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.
My 2019 Halloween Playlist
I thought it would be fun to revisit my first Halloween playlist from a number of years past. And yes, I am going to watch these films once again. What’s not to like!
Conjuring Up A Scary Universe: Part Two
With the financial success of the first two films in the Conjuring Universe, sequels were inevitable. This time around the filmmakers doubled down on the links that they inserted in THE CONJURING 2, a clear indication that this franchise had a lot more to offer in the future.
Conjuring Up A Scary Universe: Part One
Having viewed over 17 million horror movies since the invention of celluloid, I’m pretty jaded when it comes to being scared by any of them. But I just about had to change my shorts after watching the 2013 thriller, THE CONJURING. If it isn’t the scariest movie I ever saw, then it’s at least in the top three or four.
Preventing A Touchdown—The Supernatural Way
By way of self-evaluation, THE MODOC WELL (originally published as THE WELL by Bantam Books) is the goriest of my four horror novels. This particular shocker of a scene will illustrate that.
“I Love My Rejection Slips…”—Writing Quotes From Writers
Thoughts about writing from successful writers can inspire—or perhaps deflate, depending how they are taken. Here are a few gems.
Curious Possessions
With seven-plus decades in the rearview mirror, I’ve had plenty of time to collect my share of “stuff.” I thought it might be fun to have a look at some of the more interesting things, so consider “Curious Possessions” the first of a new, occasional series for my blog.
Guilty Pleasures: 47 Ronin
By my own checklist the 2003 historical adventure-fantasy film, 47 RONIN, is the perfect Guilty Pleasure. It bombed at the box office: check. Critics hated it: check. Yours truly loved it: double check.
“Suppose You Were An Idiot…”—Quotes 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 of his best and most meaningful quotes.
Myths And Legends: The Island Of The Dolls
There is an otherworldly place not far from the heart of the sprawling Mexico City called La Isla de las Muñecas—the Island of the Dolls. It is located in one of the channels off Lake Xochimilco. For those of us creeped out by the “true” stories of Annabelle and Robert the Doll, or the fictional Chucky, this island can be a waking nightmare.
Is It TERMINATOR 3 Or TERMINATOR 6?
Wherever you want to slot it in the Terminator universe, TERMINATOR: DARK FATE has me guardedly excited in advance of its November 1 release date. Maybe that has to do with the fact that James Cameron, who wrote and directed the first two films—THE TERMINATOR (1984) and TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY (1991)—is once again involved.
Latest Release
