Archive for February, 2014

Reborn City: The Third Review

Posted: February 3, 2014 in Novel, Review, Writing
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Reborn City

Today a new review came in for Reborn City, which I’m very happy about (didn’t the three-month anniversary since its publication just pass? Oh yes, here’s the article). The review comes from Michele Kurland, and she gave RC five stars (oh, I love it when people do that), bringing RC‘s average up to a 4.7 out of 5. Her review, entitled I can’t wait for the sequel! (she must have heard about Video Rage), is below:

“This is not a genre I typically delve into, but I took this book on vacation and couldn’t put it down. The plot had me turning pages at quite the clip. The characters were unique and interesting and the imagery had me creating my own visual of what Rami’s interpretation of the future looked like. For first time novelist, Rami Ungar, this was an outstanding showing of talent and commitment to his passion of writing. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next!”

Well, how do you feel about a thriller about a serial killer, Michele? Well, there’s more on that later, so if you’re reading this blog, you can tell me then. Oh, and VR has been written. I just need to find the time to edit it a couple of times. Seeing as I have a few projects ahead of that though, VR will have to wait.

But anyway, thanks for reading RC and giving me a review telling me what you think. I always enjoy hearing feedback and I’m looking forward to hearing what other people feel about Reborn City. Speaking of which, if you’re interested in reading RC, you can check it out on Amazon and Smashwords, in paperback and e-book format. And if you do end up reading RC, please let me know what you think. I always enjoy feedback, whether positive or negative.

All for now. Hope to have another blog post out tonight.

Plans for February 2014

Posted: February 2, 2014 in Living and Life, Writing
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January was a great month for me. I got a lot of writing done, I did very well in most, if not all, of my schoolwork, I applied for several scholarships for my study abroad trip, That, and Angela and I are very close to finishing the final draft of Snake (thanks for all the help, Angela, by the way. Couldn’t have done it without you). Since January was so good, I’ve got similar feelings for February, and I thought I’d share what I hope to accomplish this month:

Write and edit like a madman. I’ve still got several short stories I want to write, so I hope to get those done before I return to my WIP Laura Horn. I also hope to edit those same short stories and maybe send them to some magazines. That, and I plan to finish Snake and get it ready for publication (already thinking about a book trailer), as well as to write an article for a magazine a friend of mine runs. And finally, I hope to write some really great blog posts that examine various aspects of writing and ask some deep questions on fiction writing. Not sure what those will be yet, but I have some ideas. We’ll see what I can come up with.

I’m going to enter a few contests. There’s a short story award given out every spring semester by Ohio State’s English Department, and I’ve submitted my entry already. I decided to go with Ohm, the short story I wrote last month about a man who starts a cult around himself using meditation. It’s not horror, but with OSU’s English Department that might be a good thing (they’re more literary-oriented, sadly). I think they’ll like it, but we’ll see. I also plan to submit Reborn City for the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award in the middle of the month. I don’t think I’ll get very far with my first novel, but I hope to get to a certain round where you can get a possibly favorable review. If that happens, I’m hoping that more people will discover RC and maybe like it. Fingers crossed!

I’m going to work hard in school. Five classes, most of them between the 3000-5000 level makes for some heavy assignments to get through. As soon as I’m done with one, I have another to look forward to! But I’m not going to let it get in my way. I’m going to get all A’s this semester and I’m going to keep my place on that study-abroad trip! And speaking of which…

I’m going to get a lot of scholarship! Okay, that’s kind of out of my hands, but I applied for a lot of scholarships. At least one of them might come through! It’ll save me from applying for a loan to finance this trip, anyway!

And finally, I’m doing Buckeyethon again! Last year I had so much fun raising money for cancer research and then celebrating with a 12-hour dance marathon, I’m doing it all over again this Valentine’s Day! Oh, and if anyone wants to make a last minute donation, here’s the link. It’s all for a good cause!

Well, that’s all I got for now. I hope to have more good news later this week and this month. Until then, Goodnight Followers of Fear!

Reborn City: Three Months Since Publication

Posted: February 1, 2014 in Living and Life, Novel, Review, Writing
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Reborn City

As I said earlier in the week, it’s been three months since my first novel Reborn City was published. I still can’t believe it’s only been three months! Maybe it’s because during November, December, and this past month I’ve been busy with school and work, but it feels much, much longer.

For those unfamiliar with RC, this is a science-fiction novel I wrote in high school and edited and polished through my first two years or so of college before publishing it in November. The first book in a trilogy, the novel follows Zahara Bakur, a Muslim teenager living in Reborn City, a Las Vegas-esque entertainment city owned by the powerful and mysterious Parthenon Company. The world Zahara lives in is a dystopia that resulted from the War on Terror devolving into a third world war, leaving most of the Western world prejudiced against Islam and Muslims, making life for Zahara very difficult. One day though she’s forced to join an interracial street gang called the Hydras, and it’s from there the story begins, with Zahara learning to live in a gang and finding out that there are more than just other gangs after the Hydras. The choices she makes will not only influence her own life, but the lives of those around her.

I’ve only gotten two reviews on RC so far, but they’ve all been pretty positive. Here’s what they’ve had to say:

“As a reader who does not read books in this genre, I must admit that I could not put down the book. I attribute this to the talent of the author. I am looking forward to reading the next books published by Ungar. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy action with  features of supernatural powers and sci-fi.”

Enji

“Gangland violence, superhero-like enhancements, a futuristic setting, and social commentary that stems from a semi-post-apocalyptic theme. And then there’s a story where people come together as a family to deal with mutual loss and tragedy. What’s not to like?”

Matthew S. Williams, author of Whiskey Delta and other great books.

I must say, I really enjoy RC, and I’ve grown close to many of the characters. And if you end up liking RC, there’s good news: I just finished the second book in the trilogy and I’ll probably start editing it later this year (for a summary of Video Rage, please click here). I’m very excited for VR, actually. I felt that while writing it I experienced both personal growth and growth as a writer, and it shows in how I wrote VR. It also expands a bit on the world the Hydras inhabit and explores their personal relationships more deeply than the first book. I think a lot of readers will like it.

If you’d be interested in reading Reborn City, you can get it in both print paperback and e-book from Amazon and Smashwords. And whatever you think of it, please let me know what you think. I enjoy feedback, positive or negative.

Thanks and I wish you happy reading!

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