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: Myths And Legends—The St. Augustine Lighthouse
The Florida city of St. Augustine, located on the Atlantic coast and founded in 1565 by explorers from Spain, is the oldest European-established and occupied settlement in the U.S. It is also home to one creepy old haunted lighthouse—if you can believe the legends.
Happy Labor Day!
I hope you’re having an enjoyable holiday weekend. I am gonna take a break from writing a new article this week. But I will share this one quick story.
Throwback Thursday: A Journey Across Time To Save An Empire
This time travel novel, THE SWORD OF TYRON, is one of my earliest efforts. I first presented this post in 2021.
Hanging With The Baseball Gods
“Hello, Jack,” a pair of voices called. And that’s when I DID flip upside-down as I spotted the welcoming guys as they emerged from the blackness: Tony Gwynn and Mickey Mantle! OH MYYY…
Throwback Thursday: Vampires In…New Mexico?
I could easily have presented the 1998 horror flick, VAMPIRES (aka JOHN CARPENTER’S VAMPIRES) as a Guilty Pleasure, since it met all of my parameters. (A D+ rating by audiences, no less!) But I gave it a pass because it was filmed in New Mexico, one of my favorite places, and the film’s scenery was totally cool. Apparently the bloodsuckers liked it too.
A Lot More TWISTERS…But One TWISTER Is Still The Best
Don’t get me wrong. I enjoyed the 2024 disaster movie, TWISTERS, with its numerous tornadoes dealing death and destruction all over Oklahoma. But its 1996 predecessor, TWISTER, holds a lofty place on my list of all-time favorite movies. Much of that has to do with its amazing cast…
Throwback Thursday: Nightmare On The East River
The 9/11 terrorist attack on New York in 2001 was—and still is—the city’s worst disaster involving loss of life. Prior to that, the dubious record was held by an incident that occurred nearly a century earlier. This is the story of the paddle steamer GENERAL SLOCUM and its ill-fated voyage in 1904.
Myths And Legends: “This Island Is Cursed!”
Gaiola Island sits off the coast of Naples, Italy, in the Tyrrhenian Sea, part of a volcanic archipelago. It is actually two rocky islets, connected by a stone bridge. Once occupied, it now sits abandoned as a result of its checkered history of drownings, murders, disappearances, even suicides. Locals won’t go near it. Ask any one of them and they will tell you, “This island is cursed!”
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—DEAD SILENCE
This weird film could easily have been titled, HORROR FOR DUMMIES. I first presented this post in 2021.
Guilty Pleasures: SILVER BULLET
Oh yeah, this is a golden oldie, to be sure. The 1985 horror flick, SILVER BULLET, is based on a 1983 novella by Stephen King titled, CYCLE OF THE WEREWOLF. King wrote the screenplay for the film, which did not resonate with most critics. Who cares? I’ve always enjoyed it. What else is new?
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