Time to Choose

In the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, the abortion issue became the most important "blood test" for political candidates. Those who didn't follow the party line on this issue had little or no chance to win their party's endorsement. Anyone seeking middle ground was caught in the crossfire. Time to Choose is a novel of romance in the middle of the crossfire. A story about the many choices we make - personal and professional, why and how we make them, and the consequences of those choices. Former state senator Michael Burke returns to the State Capitol after a ten year absence, to attend the funeral of a former colleague and close friend. The funeral evokes memories of bittersweet years in politics. Exhilarating victories, and crushing losses. He's reminded that he left the turbulent political arena for a more stable and balanced life, one with time and energy for his children. But after meeting an intriguing new candidate for the Senate, Dr. Patricia Culligan, he breaks a vow: never to go back to politics. Michael Burke's return to the battleground forces him to confront his past, and understand how his choices caused harm to himself and others. And how accepting this can be a prelude to moving on with his life.

John Watson Milton was born in St. Paul. He graduated from Princeton University and the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs; he also studied at the Harvard School of Business. He was elected to the Ramsey County Board and the Minnesota Senate, where he became a recognized leader in health care policy. This led to service on several boards of state and national health and medical organizations. From 1970 to 1992, he worked on political campaigns at the national, state, and local level. Milton has written commentary and editorials for daily and weekly papers, feature articles and investigative reports for magazines, speeches for political campaigns, short stories, poetry, and recipes for several cookbooks. He's a contributing writer for the bilingual weekly La Prensa de Minnesota. His novel, The Fallen Nightingale, won two national awards for historical fiction, and has been re-published in Spanish and Catalan translations. The author lives with his wife, Maureen Angélica Acosta, on a small farm in Afton, Minnesota, where he writes and grows wine grapes.