What follows below are my original character profiles and notes for many of the characters in the series. Because there were so many characters, I felt it was important to give each one a very different set of qualities.
Although I do give readers a bit of what each character looks like physically, my goal is to give you just enough to create your own vision of how they look. What’s more important to me is giving my characters strong personalities. I want readers to relate to the characters and feel like they are living the story along with them. When I set out to create a character, I design his or her personality first, and once I have that done, I figure out how I want them to look. So let’s get started.
Keatyn Douglas
Physical Appearance
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 125
Eye Color: Blue with a tint of purple
Hair Color: Dark blonde with light highlights
Birthdate/Age: August 18th (Leo). She is sixteen when we first meet her.
Lives in: Malibu, CA
Positive aspects of personality: Confident, ambitious, loyal, generous, encouraging, friendly, proud, mature, worldly, well-traveled, grounded, balanced, sophisticated, warm, caring, chill, laid-back attitude.
Negative aspects of personality: A bit melodramatic, she worries about what people think, stubborn, quick to react, sensitive (but hides it well), loves praise.
More about her: She actually likes the spotlight, likes being the center of attention, but because of who her mom is, she wonders if she would be the center of attention and popular if she weren’t Abby’s daughter. She hates routine, likes adventure, travel, and trying new things.
Interests: Surfing, soccer, loves the water, the beach, loves to travel to learn about different cultures and lifestyles. She also loves shopping, clothes, and shoes.
Personal History: Her mother is America’s sweetheart actress, Abby Johnston, and her father was the successful underwear and clothing model, Mark Douglas. He passed away in a small plane accident when Keatyn was ten.
She took her father’s death hard, like any young girl would, but it made her quite close with her mom. Her mom was a hard-working actress and had done many films, but she wasn’t hounded by the paparazzi until about two years after Mark’s death, when she did a film with action star and bad boy, Tommy Stevens. They fell in love instantly, and by the time the movie wrapped, Abby was pregnant. Together they have four-year-old triplets, Avery, Emery, and Ivery, as well as two-year-old Gracelyn.
Her paternal grandparents live in East Texas and are a big part of her being so grounded. She traveled to filming locations with her mom, and she always had tutors. She speaks fluent French, as they have a home there.
She was around adults most of the time, and her mom treated her as such. Even more so after her father died. People who know her would say she is quite mature. Her dream was to be a “normal” teenager. She pictured herself living out a teen sitcom. A High School Musical sort of thing. She wanted to live in one place, go to high school, be fabulously popular and loved by all, and she wanted to date the most popular boy.
Not surprising to her, she got her wish. Her freshman year the family settled in Tommy’s recently renovated Malibu beach house. She got to start high school and quickly made friends with Vanessa and RiAnne—two of the prettiest girls at school. The three of them ruled their grade both freshman and sophomore year. She met Sander, a former child star, and they became the perfect couple.
Then there is her crush, Brooklyn. They’ve been friends since he taught her to surf a few years ago. Brooklyn is different than her friends from school. He’s two years older. He is very smart, but struggled in traditional schools. They bored him. He started doing a combination of tutors and online, self-paced studies, where he thrived. He graduated high school at fifteen and by nineteen had a degree in Philosophy.
Her friends don’t like Brooklyn. All he ever wants to do is surf, smoke, and go to hole-in-the-wall places. He never wants to be seen or go to the best parties. He doesn’t care what he’s wearing, which makes him unacceptable to her friends.
Brooklyn also hated her friends. He tells her they are fake, that she acts differently when she is around them. She can be bitchy and mean—and he is right. With B, she can be herself, well, mostly herself. With her friends, she always has to be Abby Johnston’s daughter.
She began living two different lives. She was one way with her friends, one way with Brooklyn. The question she struggles with is—which one is the real me?
Brooklyn seemed to think if it weren’t for her mom’s celebrity status and all the perks Vanessa and RiAnne got because of it, they wouldn’t be her friends.
And she had to admit, she wondered that herself. And even though she felt like she’d finally gotten what she wanted, it did feel fake. False. And she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She loved hanging out with Brooklyn. She felt like she could be herself with him. She could be laid back. She didn’t have to worry about what she was wearing. She didn’t worry about who might see her, if they were at the right parties, all of that. With Brooklyn there was no pressure.
At the same time, she kind of likes the attention she gets at school. She kind of likes the spotlight.
Her romance with Brooklyn heats up the summer before her junior year. She’s in love with him and decided that she doesn’t care if he is acceptable or not. Her friends would just have to deal with it. She can’t wait to show him off at her big birthday party. Problem is—he tells her he’s not going because he doesn’t want to be around her friends and that he doesn’t like how she behaves when she’s with them. He tells her it’s all fake.
On her birthday, B buys her a cake. She blows out the candles and makes a wish. She wishes that she could have true friends.
Enter her mom’s stalker. The stalker becomes obsessed with her because she looks like her mom did in her first movie. There are some scary moments and an almost kidnapping. In an effort to keep her safe, she agrees to go to boarding school. She can’t tell anyone who she really is. It’s literally a matter of life and death.
She believes that she is self-actualized when she goes to boarding school. And at the very beginning she will have everything she needs to complete her goals.
- She meets Dallas and Riley. Two new boys who will be her best friends.
- She meets Aiden. The boy of her dreams, her soulmate. A boy who also doesn’t care about popularity, but who is adept in any social circle and is used to the spotlight himself.
- She quickly forms her own group of girlfriends. Slightly nerdy Annie, bouncy Katie, and dry humored and a little slutty, Maggie. These girls are not part of the popular crowd.
- She also meets Peyton. Peyton is Aiden’s sister and really a nice person. But she’s in the popular group. She is nice to Keatyn when Whitney (alpha girl) is not around. Peyton and Whitney have been friends since freshman year. They know each other’s secrets.
- Keatyn is very excited to be making friends on her own. It’s a kick to her ego. But then she meets Dawson, and they start a romance that pulls her exactly where she didn’t want to be. The popular group. But she fights it. Or more specifically, she fights the old version of herself, Whitney. Whitney knows a rival when she sees one and instantly hates her.
- They have mini encounters. And pretty soon she finds herself exactly where she didn’t want to be—sitting back at the popular lunch table.
As she and Whitney battle, Keatyn and Peyton will become closer. The two of them would make powerful allies and Whitney will not allow that. The stakes get higher as the series progresses.
One of the reasons people like Keatyn at her new school is her lack of bragging, her choice of friends, her honesty. She is big on honesty with her friends. But she sort of forgets that she’s lying to them all. In her mind, it doesn’t count. She is being true to herself.
If she were to write down her goals for boarding school, they would be this:
Make true friends.
Not be popular.
Not be a bitch.
Not be a fake.
Stay alive.
Whitney represents everything she doesn’t want to be.
Eventually they will discover who she is. The school will find out that she lied about who she is. This will be a dark moment for her, because her friends will feel betrayed. They don’t know why she’s lying.
Fears: She is afraid of being judged by people.
Dreams/Goals: Her secret wish, that she wishes as she blows the candles out on her seventeenth birthday cake, is that she could make true friends based on just her. She secretly fantasizes about going somewhere where no one knows who she is and trying to make it on her own.
She thinks she wants to act but doesn’t have the confidence yet. Her mom casts a big shadow.
Stressors: Making decisions, the stalker, worrying about her family, that her secret will come out.
Inner Conflict: Trying to be herself without telling people who she is. Also, allowing herself to love, when she knows she will end up hurt.
Blind Spot: She thinks she is mature and has the world all figured out.
Main Problems: Long term for the series, the stalker that has caused the changes in her life. She must hide who she is so she can stay alive. Eventually, she will face him to take her life back. Short term problems are that when she goes to school, she decides to be herself, that she doesn’t want to be popular. She wants to make true friends based on the friends’ interests and talents. The problem is, she’s a nice, pretty girl, and this approach only ends up making her more and more popular. This pisses off Whitney, who will cause trouble for Keatyn.
Boy problems: Cush, Brooklyn, Dawson, Dallas, Jake, Aiden. Who to choose? Each one of these boys represents more than just a decision. They each represent pieces of who she wants to be.
Brooklyn wants her to be the chill, relaxed girl who doesn’t want to be in the spotlight.
Dawson wants the adorable, hot, sexy, popular girl.
Aiden likes that she’s a little crazy and likes the spotlight sometimes, but he also likes the calm, sweet side of her, too.
Choosing the right boy will say everything about her growth as a person.
And we can’t forget her wish on the moon for the perfect boy.
Aiden Arrington
Love Interest
Physical Appearance
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 190
Eye Color: Emerald green
Hair Color: Dark blonde
Birthdate/Age: December 4th (Sagittarius)
From: Atlanta, GA, but his parents now live in Sonoma, CA
Positive aspects of personality: Strong, outspoken, blunt, confident, smart, Southern gentleman, passionate about life, fun, humble, driven, well-adjusted, intense, honest, well-mannered.
Negative aspects of personality: Used to getting his way. Impatient. Things usually come easily for him. He’s a hard worker, he just never really has to.
Drives: Maserati GS
Kissing Aiden: He always leaves you wanting more.
How he’d pick up a girl: He doesn’t. They come to him. He just chooses.
Style: He has a deep sexy laugh, great legs, and a lean, athletic body. He dresses fashionably. He’s hot. God of All Hotties hot.
Personal History: He has an older sister, Peyton. He has a good relationship with his family. Dad sold his company when their mother was diagnosed with cancer. They moved to the West coast. The move and the cancer were hard on their family. His sister was angry about it, told them she wanted to go to boarding school. Aiden chose to follow his sister to take care of her.
Because of his mother’s illness, he understands what’s truly important in life.
He is a gifted athlete, has started as the varsity soccer goalie since freshman year. He plays forward on the basketball team and is the kicker and a wide receiver in football.
He’s pretty much a stud—good looking, good athlete, and a nice guy. He’s dated A LOT of girls. Last year alone, he went out with eight different girls. But he’s driven. He wants the perfect girl for him and as soon as he figures out a girl isn’t going to hold his interest, he moves on. He always treats them well, even though he breaks their hearts.
Special Abilities: He is an extremely skilled goalie and overall athlete. The guys say he has good hands. He gets great grades—except for French.
Fears: He will fail French and not be able to play sports. He fears boredom. Wants to live up to his own high expectations, and his parents’, too.
Dreams: His real dream is to find his soulmate and travel the world with her. His dream is to own a vineyard that makes wines to raise money for charity. He loves the lifestyle of Sonoma Valley. He’d love to make his home there.
Goals: Short term goals are to pass French. If he doesn’t pass French, he won’t get into an Ivy League school, and he won’t be able to play sports.
Stressors: French is a major stressor in his life. He’s a good student, but he struggles with languages. He almost failed all last year and his athletics were constantly in jeopardy. He is also afraid his mom’s cancer will come back.
Struggles: He’s a bit of a gambler, and he’s lucky. He struggles with the way Keatyn affects him. He’s in love with her, but she drives him nuts. Although he wants to find the ONE, he never thought he would find her in high school. He liked his life before she came around. Other than his struggle with French, he’s had it pretty good. He also hates the feeling of being tied down. He wants to feel free, so why does he want so much to be tied down with her?
He always fights with his sister about the group of girls she hangs out with. Peyton is one of the “it” girls. He feels she sacrifices too much of herself trying to impress Whitney, the Queen Bee at school. He thinks they are not really her friends and just want her part of their group because she’s so pretty.
He also worries that she’s becoming too much like them, and he doesn’t like some of the things she does or the way she can treat other people.
Partnership skills like compromise, negotiation, and delayed gratification don’t come naturally to him. He’s not used to hearing no. With Keatyn, he finally has a girl telling him no. He has to go against himself to make it happen.
Manner: He’s a cool guy. The guys like him because even though he is a good athlete, he is humble. He is a team player. The girls like him because he’s dreamy. Swoon-inducing.
Blind Spot: He thinks he’s invincible. He’s used to winning.
Whitney Clarke
Physical Appearance
Height: 5’ 7’
Weight: 115
Eye Color: Green
Hair Color: Brown
Whitney looks like perfection—WASP personified. Long dark hair, perfect teeth, professionally sculpted nose.
On the surface, she appears to have it all. Comes from a long line of old, old money. Old as in Mayflower roots old. Family has made money, starting with steel mills, and now in whatever they want. Her father isn’t in her life after his ugly divorce from her mother. He forgets her birthday, has never been to a dance recital, or school event.
Her mom is a bitch and always having plastic surgery to tweak whatever she thinks needs fixing at the time. Whitney will never be as perfect as her older sister.
No one at school really likes her, she’s a bitch plain and simple, but they fear her. Fear what will happen to them if they cross her. Piss her off, and she will destroy you.
She has serious daddy issues and hates her mom most of the time.
She’s young, thin, gorgeous, and fabulously rich. She feels like the world owes her something. And if it won’t give it to her, she’ll just buy it.
She drinks, parties, is not opposed to recreational drugs. Smoking and cocaine help keep her skinny.
She’s wild, but pretends to be the ultimate in class. I mean, I am a Clarke. I have to act above everyone else.
She’s always concerned about her appearance. Wants perfection. The perfect life. No, wait, that’s not quite right, she wants the best of everything. The best life, the best boyfriend, the best clothes. She wants to be better than everyone. And she will be no matter what. Her position as Queen/Alpha of the School is not to be messed with. Girls are not friends—they are competition, wannabees, or worshipers.
She and Dawson Johnson have dated throughout high school. She was in love with his older brother, Camden, first, but then Peyton dated him. So, she set out to make Dawson her boyfriend, so they would be the perfect couple. She never really loved him, but they looked good together, and he adored her. Just as he should. Last spring though, Peyton landed a college boyfriend, and all of a sudden, a silly high school boy was not good enough for her. She found an even better looking college boy, who has more money and a hotter car. They are dating now. Or so everyone thinks.
When she broke up with Dawson, it sort of devastated him. As it should have. But you know what they say, onward and upward, and even though Dawson is hot and sweet, he’s so last year. They had sex, well, some sex. She really isn’t all that into sex. She’s a skilled and manipulative flirter, but once she gets a guy, and gets him into bed, she just wants to get it over.
She knows that Dawson has become an out of control mess, sleeping with everyone to try to make her jealous, but she doesn’t care. She is going to stay friendly with him, since he is the hottest boy at the school.
When Keatyn comes to school, she immediately sees the way the guys react to her and views her as a threat. She tries to abuse her a little, but that doesn’t seem to lessen the new girl’s appeal, and you know what they say, keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. So that’s what she’ll do. Bring Keatyn into her world. Easier to control her that way.
Dawson Johnson
Love Interest
Physical Appearance
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 210
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Birthdate/Age: October 26th, Senior
Home: Manhattan, New York.
Drives: Modified Silver BMW M5
Sex with him: Creative, intense, passionate. “Let me untie you.”
Kissing him: You know what he wants, and it’s probably not kisses.
How he’d pick up a girl: He’s the kind of guy you could sleep with the first day you met him, and he’d make you feel both sexy and respected.
Positive aspects of personality: Really a nice guy, sweet, honest, magnetic personality, determined, emotional, trust is important to him, respectful. Even though he is privileged, he and his family are very down to earth.
Negative aspects of personality: Doesn’t know when to quit, gets his feelings hurt, doesn’t like to be alone, needs his ego stroked.
Personal History: Dawson is from New York. His family is old money, but his parents chose to work rather than living off their trust funds. His father is a successful bond trader, and his mom was a pediatrician. She quit after her fourth boy was born. She wasn’t going to let a nanny raise her children.
For a kid with money and privilege, he had a pretty normal and loving upbringing. He is a good guy, sweet and caring. He sort of goes with the flow though and is popular because he’s rich, athletic, and good-looking. He never has been in a situation where he hasn’t gotten exactly what he wanted. He dates Whitney Clarke, and they were the perfect couple. He sort of worshiped her, like everyone else. He was king of the school. Until she dumped him.
Since then, he’s been in a bit of a funk. At first, he tried to get her back, buying her expensive gifts. When that didn’t work, he decided to make her jealous, by hooking up with anyone and making sure she heard about it.
One thing about not being with Whitney though, he realized sex with her wasn’t all that great. She’s kind of cold, but that doesn’t make him stop wanting her back.
Family: Brothers, Camden (Freshman at Columbia), Riley (Junior), Braxton (8th grade)
Interests: Sports, sports, sports. Loves the beach.
Fears: He’s not good enough. His father is successful and wants him to make his own money in the world, not live on his trust fund.
Dreams: Graduate college so he can get full control of his trust fund, find a hot wife, then live at the beach off his trust fund.
Main Problem: At the start of the school year, he wants Whitney back. When he meets Keatyn, he wants her, too. Then he finds that he actually really likes her. She seems real to him. And so different from Whitney. Until Whitney wants him back.
Riley Johnson
Best friend
Physical Appearance
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 190
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Dark Brown
He’s strong, has big hands and muscles, and oozes sex appeal.
He’s 16. Born on October 28th (Scorpio)
From Manhattan, NY.
Positive aspects of personality: Protective, a loyal friend, very outgoing, thinks he’s hot, blunt, competitive, big ego.
Negative aspects of personality: Player, doesn’t worry about girls’ feelings.
Personal History: Riley also comes to school as a junior. He went here freshman year, got into trouble. (I want to make this a funny epic story… like maybe he was found naked the next morning passed out in the school fountain or something.) He got suspended from Eastbrooke and was sent to military school. He is allowed back at Eastbrooke his Junior year, having promised to stay out of trouble. He has never had a girl that was just a friend. There is huge sibling rivalry between him and Dawson. Their older brother, Camden, is the golden boy of the family. Riley acts like he doesn’t give a shit about anything. Military school changed him a bit. Rather than whip him into shape, it just made him stronger and bolder. He still wants to be the bad boy.
Family: Brothers, Camden (Freshman at Columbia), Dawson (Senior), Braxton (8th grade)
Interests: Working out, collecting notches on his belt, likes older girls, fast cars.
Drives: Neon green tricked out Viper with black stripes.
Sex with him: The Fast and the Furious.
Kissing him: He’d rather skip kissing and get to the good stuff.
How he’d pick up a girl: “You’re hot. Let’s hookup.”
Dreams: He loves making videos and would love to be a movie producer.
Goals: As much sex and partying as possible.
Stressors: Are my muscles big enough?
Dallas McMahon
Best friend
Physical Appearance
Height: 5’10” (and still growing)
Weight: 160
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Dirty blond
He will become one of Keatyn’s best friends. A true best friend.
Birthday: January 30th. (He’s 16) Aquarius. (A birthday he shares with Jillian.)
Personal History: He comes to school from Kentucky where he “got caught by the police with pot, and they thought sending him away to boarding school would get him out of his bad crowd.” But really, his father is a Senator and his family was threatened, so they sent him to Eastbrooke for his safety. He has an adorable accent and is funnier than shit.
Positive aspects of personality: Faithful friend, honest, loyal, dreamer, hilarious, easy going, chill, hears all the rumors, lots of friends, hates drama, surprisingly romantic, figures people and social situations out quickly. He says he has a bullshit meter.
Because he has grown up around politics, he understands subtle manipulation. He views cliques like politics, and he acts like he’s seen and heard it all. He has an honest face and people find themselves telling him all their secrets.
Dreams: At some point, he wants to use his dad’s political clout to legalize marijuana. Then he wants to own the Starbucks of weed.
Interests: Chilling, football, weed.
Sex with him: Still a virgin when the series starts.
Kissing him: Sweet.
How he’d pick up a girl: Pickup lines and making them laugh.
Supporting Cast Members
Malibu Cast:
Abby Johnston: Actress and America’s sweetheart. Keatyn’s mom. Married to Tommy Stevens. Abby is 37. She had Keatyn when she was twenty.
Tommy Stevens: Action film star, former bad boy, married to Abby Johnston.
Avery, Emery, Ivery: Keatyn’s four-year-old triplet little sisters.
Gracelyn: (Gracie) Keatyn’s two-year-old spunky littlest sister.
Millie Rodriguez and husband, Deron: She is a night-time soap opera star. He is a Laker.
Matthew Moran: Director and good friend of Abby.
Kym: Keatyn’s mom’s stylist.
Damian Moran: Lead signer/guitarist for Twisted Dreams. Damian is a teen heart throb and Keatyn’s bff since they were little.
Brooklyn: The boyfriend she left behind in Malibu. Loves weed, surfing, indie rock bands. Shaggy blonde hair, zen, ocean blue eyes, core of a surfer. He quotes her Keats poetry and calls her Keats. His dad is a retired Internet mogul, and they live down the beach from Keatyn. Her bff for the last two years and her boyfriend of the last 6 months. He’s a semi professional surfer, 19, and hot. **You’ll notice in this original set of profiles, Brooklyn didn’t even warrant a full one. That changed a lot and his profile ended up being rolled into Keatyn’s.
Vanessa, RiAnne, and Cush: Because in my original version of the series, these three weren’t important, they did not get original character profiles. When I added the stalker and completely rewrote the first book, their characters came to life on the pages. And it was easy. Cush was much like Riley. Vanessa much like Whitney. And RiAnne a lot like Maggie.
Mark Douglas: Keatyn’s deceased father and former, extremely good-looking, male model.
Grandpa Douglas: Keatyn’s hilarious grandfather. Texan, wealthy business man, straight-shooter.
James: He and Mark Douglas grew up together. They were both high school athletes and hell-raisers. Together they dreamed of getting out of their small town. Keatyn’s dad went to L.A., and James joined the army. Because he was an excellent athlete, marksman, and smart, he was tapped for special forces. He was injured during a covert mission eighteen months ago and found himself exactly where he didn’t want to be, back in his small Texas town. Once fully recovered, his family encouraged him to quit the army. He couldn’t decide, so he went out to Keatyn’s grandfather’s ranch to get some advice from the old cowboy. It was through him, he learned that Abby was looking for personal protection. He called her and was hired immediately. He always adored Abby, the pay was good, and he sort of felt like he owed it to his buddy to do what he could. He now is like part of the family, and even though he thought he would hate Tommy, he loves the guy. **Originally, I was going to send James to boarding school with Keatyn, but I decided not to and later added Cooper to the mix.
Eastbrooke Cast:
Jake Worth: Is hot, lusts after Whitney, becomes one of Keatyn’s good friends. Even though she has a college boyfriend, Jake becomes Whitney’s boy toy. He’s Dawson’s suite mate. Tall, reddish brown hair, freckles, used car salesman of dating. He will be anything you want him to be.
Peyton Arrington: Aiden’s sister. She is the floater in the Queen Bee’s clique. She is in their group, but is in many activities. She doesn’t always agree with what Whitney does, and knows that Whitney considers her competition, but she does like being part of the popular group and sometimes finds herself doing things she knows she shouldn’t, just to impress Whitney. She is a dancer and soccer player, even though Whitney thinks girls getting sweaty is not cool. Soccer is her escape from the mean girls.
Katie: Katie is Keatyn’s roommate, on the dance team, perky bouncy brown hair w/expensive highlights. She’s petite, button nose, big boobs. She doesn’t always make the best decisions when it comes to alcohol and boys.
Annie: Is in French class with Aiden and Keatyn. She’s into photography, a Facebook addict, has a delicate bone structure, perky nose, pretty complexion, frizzy hair that Keatyn straightens. She’s a junior and still a virgin. She dates Ace and then eventually, Jake.
Maggie: Maggie is blunt, funny, also on dance team. She pretty much doesn’t give a shit about Whitney and her group. She just wants to get through high school without an addiction or eating disorder. She can’t decide if she wants the hassle of having a boyfriend, or the shame she feels when she hooks up with someone. She used to date Logan, but they broke up.
Bryce: One of the popular boys. Adorable blond with freckles. Shorter. His room is across the hall from Aiden’s.
Ace: Massive, tall with brownish blond hair, beak-ish nose, smart, nice body. Comes off as a jerk and a doorknob, but is smart and pretty nice.
Logan: A hot junior at school. Used to date Maggie. Good friend of Aiden. Lacrosse star with a muscular back.
Brad: Super sweet and overachiever. Social Club.
Miss Praline: French teacher, a little disheveled most of the time.