Another couple I can’t seem to get enough of! Rayla and Ajani’s story was the second serialized story I completed and the story that let me know that I really enjoy creating episodic romances. And again, these two are back to prove just why they are the couple to watch… if they aren’t already favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. Enjoy ❤️
AJANI
I’m not focused.
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From the moment we met Bryant Greene in chapter one of Greed, it was clear that we were dealing with someone who prioritized his money and his success. His most memorable line in his story was, “I’ve learned that in this man’s world, you’re chasing two things—money or women. And when you’re chasing one of them, the other is getting away. So I chose money.”
To Mr. Greene, money never lets him down. It doesn’t require much from him beyond being who he already is. It doesn’t challenge him emotionally. It doesn’t demand vulnerability.
But when he finds a woman he can be himself with—and is rewarded with a love that makes him feel things money never has—everything changes. And when that love is threatened by his greed, Bryant’s turning point arrives… shifting not just his actions, but his motivations in a way money never could.
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I’m well into writing Polarity, to the point where I can see “the end” in sight.
This felt like the right moment to return to an audio diary. There’s a lot unfolding in this phase, more than I could fully capture in writing.
Click play below to listen to the latest entry.
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CORI
“I’m gonna die of boredom,” I mumbled to myself. “I’m sure of it.”
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We’re seated in one of the conference rooms at Brown, Bloom & Associates, with views of Manhattan everywhere I turn as I relax in my seat. Jayce sits comfortably across from me, his hands moving at a practiced pace, lifting and setting down several sheets of white paper with black words. He’s mumbling to himself as he opens the folder across from him, peeks up to see me watching, and flashes that boyish smile that takes several years off his face.
“I apologize, B,” he says, eyes returning to the folders and papers, “I have to work through lunch. This case is insane, and it still feels like I have to prove myself, even after all these years working here.”
It’s late afternoon, and the office is busy. The law firm, Brown, Bloom & Associates, has been a name mentioned in the news a lot as of late. The firm’s staff are defending one of its high-profile clients who is on trial for a laundry list of crimes.
“Aight. I’m ready.” He claps his hands once. “You got me for about five minutes, before I have to get back to all this shit. So, what’s up?”
And so, I don’t delay.
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Out of all the chapters that appear in stories in my book world, my how I love this one! Book Three in the Love, Hate & Revenge series was the conclusion to events that started in Book One. Most notably, Malika’s story. When we met Malika, she was out with her sisters, informing them she had booked a stay at a hotel that her ex-boyfriend Rico was getting married the next day. Though her sisters had picked up instantly on the coincidence of Malika’s stay with the timing of Rico’s wedding, their hints gave us insight into what was to come in Malika’s story. Well, the moment we’d been waiting for, wanting to understand Malika’s motivation and this plan she’d been hatching out, came to light on a dark and stormy night.
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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.
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ISAIAH
“Good morning, Mr. Rhodes,” I heard as I stepped into the kitchen. The greeting came from someone on my housekeeping staff who was exiting as I entered.
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August and Genesis are that couple I feel need to be spoken about more. Their story is unique, their happily ever after so deserved. And although they’ve gotten at least two updates since we’ve ended their story Meant to Be, I can never get enough of these two. Let’s see what they’ve been up to since they said, “I do.” Enjoy!
AUGUST
My eyes tracked Genesis as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hands in her hair as she scooped her curls to the top of her head.
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Meant to Be was one of the heavier continuations in the Forbidden series. When we first met August and Genesis in her short story in Forbidden: An Anthology, so much was left unsaid. August was deep in grief after losing his wife, while Genesis was just entering hers, faced with the decision to remove her husband from life support.
Even then, the connection between them was undeniable. It went beyond physical. There was something deeper… something that lingered even in a story that leaned into lust.
And in Meant to Be, that depth becomes undeniable. Especially in the moment where Genesis finally confronts the truth, and everything shifts.
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So, I started Polarity last week.
There’s always something interesting that happens when I begin a new story, especially in those first chapters. I can spend months outlining, understanding my characters, knowing what drives them and how they would respond in any given situation… but once my hands hit the keyboard, none of that really matters.
What matters is getting the words on the page.
Those first few words always remind me of a track star hearing the gun go off. It’s time to move. For me, there’s usually a brief stall at the start, but once I’m anchored in a scene, I’m soaring.
And this first chapter soared.
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CORI
“Oh,” I said behind Noelle as I dragged the plastic tip of a bottle of Crown & Coil’s Root Revival Scalp Oil between two of her large cornrows. “You removed your wedding rings.”
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We’re tucked inside a café in Manhattan, seated by a floor-to-ceiling window streaked with rivulets of rain. Outside, the city moves in a softened blur… umbrellas passing, taxis gliding through slick streets, headlights reflecting off wet pavement like scattered light.
We had every intention of sitting outside.
But the sky had other plans.
A sudden downpour forced us in, and now we sit across from one another, watching the storm settle into something almost peaceful. There’s something about the rhythm of rain against glass that slows everything down… softens even the sharpest edges.
Summer McKoy sits across from me, polished as ever, but there’s something different now. Still poised. Still confident. But lighter. Less rigid.
She lifts her coffee cup, her manicured fingers wrapped around it, a small smile playing on her lips.
“Our flight to Bora Bora was delayed the day we were flying out for our honeymoon,” she says, setting the cup down gently. “A downpour just like this… but for hours. I was so pissed. We had to stay in a hotel next to the airport, and I just knew it ruined everything.”
She pauses, her smile widening slightly.
“But oh my God… what an amazing night it turned out to be. I realized something then. All I ever need is Jayce… and I swear, paradise is everywhere.”
And just like that, we begin.
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This is definitely a first for me… discussing the epilogue of a book. Usually, epilogues are a way for us to check in on a couple after their happily ever after, after we’ve closed the book on their love story… for now.
But the epilogue in Ebb & Flow was different. It was significant. It was the sunshine after the rain… even though no rain was in sight.
And we couldn’t have a theme like After the Rain and not talk about this final chapter in Nubia and Naazir’s story. And that’s because of the most uninvited wedding guest of all… rain.
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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.
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ISAIAH
The rooster crowing out on the farm woke me, like it did every morning.
I inhaled a deep breath and blindly reached for the button at the side of my night table, pressing it and hearing the familiar soft whoosh of the floor-to-ceiling curtains slide open in front of me.
The moment I opened my eyes, I caught sight of Morgansville in the morning. More specifically, Rhodes Estate.
Didn’t take long before I was out of bed, my arms stretching high as I approached my tall windows. From my view, I could see my farmhands were already at work before day could break.
It was 5 a.m., and it was time for me to start my day, too.
And, surprisingly, twenty-four hours later… she was still on my mind.
The woman I found on my estate two days ago. A woman who thought I had a boss here, and I was so struck by her beauty, I didn’t bother to correct her.
I turned on my heels and padded to my en suite, the lights turning on as soon as my bare feet touched the marble tile.
I moved through my morning routine. Cleaning this and moisturizing that before pulling on a black tee and jeans. All things I’d done for the last nine years at my own pace. It was therapeutic, having a slow morning like this. A norm I needed after the life I left in New York City.
“Good morning, Mr. Rhodes,” Cheryl, my personal chef, greeted as I entered my kitchen downstairs. She slid a plate of breakfast my way the moment I took a seat on the stool at the kitchen’s island.
The rest of my house staff moved about the space, as they usually did during the day.
“Good morning, Cheryl,” I said, rubbing my hands together, eager to dig in. “Food looks good, as always.”
She smiled. “Always good to hear. Any idea what you’d like for dinner tonight? We harvested some kale and rhubarb, and I know you said you wanted to up your protein in time for winter.”
“Mmm-hmm…” I took a sip of the freshly pressed orange juice. “You know I trust your judgment. You haven’t let me down once, so please, make whatever.”
“As you wish.” She gestured at my plate. “Enjoy.”
“I’m sure I will.”
With her out of view, I scanned my industrial-sized kitchen, taking in the large fridge and steel stove as I took a bite out of my toast.
Voices traveled around me as I got lost in my thoughts. Usually, those thoughts were centered on the activities of the day.
In about two hours, I would be out at the barn, feeding my livestock and checking their water. By mid-morning, I’d have a brief chat with my farm manager where we’d go over the business side of the farm that consisted of her telling me what would be harvested today and what would be going out to local markets and markets in the city.
And in my time here, over breakfast, I’d be thinking about all the things I’d need to complete before sunset.
But all I could think about was the woman I found on my farm two days ago.
She seemed clipped out of my old life.
Beautiful, chatty… beautiful.
Did I mention she was beautiful?
She clearly wasn’t from around here, and I’d been kicking myself for not doing better with figuring out who she was and how she’d gotten here. And while I’ve had a few people wander onto this farm, despite the large iron gate up front that was supposed to keep them out, they’d never left me with a lasting first impression like that woman.
Who was she?
After breakfast, I made my way outside while the estate was still quiet, with blue-gray light stretching across the fields. The air was crisp, like always. Still. The kind of quiet that never felt empty to me. Just undisturbed. The way I loved my mornings to greet me.
I chose this. Boots on gravel. Open air. The smell of earth and life in rhythm.
This was a sharp contrast from what I left behind at 33. Because at 42, I was the owner of Rhodes Farm and Estate, and despite all the things I’d accomplished in my life, this was what made me the proudest.
“Good morning, Mr. Rhodes,” greetings came at me throughout my morning as I checked in on the animals, spoke with the farmhands, and took a walk down my apple orchard, observing the gala apples that would need to be harvested today. I picked one and brought the fruit close to my nose, inhaling its crisp scent, then taking a bite out of it, moaning at its fresh, sweet taste.
I used to love picking these up at the gourmet market next to my penthouse in Manhattan. Picking up apples used to be my nervous system reset several years ago when my existence as a financier was taxing and eliminating years off my life. And now I grew them and could pick and eat them at will.
I made a lot of money back in New York City, too much to know what to do with. And while that kind of abundance was what a lot of people strived and sacrificed for, I couldn’t wait to get away from it before it killed me.
Which it almost did.
“Mr. Rhodes,” I heard over my shoulder the second I left the orchard. “Good morning. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Well, now you’ve found me,” I said to Tamira, my farm manager of seven years. In her arms was a binder, a clipboard, and a ballpoint pen with the farm’s logo, ready to start writing. “How are you this morning, Tamira?”
“I’m well,” she answered. “Yourself?”
“Same, and ready for the check-in,” I said, taking another bite out of my apple. “What do you have for me today?”
She giggled. “We have three deliveries scheduled to go out in the next hour.”
“Where are they going?”
“One market on Main Street. The other two in the city.”
“I can take the delivery for Main Street.”
She nodded, her eyes lowering to her clipboard. “Of course you will. I’d already put you down for that one when I saw it on the ledger.”
I smiled, then finished my apple. “What other updates do you have for me? How are the crops looking?”
It wasn’t a priority for me to be as hands-on with my farm the way I often chose to be. But doing so kept me grounded. And any reason to drive out to Main Street here in Morgansville was something I always took, just so I could be amongst the community.
I moved to Morgansville stressed and defeated, with only a plan and vision to buy land. But since I’ve been here, this place has become my source of solace and a place to build my worth more than my wealth… although the latter has happened as a result of loving this town so deeply.
My farm supplied produce to two of their markets on Main Street, including the major one most of the community shopped at. In addition to markets, I sent fruits, vegetables, and animal products to soup kitchens and charities, to places and people who mattered, which was a far cry from what my efforts were in the city.
Morgansville was one of the oldest and likely last few surviving majority Black towns in upstate New York. It was where Black family-owned businesses thrived and maintained a thriving community. Greene Gardens was coming up not far from here, and talks had been good about the new community developing there. From what I’ve heard, billionaire Bryant Greene had financed the building of the town to combat what corporate bigwigs were trying to do with Morgansville, which was to buy out Black farmers to use the land to slowly gentrify the area.
Rumor has it, Mr. Greene almost contributed to the destruction of Morgansville and had developed Greene Gardens instead, but those had only been rumors.
Main Street had been the first place those corporate bigwigs had tried to make their mark. They’d bought out some storefronts owned by struggling Black business owners, knocked those buildings down, and built a couple of mixed-use buildings. But thanks to the efforts of the town’s people and my knowledge in investment, we were able to stop it at four mixed-use buildings in the area. And thankfully, the people who rent those spaces have respected what Morgansville stands for and have helped to maintain the town’s integrity.
This town was a town of farms, and we’ve done well to keep it that way.
An hour after my talk with Tamira, I was pulling up alongside Main Street’s largest market. I could have brought a couple of farmhands with me to assist with unloading the produce from the truck I’d driven out here, but I needed the workout.
I was out of the truck, lifting the back of it and moving crates, handing them off to the market’s unloaders, having small conversations as we worked.
My muscles flexed and burned as I worked and as I enjoyed a hearty laugh with them.
When I was done, closing the liftgate on the truck, I heard, “Mr. Rhodes.”
I turned to glance over my shoulder to see an older Black woman wearing a warm smile. I instantly recognized her as the market’s owner, Penelope Willer.
“I told my manager that the next time you were in town making deliveries to let me know so I could speak with you.”
I smiled. “About good things, I hope.”
She laughed. “Always good things, Mr. Rhodes. Always. It’s not all the time we get the farm’s owners out here doing deliveries themselves. Which is why you are truly one of the best.”
“Aw, Mrs. Willer.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “You’re too kind.”
We chopped it up about the produce and how pleased she’d been with it, wanting to increase the amount of produce she ordered in her next order, which I was happy to oblige.
I’d spent a little more time than I would have liked speaking with her, but like I said, I loved Morgansville and the people who called this place home, so I didn’t mind it too much.
I’m a believer in that everything happens for a reason.
And that became abundantly clear as I was making my way through the market’s front entrance, headed to my truck, when I spotted a familiar face.
And like the last time, she looked so out of place.
She was making her way down the block, her eyes down on her phone, which was so not a Morgansville thing. She wore the same crisp white Converses as the other day, this time paired with white jeans and a white top. She was dressed in all white, like an angel. Just as captivating as one too.
She was the kind of woman you couldn’t help but notice, but you couldn’t understand why. Because even though she wore what looked to be designer this and that, she was modest with it, but not subtle enough.
Her beauty wasn’t loud, it just looked settled in. Lived in. Like she’d been like this all her life.
I was staring for too long because when she stopped in front of her sleek silver foreign sedan, she turned just to check the area around her before climbing in, and her eyes landed on mine. And she caught me with my eyes all over her. There was no mistaking that.
Couldn’t help but realize in that moment that I hadn’t looked at anyone the way I looked at her in a long time.
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CORI
“What the hell is that smell?” Noelle, my older sister, asked over my shoulder.
What the hell was that smell?
With the conclusion of the Brookelynite Daily serial, Truth or Dare, comes a new series that will be the longest-running in the newsletter’s history.
It’s called Seasons of Davenport Ridge.
This series follows three sisters as they navigate their new lives, moving from New York City to upstate New York to live on their grandmother’s estate and farm. Each sister arrives with her own expectations, with stories that pull you in from the very first line.
First up is Corrine “Cori” Davenport, the one who convinces her sisters to stay at the estate for a year. What she believes will be a temporary stay in a town that is a stark contrast to her life in the city… becomes something more when love arrives unexpectedly.
Check out the synopsis below!
We’re inside Leelah Waters’ private practice in SoHo, a space that feels intentional in every way. The office is modest but deeply comforting… the kind of place that immediately puts you at ease the moment you step inside.
One wall is exposed brick, adding a soft texture to the otherwise clean and minimal design. A small wooden desk sits near the center of the room, paired with a leather chair where Leelah now rests, composed as ever. On her desk are three small succulent plants, an hourglass, and her computer screen… simple touches that feel grounding rather than decorative.
Across from her are two leather armchairs and a sofa, positioned around a low coffee table, creating a space meant for openness and conversation. A bookcase lines the wall, filled with titles that speak to healing, growth, and understanding.
But just outside, in the reception area, a built-in wall waterfall gently flows… the quiet sound of running water drifting into the office, offering a calm that settles into your chest without asking.
It’s late afternoon. The sun is beginning to set, casting a warm glow through the window behind her.
Leelah is glowing and still high off the news of her pregnancy. She leans forward slightly in her chair, hands resting on her desk, her expression brighter than I’ve ever seen it.
“I told everyone already,” she says with a soft laugh. “Like, I know they say wait before sharing news like this, but I couldn’t keep it from my sister or my dad. And honestly? I’m so confident life is about to be amazing… I’m not even entertaining the idea of jinxing it.”
With only a few minutes left before she wraps up her day, we dive in.
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From the very start of In Love, I Trust, we understood just how guarded Serenity Payne was. She was the type of lover girl that made other lover girls tired. Difficult. Resistant. Unwilling to be vulnerable. Serenity had built a wall around her heart so high and so strong that it would take a man like Trey Everest to even attempt to break it down.
She wanted love. But she feared it just as much.
And it was that fear—finally being confronted—that became her turning point. And who better to force her to face it than Trey himself?
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An update from Draft Diaries #3 regarding the trailer for Love is Cure, Vol. 2.
After consulting with my creative partner, also known as my husband, I decided to keep the original song. I did make a few enhancements for effect, and now the trailer feels complete.
Which means it’s ready to be shared.
And with that… this is starting to feel real.
Since the last entry, I’ve been adding to the outline. The foundation was already there, but I found myself going a step further. I’ll get into that below.
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MALIK
“So,” Dr. Daniels said, smiling while nodding. “The rumors are true. I’m retiring next year.”
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Pryce Williams has shown his growth since Lust, at least in my opinion! We’ve seen him in a couple of stories since then, most notably Envy, where he proved he wasn’t the same Pryce we met in Meant to Be or Lust. And this alternate ending feels like his graduation into a Pryce we can’t help but love… and one who’s finally gotten the happily ever after he’s earned. Enjoy!
PRYCE
Singer Sade’s vocals playing from the portable speaker on the night table wrapped around the room as my eyes tracked Leelah. While I sat at the foot of our bed, she moved around the bedroom, spraying down the dresser top with wood spray, running the microfiber cloth over the surface. She’d cleaned that one area at least six times already, volleying between fixing the pillows on the bed and that dresser’s surface.
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Chapter six in Pride was Jayce Martin’s two-seconds-on-the-clock, three-point line shot that went through the basket with nothing but net. Because when it came to his crush, Summer McKoy—the stuck-up, cold beauty he’d been eyeing since her freshman year in college—there was never an opening he could find with her during the four years they’d known each other… indirectly.
You would think that his opportunity would come from the fact that they were both interning at the same law firm, competing with the other interns for one coveted position. But his real “in” actually came from something sparkling… and a weak clasp that got our boy a lot closer to his happily ever after.
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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.
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PRESLEY
My eyes scanned the towers of boxes in front of me and around me, listening to my best friend Cori mumble expletives to herself. She sat on the floor in the middle of it all, folding this and tossing that.
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We’re inside trainer-to-the-stars, Meki Knight’s MK’s Sports Lounge and Gym, one of the most exclusive fitness spaces in New York City. From the outside, the entrance looks almost unassuming, tucked between two upscale storefronts. But stepping through the doors reveals something entirely different.
Two expansive floors of training space stretch beneath polished lighting and sleek glass railings. State-of-the-art equipment lines the floor, athletes and members moving through their routines with focused intensity. Above it all, the upstairs sports lounge overlooks the entire gym like a private balcony, complete with leather couches, a smoothie bar, and flat screens quietly playing highlights from around the league.
The gym is Black-owned and invitation-only, a detail that gives the entire place a quiet prestige. If you’re here, it means someone wanted you here.
Pryce Williams finishes his workout downstairs before joining me in the upstairs lounge, still slightly winded but relaxed, a towel draped around his neck. He settles into one of the lounge’s deep couches, bringing the straw of his smoothie to his lips before taking a long sip.
“This is like a second home,” he says, leaning back comfortably. “Whenever I’m not traveling or doing something with my wife, Leelah… I’m here. Just chillin’.”
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Pryce Williams is one of those MMCs readers can never be neutral about. He’s either loved or hated, but one thing is certain… he’s never forgotten. Pryce appears as the playboy MMC in Lust, the second book in the Love is Cure, Vol. 1 – Vices & Virtues series, and he makes his entrance in a memorable way… with a threesome.
Though we get a glimpse of him earlier in Meant to Be (book three in the Forbidden series), it’s in Lust that we truly learn who Pryce is and what he wants. Beneath the reputation, beneath the lifestyle, Pryce is a man searching for a richer life, and he wants that life with his ex-girlfriend, Leelah Waters.
Many of his attempts to win her back don’t go as planned. In fact, several push him dangerously close to returning to a lifestyle he insists he has outgrown. But it’s the moment he nearly falls back into that life—and realizes he no longer wants it—that becomes Pryce’s true turning point.
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For Entry 03, I wanted to give you a first look at the Love is Cure, Vol. 2 – Laws & Love series! I’m excited to finally share more about this new chapter and what it will entail. Click the video below to watch the trailer and dive into the latest entry. Enjoy!
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MALIK
Al Green’s voice competed with the sizzle of the chicken frying in the pan. I hummed along to the lyrics as Presley pressed herself behind me, wrapping her arms around my waist.
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The update I was too excited to make lol. I have wanted to check in with these two since their glimpse in Glimpses, Vol. 2. These two are headed into a new era in their relationship and I’m excited to see where their journey takes them. But before that, let’s check in with them in this very cute alternate ending. I hope you love it as much as I clearly did writing it 🥰. Enjoy!
AYANNA
I snickered at the doorway, watching Dallas fuss with the final parts he held for the too-expensive crib, mumbling to himself.
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From the moment we met Dallas and Ayanna in Ayanna’s short story in Forbidden: An Anthology, it was clear these two were more than just friends. Ayanna could say all day that she only hooked up with Dallas to get back at his older brother Dominick for cheating on her, but there was something deeper there. Something that couldn’t be explained away as revenge or convenience.
When their story continued in So This Is Love, that tension only intensified. And while there are plenty of standout chapters in that book—some we’ve already unpacked and others we still need to—Chapter 5 is the one where neither of them can deny that there’s love simmering beneath all that heat.
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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.
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PRESLEY
The birds outside chirped a song I could hear even in my sleep. When the soft light peeking through the curtains danced against my eyelids, I squeezed them shut, inhaling deeply before blinking awake.
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We’re at a dimly lit bar tucked just off a busy Brooklyn avenue. The kind of place that doesn’t advertise itself loudly. Exposed brick walls. Low amber lighting. A long polished wood counter worn smooth by time. The hum of muted sports commentary from a mounted television blends with the soft clink of ice in glasses.
It smells faintly of whiskey and cedar.
Zane Armstrong sits at the bar in plain clothes, shoulders broad beneath a fitted dark tee, jaw shadowed with the end of a long shift. His badge is nowhere in sight, but the weight of his job lingers in the way he scans the room before settling.
He’s ordered something dark. Neat.
It’s been a long day. A hostage situation that almost turned fatal. The kind of call that spikes your adrenaline and refuses to leave your bloodstream even after it’s over.
“The calls aren’t always crazy,” he mumbled over the rim of his drink before taking a measured sip. “But when we get them… we get them.”
He exhales slowly.
“I come here when I need to decompress. The last thing I want to do is bring this feeling home to Desiree.”
The mention of her shifts something in him. His shoulders loosen just slightly.
That’s my cue…
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Readers—and I—fell head over heels in love with Melodee and Amir in Girl Code, so of course we were excited to reunite with them in Mr. & Mrs. Jones. Newly married and navigating life as husband and wife, they attempt to build their marriage in one of the most challenging cities in the world to stay grounded—Los Angeles, California.
Though they maintain Amir’s loft in New York City, most of their time in this sequel is spent in L.A. while Amir works on a film. And with that stay comes pressure. Distance. Temptation. Grief. Ego.
Ironically, the turning point that saves their love happens the night Melodee decides to leave it.
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Today’s Draft Diaries entry is an audio diary 🎧.
I’m sharing my thoughts on the upcoming series trailer for Love is Cure, Vol. 2, why I’m choosing to introduce the series this way and what this moment represents in the larger process.
Listen in 🎧.
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MALIK
I always clenched my jaw whenever I heard people—parents mostly—say things like, “Enjoy them while they’re this young because the time flies by,” or “Blink and they’ll be adults.”
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It’s always a treat revisiting one of my favorite couples in my book world. No long intro, this one doesn’t need it 🥰. Enjoy! ❤️
MELODEE
“Aight, let’s go, babe,” Amir said, leaning over his velvet seat and in Melodee’s direction.
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We couldn’t explore a Valentine’s Day theme of love finding its way back without talking about this chapter in Twice in Love. Zane and Desiree’s story found me randomly in the middle of a conversation with my husband and grew into something so memorable that I still revisit it from time to time. Especially this chapter, the one where Desiree does the thing she never believed she’d be able to do again… remember her husband, Zane.
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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.
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PRESLEY
The wood beneath my feet creaked as I made my way down the foyer. Voices traveled around me, inspiring the smile that pulled at my lips as I grew closer to Malik’s mother’s kitchen.
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I was going through the content calendar earlier this week and realized I didn’t schedule a sneak peek for Here Comes Love. That was totally unacceptable in my eyes, so I had to put together a little glimpse into my new release, which will be available next week on February 19th.
It’s the conclusion to Rylee Daniels’ journey in my book world and, friends, this one is really a must-read.
Check out the sneak peek below, and remember to mark your calendars for Thursday, February 19th.
Enjoy!
XANDER
“So?” he asked, pushing his hands into his jeans pockets.
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We’re inside a small boutique yoga studio tucked along a tree-lined Brooklyn street. The space smells faintly of eucalyptus and lavender. Exposed brick lines one wall, soft instrumental music hums low in the background, and sunlight filters through sheer curtains, landing gently across polished wood floors.
A few women quietly roll up their mats as the afternoon class ends. Danyelle Hayes remains seated cross-legged on hers, spine straight, skin glowing, her energy calm but alert. She’s dressed in a matching workout set that looks more stylish than athletic.
“I don’t come here to work out,” she says with a giggle, brushing a curl from her face. “I come here because it counts as movement for me. I hate working out but I love eating, so this is like… a healthy compromise.”
She checks the time on her phone.
Two hours before school pickup. She’s the PTA president. There’s a meeting tonight at the brownstone. Her calendar is full, so she makes me promise this will be quick.
Still glowing, still grounded, I don’t waste time.
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We first met Danyelle Hayes briefly in When Life Gives You Sunsets. She appeared as a side character, introduced as the best friend of FMC Clarke Ali. Through dialogue between Clarke and her brother Clyde, and Clarke’s own narration, we learn that Danyelle is married to Clyde.
The moment I drew that connection in Clarke’s character summary, I knew Danyelle and Clyde had a story worth telling. And while every element of Living Out a Love Song was fun to write, Danyelle’s turning point—set on Valentine’s Day—remains one of my favorite moments to revisit.
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I have wanted to publish Draft Diaries from the start of this newsletter, but I’m someone who likes to do things in steps. With the conclusion of Rylee Daniels’s journey upon us, I’m excited to start fresh again with a new series. But not just any series… volume 2 of the Love is Cure series.
I’ve always known I wanted Love is Cure to be represented in volumes. Deciding to write seven thematic stories in volume 1 was a big goal, but I figured I could do it one step at a time, and I did. That series challenged me, but I feel it set me up to do great things. And I’m looking forward to volume 2 showing that.
So I wanted to start this content series with a blog post, bringing you into the process of creating a series from start to finish. Let’s get started with where I am in the process.
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MALIK
Hip-hop blasted around me as I swung my arm back, positioning my feet just right to get the momentum I needed. Once I settled into the perfect angle, I took quick steps to the top of the lane and catapulted the shiny bowling ball down the narrow pathway. I watched, my head moving left to right as the ball glided smoothly along the wood, touching no sidewalls, offering nothing but clean form.
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I loved this couple from their outline. And when I wrote their story, I sincerely had a time. I love writing the tropes I deeply love, and right up there with friends to lovers and second-chance romances is enemies to lovers tucked neatly between the two. This update is a beautiful one. I smiled so hard writing it, my cheeks hurt 😂. I hope you smile through it, too! Enjoy ❤️.
JULIETTE
Cognac and cigar smoke greeted me at the door the instant I stepped inside. The space was the usual caramel brown and soft lights, but it was emptier than usual.
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This was the chapter we’d been waiting for ever since that unforgettable prologue in When Luke Met Juliette. One of these days, we’ll have to break down that prologue in its own commentary… but today, we’re here for the moment…
The moment Luke and Juliette finally put down their weapons—and their armor—and meet face-to-face again.
Sure, they’re technically meeting to complete the interview both of them need. But if you’ve read this story with your whole heart, you know that was just the excuse. The real reason reveals itself in Chapter 8 which was that these two were always destined to be.
They just had to see it for themselves.
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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.
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