A 1932 runaway, he finished high school while living alone on $3 a week, then entered law school when 17. On his own was tough enough, but death took his father and he became responsible for his widowed mother, two sisters and a dying brother. Struggling as family head, he worked his way through law school to become a 21-year old attorney. In World War II, for four years he was a Special Agent in CIC (Military Intelligence's Counter Intelligence Corps). Twenty-five postwar years were spent with an insurance company, combining his legal and intelligence experience.

In retirement, he returned to writing, his first love. He now lives in Seattle WA with Kay, a doctor, his wife for over 57 years. They are proud parents of daughter Lynn, a doctor, married to writer Robert L. Fulghum [author of All I Really Need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten] and of son Walter [author of Modern Japan Through Its Marriages], an anthropology professor at Tenri University, Nara Prefecture, Japan, married to Michiko Fujita; they have three children. 

Duval Edwards has practiced law in San Antonio both before and after World War II, during which he served in the Counter Intelligence Corps as a Military Intelligence Special Agent.  Twenty-five postwar years were spent with a national insurance company, combining his legal and intelligence experience.