So, people have been asking me, “What’s The Holver Alley Crew about?” And that’s pretty easy—two brothers who used to live a life of crime have their legitimate lives ruined by a fire, and they have to go back to the old ways to make ends meet. As they learn more about the cause of the fire, they come up with a plan for revenge against those responsible.

And that’s a pretty good elevator pitch for it. But then some people are all, “Yeah, but what is it about?” with that intonation that implies it’s a completely different question that I haven’t actually answered. They want the deeper meaning.

I didn’t have a proper answer until Stranger Things won the SAG Award and David Harbour gave his acceptance speech on behalf of the cast:

“We will shelter freaks and outcasts, those who have no home; we will get past the lies; we will hunt monsters; and when we are lost amidst the hypocrisy and casual violence of certain individuals and institutions, we will punch some people in the face when they seek to destroy the meek, the disenfranchised and the marginalized, and we will do it all with soul, with heart and with joy.”

And that felt like a mission statement that could come right out of Asti Rynax’s mouth.

A big thing with this book for me was that it had to be something more than just a “bunch of thieves pull a heist”, even though at its core that’s the plot. I needed these characters to have a cause. And part of that cause is helping the people around him, the ones he grew up with, the ones that life has stomped on.

They have a code.

And that code means taking in the outsiders, sheltering those who are worse off than they are, giving a chance to the people who’ve been ignored and forgotten. So when the Rynax brothers are putting together their crew to run their first gig after the Holver Alley Fire, they look to people that need the gig, and who deserve it.

But there are other people in his neighborhood who are trying to take advantage, who want to make the most of the tragedy. As much as Asti and his brother want to better their own lives, they don’t want to do it at the cost of their neighborhood. And when those people try and get in Asti and Verci’s way, hurt the people they’ve taken on as allies and friends?

People will be punched in the face.

With joy and soul and heart!

Official Author Website

Order The Holver Alley Crew HERE

GUEST AUTHOR INFORMATION: Marshall Ryan Maresca grew up in upstate New York and studied film and video production at Penn State. He now lives Austin with his wife and son. His work appeared in Norton Anthology of Hint Fiction and Rick Klaw’s anthology Rayguns Over Texas. He also has had several short plays produced and has worked as a stage actor, a theatrical director and an amateur chef. His novels The Thorn of Dentonhill and A Murder of Mages each begin their own fantasy series, both set in the port city of Maradaine.

NOTE: David Harbour and Stranger Things cast SAG award pic courtesy of Estelle Tang, Elle & Getty.