Micheal R Stern #Awethor of ……

Michael R. Stern is a storyteller.  A native of Garden City, New York, he has visited many parts of the world, with a desire to see more.  After a long business career, he has settled into the solitary life of writing, and more importantly, learning the art of storycraft.  He is a graduate of Cornell University, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.  He lives with his wife, Linda, who has just completed her first book, and family including Katie, a Wheaten Terrier in Riverton, New Jersey.  To learn more, click here:  http://bit.ly/Alphabio.

I have written for years, since I was a kid, but until recently never more than a passing thought on paper. Even the beginning of serious writing was not intentional. When my father died in 2009, I intended to write anecdotes in remembrance, a family memoir.  Instead, after searching his papers, I realized that he shared a time period and experiences with a remarkable generation of men and women.  Hence was born, “Reflections on a Generous Generation,” my first book, and a history of the Twentieth Century, as seen through the life of my father.

I took a crack at fiction with the first draft of a book about a teacher who could time-travel. I saw a picture of Robert E. Lee and thought it would be wonderful to talk to him. Well, he’s been dead for more than 150 years, and that made it difficult, but not impossible. Telling that story required learning to write fiction, an continuing and  on-going process.  I gave the draft to my nephew, David, who said he liked it, “but.” For writers, “but” is the first word after every compliment. You know what I mean.  Anyway, I had killed my protagonist.  David said he liked the characters and if I changed the ending , I could keep the story going. That story became STORM PORTAL, the first of a series, which has reached five books thus far. The second book, SAND STORM, was released in August, and the third, as yet untitled (my editor doesn’t like the working title) is expected in December.

The story I have entered in AWETHOLOGY is titled, “Conversations with the Devil,” my first short story since junior high school. I wrote it many different ways, including stream of consciousness, which in this case, could also be called stream of conscience. It is a look at some aspects of our contemporary society and the rules which govern how we live.

I can’t say where my writing will lead. I am a fan of history, historical writing, and its lessons for society today. I have expanded my reading to many new areas which I have never explored but see as routes to new stories. Thanks to sharing stories with my now-adult children, the multitude of fantasy worlds created by so many wonderful writers is a great temptation to attempt. 

I have been a member of #Awethors for what now seems like ages. I have read a good number of works from very talented people who will be the next generation of great writers.  A writing community benefits authors because we share a world unknown to the general population, the only group of people I know of that could keep Starbucks going by ourselves.

I spend a good deal of time using social media. I can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/cabinfevercommunications

On Twitter at https://twitter.com/sternmike52

My Amazon author page is http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008OP4DVU

And I do respond to emails at sternmike52@gmail.com

My books are available on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

I was once asked who my favorite author is.  After a lifetime of reading, I don’t have one single favorite. I could list ten and leave out some of the best writers ever. So I won’t try.  http://bit.ly/FAVORITEWRITERS

I hope you enjoy our efforts. They are a labor of love to every reader.