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.
Halloween Hasn’t Ended…Has It?
With Halloween practically upon us, I thought it might be fun to revisit this post from a few years ago.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—More Haunted Truck Roads
Learning about some of these spooky truck roads almost makes you not want to get behind the wheel. But drive we must, so here are a couple that you might want to think twice about navigating.
THE BIRDS…For Real?
Thousands of frenzied birds invade a small, coastal California town, slamming into houses, destroying property, and terrorizing the locals. Sounds like the storyline for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1963 horror classic, THE BIRDS, yes? Actually, no…not the one I’m writing about here. It happened for real in 1961. Where? In a small, coastal California town named Capitola.
Throwback Thursday: It’s 60 Degrees Outside? Brr, Frigid!
It was 55 degrees here last night, but somehow, I survived. This post first ran a few years ago…in the winter, of course.
Wait ‘Til Next Year…Again
A few days ago the Sports section of our local newspaper ran an article about former big league ballplayer Kurt Bevacqua. Playing for the Padres during the 1984 World Series, Bevacqua hit a three-run homer in Game 2 against the Detroit Tigers to tie the series at 1-1. The Tigers won the next three games.
Throwback Thursday: The Dark Throne—Quotes From THE RISE OF SKYWALKER
Yes, there were some memorable quotes in THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, a much-maligned film. This post first ran a few years ago.
New Cover, New Book!
Have a look at the cover of my latest opus, THE MAGIC OF THE BIKE PATH (A Jack Miller Senior Moment, Book Six). A few days ago I input THE END on the last page of the first draft, and now I’m ready for some grunt work. The book should be available for public consumption later this month. I gave Jack, my alter ego, a bunch of outrageous adventures, many of which involve the images on the cover. Enjoy!
Throwback Thursday: Murder And Mayhem In Quebec
Mon Dieu, THREE PINES is quite a mystery series! This post first ran a few years ago.
It Is No Longer The Driveway From Hell
That’s what I used to call the incredibly steep church driveway in my neighborhood, as you’ll see in this post from a few years ago. These days, it has become a ho-hum part of my routine walks, almost like it had never been a challenge.
Throwback Thursday: Is It Still The Victorian Era For Women?
My bride and I just finished viewing the three seasons of the PBS Masterpiece mystery series, “Miss Scarlet and the Duke,” which we enjoyed. The stories are set in 1882 London, not the era in which you’d expect to find a strong-willed, independent woman like its main character, Eliza Scarlet.
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