Thad Diaz was a Tampa Bay firefighter until he retired in 2021 with 25 years of service. He wrote sci-fi and fantasy as T. Allen Diaz, but he's always been a fan of hard-boiled mysteries. Now that he no longer rides fire trucks, he can tell that story without concerns for his career. The Cigar City Case Files is based in Tampa. Its stories occur in actual or fictionalized places tailored to this great city. The tales display its glorious beauty and gritty underbelly as only a native can. Diaz still lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife, two of his kids and a house full of dogs. Tampa Heat is only the first in a series that he hopes will span into the double digits. Follow him online and join his email list for the Tampa Heat prequel, Temple Terrace Badger Game today.