Here are the Myers-Briggs Personality Types of my lead characters. I use the Myers Briggs Typology Inventory to help me define my characters, so that they come alive! To discover your own personality type, take the free personality test at: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes1.htm 

To see my cast of characters, click here.

TIME TO RUN Hero:   Chase McCaffrey, aka “Westy.”

This Harley-riding bad boy of a sniper has been trying to take over my series from the first! With his tattoo, goatee, and earrings, Chase presents the image of a tough guy. Indeed, his heart became hardened back when he was a teen and his mother died, leaving him in the hands of an abusive stepfather. A loner, Chase is most definitely an introvert. He is powerfully attuned to his environment, making him a Sensor. Like most of my men, he’s a Thinker, but not a strong one. And finally, Chase never wants to close off his options by making choices ahead of time. In this sense, he is a Perceiver. This makes Chase an ISTP.

Here are some traits of the ISTP:

They lie dormant, saving their energy until a project or an adventure worthy of their time comes along--and then they launch themselves at it.” (This what Chase did when he rescued Sara from her abusive husband).

Mechanically inclined. The favorite mechanism of the ISTP is the weapon. This is what leads Chase to become a sniper and, eventually, a shooting instructor.

Have a need for personal space; to spread out physically and psychologically.

Have trouble with rote or abstract learning, which is why Chase hated going to school.

ISTPs need to live on the edge. They’re at their best in a crisis.

Heroine: Sara Yates Garret

Sara is an Idealist, an INFP. More than any other personality type, the INFP is concerned with making the world a better place. They want to find their purpose in life, a way to serve. This characteristic makes them especially vulnerable to controlling characters, like Garret, her husband (an ESTP). INFPs are thoughtful and intuitive. This gift gives Sara the ability to intuit that Chase is a good man at heart; that he will help her. INFPs do not like conflict and will go to great lengths to avoid it. In Sara’s case, she is finally driven to run away—-not for selfish reasons, but to protect her son, who she sees is distressed by his father’s abusiveness. “In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause”(BSM consulting, 2005). This statement gives insight into Sara’s ferocity when Garret finally confronts her at the end of the book.

Hero:  Lt. John Luther Lindstrom
aka “Little John”

There’s more to Luther than six and a half feet of solid muscle, dark blue eyes, and flawless grammar. Luther is one of my favorite character types, the INTJ, also known as “The Mastermind”.  INTJs project an aura of calm, self-confidence, and self-discipline. They know exactly what they know, and they know it well. They prefer to think logically and to plan events ahead of time, which is why Luther is so peeved when Hannah tries to rescue herself, and he has to shoot two hostiles to pull off her escape from Santiago.

INTJs are not impressed by authority; their respect must be earned. One man who has earned Luther’s full respect is Jaguar, who suffered a year of confinement in a North Korean prison. That’s why Luther’s willing to do whatever it takes to prove Jaguar’s innocence.

INTJs are perfectionists, constantly seeking to improve on any given subject. Thus when Luther breaks off his engagement with Veronica, he’s determined that the next woman he falls in love with will be more compatible and less complicated. He doesn’t plan on falling in love with Hannah Geary, who is plenty complicated and in some ways not compatible. But resisting his attraction for her will only cause his desire to build until it boils over. When that happens, sparks fly.

INTJs are natural brain-stormers, making Luther the ideal person to come up with evidence needed to prove Commander Lovitt’s perfidy. He will attack his objective single-mindedly, as if on a moral mission. As Hannah fondly points out, there is never any question of what Luther stands for. But just in case, he has tattooed the names of his sisters, Liberty and Justice, onto his calves in Arabic script. A high-achiever in everything that he does, there is no option for failure in Luther’s quest for justice.

Romantic relationships are the INTJ’s Achilles heel. When it comes to flirtation and lovers games, INTJs are out of their element. This is why Veronica’s demanding and emotional behavior left Luther so befuddled, especially when they seemed to have the same goals. This is also why Luther is best teamed up with a thinking female like Hannah, a woman processes perceptions through her thoughts rather than her feelings. In many ways, he and Hannah are not compatible, having different personal agendas, but INTJs are quite willing to work on relationships. Good thing, because Hannah’s dangerous job is bound to play havoc with Luther’s timeline of when to start a family.

Heroine:  Hannah Lace Geary 

Hannah Geary is a handful, as are all ENTJs.  ENTJs like to be in charge, and for an ENTJ female, this can be a problem. From an early age, ENTJs can be seen taking over groups and harnessing people to distant goals. As Luther and Hannah vie for control in establishing their course of action, or COA, a struggle is inevitable. Fortunately, they have a common objective, and Luther is open to Hannah’s ideas, as long as they are reasonable.

The ENTJ is not one to be trifled with. Stubbornly clinging to their beliefs, they may become argumentative, or they may unleash an icy stare that serves notice. Luther encounters Hannah’s temper more than once, finding it at first intimidating, and then amusing, and then a bit of a turn-on. After all, he’s bigger, stronger, and with a kiss he can render her silent, so ultimately he’s in charge, right?

The ENTJ is a tireless worker who enjoys responsibility. As such, they are devoted to their jobs. This trait can have its drawbacks, when family members begin to feel neglected. With Luther initially wanting a stay-at-home wife and children in the very near future and with Hannah devoted to her new career with the FBI, readers can expect this couple to have a few “issues” which will be mentioned in subsequent books.

Hero: Gabriel Renault, aka “Jaguar” 

Jaguar is your classic ESTJ. This means he’s extroverted; a sensor, a thinker, and a judger. ESTJs are very aware of their external environment, and Gabe has exceptional eyesight, which is the reason they call him Jaguar.   

ESTJs thrive on order and continuity. When they’re not organizing and mobilizing people, they are busy enforcing "the rules," as dictated by tradition or handed down from a higher authority. This is why Gabe fits so well in the military.   

ESTJs like to see things done correctly, according to tradition and procedure. However, they tend to be impatient with those who do not carry out procedures with sufficient attention to detail. All this is especially clear in Gabe’s earlier relationship with Mallory. Being a POW taught him patience; it also gave him an appreciation of the power of relationships and the importance of connecting.

ESTJs are usually neat and orderly at work and at play. Gabe takes great pleasure in taking care of things around the house and keeping them in good running order. 

ESJTs seek out like-minded companions in clubs, civic groups, and other organizations. The need for belonging is woven into the fiber of all SJs.  

ESTJs are traditionalists, in tune with established, time-honored institutions, which is makes it easy to understand why Gabe sees terrorists as a threat.

ESTJs are outspoken. Gabe is never afraid to stand up for what he believes is right, even in the face of overwhelming odds, as in during his captivity. I love this about Gabe. He doesn’t ever weigh the risk to himself by exposing corruption. ESTJs take the bull by the horns, which is probably why Gabe survived imprisonment and torture so well. You can’t break an ESTJ of what his believes in.

The biggest fault of an ESTJ is that he may not be responsive to points of views and emotions of others. It is evident from Gabe’s past that he was guilty of ignoring Helen and coming down too hard on Mallory. Fortunately he has come away from imprisonment with some valuable new tools-—patience and compassion.

Heroine: Helen Renault

This feisty but sensitive heroine is an ESFJ, a “Provider.” ESFJs are energized by interactions with people, which is why Helen enjoys her job as Athletic Coordinator. They tend to idealize whatever or whomever they "admire", which is the main reason why Helen fell in love with Gabe in the first place. In her own words, she fell in love “with the idea of him.”

Harmony is very important to this type. Like ESTJ’s (Gabe’s type) ESFJs enjoy and joyfully observe traditions. ESFJs bear strong allegiance to rights of seniority, which makes Helen an ideal mate for Gabe. 

ESFJs are the great nurturers of established institutions. Wherever ESFJs go, they promote harmony and harmonious relationships. Social ties matter to the ESFJs, and their conversations often drift to nostalgic recounting of past memories. Helen is notorious for remembering the past-—using it as a tool to predict what life will be like now that Gabe is back in her life.

Most importantly, ESFJs are hurt by indifference. They need to feel appreciated, which is what Gabe failed to do before his disappearance. They are easily wounded. And when wounded, their emotions will not be contained. They wear their “hearts on their sleeves.” They need to be needed, loved, and appreciated, which is what Gabe failed to do before, but has since learned.

ESFJs can become melancholy and depressed. They can exhibit a bent toward the pessimistic that can be contagious. We see this in Helen as she wrestles with her predictions of the future and whether Gabe has truly changed or not.

ESFJs tend to be dependent on their mates and may marry to insure that they have a proper place in the social strata. This is the exact reason why Helen married Gabe in the first place—to give Mallory a father and to make herself worthy in her parents’ eyes.

In many ways ESFJs have to struggle to repress their fears that the worst is sure to happen. They have a tendency toward anticipating disasters, which is why Helen fetches Gabe’s gun at the end of the book, and it’s a good thing she does!

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