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.
Guilty Pleasures: Sea Beast
The 2008 monster flick, SEA BEAST, originally titled TROGLODYTE, is one of many films in the SyFy Channel’s “Maneater” series. With titles such as GRIZZLY RAGE, RISE OF THE GARGOYLES, SAND SERPENTS, ROADKILL, and BLOOD MONKEY, the series covers just about every myth, legend, no-legged to multi-legged creature, flying/swimming/crawling creature, and anything else determined to chow down on humankind.
Throwback Thursday: The Island—When Science Goes Too Far
As far back as Dr. Frankenstein creating his monster, there are many stories about the gross misuse of science and technology leading to disastrous results.
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. I will present some scenes to illustrate what I mean.
Throwback Thursday: Writing Novels Will Make You Rich—And Other Bald-Faced Lies
Advice about the business and the craft of writing seldom gets dated. Let me share some thoughts from what I’ve experienced over the past gazillion years and about thirty novels written, in a post that last ran in 2015.
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.
Throwback Thursday: Myths And Legends—Coyote, The Trickster
The Coyote myth is well known in many Native American cultures, especially out here in the western U.S. In the Creation stories of some tribes he represents the Creator himself, but for the most part Coyote is known as a messenger, a trickster, or a clown. In the latter guise, he may begin by entertaining folks but ultimately tricking them and stealing their stuff.
Films About Writers: Half Light
The 2006 mystery/ghost story, HALF LIGHT, starring Demi Moore, somehow got past me all these years. Well, better late than never. Here is a brief introduction, with absolutely no spoiler alert. I do not want to ruin this compelling film for anyone.
Throwback Thursday: Santa Claus Versus The Mutant Ants
As a mere slip of a lad in the 1950s, I totally enjoyed (and had the crap scared out of me by) the numerous science fiction and horror movies spawned during that decade. Paranoia ruled in the ’50s, folks being worried about—in no particular order—the threat of communism; the fear of alien invasion (seriously); and the long-term effects of being thrust into the atomic age during the previous decade.
New Year’s Eve Redux—The Future: Now Past
As the extremely challenging year 2018 comes to an end, I got to thinking: how in the name of Zeus’s butthole did it pass so quickly?! I guess when a year is 1/72nd of your life, that’s what happens.
Throwback Thursday: Winema And Frank—A Love Story
A few years back I wrote about a remarkable Native American woman named Winema, the “Modoc Woman of the Brave Heart.” She is the main “character” in my award-winning historical novel, STONE WOMAN: WINEMA AND THE MODOCS.
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