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.
“A Wild And Sick Imagination”
I thought you might get a hoot out of the first few pages of my latest literary gem, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH. Since I hadn’t written anything for a while, it surprised me that I managed to ease into the story so easily. But when my character, Jack Miller, is a barely disguised me, it wasn’t all that hard.
Final Report From The Quarantine Cave…I Hope
When 2020 began, I had no idea that I’d be writing a whole lot of posts over the course of thirteen months while hiding out at home to avoid the nasty coronavirus. (Age and underlying health issues gave Jacqueline and me no choice.) Things are finally looking up, and I truly hope this will be the last mention of it. But as Yogi Berra famously said, “It ain’t over till it’s over,” and guess what, folks—it ain’t over!
Roger Dorn Had It Right
Rich guy Roger Dorn (Corbin Bernsen) is the third baseman for the Cleveland Indians in the outrageous 1989 sports comedy, MAJOR LEAGUE. Dorn is also a philanderer, which prompts his wife, Suzanne, to enact revenge by seducing the team’s star pitcher, Ricky Vaughn (Charlie Sheen).
THE CHANGELING: Horror At Its Best
The 1980 Canadian-produced psychological horror film, THE CHANGELING, offers little violence. And forget about buckets of blood—there is maybe a thimble full. That said, it is truly one of the most chilling tales ever told.
Play Ball—Once Again!
Last week my bride and I were among the 10,000+ fans (20% of capacity at Petco Park, thanks to Covid-19) to attend Opening Day for the San Diego Padres, my favorite team. Padres baseball being my religion, I could not have been happier. Here is a post that I’ve run at the start of previous baseball seasons.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 11.0
Year Two (for crying out loud!) of the freaking coronavirus pandemic. Sure, it seems to be trending in the right direction, and many more people have been vaccinated against Covid-19, including my bride and me. But it is far from over, and I choose to listen to the experts, who say that the effects of the new variant strains could launch another surge.
Jack Miller, Meet Teddy Roosevelt
My last two Throwback Thursday posts centered around the Devils Tower in Wyoming, one of my favorite places in the world. I mentioned that in my latest book, BACK ON THE BIKE PATH, my cosmic bike rider, Jack Miller, pays two visits to the Tower, also known as the Bear Lodge to a number of Native American tribes.
“My, What A Big Bat!” Lines From Vintage Horror Movies
No CGI in the classic horror movies of yore, but they could still scare the crap out of you. Here are some memorable lines from a few of them.
Jonathan Creek: Magic, Mystery, And The Macabre
Jonathan Creek is a narrow tributary to a Canadian river. JONATHAN CREEK is also the title of a venerable British TV mystery series, as well as the name of its lead character. And I must say, this exceptional series deserves its cult following.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 10.0
Year Two-plus of the coronavirus pandemic. Well, it might be “plus” for most everyone, but for me it started for real on a day in early March almost exactly one year ago. Hard to forget…
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