Lamar Giles is the acclaimed author of the novels Ruin Road , The Getaway, The Last Last-Day-of-Summer, Not So Pure and Simple, SPIN, and Fake ID . He is a three-time Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award nominee, a recipient of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association's Youth Literary Award, and a founding member of the non-profit We Need Diverse Books. He resides in Virginia with his family.