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: The Worst Manuscript
Many folks are focused on rankings, so given that there has to be the best of everything, it stands to reason that there also has to be the worst. The worst plumber, the worst bus driver, the worst brain surgeon (oh please!), the worst airline pilot (oh double please!), and so on.
Films About Writers: The Last Word
It is always a pleasure to see eighty-something Shirley MacLaine on the silver screen. Sadly, not a whole lot of people saw her perform in the 2017 comedy-drama, THE LAST WORD.
Throwback Thursday: Opening Lines—When Bad Is Good
IT WAS A DARK AND STORMY NIGHT… Just about everyone, writer and non-writer alike, is familiar with that famous—or infamous—opening of a novel, arguably one of the most overused lines ever (even by Snoopy). The guy responsible for it? A nineteenth century British novelist named Edward Bulwer-Lytton.
Righting Old Wrongs: The Talisman Of Okorro
Over the past few years I’ve been busy rewriting and reissuing many of my novels, the ones that were published from the late 1970s through the ’90s. Some revisions proved relatively easy; others required a good deal of effort. But nothing, nothing came close to the amount of work required in making a silk purse (hopefully) out of what I consider my most notorious sow’s ear.
Throwback Thursday: Evil—Truth Is Far Worse Than Fiction
This morning my wife picked up the main section of our local newspaper and started reading, as she does every morning. But this time she did not get past page one.
“I can’t believe this!” Jacqueline exclaimed as she tossed the section on the floor. “Is this what our world has come to?”
Guilty Pleasures: C.H.U.D.
When I wrote about the late John Heard last week I mentioned that one of his earliest screen roles was in the 1984 horror movie, C.H.U.D. I would’ve eventually written about this weird film, given that it is one of my Guilty Pleasures—so why not now?
Throwback Thursday: Big Trouble…Bigger Laughs
They’ve been talking about a reboot of this awesome film, which I first wrote about in 2013. Dwayne Johnson is supposed to play Kurt Russell’s role as Jack Burton. I like The Rock, but in this case, nothing can top the original, so I’m glad it is still wallowing in Development Hell.
Remembering “Charlie Bloom”
Actor John Heard passed away a couple of weeks ago at the age of seventy-one (exactly one day younger than me). It saddened me to learn of this, given that I’ve always enjoyed his work, in particular three films that are among my (Guilty Pleasure) favorites: horror movies CAT PEOPLE and C.H.U.D., and the wonderful indie comedy-drama, THE MILAGRO BEANFIELD WAR, in which he played fallen attorney/crusading journalist Charlie Bloom.
Throwback Thursday: Why I Write
Through the centuries decades I’ve been asked a thousand times, “Mike, why do you write?” Being of eastern European descent I always answer that question with other questions. “Why do I write?” you ask. “Why do I breathe? Why do I eat and drink?” That’s about how important writing is to me.
Myths And Legends: The Ghosts Of Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery
One of the most haunted places in the U.S. is located in suburban Chicago, of all places. The Bachelor’s Grove Cemetery, abandoned over four decades ago, is surrounded by the Midlothian Forest, which sounds more apropos to Middle Earth rather than Middle America. As creepy sites go, this one has it all.
Latest Release
