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: And This Week’s Guest Star Is…H.G. Wells?
MURDOCH MYSTERIES is now in its sixteenth season (and counting) since I first presented this post a few years ago. That’s over 260 episodes! Quite a track record.
Using Fiction To Make A Statement
My four-book comedy/science fiction series, which began with BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, depicts the mostly outrageous adventures of mountain bike rider Jack Miller along the cosmic tunnel called the Ultimate Bike Path. But “outrageous” occasionally turns to “outrage…”
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—THE HURRICANE HEIST
Negative reviews? Crummy box office? Oh yes, the 2018 action/disaster film, THE HURRICANE HEIST, is definitely a world-class Guilty Pleasure. Some critics even agreed that it was the “Best/Worst” movie of the year—which likely makes it a Guilty Pleasure even for them.
“My Planet Just Exploded…Let’s Get Married!”
Until recently there was something about FORBIDDEN PLANET that I did not know—probably for the better. It had to do with a scene that wound up on the cutting room floor, one that would’ve left a sour taste in the mouths of many who watched it. Here’s the deal.
Throwback Thursday: Blowing Shit Up—The “Fallen” Films
As I’ve said before, we guys have it in our DNA to enjoy movies where they’re blowing shit up, whether it’s Mother Nature doing the blowing, or via the good old American way with lots of bombs and other ordnance. The three “Fallen” films, all starring Gerard Butler, definitely fall into the latter category.
Myths And Legends: The Point Lookout Lighthouse
It is curious that lighthouses seem the ideal places for hauntings. That is certainly true of the Point Lookout Lighthouse in Maryland, considered by some to be the most haunted lighthouse in America.
Throwback Thursday: A GUILTY Pleasure? I Think Not…
I won’t be going back to Texas anytime soon. But I did write this 2019 post about one of its most famous historical sites, the Alamo.
A Study In Black And White
The popular Canadian detective series, MURDOCH MYSTERIES, is now in its sixteenth season. By the time the final episode of this season airs later this summer, the count will have reached in excess of 260 episodes! (My bride and I love this show, and we’ve seen them all.) You would think it quite a challenge to keep each episode fresh. Which brings me to an episode titled, “Dead On Arrival.”
Throwback Thursday: The Warrior Princess—A Middle-Aged Aussie Detective?
Since this post first ran in 2019, MY LIFE IS MURDER moved to Auckland, New Zealand for seasons two and three and is still going strong.
Guilty Pleasures: THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE
Seeing that title, most folks would immediately think of the animated segment in the 1940 classic, FANTASIA, starring Mickey Mouse, which was remastered in the 1999 sequel, FANTASIA 2000. But no, THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE was also a 2010 live-action fantasy/comedy film starring Nicolas Cage…
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