Ed Protzel grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of a Jewish father and part-Cherokee mother. Ed lived for a time in an orphanage when his parents divorced and left home after high school to live in St. Louis’ bohemian Gaslight Square entertainment district. These experiences informed Ed’s unique perspective on life, as reflected in his idiosyncratic chanters, outsiders and gamesters on lonely, often deadly, quests, seeking justice, love, and fulfillment against society’s blindness.

As an adult, Ed spent his professional life in securities management, while writing screenplays, working for a time for 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles and completing five original screenplays for feature film, one of which was optioned.

After earning a master’s degree in English literature/creative writing from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, Ed turned to novels. He has authored four published books, to date: The Antiquities Dealer (A David Greenberg Mystery) and his Southern historical DarkHorse Trilogy (The Lies That Bind, Honor Among Outcasts, Something in Madness).

Ed has lectured and given seminars on warfare in literature, screenwriting, and Civil War history and historical fiction research. His work has been recognized by Missouri Playwrights Association, Missouri Writers Guild, Midwest Book Review, Readers’ Favorite, and Literary Titan. Ed is a member of the St. Louis Writers Guild and Missouri Writers Guild.

 Connect with the author at EdProtzel.com.