All Stars Die

In affairs of the heart, is it possible for two adults, different as day from night in backgrounds, professions and life experiences, who fall in love, to extend their passion into a lasting relationship? Especially when each carries a dark secret that will always haunt him and her, together or apart? Ostensibly Spencer King, a renowned astrophysicist at MIT in Boston and Charlotte Grace, a by-lined, free-lance photo-journalist in New York have little in common when they first meet other than their bachelorhood and age; he just over forty, she, thirty-five...and their physical attractiveness. But their instantaneous mutual appeal, despite her worldliness and his ingenuousness, soon develops into a potent love affair neither ever had experienced. Set in a post 9/11, pre-Iraq invasion time frame, All Stars Die details the emotional, psychological and sexually dramatic roller-coaster ride these two go on in quest of their common goal: living together happily ever-after in the Big Apple, the cultural citadel they agree is the ideal place. While friends, colleagues and parents influence some of the actions the lovers take to achieve their end, adjustment to the other’s careers and life-styles - hers a fast-paced one, his one measured in centuries, light years - persist as formidable challenges. Together for romantic interludes that include a number of inimitably erotic overnights, colorful up- and downtown parties and an event-filled trip to Hawaii, their wit and intelligence aren’t enough to sustain them when apart. Frustrations and temptations abound. Yet their secrets, as well as professional goals, which constantly confound their plans, complicate any easy solution to their love-life. They also must question whether it is love or simply lust that’s fueling their growing passion. Over a period of a few months, during which Spence meets more of Charlie’s friends and several former lovers, her profound secret is accidentally revealed. Yet they still must contend with his own, which remains hidden. Charlie’s glamorous assignments, Spence’s observatory- and equation-bound lives may seem incompatible, but they don’t believe so. They’re convinced their love will prevail. But can it? What will the Fates, in which both have some belief, decree?