Books by Melvyn Chase

Love: Tender. Spiritual. Lustful. Liberating. Suffocating. A different truth, a different quest for each of these lovers, dreamers and schemers. Katherine McKenzie, a young woman living in Boston in 1918, yearns for love but is afraid of it. When tragedy sets her adrift, she returns to her rural Kansas roots where she rediscovers her past and confronts her fears. In a second story, a lonely and discouraged man finds new hope in the mystical message of an inspired dreamer who reached for the heavens. Is music truly the food of love? A pair of cautionary tales warns that no matter how sweet the song, one must always ask, "e;Who is the singer?"e; The dark side of love lurks here too-in those who love only themselves and pay the price for their wicked dreams. And there is a bittersweet tale of love remembered on the threshold of death. The final pages, sadder still, speak of love forgotten when remembrance of things past has faded. These are eternal tales of Love-its many faces, its many meanings. Includes Readers Guide

It's the autumn of discontent for David Berger--a season of mixed emotions. Retired after a lucrative but unfulfilling career, he lives alone by choice in a modest, sparsely furnished cottage in affluent Fairfield, Connecticut. True, he's proud of finally becoming a published author--a lifelong dream--although he will admit good-naturedly that fame has eluded him. True, he still loves his wife, Mandy--but a decade ago, a tragic loss drove them apart. And now he watches with regret as their married son, Philip, is manipulated by a possessive, mercenary wife. Still, David hasn't lost his sense of humor or his humanity. And he is determined to transform his autumn into spring--to reignite his romance with Mandy and rebuild their relationship with Philip. Surprisingly, the key to this transformation is a new friend, a fascinating, audacious, unpredictable lesbian author who insists on being the Muse for his latest novel. With her prodding encouragement, David's book leads him on an intense, emotional journey through the sometimes funny, sometimes sad memories of his life and loves toward a better new day. After a thirty-five-year career in public relations, MELVYN CHASE Chase retired from corporate life, but continued to work as a consultant. He also began to write fiction. In 2005, Sunstone Press published his first collection of short stories, THE TERMINAL PROJECT AND OTHER VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY--a finalist in the 2007 New Mexico Book Awards--and in 2008, his first novel, THE WINGTHORN ROSE. Chase was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. He earned a B.A. in English Literature at Brooklyn College and an M.A. at New York University. He and his wife, a retired editor and publicist, live in suburban Connecticut, only a short drive from their son and daughter and four grandchildren.

Lucas Murdoch isn't what he seems to be: a successful New York City salesman, retired at the age of 53, and searching for his roots in the quiet New England town of Pennington. But Lucas is a man with an obsession that governs everything he says and does.