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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
R.I.P. Robert Redford
It seems that I’ve been doing a lot of R.I.P.s in recent years. Now, the great Robert Redford has departed this plane at the age of 89. He starred in many excellent movies too numerous to count, though I’ll mention a few favorites of mine in my post.
Did The Dinosaurs Really Experience A REBIRTH?
Last year, when I learned that the Jurassic Park/World franchise would continue with a seventh film, JURASSIC WORLD REBIRTH, I broke into the Snoopy Dance. I’ve always been a sucker for dinosaur movies, although to be honest, I had to wonder where the series would go after a rather meh JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION (2022).
R.I.P. Graham Greene
It saddened me to learn of the passing of Graham Greene last week at the age of 73. He was, to put it simply, one of my absolute favorite actors, and he will be greatly missed.
Joy? Or ENjoy?
It is nearing a year-and-a-half since I lost Jacqueline, my beloved bride, to insidious cancer. I swear, it seems as if it happened last week. My grief, while somewhat manageable at this point, will last until the Mother Ship comes to take me back to her.
Who Played Hannibal First?
Most people think of Anthony Hopkins when they hear the name Hannibal Lecter, and rightfully so. Hopkins won an Academy Award for portraying the incarcerated psychiatrist/serial killer in the Best Picture of 1991, SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, and two subsequent films. But he wasn’t the first.
My Women Of Horror, Part Two
To reiterate what I wrote last week, I absolutely love and respect strong women! Heck, I had a fabulous one as my life partner for over three decades. I try to impart that same strength and resolve to the female characters in all of my two dozen+ books, and that is especially true in my four horror novels. Let me introduce you to my next two women of horror.
Latest Release
