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.
“You’re Killin’ Me, Smalls!”—Great Lines From Baseball Flicks
With the MLB playoffs in full swing and the World Series looming (please, Great Spirit, not with the Dodgers!), I thought it might be fun to visit a few quotes from some of the most popular baseball movies. Having seen just about every one ever made, I’m sure it would require a whole lot of posts to list all great lines.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—The Core
It is not for lack of box office that the 2003 sci-fi/disaster flick, THE CORE, is a guilty pleasure, because it supposedly made back its production budget, and then some. It was, however, a critical disaster, with crummy reviews panning everything from its plot “silliness” to its bad science.
Myths And Legends: Seven Sisters Road
Why does a rural road in Nebraska appear on current lists of the scariest places in America? How come there is so much documented paranormal activity along this creepy byway? The following scenario offers some clues as to how the legend of Seven Sisters Road began.
Throwback Thursday—Films About Writers: Time After Time
H.G. Wells told some pretty amazing stories, considering how long ago he wrote them. This post first ran in 2014.
Long Live The Iowa Wave!
A relatively new “tradition” honors children who are dealing with life-threatening illnesses. Call it The Iowa Wave, The Hawkeye Wave, or simply just The Wave; this event has warmed the hearts—and brought tears to the eyes—of millions during its brief existence.
Throwback Thursday: Spark It Up In The Everweed State
Acceptance of cannabis has come a long way since this delightful novel, THE EVERWEED STATE, was published. The post first ran in 2014.
Guilty Pleasures: Red Planet
Uniformly poor reviews? A box-office bomb? Yes indeed, the 2000 sci-fi thriller, RED PLANET, fits within all the parameters of a guilty pleasure. But as noted many times before, I’m easily entertained, so I have no problem checking it out every once in a while. A solid cast helps the medicine go down.
Throwback Thursday: Old Sci-Fi Film Still Shines
In a recent post about movie quotes I used the most familiar one from the 1951 gem, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Though I hadn’t seen the movie in a long time, I still remembered the alien catch-phrase from it: “Klaatu barada nikto.” So I decided the time had come to revisit an old friend, and after watching it I realized that its message still resonated today, over six decades later.
Another Cheer-Worthy Sports Movie That You Probably Missed
The 2009 film, THE PERFECT GAME, was one of those “came-and went” movies that most folks weren’t even aware of when it breezed through their local multi-plexes. That’s too bad, because this heartwarming baseball story, based on true events, is a gem, easily one of the fifty or sixty movies in my Top Ten.
Throwback Thursday—Let It Go: Part Two
It took a long time for my award-winning historical novel, STONE WOMAN, to see the light of day. In Part Two I will explain why.
Latest Release
