MICHAEL’S SECRETS by Milton Stern

Riding on the heels of the hilarious, yet disturbing, ON TUESDAYS, THEY PLAYED MAH JONGG, STARbooks Press releases MICHAEL’S SECRETS by Milton Stern, bringing back those menopausal, Jewish women who proved popular with book clubs from New Jersey to Texas to Las Vegas and were featured as part of the VAGINA MONOLOGUES.

Set twenty years later, Rona Sapperstein and Doreen Weiner, the surviving players from Hanna Bern’s Tuesday night Mah Jongg game are now living together, while Hanna’s son, Michael Bern, the highly successful television comedy writer, begins three new chapters in his life.

Here is what the critics are saying:

“MICHAEL'S SECRETS is a wonderful book of self-discovery, taking us along with Michael on his journey to understanding himself, and the choices (usually bad ones) that he makes, particularly in his love life. We see more of the fabulous women from Stern's first book, as Stern whips back the covers and exposes the flaws and secrets kept hidden from Michael and us until now.” – Kiernan Kelly

“MICHAEL'S SECRETS by Milton Stern is a beautifully written story with well-drawn, vivid characters. The protagonist, Michael Bern, is a delightfully sympathetic character. … I enjoyed journeying with him into his world of romantic heartaches and self-discovery, always facing whatever darkness his life presented with humor and the desire to retain his personal integrity and goodness no matter how much he's been mistreated.” – Sedonia Guillone

“What Michael experiences in MICHAEL'S SECRETS, on top of all that has been mentioned thusly, very much parallels the life of any gay man anywhere in the world. Add to this the fact that Michael learns many things about himself that totally alter his perspective on his life and circumstances, and what you get in the end is the tale of a successfully stable gay man who encounters other gay men who appear less than stable or dare I say ‘sound’ and the question many gay men ask themselves all the time: ‘Why the hell to I put up with this s**t?’” – D.M. Israel

“Do not be mistaken--this is not a depressing book at all. It is full of laughs as author Milton Stern uses humor to see how our youth affects the way we behave today. This book is set twenty years after its predecessor as Michael begins a new period in his life. He finally begins to understand why he is attracted to some men and not to others. Much of the book will hit home, and Michael shares a lot with many of us.” – A.L.

FROM THE BACK COVER:

The Girls from ON TUESDAYS, THEY PLAYED MAH JONGG are back in MICHAEL’S SECRETS by MILTON STERN.

Just when things are looking up for Hollywood television and screen writer, Michael Bern, his TV show is canceled, his best friend dies face first into her birthday cake, and his dog decides to take an eternal nap in her favorite chair. To escape the unending drama of Tinsel Town, he accepts an offer to move to Washington, DC, and co-write a screenplay with his friend, Sharon. But, anyone who knows Michael knows that drama just follows him everywhere, and it is usually of his own making.

He meets and falls in love with Steve, a narcissistic “leather queen in a sash,” as his friend Mark calls him. The sex is hot, but it is followed by the emotional game of push-pull. Just when Michael extricates himself from this relationship, he finds out the darkest secret from his childhood, and emotionally raw, he allows himself to be pulled back into Steve’s world only to fall harder than ever. But, there is someone else – Sam, a nice Jewish actor, who would be perfect for Michael, yet it’s the oldest story in the book. He liked a man he never loved and loved a man he never liked.

At least Rona and Doreen, the surviving girls from his mother’s Tuesday night Mah Jongg game, are there to add much needed humor to Michael’s oh-so-dramatic life in DC. Now living together, Rona and Doreen reveal secrets from Michael’s past that explain his attraction to men who use him then discard him.

If it all sounds dreary and depressing, it isn’t because Milton Stern’s wit and style entertain us once more as he finds humor in everything, and in MICHAEL’S SECRETS, he does not fail to deliver.

MICHAEL’S SECRETS by MILTON STERN

This book is intended for all audiences.

$16.95 U.S.

245 Pages

ISBN-10: 1-934187-46-1

ISBN-13: 978-1-934187-46-3

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Milton Stern resides in Rockville, MD, with his toy parti-poodle, Serena Rose Elizabeth Montgomery, where he works as a writer and editor and volunteers for a gay antique car club and an animal rescue association. He is the author of four books, including HARRIET LANE, AMERICA’S FIRST LADY and ON TUESDAYS, THEY PLAYED MAH JONGG, along with numerous short stories, columns and articles.

PRESS CONTACTS

Eric Summers

Senior Editor

STARbooks Press

eric@starbookspress.com

202-247-1149

STARbooks Press

PO Box 711612

Herndon, VA 20171

webinfo@starbookspress.com