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 Ghost Of Kate Morgan
The Hotel del Coronado, which opened in 1888, is one of San Diego’s most famous and iconic structures. It has hosted all manner of royalty, both foreign and domestic. Marilyn Monroe lived on site during the filming of the 1959 comedy classic, “Some Like It Hot.” But above all else the Hotel Del—as most refer to it—is haunted.
The Gill-Man: A 1950s Rock Star
The science fiction and horror movies of the 1950s more than sufficed to scare the crap out of an impressionable kid like me. Foremost among them was the Gill-Man from the 1954 Universal-International classic, CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, even though most of us knew that the “piscine amphibious humanoid” was a guy in a rubber suit.
Throwback Thursday: This Film Left A Strong “Imprint”
A supernatural Native American-themed thriller? I liked IMPRINT even before I first watched it. But this 2007 indie film, which garnered a ton of awards, transcends any categorizing by genre with its gripping story and powerful performances by an outstanding, mostly Native American cast.
The Man Of A Thousand Screen Roles
In one of my books from decades past I wrote about a late Hollywood character actor named Whit Bissell and said that he had played in every movie ever made. Okay, I was kidding, just as I am with the title of this post. But in reality Bissell played many hundreds of roles in movies and television from the early 1940s until he hung up his acting shoes in the mid-’80s, quite a few of them in films that I count among my favorites.
Throwback Thursday: “Kill The Indian…Save The Man”
Does that title offend the living crap out of you? It did me, believe it. I didn’t make it up; it is attributed to a United States Army officer in the late nineteenth century. More on that shortly. The line would become the buzz phrase for many non-reservation Native American boarding schools…
Who Is The Real Monster?
Yes, there is an actual monster in the gripping 2016 horror film, THE MONSTER, the kind you once thought hid under your bed, or in your closet. But there is also a metaphorical monster in the person of Kathy, a Mother From Hell to ten-year-old Lizzy, who can’t wait to have her mom out of her life for good.
Throwback Thursday: Freedom’s Hand—Behind The Story
I wrote an early draft of my recently published thriller, FREEDOM’S HAND, many years ago—out of anger. So why an emotion like that as a catalyst for writing a novel? Let me explain.
The Cat Will Always Be In The Cradle
In last week’s post we left Jack Miller sitting in the waiting area outside the Rock-and-Roll Afterward, wondering who could have summoned him there. I suppose, from the title of this post, that you might have figured it out. Also, you might have guessed the name of my favorite song EVER. But let’s see what the Doorkeeper has in store for Jack.
Throwback Thursday: Freedom’s Hand—Hell Revisited
Just about four years ago I released my award-winning thriller, FREEDOM’S HAND. Here is my introductory blog post. Unfortunately, the book seems to have more relevance in this current climate of racism and intolerance.
The Rock-And-Roll Afterward
In my comedy/science fiction novel, Bicycling through Space and Time (which will again be published later this year or early next year), and its two sequels, I occasionally offset the outrageous humor with chapters of a more serious—and personal—nature. Chapter twenty-four is titled, “The Afterward” and is a strong example of that.
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