Writing Journey of Storyteller and Author Harvey Stelman

Harvey Stelman's life has taken many different paths. Harvey was a school director of a technical school; the creator of the B'nai Brith Lodge Basketball League; a national and international speaker, fighting OSHA and never losing a battle; and a singer/guitarist/songwriter playing clubs and being the opening act for a number of known artists. He worked for a smelting company, purchased, sold, traded, and managed a warehouse, dispatched trucks, and finally opened his own Scrap Metal Trading Corporation, where he was the CEO, which he eventually had to close due to being diagnosed with Secondary Chronic-Progressive Multiple Sclerosis in 1981.

Formerly being a national and international speaker, and loving the stage, he needed a way to attract an audience. That turned out to be writing blogs. And so his writing journey began. Harvey could write, receive comments and have conversations with his readers and fans. His need was filled! He mostly wrote about politics, his dating experiences, fantasy, and comedy, though he wrote about other things too.

Years passed and soon Harvey's writing journey took on a deeper meaning as he turned to what he was destined to do, which was to tell stories. Harvey is a storyteller at heart and it was evident even before this happened. When he was a singer and performed for people, back in the day, he always told many stories between songs, which the audience much enjoyed. His songs and his stories always made people smile and in turn they made him smile too. Storytelling became a part of his life and it led to his first novel Eyes of Emerald. Sammy's Return, the sequel to his first novel, followed after.

Eyes of Emerald is based on a story Harvey's father had told him - being a storyteller as well - on more than one occasion. Harvey kept telling his dad that the story he told him over and over should be a book, never dreaming that he would be the one to write it one day; and yet it happened.

His best friend’s son, Andy Nathan, took part in bringing this story and book to life. He had just graduated from Wisconsin, and Harvey told him the story. After hearing it, the guy immediately told him, "I would love to help you write it," and with that, the two were off on a writing adventure that soon resulted in the novel called Eyes of Emerald.

Eyes of Emerald is a novel about a cousin Harvey never met, though his father was fortunate enough to meet. The story takes place in the 1930s in NYC and talks about Harvey’s Jewish immigrant family that had their children in the United States. The lead character, Esther, is the focal point of the story. There is much pride in the family, as she becomes the first girl in her family to graduate from high school. Her grandmother naturally lives with her and her family. One day, Esther takes her grandmother to a park, and a curse is placed on her - "the bone of a bird will be her downfall." This is the biggest foreshadowing in the book.

Esther goes to a Chinese restaurant with her friend and there she meets the owner, Sammy Chang, who falls for her completely. Sammy Chang wants to date Esther Rothstein, which was taboo at that time, and so they start going out; but then Sammy is summoned to China to help his father fight in the war and so he has Esther shanghaied to eventually marry him. Esther falls in love with Sammy and marries him. Sammy fights in the war and then the couple returns to the United States (NYC) to start their new life but all is not perfect as the curse that was placed upon her in the park that day strikes upon them...

To travel back in time to NYC in the 1930s, to learn more about Esther and her family, and to find out what happens to Esther and Sammy you will have to read the book, which you can find on Amazon.

After reading Eyes of Emerald you may want to read the sequel to this novel called Sammy's Return also written by Harvey Stelman.

This new and exciting novel focuses on Esther's son Sammy Chang. After his mother dies Sammy leaves his home in Miami and takes a train to New York City where his destiny lies according to what his mother tells him... In doing so Sammy ends up embarking on an incredible journey where he meets many interesting people that help him not only find out more about his family but also help him fulfill his destiny...

Being diagnosed with MS, Harvey has started two charities for the MS Society while working on his book Eyes of Emerald. He has counseled people with MS and has saved a number of lives along the way. Fifteen percent of the proceeds from the sale of this book go to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, for the purposes of research.

While Harvey's condition isn’t improving Harvey still continues to write. He will have two more books coming out to make his first book Eyes of Emerald become the beginning of a trilogy.

Harvey Stelman grew up in the Bronx (NYC). He is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma (1967-1971).

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This article was written with the help of Harvey Stelman. Many thanks to Harvey for allowing me to share his story and for introducing us to his wonderful book!