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.
Myths And Legends: Resurrection Mary, The Hitchhiking Ghost
Chicago and its environs are home to quite a few ghosts and spirits. I’ve already written about one of America’s most haunted places, the Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, located in the Windy City’s suburbs. But the story of Resurrection Mary might be even creepier.
Throwback Thursday—Let It Go: Part One
This post first ran in 2014, and that same year STONE WOMAN was honored by the San Diego Book Awards Association as Best Historical Novel.
The Worms Keep Turning…But For How Long?
The 2018 monster movie, TREMORS: A COLD DAY IN HELL, is the sixth in a film series that began with the 1990 release, Tremors, which starred Kevin Bacon as Valentine McKee. Indeed, this series has run for nearly three decades—with an eleven-year hiatus between the 2004 prequel, TREMORS: THE LEGEND BEGINS, and TREMORS 5: BLOODLINES in 2015. The question is, how much longer can we expect to see the giant, worm-like Graboids or the smelly Ass-Blasters decrease the surface population?
Throwback Thursday: “…The Screaming Of The Lambs”
Fun time again with some memorable movie lines that span quite a few decades. Enjoy! This post first ran in 2014.
Scenes From A Book Festival
The second annual San Diego Union-Tribune Festival of Books took place this past Saturday at Liberty Station. Last year’s inaugural event drew upwards of 10,000 people, and I’m pretty sure the 2018 version outdid that number.
Throwback Thursday—Guest Post: Circle Of Reign
Hello, my name is Writer Mike, and I would like to share with you the most amazing book. (Sorry Jacob, I couldn’t resist.)
Blowing Shit Up: The Rambo Films
When bestselling author David Morrell wrote FIRST BLOOD in 1972 I’ll bet he didn’t imagine the film series, starring Sylvester Stallone as decorated Vietnam vet John Rambo, extending into 2019. Wait, what?! They’re making a new RAMBO film?
Throwback Thursday: You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
My dad, Murray Sirota, passed away at age fifty-nine in 1969, when I was just a mere slip of a lad—more or less. We knew it would happen; a couple of months earlier he’d been diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer, the end result of a lifetime of cigarette smoking, and given six months to live. But the circumstances surrounding the night of his death is the story here—a story that could easily be written off as implausible fiction.
Who Won The Bone Wars?
Also called the Great Dinosaur Rush, the Bone Wars comprises an interesting chapter in American history. The phrase refers to a period of fiercely competitive fossil hunting that took place during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Although many others got caught up in the obsessive hunt for dinosaur remains, its two primary antagonists were paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. And wow, did these guys hate each other’s guts!
Throwback Thursday—Guest Post: The Hammer Of Witches
There is a disturbing true story behind the events depicted in The Hammer of Witches, a newly published historical novel by Basque scholar and good friend, Begoña Echeverria, one of my long-time writers. After a brief synopsis, I’ll have Begoña tell that story.
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