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.
Hear A Parishioner’s Confession, Then Solve A Murder
Despite our affection for British mysteries, my bride and I had passed on FATHER BROWN for quite some time. I mean, a Catholic priest who acts as an amateur sleuth, solving all manner of crimes, mostly murders? It just didn’t sound like our cup of Earl Grey. Wow, were we wrong!
Throwback Thursday: Ghostbusters…Whaddya Want?
This post first ran in 2019, before the latest film in the GHOSTBUSTERS universe was released—with much success—in 2021. I do hope that a sequel is in the works.
Revisited: So Glad Shoeless Joe Jackson—And I—Came To Iowa
Since FIELD OF DREAMS is my favorite movie ever, and since I’m married to an Iowan, a trip to the movie site was inevitable. I accomplished this a couple of decades ago, and I wrote about it in a 2012 post, which follows.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—SEA BEAST
When it comes to “B” horror movies there’s bad cheesiness, and there’s good cheesiness. SEA BEAST slots among the latter, as I pointed out in this 2019 post.
Nice Folks…So What If They’re All Dead?
My second Sword & Planet spoof, THE HORRORS OF HARRMEL, continues the misadventures of erstwhile earthling Bernie Smith and his bride, Thanna Dora, “the most amazing woman on two worlds.” Bernie got zapped out of an Iowa cornfield by a shaft of light and deposited on a deadly, primitive planet called Persus. Did he adapt? Well, “When in Rome” and all that.
Revisited: The Bill Russell Syndrome
Bill Russell, a great basketball player and an even better human being, passed away last week at the age of 88. Russell had an, uh, “interesting” quirk that I’ve written about in the past. Here is that article.
“Never Argue With Stupid People…”—More Gems From Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (1835-1910), known by his pen name of Mark Twain, is considered this country’s greatest humorist. William Faulkner even went as far as calling him “the father of American literature.” Here are some more of his best and most meaningful quotes.
Throwback Thursday: Using Fiction To Introduce Fact
When writing historical novels based on true events, the challenge is to not make the scenes read like dry, academic research for a thesis. My award-winning historical novel, STONE WOMAN: WINEMA AND THE MODOCS, offers many examples of how (hopefully) not to bore readers.
The Last Dinosaur (Movie)?
The recently released JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION is the third film in the JURASSIC WORLD trilogy, and the sixth film in the Jurassic DinoVerse, which began with JURASSIC PARK in 1993. Being the lowest-rated film of the franchise, will it be the final one? Maybe…or maybe not.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—The Girl On Fire
The accident that killed young Condie Cunningham over a century ago was no myth. But what followed would move the needle to the top of the “WEIRD” meter, where it remains to this day.
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