They never fail who die  In a great cause. The block may soak their gore;  Their heads may sodden in the sun; their limbs  Be strung to city gates and castle walls;  But still their spirit walks abroad. &n...

 We had a re-watch of Willow (1988, Directed by Ron Howard, staring Warwick Davis, Val Kilmer, Joanne Whalley, Jean Marsh, and others, including Billy Barty) last week. The movie has some weaknesses but it has a certain charm, it's writer (G...

 Fun Fact:After subjugating Egypt, Napoleon led his small army toward Syria in February of 1799. The army of 13,000 was divided into four divisions under Generals Kleber, Reynier, Bon, and Lannes. The latter would go eventually become a Mars...

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...

 Les Freres Corses were at it again -- the "it" in question being miniatures, dice, and the Cursed Ruins. One may recall that their first attempt at imposing their will on the denizens of the place ended rather poorly for their cha...

  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...