About Ed Protzel
Ed grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a Jewish father and a Cherokee mother. At seven, he lived for a time in an orphanage when his parents divorced, describing the loss of his mother as "the scar that will never heal."
He escaped his troubled home after high school to live as a street person in St. Louis’ bohemian Gaslight Square entertainment district. These experiences gave Ed his unique voice, which is reflected in many of his fictional characters — outsiders and gamesters, male and female, on lonely quests, seeking justice, love, and fulfillment against society’s blindness.
Ed began writing both novels and screenplays in college, influenced by his lifelong study of history and his love of chess. He continued writing in his spare time while working in investment management. He moved to Los Angeles briefly, where a film producer offered to option his script, DarkHorse (the basis of his historical trilogy). He also did freelance work for a major studio. But Ed couldn’t abide what he calls Hollywood’s “hyper-Darwinism,” and he returned home to complete his master's in English Literature/Creative Writing at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Ed's passions include a lifetime study of history, particularly the American Civil War; Thirteenth Century Europe to the Renaissance; and modern history, especially World War II. His literary influences embrace Southern writers like William Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Tennessee Williams; modern American authors like Michael Chabon and Cormac McCarthy; and Shakespeare.
Ed lives in St. Louis, where he follows Blues Hockey and Cardinals Baseball. Find Ed on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Goodreads.
Ed’s published novels include:
DarkHorse Trilogy:
Book 1, The Lies That Bind, set in antebellum Mississippi
Book 2 Honor Among Outcasts, set in Civil War Missouri
Book 3, Something in Madness, set in Mississippi during Reconstruction
The Antiquities Dealer, a sci-fi mystery/thriller, packed with devious plot twists and suspense.
Coming soon: The Eternity Hustle, a stand alone upmarket thriller and sequel to The Antiquities Dealer.
