I've been an avid reader of crime fiction for years.  One of the things I really enjoyed about authors like Lawrence Block and Michael Connelly is the way that the setting of the story becomes an integral part of it, almost like another character.  I thought maybe I could do that with my hometown.

  The people, the places and the history of Buffalo could fill up volumes on their own, but I wanted to weave them into stories.  From the mansions along Delaware Park, to the housing projects on the East Side.

  I'm the eigth of nine children born in Buffalo and raised in Cheektowaga NY.  My father worked at the Repulic Steel plant.  My mother, well you can imagine, she had her hands full with nine very diverse children.

  I married Jeanne in 1988 and we moved away from the area.  After fourteen years though, we had a chance to move back in 2002 and we leapt at it.  In all the time we were gone I always thought of this as my home and raise our two daughters.

  They may move away for school, family or a career opportunity, but I'm glad they've had the chance to grow up in a place like this.

It's not perfect but it's home.