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In his own words
I wrote it my way
Hello, this is Tommy Herrera. My life has been anything but ordinary.
Uprooted from Cuba at the tender age of five, I landed in the bustling streets of Chicago. Formal education wasn’t for me — I dropped out of high school and found myself caught up in the fast life of Chicago’s underground. My 20s and 30s were a blur of late nights and nightclubs.
Everything changed when my sons arrived. Fatherhood became my north star, guiding me toward a life filled with purpose. It was also the spark that ignited my desire to write. Though a bookworm, I struggled to embrace the written word fully. Yet the stories simmered within me, waiting to be told.
Inspired by friends and fueled by my own experiences, I finally took the plunge. Sure, writing is a challenge, but I have a treasure trove of tales to share. Whether it’s captivating audiences with true-to-life anecdotes at gatherings or weaving fictional narratives inspired by the city streets, my passion lies in storytelling.
Faceless Crime: Miami Syndicate is my debut novel, a thrilling blend of fiction and real-world experiences. From late-night news stories to the whispers of the streets, I’ve drawn inspiration from various sources to write this gripping tale. So buckle up and get ready to explore the world I’ve created.
— Tommy Herrera
Cuba to Chicago to the page
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Age five
Out of Cuba
Uprooted from Cuba and landed in Chicago. A city that would shape everything he later wrote about, though nobody knew that yet.
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High school
Formal education wasn’t for him
He dropped out and found himself caught up in the fast life of Chicago’s underground. The classroom lost; the street taught instead.
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His 20s and 30s
A blur of late nights and nightclubs
Years spent inside Chicago’s nightlife, seeing gang life and the club scene up close. This is where the material came from — the people, the deals, the way a room changes at 3am.
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Fatherhood
His sons arrived and everything changed
Fatherhood became his north star, pointing toward a life with purpose. It was also the spark that lit the desire to write.
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Then
He took the plunge
Inspired by friends and fueled by his own experiences, he started writing. A bookworm who had struggled with the written word finally put the stories down.
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Out now
Faceless Crime: Miami Syndicate
The debut novel. Ebook, paperback and hardcover, on sale in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
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December 2026
Right of Passage
Book two of the Faceless Crime series. The Syndicate spreads, federal agents close in, and trust becomes the rarest currency in Miami.
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In development
Book three
The last chapter of the Miami Syndicate story. Being written now, title not yet announced.
Three places he pulls from
Late-night news stories
Cases that break at midnight and are forgotten by morning. Fraud rings, task force raids, the quiet arrests that never make the front page.
Whispers of the streets
What people say when they think nobody is writing it down. Years in Chicago’s underground gave him an ear for how these conversations actually sound.
People he actually knew
The characters are invented. The instincts behind them are not. Tommy writes people the way he met them, with the edges left on.
Sure, writing is a challenge. But I have a treasure trove of tales to share.
The Faceless Crime series
Book one
Miami Syndicate
Gabriel Cortez runs from Chicago to Miami and finds something bigger than anything he left behind. A task force is already watching.
Available now
Book two
Right of Passage
Federal agents close in on the mastermind while the syndicate spreads through fraud, smuggling and betrayal. Nobody’s loyalty holds.
December 2026
Book three
UntitledTitle to be announced
The last chapter of the Miami Syndicate story. Tommy is writing it now.
In development
Say hello
Questions about the books, interview requests, or just want to tell him what you thought — Tommy reads what comes in.