Please tell us a little about yourself and Street Brotherhood: Rise of the Underground. 

I was born in New York City, growing up in the 1970s as the city was sliding into economic decline. It was dirty and dangerous, but at the same time, exciting and sexy, with opportunities galore, both licit and illicit. It was an iconic time, socially, artistically, and politically. Street Brotherhood: Rise of the Underground is the second book in a three-part series set in the same era. It follows Johnny Álvarez, a teenage runaway who’s fled his abusive home to take his chances on the New York City streets. To help him survive, he assembles a gang of disparate youth, and together they fight to stake a claim in the city’s seedy underground.  

What sparked your idea for your novel? 

I’ve been prone to escapism since I was a small child, creating stories in my head to keep me entertained, complete with full casts and plot arcs. When I was a teenager, the city forced me to grow up quickly. There was no room for innocence, but the stories helped me deal with my fears. I could throw my problems at my characters, who were so much cooler and braver than I was, and see how they handled them. They became my allies and stayed with me through some dark times. It wasn’t until decades later that I decided to put their stories on paper, which became my crime thriller Street series. 

How did you develop your characters? 

Some of the characters are loosely based on people I’ve known, or fusions thereof. Others just presented themselves to me. However, during the writing process, they’ll often take on a life of their own and start telling me how the book should go. Street Brotherhood centers around a gang of teenage boys, but I didn’t want to portray them as the same old inaccurate stereotypes. They’re smart, artistic, creative, and resourceful, just like the NYC street kids I remember. They’re bold survivors, banding together against a system that’s failed them. 

How did you research your book?  

Most of the locations are places where I’ve lived or hung out and are indelibly etched in my memory. The scenarios are also pulled from my own experiences, even if by the thinnest of threads. That allows me to be personally invested in every emotion the characters are feeling, making it that much more visceral for the reader.  

What are you working on now?  

I’m currently working on the third (and maybe final?) book in the Street series. When that’s done, I have the beginnings of a memoir, plus an outline for a literary novel, in addition to a few fun ideas for kids’ books.  

Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity.