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.
What If?
Everything I write—everything that just about all novelists write—begins with those two words. I prepare detailed outlines for my stories, so that I always have a pretty good idea of where I’m going. But even before outlining a story, there is the “what if?” I...
When Art Creates Life
Okay, art is supposed to imitate life. From our life experiences we create paintings, prose, sculptures, you name it. But on rare—and awesome—occasions, art can create life. Back in the early nineties I landed a contract with The Berkley Publishing Group for a...
Swords, Sorcery, And Cross Plains, Texas
Readers of sword & sorcery, sword & planet, science fiction, fantasy, and horror undoubtedly know the name of Robert E. Howard. For the majority of people, not so much. But just about everyone is familiar with the name of Howard’s most famous creation: Conan...
Weird Happenings
In a January post I wrote about my trip to Downieville, in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, to do some background research for my recently released ghost story, The Burning Ground. Some weird things occurred during my time there, and I mentioned that this wasn’t...
Horrors! Or, How To Scare The “Yell” Out Of People
I actually taught a class with that exact title some years back. For a long time I served as a consultant for the San Diego Unified School District’s GATE program (Gifted and Talented Education). I’d visit middle grade and high school classrooms, talk about how...
California Genocide
Now there are two words that don’t seem to belong together. California Sun? A natural. California Dreaming? The Mamas and the Papas sang about it. California Girls? Well, yeah. “Genocide” is not a pretty word. According to Merriam-Webster, it is “…the deliberate and...
A Book Launch At A Real Bookstore
This past week, Mysterious Galaxy bookstore hosted the launch of my new novel, The Burning Ground. At a time when so many bookstores, independents and chains alike, are closing their doors, this specialty shop (science fiction, fantasy, horror, mysteries, thrillers),...
Romantic Horror: An Oxymoron?
This Tuesday, February 14th—Valentine’s Day—is the publication date for my new ghost story/horror novel, The Burning Ground, from ZOVA Books. Is that odd? I don’t think so. While there are enough juicy, gory, creepy scenes to satisfy the horror purist, the story is...
The Burning Ground: Angry Spirits From The Gold Rush Era Return With A Vengeance
My new novel, The Burning Ground, will be published on February 14th. Here is a recent interview I did with Molly Lewis, my editor at ZOVA Books, about the story. Q: How did you get the idea for The Burning Ground? A: One of the most used and abused books in my...
Downieville: A Ghost Town With Live People
The sign on the shoulder of SR 49 in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills read, “Entering Downieville.” On the other side of the same sign it said, “Leaving Downieville, Thanks for Coming.” Okay, I’m totally kidding here. No town is that small. But Downieville...
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