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: Guilty Pleasures—Bats
Why can’t folks just enjoy cheesy B movies for what they are? I wrote about one of my favorites in a 2012 post.
“My Blue Blanket!”—Gene Wilder Movie Lines
A comedic genius has left us. Gene Wilder passed away last week. But he left us a great legacy of humor in his many films. Here is a small sampling of his best lines.
Throwback Thursday: Psycho Memories
In this post from 2012 I talk about one of the scariest movies ever, and why I didn’t take a shower for quite some time.
Quotes From Writers—About Writing
Writers have never shied away from sharing thoughts about their craft, among other topics. In this occasional series we will have a look at some of their insights. I’ll begin with one of my favorite quotes EVER.
Throwback Thursday: Searching For January
“Three years ago at dusk on a spring evening, when the sky was a robin’s-egg blue and the wind as soft as a day-old chick, I was sitting on the veranda of my farm home in eastern Iowa when a voice very clearly said to me, ‘If you build it, he will come.’”
Righting Old Wrongs: Almost Done
With the recent publication of my Sword & Planet novel, Slaves of Maldrinium, I am close to fulfilling a promise that I made to myself a few years ago. The catalyst for this occurred during the start of my writing career, when I was fortunate—or maybe unfortunate—enough to publish thirteen novels in only four years.
Throwback Thursday: Remembering A Great Friend
Tomorrow, August 19th, marks the four-year anniversary of the passing of Jeff Sherratt, a wonderful writer and an even better friend. Knowing that he was terminally ill I wrote a post about Jeff in July of 2012, because I wanted to make sure he got to read it. I also wrote a shorter one on the day after his death. Both of them are presented here.
Is “Outstanding Remake” An Oxymoron?
With so many folks pissed off about the remake of Ghostbusters, I got to thinking: has anyone ever referred to the remake of any much-loved movie as outstanding? More than likely the response is “meh” or “why bother?” or “what the heck were they thinking?” Did we really need remakes of Psycho, or Clash of the Titans, or Poltergeist, or Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, or…well, I’m sure you can come up with your own list.
Throwback Thursday: Guilty Pleasures—Anacondas
Folks seem fascinated with these slithery things. Don’t know why…but here’s a post about a cheesy, fun flick that I first wrote about in 2012.
Myths And Legends: The Angry Ghosts Of Japan’s Suicide Forest
Who knew? Until I saw a film titled The Forest earlier this year, I had not heard of Aokigahara. Research revealed something shocking: this vast forest, located near the base of Japan’s sacred Mt. Fuji, is a place where thousands of people have come to take their own lives. Even more shocking: their spirits, the yūrei, continue to haunt the Sea of Trees.
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