The Avenger of Blood

About the Book

There are many things that cannot be proven through the eyes of the law, but through the eyes of humanity, they are the law.

Thomas Santiago, a fourteen-year-old boy with the carefree existence typical of most boys his age, is accused of committing a series of shocking murders. From that moment on, his life becomes a churning nightmare of death full of questions without answers.

So begins Miguel Batista’s thriller The Avenger Of Blood, a heart-pounding ride as the author takes us down into the darkest depths of the human soul, and forces us to question everything we thought we knew about justice and the mysterious paths of faith.

As the story unfolds, the mind-boggling mystery becomes increasingly intertwined with the awesome power of the divine, the supernatural powers of a killer, and the stunning reason which compels him to commit these heinous crimes.

From scene to scene, through gripping dialogue, the story presents a wide range of colorful characters that portray or reflect the conflict between the law and the truth to life.

Is Thomas innocent? And, if so, who, or what, kills by his hand?

What does the phrase written in blood, found at every crime scene, mean?

Why the strong scent of flowers? The story journeys into the unknown, where there is always an answer, though it may be buried deep inside the most ancient secrets. Page after page, a new mystery unfolds, building to an end without end… A spine-tingling conclusion that forces us to face the horror and the truth: the time of the blood avenger has come… Who will be found innocent, through the eyes of the law?

In this thrilling debut, Miguel Batista will have readers questioning their faith in divine justice.

About the Author

ÒDominican by birth, pitcher by profession, poet by vocationÓ sums up Miguel BatistaÕs life in a nutshell. To really understand who he is, you have to dig a little deeper than his fame as a major-league baseball player, and get to know his human values. You have to immerse yourself in the thousands of pages he has penned as a poet and novelist, revealing his heartfelt passion for the written word.

Born on February 19, 1971 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 1992 he made his major-league debut. He has been one of the greatest players in world baseball ever since.

In spite of his hectic schedule and precious little free time, Miguel wrote on scraps of paper and notebooks, in the dugout, on airplanes, wherever he happened to be. He wrote about his dreams, his doubts, his fears, his loves. It was 1999, and he never imagined that any of his writings might be published one day.

His first novel, Two Hearts, One Destiny, a love story he finished when he was only sixteen, has yet to be published, along with many other of his writings.

In 2000, Miguel joined the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team which would go on to win the World Series the following year. Then, he decided to publish his first book of poetry: Feelings in Black and White, a collection of impressions, photographs, and passions; a simple, yet complex volume, like lifeÉ With this book, Miguel became the first baseball player to ever have published a book of poetry. Critics and fans alike gave him the nickname ÒThe Poet.Ó A poet whose book is on sale at baseball stadiums, with profits going to the foundation that bears his name and helps children and elderly people in his native country. A poet on the page, and in life.

Besides playing in the Major Leagues, which implies a busy training and game schedule, Miguel set aside time to write, and is a commentator for ESPN for their World Series coverage, besides writing for ESPNÕs website and he also devotes time to managing his charitable foundation and other personal pursuits.

Somehow in the middle of all of his other activities and challenges, he wrote The Avenger Of Blood. After five years of intensive research, Miguel spent any free time he had over three years to write the novel. On its face, it is the story of a fourteen-year-old serial killer, but at its heart it explores the relationship of sin and justice, raising provocative questions about faith and religion, searching for hard answers.

This thriller includes elements of truth, but the author skillfully blurs the lines between reality and imagination.

As an athlete, Miguel Batista is at the top of his game. As a writer, his readers will show him the way on a journey that unfolds day by day for the pitcher-poet, a path he follows through his pen.