Arachnid romances? An arachnid hero who falls for a dainty human heroine? An Internet controversy? The arachnid hero and the controversy both caught me in their web. Meet the Monster Romance Genre It’s all part of the hot “monster romance“ trend, which also includes alien romances. Many of these go…

Many kids were traumatized by the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. You might be surprised to learn about the actor behind that iconic villain. A ballet dancer. Adored by the children he worked with in the movie. Movie appearances that included a role in The Red Shoes. …

Most of my articles are about true crime and justice, so I gave these articles their own spot. They’re split into several categories, such as notorious Maryland crimes and historical crimes. There will be some overlap. I placed some true crime articles under more than one category if appropriate. My…

Here is your map to my occasional bursts of humor and my articles on writing, reading, and movies. My true crime articles have their own hideout. My Articles for Readers This started out as a short (and sadly neglected) collection, but it has grown! Follow these links, and you might…

Have you ever had a doctor ignore every symptom you gave him? Sadly, that is far from rare. But you’d think a doctor would recognize chickenpox. Oh, Yay. General Malaise! When I was in my early twenties, I got a full-time job as an editor. …

Like many Americans, I used to boil water in a kettle on the stove. Or worse, in the microwave (eww). Then, a co-worker introduced me to electric kettles. My life was never the same. Neither was that workplace. Our tea area at work grew and grew. …

What is a bad review? What is a negative review? Aren’t they the same? That depends on who you ask. The Author’s Big Mistake Strikes Again I just wrote about an author responding to a negative review. Again. Again?! What do you mean by again? …

I saw it again today. A writer reeling from their first one-star review. The real story isn’t in the review but in how her fellow authors responded. The Review Itself I felt for the author. I also felt for the reviewer because they seemed traumatized by something in the book…

When we travel, we make mistakes. Big or small, they frustrate us. I didn’t let my errors get in the way of my adventures, and I learned a lot about London. I Traveled, I Screwed Up, I Learned, I Had Fun In 2004, I visited London for the first time…