Miguel Angel Rivera, Jr., was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Puerto Rican American parents. His mother fueled his love of reading and science fiction early on by introducing him to comic books. A Rutgers alumni and criminal justice major, he served twenty-seven years in various law enforcement capacities before retiring as a police lieutenant. Now a writer, in his spare time he enjoys martial arts, having earned a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His favorite authors include Stephen King, J. R. R. Tolkien, Tom Clancy, Jerry B. Jenkins, and the legendary Stan Lee.
