Aya De León

Aya De León is a writer, activist, educator, spoken word poet and author of the Justice Hustlers series. Her extensive writing credits include Guernica, Essence, Ebony, The Huffington Post, VICE, Ploughshares, Woman’s Day and Bitch magazine, among many other websites and publications. In Side Chick Nation (Dafina), part of the Justice Hustlers series, De Leon tells the story of Dulce, fresh from stealing her married boyfriend´s drug-dealer stash and escaping on a sugar daddy adventure to Puerto Rico.  She gets caught in Hurricane Maria and witnesses the devastation of the storm and the international vultures who plunder the country. Broke, traumatized, and stranded, Dulce’s only chance to get back to New York may be a journalist who’s been pursuing her. But is she hustling him or falling for him? Meanwhile, New York-based mastermind thief Marisol is fleecing a ruthless CEO who’s stealing her family’s land in Puerto Rico. An extra member in her crew would be welcome but she’s wary of Dulce’s unpredictability and reputation for drama. Still, Dulce’s determination to get justice draws Marisol in. Their plan is soon complicated by powerful men who turn deadly when ex-side chicks step out of the shadows and demand to call the shots. Booklist on The Boss, STARRED review called “This well-written and enjoyable installment in de León’s unique, feminist, urban crime-fiction series . . . infuses satisfying power in both plot and character.”