Elsie tries to pull him from the edge of sanity in an action-packed thriller.
Blood on the Pen
David W. Huffstetler
At long last, someone has asked me to
comment on the book Blood on the Pen.
I was born Moses Browner, and you will meet me in the first chapter. I am
relegated to the role of a supporting character, but I can’t imagine why. After
all, I am a doctor, Deputy Medical Examiner for Dallas. One of the main
characters is Jack Harden, my best friend. It isn’t easy being Jack’s friend. I
find him a bit crazy, a tortured and conflicted soul, and I suppose he has
reason to be. He lost his wife to a drunk driver a year ago, and I fear for
what he may do. Will he kill the man who cost him Jenny or kill himself? He
seems bound for one or the other. In my professional opinion, the only thing
that keeps Jack going is his job as a Texas Ranger and this new assignment to
find the person who’s killing literary agents.
Then that girl came along, Elsie. She’s
Hispanic-American and quite the pushy, aggressive reporter. I don’t mind
aggressive people, not really, but her influence on Jack could be good or it
could be disastrous. I pray she will pull him back from the edge of sanity. I
am yet to form an opinion on that, as theirs is a complicated and often stormy
relationship. Elsie seems to always want the things she can’t have. No, I am
not a psychiatrist, but don’t underestimate my innate ability to understand
human behavior. Although, I do struggle to comprehend the full measure of this
killer Jack and Elsie are trying to find. We know the name, Eddie Carter, and
Eddie shows no signs of slowing down and no signs of the slightest regret.
Now, you don’t think that big Ranger would
go after that kind of person without consulting me, do you? A reporter and a
Ranger in a desperate chase across Texas, trying to stay alive while chasing a
sociopath without the guidance and advice of a mature and educated man like me?
I hardly think so. No, you will find me in the text, always at exactly the
right time to lend my special kind of expertise. I’d tell you how the story ends, but the
author chose not to share that with me. I suppose that is the fate of a
supporting character. Yes, well, we’ll see how long he can keep that from me.
The Book
A modern-day Ranger, Jack Harden, and a young, Mexican-American reporter, Elise Rodriguez, team up to find a serial killer, and they get more than they bargained for in a desperate chase across Texas. Jack grieves over the loss of his wife to a drunk driver, while Elsie tries to pull him from the edge of sanity in an action-packed thriller.
The Giveaway
David and Wild Child
Publishing will be awarding a $10 Wild Child Publishing GC to a randomly drawn
commenter during the tour.
His
knock had become familiar. She slipped on a light robe and opened the door.
“Well, I see he loaned you a car. I never thought he would. Did you come to
show it off to me?”
“Actually
I came to bring you something,” he replied. He took the pistol from his pocket
and held it out.
“What’s
this about? Come inside before someone sees you and thinks I’m in the gun
business.” She closed the door behind him, and he laid the pistol on her
nightstand.
“Moses
told me the investigators have been looking for this. I thought it would be
better if they got it from you since, well, you shot the guy with it.”
“Okay,
I guess I could go down there in the morning. Why don’t you go with me? You
could say hello to your friends.”
Harden
recoiled sharply. “I don’t need to see those guys. I’m doing fine without
them.”
“What is it with you, Jack? How long are you
going to torture yourself over something you can’t change? How long will you
shut your friends out, everyone out? I’d just like to know.”
“Maybe
you don’t need to know. Maybe you should mind your own life and butt out of
mine.”
Her
heart hadn’t felt such pain since her father’s death. She turned away and
forced out a tearful answer. “Maybe I should.”
Meet the Author
Educated in Dallas, North Carolina, David Huffstetler holds
degrees in Engineering and Business Administration. He has worked in the area
of human relations and spent fourteen years weaving through the maze of
politics, including participating in a Federal Law suit with a sitting governor
over issues of separation of powers. David has served on Boards of Directors
for numerous professional organizations including. He has advised governors and legislators on
matters of public policy and legislation.
His wealth of experience is broad and brings deep insight to his
writing.
David’s work as a senior manager with a major industrial concern
took him to international venues and exposures that helped feed his urge to
write Disposable People, a dramatic
expose of the working conditions and politics that engulf undocumented workers.
Disposable People is a top-ten “Suggested Book” at Tufts University in Boston,
MA
He turned the frustrations and rejection that plagues thousands of
yet-to-be-published authors into the heralded mystery/thriller Blood on the Pen, with a serial killer
disposing of literary agents. David, an
avid history buff, led him to write Dead
in Utah, the story of Joe Hill, the controversial musician and union
organizer accused of a double murder in 1914.
As an editor, public speaker, and seasoned professional, David has
appeared on television and radio, and has lectured on the East Coast,
California, Canada and Mexico. David currently lives in Lexington, South Carolina with his wife,
Trudy.
Thank you for featuring Blood on the Pen today. I hope your readers will enjoy the post.
ReplyDeleteDavid Huffstetler
Thank you for hosting today.
ReplyDeleteIt's my pleasure having you here! The book sounds great! The title intrigued me and the synopsis pulled me in. I look forward to reading it.
ReplyDeleteThanks MK. I hope you like it.
ReplyDeleteDH
Nice excerpt.
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com