David was raised in a coal-mining family in southern West Virginia. His father and grandfather were officials in the United Mine Workers Union and were well-known singers and musicians in the original Otsego Quartet and the Virginia Ramblers, respectively. David's father Thurman was a decorated Gunny Sergeant in the US Marines in World War II and taught at the Officer Candidate school at Camp Lejeune, and the two of them wrote several books about Thurman's life and wartime experiences. 

David's work has appeared in numerous magazines and journals and has been published by St. Martin's Press, Southern Illinois University Press, and many others. Chicago Heights was named a best history book by the Illinois State Historical Association, and Earned in Blood was a Book of the Month Club selection.  

He holds a BA in English Literature from West Virginia University, an MA in Communications from the University of Kentucky, and a Juris Doctorate from Stetson College of Law.  Now retired, in addition to his writing he had a varied professional career, from education to law and finally computer network security for the federal judiciary. He lives in Lexington, Kentucky with his wife Margot.