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.
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.
Throwback Thursday: Spiders, Bats, And Sharks—Critter Nirvana
My dear bride is not into my kind of bad movies, so I usually watch them when she’s out. When she’s home, we watch mutually agreeable flicks. But this week she had work to do on her trusty laptop that required concentration, and she thus spake the words that I love to hear: “Watch whatever you want, but put the headphones on.”
“I Love The Smell Of Napalm In The Morning”…War Movie Quotes
I don’t know why—maybe it’s the militancy and negativity that pervades our world these days—but I’ve been watching quite a few war movies of late. Here are some of the most memorable quotes from a few of them.
Throwback Thursday: Coaching Writers—Why I Do What I Do
It’s no secret that breaking into book publishing is a difficult endeavor. Hey folks, this is the entertainment business, you know? Even if you’re lucky enough to find an agent and get a book deal, you’re probably not going to become an independently wealthy, bestselling author anytime soon.
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