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.
“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.
Can Old Dogs Learn New Tricks?
While hanging out in the quarantine cave for most of this year, my bride and I have watched a lot of police procedural/detective shows on BritBox, Acorn, and Prime. They range in presentation from intense (BROADCHURCH, VERA, PRIME SUSPECT) to outrageously funny (AGATHA RAISIN). Somewhere in the middle, joining favorites such as MIDSOMER MURDERS and THE BROKENWOOD MYSTERIES, is the delightful BBC production, NEW TRICKS.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 6.0
Day 18,764 of the coronavirus pandemic: enough already! I mean, FREAKING ENOUGH! Are we back in the Dark Ages with the Black Plague? And it only seems to be getting worse.
Remembering Sean Connery
Just like the many larger-than-life characters that he played on the silver screen, Sean Connery toughed it out for ninety years on this plane of existence before succumbing on Halloween. I count many of his films among my favorites and have previously written about some of them. The one I’ve chosen for this post as an homage is the lesser-known 1981 science fiction “space western,” OUTLAND.
My 2020 Halloween Playlist
To tell the truth, I don’t think any horror movie, past or present, could be much scarier than YEAR 2020. Am I right? (Well, maybe THE CONJURING or THE BABADOOK come close.)
Attack Of The Giant…Penguin?
Would a horror movie with a title like that make you want to sign up with another streaming service so you can watch it? No, I didn’t think so. But just such a creature emerged from the ocean off Clearwater, Florida over seventy years ago—or did it?
Myths And Legends: The Cannibals Of Ancient Scotland
When Wes Craven, the late film director, needed source material for his 1977 horror classic, THE HILLS HAVE EYES, he turned to a story that combined truth and possibly fiction. An easy choice: he referenced the legend of SAWNEY BEAN.
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