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.
Dashing Through The Snow…
Last week I wrote about “bad science” movies and mentioned THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW, a 2004 “climate science fiction/disaster” film. In this expanded post I first thought about adding it to my Guilty Pleasures, but given that it grossed over $550 million, I quickly discarded that idea.
Bad Science? Gimme A Break!
I strongly believe in science, especially when it comes to dealing with major issues such as global pandemics and climate change. But when I watch a movie, primarily in two of my favorite genres—disaster films and sci-fi—I’m doing it to escape from reality for a couple of hours, and I’m not particularly concerned with whether the scientific aspects of the story are entirely accurate.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 9.0
Year Two of the coronavirus pandemic: yeah, this time I’m not exaggerating. The first case of Covid-19 showed up in the U.S. a year ago, and here we are, still dealing with it.
The Caribbean: Fun, Sun, Rum, And…Murder?
Over the past decade the British/French “mystery/comedy/suspense” series, DEATH IN PARADISE, has been one of the highest rated shows going, especially in England. My bride and I just finished binging on the first nine seasons (72 hour-long episodes on BritBox) and are eagerly awaiting season ten…
Report From The Quarantine Cave 8.0
Day Whatever of the coronavirus pandemic: I stopped counting at around 25,000 days. Feels like it anyway. Am I right?
“How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part Two
“Oh, you’re a writer, but what do you do for a living?” Well, if you are a writer, you’ve probably heard that question in one form or another. I sure did, even more so than the one directed at my four horror novels.
“How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part One
The above quote, with a few variations, was something I heard numerous times after the first of my four horror novels hit the shelves thirty years ago. People knew me as a rather quiet, passive guy (ha!), not particularly prone to any sort of violent or dastardly deeds. So where did all the blood and gore come from, eh?
The Mom And Dad Afterward
When I wrote the first Jack Miller book, BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, in the ’90s, it didn’t take me long to learn that his many crazy comedy/satire adventures needed to be tempered with some scenes of a more serious nature. The chapter where he meets an eight-year-old Adolf Hitler literally helped sell the novel to Ace/Berkley.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 7.0
Day 21,453 (give or take) of the coronavirus pandemic: barely a few weeks ago I mentioned to Jacqueline that the Covid-19 death count stood at 997 here in San Diego County, that it would top a thousand in the next day or so. As of this writing it is likely we will surpass 1,300 deaths this week.
JACK MILLER IS BACK ON THE BIKE PATH!
To be honest, I started out writing this book with a bit of trepidation, given my own hiatus from creativity. But it did not take long before I was having an absolute blast riding with Jack on his new adventures. I hope you’ll have as much fun reading BACK ON THE BIKE PATH.
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