A Re-Enactment at the Kutztown Folk Festival — In the 1970s, my parents took me to the Kutztown Folk Festival. One of the most memorable events was a re-enactment of the hanging of Susanna Cox. Yes, that’s right. This festival, located in quaint Kutztown, Pennsylvania, included a re-enactment of a famous local hanging as one of its events…

The Answer Might Surprise You Fantasy fans love delving into lengthy series. Which one is the longest series? Many fans believe The Wandering Inn is the true winner of this crown. What? Who? It took a bit of traveling before I stumbled upon The Wandering Inn. Fantasy Fans Love Long and Enduring Series There are many lengthy…

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 articles on writing, reading, and movies. My articles about my family. My occasional bursts of humor. (Some contain all of the above.) My true crime articles have their own hideout. My Articles for Readers and on Nerd Culture This started out as a short…

Talking to Plants (but Not Very Well) — In the 1970s, talking to your plants was all the rage. There was a famous book called The Secret Life of Plants that told us plants had emotions. Did you try talking to your plants? Did you name your plants, like me? How many of you read The Secret Life…

The Line Went On and On and On — Many people reminisce about the time they got to meet a beloved childhood celebrity. What about the kids who were stuck at the end of the line and missed out? When you were a kid, did you try to meet a celebrity you loved at an event? Did the wait…

Bang Bang Bang! — This morning, a crew arrived to install a new furnace. Bang bang bang! In and out. Up and down. This is a test to find out if I can write under those conditions. And can you write under strange circumstances such as seeing your old HVAC system strewn about on…

What Do You Think of This Jim Butcher Cover? Can the cover of a long-awaited fantasy novel be too shiny? Does that send the wrong message to potential readers? Could it attract the “wrong” fans? Because of the cover controversy, I kept an eye out for the book in question…

Or Romantasy and the Missing Categories We can’t have a Goodreads Choice Awards without controversy. This year, the Goodreads Choice Awards generated controversy right from the starting gate. There are two major controversies this year, and they are entwined. They involve romantasy and disappearing awards categories. Introducing the Best Romantasy…