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.
Throwback Thursday: Dreadlocked Rodents And Elephant-Flies
Four years ago I revised and reissued the second book in my comedy/sci-fi series, THE ULTIMATE BIKE PATH. (A Retro Ride: Book Two.) Along with all his strange adventures on the other side of the numerous gates along the Path, cosmic cyclist Jack Miller encounters some weird riders on the mhuva lun gallee itself. Here are two of them.
Myths And Legends: The Ghosts Of The Dakota
“Your girlfriend lives in the corner penthouse of spook central.” Ray Stantz (Dan Aykroyd) delivers that line to fellow Ghostbuster Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) in the 1984 comedy/horror classic, one of my all-time favorite films. The building Ray is referencing happens to be one of New York City’s oldest and most renowned structures, The Dakota.
Throwback Thursday: Films About Writers—YEAR BY THE SEA
In this, the era of #MeToo, when women are making it clear that they’re fed up with the bullshit to which they’ve been subjected from men since the days of the “goodwife,” the 2016 comedy-drama, YEAR BY THE SEA, is most timely.
“I Ain’t Got Time To Bleed”—Memorable Lines From PREDATOR
The sci-fi/horror film, PREDATOR (1987), made a ton of money, got great reviews, and spawned a franchise that continues right up until today, with one or two more sequels apparently in the works. It didn’t hurt that its cast included Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jesse Ventura, two future governors, and one of the most iconic “villains” in the genre, a trophy hunter from another world that can render itself invisible with a cloaking device.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—SEASON OF THE WITCH
The first time I watched the 2011 historical fantasy/adventure film, SEASON OF THE WITCH—starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman—I did so with no preconceived notions. The verdict: okay, I’d seen better movies, and for sure a whole lot worse, but I found it watchable.
The New Year Coming: Do Things Ever Change?
I first ran this post seven years ago, and a few times since. Does life change much? You be the judge.
Throwback Thursday: Yosemite—What Took Us So Long?
Yosemite is one of this country’s most amazing national parks. This post first ran in 2018.
Short And Sweet: Happy Holidays!
High hopes for a much better New Year from Jacqueline, Mike, and our little buddies!
Throwback Thursday: The Pretty Flowers Can Float
Riding a mountain bike into a world of old science fiction and horror movies can be a hoot. That’s what I did in THE ULTIMATE BIKE PATH, which I re-released in 2018.
Writers Sometimes Need To Step Out Of Their Comfort Zones
I’ve stepped out of my comfort zone a number of times in the more than two dozen novels that I wrote, a scene here, a chapter there. But with my award-winning thriller, FREEDOM’S HAND, I authored the entire book from a location far away from my comfort zone. All of my other stories were ones that I wanted to write. Freedom’s Hand was a story I had to write, and as Yoda might say, “Easy to write it was not.”
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