Phil Giunta's Blog, page 32
May 27, 2019
Memorial Day
Wishing everyone a relaxing Memorial Day and hope you will, in fact, take at least a moment to remember those who gave their lives in the service of our country.

Happy Birthday, Harlan Ellison
Today would have been Harlan Ellison’s 85th birthday… It’s been almost a year since the grand master left us, but his work will last forever.


May 26, 2019
Getting Outside…
As an outdoorsman, I’m always grateful for beautiful weather, especially since my new day job has me tucked away in a basement office for roughly 40 hours per week.
Unfortunately, life has been so hectic and fraught with stress, anxiety, and depression this year that it took weeks longer than unusual for my first fishing trip. This morning, I drove up to Beltzville State Park in Lehighton, PA for several hours of fishing followed by an hour of just kicking back and enjoying clear skies and sunshine.
My first catch of the day was a sizable black crappie. This was followed by an enormous largemouth bass that threw my hook just as I was about to pull it out of the water. I was disappointed, but only for about an hour. Near the end of my day, I hauled in one of the biggest bass I’ve ever caught from any lake in Pennsylvania.
All told, it was a fantastic start to my fishing season!
May 24, 2019
One Fine Day in June…
On Saturday, June 22, I’ll have a table in Creator Alley at the Lehigh Valley Comic Con from 10AM to 4PM at Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schecksville, PA.
Other guests include Michele Knotz, Ken Hunt, Will Torres, Richard Laslo, John Allemand, Brittany Brubaker, Felicia Faulkner, Troy Vevasis, Jack Hillman, and many more!
Meanwhile, Firebringer Press publisher and writer pal Steven H. Wilson will speak at the Carroll County Public Library in Eldersburg, MD from 1PM to 2PM on the topic of…
Boomers, GenX-ers, and the Final Frontier
The generation that grew up after television but before the Internet saw the birth of a whole new kind of popular culture; tales of other worlds, possible futures, and strange alien life forms captured the imaginations of many. From math club nerds to geek chic, from hiding comics in our textbooks to Marvel movies dominating the box office, fans of the fantastic have come a long way. Steven Howell Wilson, author, publisher, science fiction convention promoter, fanfiction writer, blogger, podcaster, and Star Trek comics scribe will lead you on a journey through the history of an amazing era. Millennials and GenZ-ers welcome if you promise not to make fun of our flip phones!
May 15, 2019
“Author of Murder” by Jean Rabe on The Infinite Bard
This week, The Infinite Bard brings you another fantastic–and FREE–short story. Click here to read Jean Rabe’s “Author of Murder.”
A title like that deserves to be followed by a hearty “muahahahahahaha…”
Enjoy!
May 5, 2019
Book Review: Strange Stories of the Supernatural
When I was in high school, mumble-mumble years ago, the Scholastic Book Club was known for selling inexpensive reprints of classic novels and anthologies published by Watermill Press. You can still find these old paperbacks online and in used book shops.
In October, I reviewed two of them on this blog—The Legend of Sleepy Hollow/Rip Van Winkle and Great Ghost Stories. I recently discovered Strange Stories of the Supernatural tucked away in one of our bookcases at home. It is a thin anthology consisting of only five tales, the best of which is the “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs. A military veteran returns home from India with a mummified monkey’s paw, which grants its owner three wishes—at a terrible cost. While visiting a friend, the soldier tosses the trinket into the fire, but his friend hastily retrieves it and insists on trying it, despite the soldier’s warning…
The remaining four stories range from mildly enjoyable (“The Upper Berth” and “The Ghost Ship”) to disappointing (“The Mortal Immortal” and “The Dream Woman”).
In “The Upper Berth” by F. Marion Crawford, an Englishman named Brisbane recounts a ghostly encounter while crossing the Atlantic aboard a ship where six previous passengers threw themselves overboard during previous voyages. As it happens, every one of them slept in the same stateroom as Mr. Brisbane…
While spending the night at a secluded inn, Isaac Scatchard dreams that a young woman with a knife tries to murder him in his bed. Upon arriving home, Isaac describes the dream to his mother, who takes detailed notes. Years later, he meets an attractive woman and eventually arranges for her to meet his mother, who recognizes her instantly from Isaac’s description of “The Dream Woman.” This story by Wilkie Collins is among the better ones in the book.
“The Ghost Ship” by Richard Middleton. In the English town of Fairfax, ghosts are a common sight and are, in fact, taken for granted. However, it is unusual for a tall ship to materialize in the middle of a turnip field after a violent storm. The ghost ship’s captain assures the town that he will return to sea in a few days—after taking on new recruits.
In Mary Shelley’s “The Mortal Immortal,” an alchemist’s young apprentice drinks a solution that might have made him immortal, for his outward appearance never changes throughout his decades-long marriage. Yet, he drank only half the bottle, so is he truly immortal or merely aging slowly?
May 4, 2019
May the Fourth Be With You!
Although saddened by the loss of Peter Mayhew earlier this week, I nevertheless wish you a Happy Star Wars Day!
May 1, 2019
The Infinite Bard is On the Air!
As announced last week, THE INFINITE BARD is an international collection of authors joining forces to offer FREE fiction from epic adventure and spine-tingling action to thrills, chills, romance, humor, and mystery.
We begin with not one, not two, but three stories:
“Diamond of the Sky” by Azure Avians
“Blind Spot” by Donald J. Bingle
“First Command” by Chris A. Jackson
A brand new tale will follow every two weeks, so keep checking back. We hope you enjoy what you read. Please share the link and spread the word. We appreciate your support.
April 28, 2019
After-Action Report: Beach Pulp Book Signing
Another wonderful book signing has come to an end. I had a blast with my fellow Beach Pulp authors at Browseabout Books in Rehoboth Beach earlier today. Special thanks to Cat & Mouse Press owner and editor, Nancy Day Sakaduski, for publishing another fun anthology and for bringing us together at the beach!
From giant creatures to ghostly specters and from heroic superheroes to hard-boiled detectives, our beach towns are in for a shock. Beach Pulp is a collection of nineteen stories in the style of the old Amazing Stories pulp magazines set in Rehoboth, Bethany, Cape May, Lewes, Ocean City, and other beach towns that covers a range of genres, including science fiction, fantasy, horror, and noir.








Prior to the book signing, my wife and I enjoyed walking the boardwalk and eating lunch at the Green Turtle. Overcast skies in the morning cleared by the afternoon and the welcome sunshine quickly raised the temperature to 73F. We look forward to returning for vacation this summer!



April 24, 2019
The Infinite Bard
What is THE INFINITE BARD, you ask? It’s an international collection of authors joining forces to offer free fiction: epic adventure, spine-tingling action, thrills, chills, romance, humor, mystery.
THE INFINITE BARD launches on Wednesday, May 1 with three exciting stories. A brand new story will follow every two weeks. I was honored to be invited to participate.
Click here to visit the hub and see what’s new, then visit each author’s website to enjoy each new story as it’s released. Contributing authors include:
Rigel Ailur
Reid Alan
A. B. Alvarez
Lorraine Anderson
Dereck Attico
Azure Avians
Jess Barry
Ilsa Bick
Donald J. Bingle
Lauryn Christopher
Michele Dean
Leigh Dragoon
Felicia Fredlund
Dana Fredsti
Barbara G. Tarn
Phil Giunta
Jason Hardy
Chris A. Jackson
Tony Jones
Kris Katzen
Kari Kilgore
Michael Kingswood
Amy Laurens
Frazer Lee
Debbie Mumford
Mel Odom
Liz Pierce
Jean Rabe
Ben H. Rome
Aaron Rosenberg
Carolyn Rowland
Leigh Saunders
Bryan Thomas Schmidt
Wanda Shaner
Sarah Stegall