Jul 21

Jul 21 Michael R. Stern

Author Michael R. Stern

Biography

Michael Stern has said that he would like to be remembered as a great storyteller. “I’ve been telling stories since childhood. I still love a good story, no matter the source.” Since he began writing as a career later in life, he has learned how difficult good writing can be, and strives to improve his grasp of the nuance of powerful storytelling. “Many good writers ply their trade, but few are great. Many good writers are financially successful because they write stories that captivate an audience at the right time. Great writers transcend time, at least in part because they speak to the human condition regardless of time or location. They create memorable characters, thrust them into conflicts internal and external, and take the reader to emotional attachment found only in a well-structured story.”

Mr. Stern began his writing career at the confluence of tragedy and opportunity. The death of his father led to his first book, “Reflections on a Generous Generation.” Initially intended as an anecdotal remembrance for his family and friends, his research expanded his appreciation of the lives of not just his father, but of a generation that changed the world, and left a blueprint for future generations to follow. After his award-winning first book, his focus turned to learning how to write fiction. “I thought that meeting people from the past, and learning from them firsthand would be a fascinating experience. Alas, as they say, once you’re dead, you’re dead. I’ve been a history buff my entire life, and one figure stood out for me—Robert E. Lee.” His interest in the American Civil War has been life long, so a time travel story seemed a reasonable next step. His Quantum Touch series begins with “Storm Portal,” a best-selling and award-winning story of a high school history teacher whose classroom door opens a portal in space-time. Not only does it open to the past, but becomes a passageway through the present, a kind of “Beam me up, Scotty” moment.

“As a student of history, I am a follower of current events, and being able to move from event to event by stepping across a threshold grabbed hold from the start. My protagonist, Fritz Russell, is the history teacher who accidentally meets the President of the United States by barging into the Oval Office through the portal. Thus begins the relationship that continues through the series. In addition to the president, the cast of characters represent everyday people who are thrust into roles requiring courage and thoughtfulness, as well as a willingness to step beyond personal safety and security in the betterment of the world.” Quantum Touch is an adventure, wrapped in political suspense and mystery, with a science fiction underpinning.

Mr. Stern lives in New Jersey outside Philadelphia with his wife, Linda, who is also an author. A graduate of Cornell University, he has pursued writing as a “perfect ending to a successful career.”