Swords, Specters, & Stuff
Welcome to My World
I started this blog in January 2012 for one simple reason: I love to write. I named it “Swords, Specters, & Stuff” because I especially love to write about writing, about books and movies in my favorite genres, about authors that mean a great deal to me. But there’s more to it than that, which is why I included “Stuff” in the title. It is “Stuff” that gives me carte blanche to write about anything, which is why you’ll see stories about special trips to Cooperstown, Sedona, and other places; about getting older; about baseball; about the otherworldly way in which I met my soul mate; about the loss of good friends, and so much more. Enjoy! And feel free to leave a comment.
Throwback Thursday: The First Time
What? No, this isn’t about THAT first time. This blog is about writers, and writing, and fantasy, and horror, and stuff like that. Besides, that would be telling. This is about the first time I wrote a novel, and since I’ve written over thirty of them, I had to take a long trip in the way-back machine to remember some of it.
Seventeen Years And 3,242 Miles
I had lunch last week with a horror writer from Maine. (No, not THAT horror writer.) Hank Garfield and his wonderful girlfriend, Lisa, were in San Diego for a vacation, as well as to visit some of Hank’s family. I hadn’t seen my old friend since he moved back to Maine in 1999, but we’ve never let the years, or the 3,242 miles between Oceanside and his home in Bangor, keep us from staying in touch.
Throwback Thursday: Horrors! Or, How To Scare The “Yell” Out Of People
This post from 2012 addresses one of my favorite pastimes: scaring the living crap out of my readers.
A Taut Thriller From Down Under
I’m a sucker for “creature features” and I always keep an eye out (ouch!) for ones that I might’ve missed. When Netflix recommended Rogue, a 2007 indy thriller from Australia with some familiar names in the cast and—amazingly, for this genre—a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, I just had to see it. Glad I did.
Oh No! Seven-Oh!!!
In the classic musical Oliver! Fagin muses, “What happens when I’m seventy?” Well, Fagin, my dear, I don’t have to “muse” about it anymore, because in a few days—Sunday, to be exact—I officially become a septuagenarian. Holy crap, how did that happen!?!?
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—Eight Legged Freaks
As a fan of what some consider “bad” movies, I’ve written about many of these “Guilty Pleasures” over the past few years. Here is the first post in the series—about one of my favorite films—from back in 2012.
Films About Books: The Book Of Eli
It is not easy to watch this 2010 post-apocalyptic drama. Really, who wants to see the scorched earth of our own country? But given that the star of The Book of Eli is Denzel Washington, I’m there! As an actor he is, IMHO, simply the best.
Throwback Thursday: Is Creativity A Curse?
What’s the deal? A guy who writes horror, fantasy and other weird stuff wondering if creativity is a curse? To be honest—no, not the majority of the time. My brain is almost always swirling with new plots, unique characters, exotic settings and such, and for the most part I’m pleased about it.
Native American Film Gems: Smoke Signals
Given my great love and respect for all things Native American, I am introducing what will be an occasional series that addresses some of the finest films in that genre. And what better one to begin with than the 1998 comedy-drama, Smoke Signals? Based on a short story by Sherman Alexie, who also co-produced and wrote the screenplay, Smoke Signals is among my all-time favorite films in any genre, and is greatly admired by critics and viewers alike.
Throwback Thursday: Nightmare In New Jersey
As many of you know, I’m not easy on my writers. I’ve often said that when you cast your lot with me, I become your best friend and your worst nightmare. So imagine how it must’ve felt to learn that I literally turned into the latter for one of my writers!
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