, I knew he would either be a hit or a miss with readers. The one thing that has remained consistent about Luke is that you either like him or you hate him.

He’s blunt. Brutally honest. And he knows nothing about sugarcoating. Growing up in a house full of girls who outnumbered both him and his father made him slick-mouthed and quick on his feet. He can go toe-to-toe with the opposite sex without feeling the need to concede, regardless of how beautiful he finds her. Luke is not susceptible to feminine charm at all.

His no-nonsense attitude shows up in his interpersonal relationships, in his days as a college hoop star, and now as the coach of Langston University. In short, Luke doesn’t play that with anyone. But when he loves you, he really loves you. The armor comes off, only to be rebuilt around protecting that love.

All in all, Luke is against anything that feels like the status quo. If the group is moving one way, he’s going the other. Because to him, there are no leaders in herds.

What is his archetype?

The Rebel.

Archetype Deep Dive: Xander Cox

February 17, 2026

In a few days, you’ll get to know Xander Cox a lot better. While you received a solid introduction to him in Ready or Not, in Here Comes Love, I’m confident his presence will stay with you long after you close the book on his and Rylee’s story.

Xander is the quintessential man’s man. An alpha with a super soft heart and demeanor. He never runs from a fire. In fact, it’s his job to run toward them and fight. But truthfully, he’s a lover more than a fighter. A man who acts from his heart and speaks from his soul. Xander knows all the right things to say and do and could easily be described as Prince Charming in Jordans.

What is his archetype?

The Protector.

Archetype Deep Dive: Rylee Daniels

February 3, 2026

I’ve made no secret of how much I adore Rylee Daniels. It could be because her first story was the first one I stepped out of my comfort zone to write. Rylee and her story with Lennox challenged my perception of love stories and how they end, and whew, I’ve grown from that.

Rylee’s strength is unassuming. On the surface, she seems to have it all, even when she doesn’t. She’s a go-getter and a silent leader. Very self-disciplined and willing to sacrifice without thinking twice. She’s been dealt difficult hands and practices the art of allowing, unintentionally. And although her first response to pushback, Rylee is an acceptor of fate, even when she doesn’t want to be.

She handles things with grace and makes moves from her heart.

What’s her archetype?

The Sovereign.

Archetype Deep Dive: Ayla Franklin (nee Samuels)

January 6, 2026

Ayla Franklin (née Samuels) is one of those characters who feels like family. I’ve spent so much time with her, from her teenage years all the way to the moment she walked down the aisle to marry her childhood friend. She was first inspired by a dream, her energy more than anything else: this beautiful soul who’s weathered life’s hardest lessons and learned how to turn pain into something meaningful.

Ayla is honest with herself, but she keeps a lot tucked away. She’s a loyal friend, an even more devoted lover, and someone who both fears and adores the world. Her greatest value is safety. She’s always seeking it, in people, in places, in promises. She believes in the good, even when her mind tells her not to. Even when it costs her.

What’s her archetype?

The Innocent.

Ayla’s Archetype(s)

Primary: The Innocent

Secondary Influences: The Loyalist, The Ingenue

Archetype Deep Dive: Jaleel Gordon

December 23, 2025

Jaleel Gordon is the kind of character I love writing. The kind who will do whatever it takes to make his life right again, especially when it comes to love.

When we meet Jaleel in Home for Christmas, there’s no mystery about what he wants. He wants his family back. He wants to get back in good with his wife. And from the moment he’s on the page, he doesn’t just talk about it, he shows up, and he doesn’t stop showing up.

He’s a loyal man, through and through. Devoted not just to his family, but to his team, his city, and the life he’s worked hard to build. Even though he plays on a professional basketball team, his greatest title is “husband.” From the time he was too young to know better, Jaleel had one goal: build a life with the woman he loved. So when that life is put in jeopardy, he doesn’t make excuses. He makes a way.

But he’s not only a committed partner. He’s a team player. Sacrificial, thoughtful, and strategic. The kind of man who thinks about the long game and acts for the greater good, even if it costs him in the short term. He’s got a complex… but it’s the good kind. He’s the kind of MMC that reminds us what emotional maturity looks like on the page, and we love to see it.

So what archetype does that make him?

The Hero.

Archetype Deep Dive: Cadence Knight (nee Nice)

December 9, 2025

I might’ve maybe said this about a few of my FMCs, but I mean it when I say—Cadence is one of my favorites. She’s not like my usual heroines. She isn’t the hopeless romantic she had the potential to be. When we first meet her in Unsilent Knight, we’re dropped right into the moment she ends a long-term, stalled relationship. She doesn’t hesitate. Hands him the key, walks away, and doesn’t look back.

Cadence is all about work and planning. She thrives on control, especially in a life that’s felt anything but stable. So it makes sense that the moment Meki Knight becomes her new neighbor—and an unpredictable presence in her very ordered world—she’s thrown off balance. Love was the last thing on her mind in Unsilent Knight and most of A Love Deferred. And while the man she tried to keep at arm’s length eventually confesses his love before she does (technically… because yelling “I love you” during sex doesn’t count, according to her), Cadence’s resistance to emotional vulnerability is central to who she is. She truly believes she’s better off alone than risking another heartbreak… especially if it doesn’t match the tidy mold she’s created in her mind about what love should look like.

So what archetype does that make our girl?

The Skeptic.

Archetype Deep Dive: Melodee Jones (neé Delon)

November 25, 2025

My girl.

Melodee is one of my favorites, and that’s largely because of her archetype. We actually share the same one, even though I’m not a character. I see so much of myself in her… and I admire even the qualities in her that frustrate me about myself.

Melodee has always sacrificed her comfort for others, but not in a self-destructive way. She sees the bigger picture and shows up with that in mind. Will it always be perfect? No. Will she always meet the standard of perfect? Also no. But she tries. And she keeps the hearts of those she loves front and center… sometimes putting her own heart on the backburner to protect theirs.

She and Amir share so much—similar values, interests, energies—which is why their relationship started in friendship. But when two friends love the same way… it’s only right that it becomes something more.

Melodee is a hopeless romantic. She believes in fairy tales. And there is nothing you can tell her to make her stop loving love. We have that in common. She can take on the role of the mother hen, sometimes overly empathetic, unknowingly carrying the emotional weight of others. But she’s loving. Big-hearted. Loyal.

So what archetype does that make her?

The Caregiver.

Archetype Deep Dive: Amir Jones

November 11, 2025

So obviously, you know I could not wait to work on Amir’s archetype.

For me, he was the first MMC I crafted with deep, intentional detail. Amir had been living in my head rent-free long before I penned him into Girl Code. And even though he never had a voice in my book world—aside from that Q&A we just published—his character has always been rich and present. Anytime he was on the page, and even through Melodee’s eyes, we felt him.

Amir is the kind of MMC I love working with. He’s every romance girlie’s ideal man… charming, expressive, respectful, romantic. But of course, I had to give him his own set of flaws. And even with those, Amir still sparkles when it comes to love and matters of the heart. He’s a natural romantic. He always says the right thing. And no matter how outlandish the request, women can’t help but meet it. He’s lovable through and through, and he carries a deep respect for women, regardless of the nature of their relationship.

So what archetype does that make him?

The Charmer.

Archetype Deep Dive: Eryn Peters

October 28, 2025

From Eryn Peters’s first appearance in Gluttony, we all knew she would be a character to remember. She gave fun, flirty, spitfire energy—but also hinted at something deeper. She was secretive, especially when conversations drifted toward her ex-boyfriend, Simeon. When it came to love, she appeared apathetic. But when it came to her brother? Eryn was fiercely present. She was one of the major reasons Everett left California after heartbreak and returned to New York.

She makes plans for the future but expects the worst, sometimes practicing disappointment before it even has a chance to arrive.

So what archetype does that make her?

The Skeptic.

Eryn Peters’s Archetype(s)

Primary: The Skeptic
Secondary Influences: The Seeker, The Caregiver

Archetype Deep Dive: Simeon King

October 14, 2025

Simeon King’s archetype was written between the lines from the very beginning.

We first met him in So This is Love… smooth, confident, easy to like. But in Sloth, when faced with a scandal that could have unraveled everything he built, Simeon didn’t just rise to the occasion, he envisioned a way through it. One that required not just strategy, but heart.

It’s clear now that Simeon is more than a sports agent with a silver tongue. He’s a man who lives in possibility. Who dares to believe in second chances. Who sees what could be, even when it isn’t there yet.

So what archetype does that make him?

The Dreamer.