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: Bad Science? Gimme A Break!
I strongly believe in science, especially when it comes to dealing with major issues such as global pandemics and climate change. But when I watch a movie, primarily in two of my favorite genres—disaster films and sci-fi—I’m doing it to escape from reality for a couple of hours, and I’m not particularly concerned with whether the scientific aspects of the story are entirely accurate.
In Memoriam…Jacqueline Sirota
Jacqueline was my world, my everything. The bravest person I’d ever known, she battled and beat the demon cancer many times during our 3+ decades together.
Throwback Thursday: The Caribbean: Fun, Sun, Rum, And…Murder?
Thirteen seasons now for DEATH IN PARADISE, and still going strong. This post first ran in 2021.
A Cult Classic…Maybe
In a previous post I mentioned that the “guilt” in guilty pleasures comes from worrying about what others might think about one’s tastes, maybe seeing you as a real lowbrow, or an eccentric. In the case of the 1983 sword & planet movie, KRULL, that actually happened.
Throwback Thursday: “How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part Two
“Oh, you’re a writer, but what do you do for a living?” Well, if you are a writer, you’ve probably heard that question in one form or another. I sure did, even more so than the one directed at my four horror novels. Unfortunately, in my case it was a valid question that I needed to answer.
The Spirit Of A Wonderful Dog
As a writer I don’t often use the old cliché, “Love at first sight.” But that’s what happened the first time I saw Barney. This runty German shepherd, about two months old at the time, sat by himself in a large cage inside an Indianapolis pet shop.
Throwback Thursday: “How Can You Write That Stuff!”—Part One
The title quote, with a few variations, was something I heard numerous times after the first of my four horror novels hit the shelves over thirty years ago. People knew me as a rather quiet, passive guy (ha!), not particularly prone to any sort of violent or dastardly deeds. So where did all the blood and gore come from, eh?
Can Creativity Be A Curse?
What’s the deal? A guy who writes horror, fantasy and other weird stuff thinking that creativity is a curse? To be honest—no, not the majority of the time. My brain is almost always swirling with new plots, unique characters, exotic settings and such, and for the most part I’m pleased about it.
Throwback Thursday: The Mom And Dad Afterward
When I wrote the first Jack Miller book, BICYCLING THROUGH SPACE AND TIME, in the ’90s, it didn’t take me long to learn that his many crazy comedy/satire adventures needed to be tempered with some scenes of a more serious nature. The chapter where he meets an eight-year-old Adolf Hitler literally helped sell the novel to Ace/Berkley.
Summing It Up In Two Words: WHAT IF?
Everything I write—everything that just about all novelists write—begins with those two words. I prepare detailed outlines for my stories, so that I always have a pretty good idea of where I’m going. But even before outlining a story, there is the “what if?”
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