The Lost Boy follows a NYC cop who returns to his hometown, where he witnessed his mother’s murder, and must face and overcome his trauma to save a boy who is missing. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I was intrigued by the idea of exploring a story about a man whose father left when he was seven and whose mother spiraled out of control before being murdered in front of him at thirteen. From there, I developed the character of Officer Callum Nowak and his backstory, which ultimately became the foundation for The Lost Boy’s plot.

I found Cal to be an interesting character. Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?

Outwardly, Cal is quite different from me—he’s a cop, a former athlete, grew up in foster care, and indulges in excessive drinking and casual sex. However, we share the same Enneagram type: a Type 1, also known as the Reformer or Perfectionist. Because of this, he often reacts to situations in ways I might. He also deeply wants to be seen as a good person. The Enneagram is a personality typing system rooted in ancient spiritual traditions, describing people based on their core motivations, desires, and fears. While Cal is more impulsive—being an Aries—I’m more contemplative as an Aquarius. I enjoy using tools like the Enneagram and the zodiac to distinguish my characters’ motivations and make them more distinct.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

I didn’t really set out with any particular theme(s) in mind, but as the story developed, I found myself considering the ghosts of our past and whether or not we can ever be whole until we confront them.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out, and what can your fans expect in the next story?

A Fatal Affair, the second book in the Nyes Landing Crimes Series, releases this spring.

At the afterparty for the opening night of the Nyes Landing Players’s inaugural production, an outbreak of food poisoning disrupts the festivities. When a womanizing actor in the cast is rushed to the hospital and later dies, the corner rules his death an accidental overdose. But Officer Callum “Cal” Nowak suspects foul play.

A colorful cast of characters that includes a cheating wife, a jealous husband, feuding neighbors, and a housekeeper harboring a secret put Cal’s investigative skills to the test. Things heat up when the mayor pressures the police chief to close the case, leaving Cal with an ultimatum: back off or risk losing his badge. Refusing to let a killer walk free, Cal defies orders and puts his career on the line to uncover the truth.

But his relentless pursuit of justice comes at a cost. Cal’s relationship with Demetrius, already complicated, begins to show cracks. Demetrius, a divorced father navigating his first relationship with a man, struggles with Cal’s obsession with the case and his own doubts about their future. Can Cal solve the murder without losing the man he’s come to love?

Set in 2003, A Fatal Affair is the second book in the Nyes Landing Crime Mystery series. Fans of small-town murder mysteries with a gay romance twist—like Joseph Hansen’s Fadeout, Michael Nava’s Lay Your Sleeping Head, or Gregory Ashe’s Pretty Pretty Boys—will relish piecing together the clues in this gripping whodunit.

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