I am currently seeking representation for Up from the Concrete, a thriller about a pro boxer who trades her gloves for body armor to protect the man she loves like a father. The manuscript is complete at approximately 90,000 words, and is a standalone with series potential.

Up from the Concrete

Pro boxer Stephanie Renaldo keeps it clean in the ring, but she’s not afraid to fight dirty against the gang threatening to take everything from her.

The punches thrown in a boxing match are nothing compared to the hits Stephanie Renaldo took as a child. She chases a sense of belonging in the ring, but her real home is the gym on Second Street where she first met Logan Terenzi – the man she loves as a father.

When Stephanie’s manager dumps her following a rocky start to her career, Logan steps in to give her a second chance. The only thing he asks for in return is her help with his nonprofit boxing program. Unfortunately, going back to the gym on Second Street is far from the homecoming she expected. Stephanie walks right into a baffling string of harassment that escalates to outright threats against Logan. He seems to know who’s behind it, but refuses to say anything.

When Stephanie links the teen she coaches to a break-in at the gym, she uncovers a larger conspiracy with a vicious gang behind it. In the course of her investigation, she evolves from a clean fighter in the ring to a vigilante on the streets of her city. She must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect the family she’s found at her gym – and what she’ll do if she loses the only man in this world she can trust.