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: Guilty Pleasures—Virus
Jamie Lee Curtis once called VIRUS, a 1999 sci-fi/horror flick, a “piece of shit.” Why is that significant? Because the renowned scream queen was one of its stars—along with Donald Sutherland and William Baldwin.
Bad Science? Gimme A Break!
I strongly believe in science, especially when it comes to dealing with major issues such as global pandemics and climate change. But when I watch a movie, primarily in two of my favorite genres—disaster films and sci-fi—I’m doing it to escape from reality for a couple of hours, and I’m not particularly concerned with whether the scientific aspects of the story are entirely accurate.
Throwback Thursday: A Grand (Canyon) Mystery
This post, about a bizarre incident that occurred nearly a century ago in the Grand Canyon, has been viewed countless times since it first ran in 2017.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 9.0
Year Two of the coronavirus pandemic: yeah, this time I’m not exaggerating. The first case of Covid-19 showed up in the U.S. a year ago, and here we are, still dealing with it.
Throwback Thursday: Remembering Bill Paxton
Wow, has it really been four years since one of my favorite actors passed away?! Time just seems to whiz by…
The Caribbean: Fun, Sun, Rum, And…Murder?
Over the past decade the British/French “mystery/comedy/suspense” series, DEATH IN PARADISE, has been one of the highest rated shows going, especially in England. My bride and I just finished binging on the first nine seasons (72 hour-long episodes on BritBox) and are eagerly awaiting season ten…
Throwback Thursday: Evil Never Dies
Once again, I’m re-running this post from a few years back. Why? Because it seems that EVIL is running rampant, not only around the world, but also in our own country. And if anything, it is getting worse.
Report From The Quarantine Cave 8.0
Day Whatever of the coronavirus pandemic: I stopped counting at around 25,000 days. Feels like it anyway. Am I right?
Throwback Thursday: Exploring The Planet Of The Apes—Part Five
WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES, the ninth film in the franchise and the third in the latest reboot, is a brilliant film, both uplifting and heart-wrenching. Actor Andy Serkis’s third go-around as Caesar, the leader of the intelligent apes, is Oscar-worthy, I kid you not.
“How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part Two
“Oh, you’re a writer, but what do you do for a living?” Well, if you are a writer, you’ve probably heard that question in one form or another. I sure did, even more so than the one directed at my four horror novels.
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