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.