A Whirl-Blast from behind the hillRushed o'er the wood with startling sound;Then—all at once the air was still,And showers of hailstones pattered round.--From "A Whirl-Blast From Behind the Hill" - William WordsworthThe whirl-blast that took me from...
  Here's the cover of the latest anthology in which one of my stories is featured. The editor had this to say in the introduction about my story: "[Wheeler] demonstrates the gallantry and the butchery of the Napoleonic Wars amp...
 I finally finished The Men who Lost America by Andrew Jackson O'Shaughnessy. I've already posted a few fun facts based on some chapters. I plan to post more. Rather than a narrative of the war, TMWLA looks at the major players on t...
ONCE more the storm is howling, and half hidUnder this cradle-hood and coverlidMy child sleeps on. There is no obstacleBut Gregory's wood and one bare hillWhereby the haystack- and roof-levelling wind.Bred on the Atlantic, can be stayed;And for...
 Interview with Lindsey KinsellaAuthor ofThe Lazarus Taxa  Please tell me a little about your current work in progress. My next book is quite the departure from my first—hopping genres from sci-fi to fantasy. The Heart of...
 During my workout sessions on the M5, I watched The Ice Pirates and Krull over the last week or so. Both of these movies contain many of the necessary ingredients for great movies, but each fails in its own way.The Ice Pirates (1984), direc...
In visions of the dark night I have dreamed of joy departed- But a waking dream of life and light Hath left me broken-hearted.--From "A Dream" by Edgar Allan PoeDreams were a frequent...
 The Howe brothers, Admiral Richard and General William, raised Britain's prospects in the Revolutionary War following the defeat at Lexington and Concord and the disastrous victory at Bunker Hill with a series of victories in 1776. The brot...
  Interview with John W. Wells IIIAuthor ofThe Kalib Andrews Chronicles Please tell me a little about your current work in progress. I am currently working on The Invisible City, the third book in The Kalib Andrews Chronic...
Success is counted sweetest By those who ne'er succeed. To comprehend a nectar Requires sorest need.--From "Success is Counted Sweetest - by Emily DickinsonTaste the sweet nectar of victory by getting your short fiction piece in right away. It was du...
This week I finished reading Louis L'Amour's The Haunted Mesa for the first time. It's a tale set in the Navajo Mountain area--San Juan County, Utah. I have some passing familiarity with the region and a bit of the history, particularly regarding Moa...
The splendour falls on castle wallsAnd snowy summits old in story:The long light shakes across the lakes,And the wild cataract leaps in glory.Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.--From Blow,...
  Who knew Mad Max made an appearance in Hamlet?It's Franco Zeffirelli's 1991 adaptation of Shakespeare's moody prince, starring Mad Mel as the perturbed prince, crazy Glenn as Queen Gertrude, Helen Bonham Carter as the tormented Op...
 Fun Fact:Frederick Lord North was 38 when he became prime minister in 1770. Corpulent with large features and a bulbous head, he was famous for his wit, literary anecdotes, and historical references. Prior to becoming PM, he had supported t...
 The characters and items pictured above have been my writing companions for a few years now. On the left is what may be an Aztec death whistle. It makes a sound like rumbling wind or growling jaguar. There are two stone dice from Texas, som...