Author Archive

I’ll Be Releasing Free Short Stories to My Website Soon

Posted: November 5, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Hey, Followers of Fear. So, there’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now, but I’ve really only been able to think about it recently. And that’s that I’ll be releasing some of my stories for free here on this blog/website.

Why am I doing this? Well, some of my fellow authors have short works available for free through their websites, and it brings in a lot of new readers. Seeing as I’m always on the lookout for new readers, as well as new ways to bring them in, I thought I would get in on it too. I don’t know if it’ll be effective, but I think with enough fanfare and mentions at the many events I do, some people are bound to check it out.

Who knows? They might become ardent Followers of Fear and gobble up all my work. I would be happy if that happened.

As to which short stories I’ll be releasing, I will be releasing three over the next several months that have already been previously published. There are a few reasons I chose to release previously published stories, rather than any new stuff. One is because I know they’ve already passed the test of being good enough to publish, so it makes sense to use them. I also want to expose them to new readers, and finally I think they make the best representatives of what you can expect from my work if you should decide to pursue more of my stories.

And, if the previously published stuff does well, it will make more sense for me to publish new stuff here as well.

So which stories will be coming out? First will be “Car Chasers,” which is like a spooky Fast & Furious movie. It will be followed by “Cressida,” a mermaid horror story that I’m particularly proud of. And finally, I’ll be releasing “Natural Predators,” a pandemic horror story taking place at a summer camp.

As I said, depending on how they do, I may release more on this website.

And when will the first story be released? Why, this Friday! That’s right, “Car Chasers” will be coming out on Friday through this website. It has a whole new cover and is ready to go. I cannot wait for you to read it and let me know what you think.

So, keep your eye on this website and on your inbox, because we got an epic ghost story coming in a few days. It’ll be spookily good fun.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have to watch a scary movie before bed. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Happy Hellidays has been Released!!!

Posted: October 31, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Get on your costumes! Bust out the creepy music! Prepare a parade of terrifying proportions to go through every neighborhood and distribute candy and frights it’s Halloween, the greatest day of the year!

And with that, I have a treat and a fright, all wrapped together, for all of you. Some of you may remember that a short story I wrote earlier this year, “The Wild Hunt,” was accepted for publication in a holiday horror anthology. The story follows two sisters who encounter the mythical Wild Hunt one Christmas Eve and what happens afterwards.

And yes, a Jew wrote a Christmas horror film. Talk about a variation on a theme, considering my tribe has written some of your favorite Christmas carols.

Anyway, the anthology, Happy Hellidays, was released today by Hellbound Books and is now available for purchase. And wow, what a cover! I mean, look at that thing! It’s terrifying. And no, that’s not the Ghostface from the Scream movies. The design of the masks from the movies is based on a general design that is open to use, including in horror anthology covers. Trust me, there are court cases on this.

But back on topic. I was proud of “The Wild Hunt,” but I did not think I would find a home for it with so much good Christmas horror out there, let alone that I would find a home for it in the same year I wrote the story. I’m so thankful to Hellbound Books, who were a delight to work with and whom I would work with again. And I cannot wait for people to read “The Wild Hunt” and tell me what they think.

That being said, there are plenty of great stories in the book. I read a few of them, and they were quite scary and creative. You should check them out and give them a read, and then tell all your friends to give the anthology a read. I’ll give you a link to check it out below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on new stories and then watch scary movies while wearing a costume or two. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy Halloween!

Happy Hellidays

My First New Story in a While

Posted: October 29, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
4

I actually wanted to write this post days ago, but you know how life gets. It gets crazy, and my life has been especially crazy lately. Still, it was nice that last week, on Wednesday, I started a new short story. And on Thursday, I finished that story. It’s been my first new work in…God, I don’t know how long.

So yeah, it’s safe to say The Great Editing has ended. However, because of that crazy life I mentioned above, I wasn’t able to start writing for several days after my last editing project. When I did, when I started working on that story, it was such a release! Like something that had been building up inside of my brain and in my fingers was released in the course of eleven-hundred words. And the next night, I wrote the rest of the story in one glorious sitting. Again, there was that sense of relief and release. Like, after so many months of editing and promotion, telling a new story that had been rattling around in my head for months was exactly what the doctor ordered.

So, how is the new story? Well, as the writer, it’s hard to tell. “White Leaves” involves the strange events occurring in an apartment complex on a chilly Halloween morning (hey, that’s coming up!). It’s also told in the second person, which is something I’ve only done once before. (If you’ve read The Quiet Game, you probably remember the story.) The reason why I did is because I read a horror story recently that was told in the second person, and it was awesome. When I formulated “White Leaves,” the idea of telling the story in the same method as that other story just seemed to make sense.

And, somehow, it’s under three thousand words, which is a surprise for me. Normally my short stories are at least seven-thousand words. I even said on my social media, “Who am I and what have I done with my normal writing style?”

Anyway, it’s weird and fun and I think my critique group is going to get a kick out of it. Perhaps, with their feedback and a bit of a polish, I’ll even be able to find a home for it that will enjoy the strange tale and what I’ve included. That would be nice.

As for my next story, I already have the idea and I’ve done the research necessary. It’ll be a Jewish horror story, so hopefully it becomes a great addition to that growing catalog. I’ll keep you guys updated on it, especially if the story gets published.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve had a long day and I’m going into the office tomorrow, so I better wrap up my night. Especially if I want to watch a scary movie. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

One last thing, my Followers of Fear: tomorrow night, at the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers will be doing a flash fiction writing workshop. If you can come by, please RSVP and show up. We’ll have a good time, we’ll write scary stories, and you’ll see my new author costume in person. Trust me, it’s awesome.

Until next time, another good night and more pleasant nightmares to you.

Halloween Flash Fiction Workshop with HWA Ohio

“Hannah and Other Stories:” One Month Since Release

Posted: October 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Has it really been a whole month? Surprisingly, yes it has. Hannah and Other Stories was released on September 23rd, 2023 and it is now October 23rd, 2023. That’s a month.

And what a month it’s been.

As many of you know, Hannah and Other Stories is my new short story collection, containing seven original tales of ghosts in haunted schools, creepypasta characters taking on lives of their own, carnivorous horses, pandemics, occult magic and cosmic monsters, budding serial killers, and so many more. It is quite the collection, and I’m so proud that it’s finally out and being read by people.

I’m actually filled with a warm feeling just thinking about it. This collection is the result of over two years of work. Most of that work was between the publisher and me just to make sure that the book was up to snuff when it released. I mean, carnivorous horses is a great idea, but you need to make sure it’s done well so that the story sticks in people’s heads.

And if the reviews are anything to go by, the stories are sticking in people’s heads. Here is what people are saying:

One of the most important things authors forget is the character’s depth and motivations. This is not the case with this book. The different stories in this novel builds out characters and scenes extremely well and as a reader I actually cared about them.

It starts off with a wonderful story and keeps moving a real page turner.

Great Job Rami

David Musser, author of The Devil’s Well

Horror anthologies are my favourite kind of horror novel, and for sheer imagination alone Hannah is one of the best I’ve ever read. The level of creativity in each story is seriously impressive; I never knew what was coming next while reading them…Overall this collection of horror tales gets 4.5 from me. Reading it was a blast from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Louise Conway, Goodreads

Ungar is not a new writer and has been publishing books and stories for over a decade. This book is yet another solid collection in an already impressive stable of work. Hannah and Other Stories is a really solid collection of horror stories that span the gamut from cozy and comforting to gory and disturbing. It’s a shorter collection, too, and very quick to read. After you have read this book, you will wonder why you didn’t own it already, and will most likely want to read everything Ungar has written. This is strongly recommended for any read of horror fiction. 

Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance magazine

Pretty good reviews, right? And there are hopefully more on the way. I’m working hard to make that happen, to make people want to read the book and even leave their thoughts on whatever website they bought it from. If they do that, then maybe a paperback version will come out (currently only available in ebook), and then maybe even an audio version.

I wonder how those carnivorous horses will come across in audio? Or maybe some of those eldritch monstrosities? That would be something to hear.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested, I’ll leave links for Hannah down below. Like I said, it’s currently only available in ebook, but if it does well, a paperback and an audio version aren’t outside the realms of possibility. So, if it’s not too much trouble, please leave a review once you’ve read the book so others know what you thought and may even consider getting a copy themselves.

Who knows? Maybe by the time we reach the two month anniversary, I’ll be able to make some announcements that will get everyone excited. (Though given that the second-month mark will be both Thanksgiving in the United States and the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who‘s premiere, I may need to post something a day or two early.)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you have a good Monday and a good week. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

Review: “All Hallows” by Christopher Golden

Posted: October 21, 2023 in Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Around this time of year, you want to read something that practically screams jack-o-lanterns and chilly air and people running around in costumes. So, when I heard about All Hallows by Christopher Golden earlier this year, I knew this would be my audio book for October.

Taking place in the mid-1980s in Coventry, Massachusetts, the majority of the story is set on Parmenter Road and in the woods beyond. Here, Halloween is a big thing. The Barbossa’s turn the woods behind their house into a haunted attraction that attracts plenty of people every year; the Koenigs have a huge costume party for the whole neighborhood; and, of course, every kid is excited about trick or treating.

But despite the excitement in the air, there’s a dark undercurrent to it all. Marriages are coming undone, kids are feeling the tensions, teens are in a weird in-between state where they’re not quite kids and not quite adults, and a dozen other things are happening in the background. And then, in the midst of it all, strange children in old costumes are walking up and down Parmenter Road, asking for help. They say they are in trouble, that the Cunning Man is after them, and they need to hide until midnight.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a new classic in Halloween literature.

All Hallows is so well told. The first several chapters, rather than focusing on anything outright scary like other horror stories, spends its time setting up the characters and their various problems. Tony Barbossa, Vanessa Montez, Barb Sweeney, Rick Barbossa, and many more. We all get to know these characters intimately before Halloween truly gets started, and the telling is so well done, you don’t even mind that nothing scary has occurred yet.

And when the scary stuff does start, it’s almost like the beginning of a storm. At first, it’s only a few drops here and there. Then you get a nice drizzle going on, and then before you know it, there’s an all-out thunderstorm of horror, making the last couple hours of the book quite the read, with violence and great twists and scary imagery.

Also, the audio book narrators, John Butler and January LaVoy, do a great job bringing the characters to life and giving each one a unique voice.

My one gripe is that I felt the mythology behind what we’re seeing could have been explained a bit better. The delivery for some information was delivered weirdly and all at once, and for one character, I felt like not enough was given.

Overall, All Hallows by Christopher Golden is sure to become a staple for this time of year. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m assigning a 4.7 to the novel. Grab a copy, sit back while wearing a spooky costume, and be sure to give it a read.

What is the Future of this Blog?

Posted: October 16, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections
Tags: , , , , , , ,
2

I’ve been writing this blog for over twelve years now. Several lifetimes in Internet time, if you think about it. Through college and my first publishing successes, job searching and travel and back pain, getting a decent paying job and learning to drive. Past getting a car and getting more books out there, as well as a pandemic and all the changes that brought about. Then having a collection accepted and then buying a home.

And now, Hannah is out and I’m out of the Face of Horror contest, and I wonder to myself: what is the future of this blog?

Understand, I’m not going to shut it down. No way, this blog has always been and will always be important to my life and my plan as an author. It’s how I met so many wonderful Followers of Fear, after all. Nor am I going to change the focus of my blog. It will always be about me, my writing, and my love of horror, as well as me trying to spread those last two to other people.

But I have noticed that, despite a high number of visitors since last month (I believe a certain contest was behind that), this blog needs some sort of change. I’ve actually felt this way for a while. Maybe it’s because nearly half the posts I’ve published lately have been about Hannah, and more than a few were about the Face of Horror.

And of course, some posts on those subjects are to be expected. Like I said, part of this blog is spreading word about what I’m doing and getting people interested in my stories. But I feel like I’ve been doing too much of that. That maybe this blog is slowly becoming just a giant ad, rather than a place for me to interact with my Followers of Fear. And I don’t want that!

So, what am I going to do? Well, I’m still figuring that out. I may try to do more posts where I reflect on the nature of horror and on writing, but those have to come from a real place of wanting to write those posts. I can’t write them just because I feel I have to. The point is, I want to put out posts and content that I feel passionate about putting out there, and that you all will want to read. Not just ads.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, that’s kind of like writing, isn’t it? What you put out there only has real meaning if you have passion about it. If you do that, you’re sure to find someone, maybe a lot of someones, who will want to read your work. Hopefully this new path will lead to new Followers of Fear finding this blog.

But like I said, I’m still figuring out some of the changes I want to make, so if you have any suggestions, let me know. I’d be happy to hear what you think. And don’t be surprised by a certain Hannah-themed post on Monday. After all, that’s the one-month anniversary since its release.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to read and then dream dark dreams. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

What changes should I make to this blog? What would help keep this blog interesting?

The Face of Horror: Well, I Lost

Posted: October 12, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
4

If you’ve been following this blog recently, my Followers of Fear, you know that I’ve been participating in a contest called The Face of Horror. Participants competed for daily votes, and would advance through the rounds based on how many votes they got. The winner will get a cash prize and be in a photo shoot with Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in four different films.

And, as is obvious from the title of this blog post, I lost. Or rather, I didn’t get enough votes to make it to the next round.

Not that I’m bummed. I always knew I probably wouldn’t win and was instead aiming to stay in the competition as much as possible. And besides, I had fun. Thanks to all your votes, traffic on my blog went waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up! Just let me know how much you all care for me and were willing to support me in this endeavor. That in itself is its own prize.

So, what happens now? Well, back to the usual, I guess. Work at my day job, writing/editing/submitting stories, doing all those things that responsible adults are known to do, and…oh yeah, I have a new book to promote. You might have heard of it. Hannah and Other Stories? It’s a perfect collection of Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. I’ll leave links below in case you want to check it out.

Again, thank you for supporting me in this contest. It means a lot to me. And now that it’s done, I’ll put my focus on more important stuff. Hell, maybe I’ll make some changes to this blog. I mean, who knows? The future is unwritten, though I intend to write my best life into being. Will I make that happen? Only time will tell.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to go and dream up dark monsters to put into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Site
Kobo
Wook

Events in 2023

Posted: October 12, 2023 in Living and Life, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Hey folks! Told you I’d be doing a non-Hannah or Face of Horror post at some point soon.

Anyway, it looks like I have two final events for 2023 (and that’s deliberate so I don’t tucker myself out). On October 30th, 2023, I’ll be at the Bexley Public Library with my friends in HWA Ohio for the Halloween Writing Workshop. We’ll be teaching some tips and tricks for writing flash fiction and then writing flash fiction together. It’ll be from 7 PM – 8 PM, and if you want to, you can join us! Just use the link below to RSVP.

Halloween Writing Workshop with HWA Ohio

And this is exciting, because I’ll be doing an event with Hidden Marietta in Marietta, Ohio! Yeah, I’ll be doing a reading and book signing at their location, the Anchorage Mansion. You know, the one I found was really haunted (see this post to get all the spooky details)? I’m looking forward to working that into my reading!

Anyway, it’ll be happening on Saturday, November 11. Details such as time and whether you need to RSVP prior will be announced as we get closer. And there may be someone else there doing something cool, like reiki healing or Tarot reading, so look forward to it.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to make dinner. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Hannah and Other Stories: All the Excerpt Videos

Posted: October 10, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

If you weren’t aware, I have a YouTube channel (which you can find here). And over the past several weeks and months, I’ve been uploading videos of me reading from Hannah and Other Stories. And as of earlier this week, I’ve uploaded videos from each story in the collection. And since everyone here doesn’t subscribe to my YouTube channel (a crying shame, I know), I thought I would post all those videos here on the blog for you to see. In the order they were uploaded, too.

First, we have “What Errour Awoke,” which is probably my favorite story to read from:

I know the angle for this one was weird. First video trying to be atmospheric and all that. We had improvement with the next video, which was directly from “Hannah:”

And with the “Queen Alice” video, I got special stands for my candles. They rock!

After that, I went with “The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah,” which is the closest to extreme horror Hannah gets.

And then we get to the carnivorous horses. You know, “Fuseli’s Horses?” That’s a popular story in the collection.

Then we have The Red Bursts.

And finally, we have “Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” which has a similar camera angle as the first video. Totally not intentional, but in a weird way, it was kind of like going full circle.

Well, I hope you enjoyed those. I know they’re not much, but I do these videos so that you may possibly show interest in the collection. And in that spirit, I’ll be posting links below. If you’re interested, please check out Hannah and Other Stories and let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and doing so helps other readers decide whether to check out the book.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

Also, if you could subscribe to my YouTube channel, I would appreciate it. The stuff I post isn’t like the top YouTubers, but often they’re stuff I love or want to share it. And occasionally I even get ghosts on camera! So check it out.

And if you could, I’m trying to up my rank in the Face of Horror contest, so if you could vote for me, I would appreciate it. Who knows? I may even win. Thanks!

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I swear, I’ll do some non-Hannah or Face of Horror posts in the near future. Hopefully, you all aren’t annoyed with all this promotional stuff. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

This Year’s Halloween Costume and Yard

Posted: October 8, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Did I need to write a post about this? No. Am I going to anyway? Oh, hell yeah.

So, as you know, I LOOOOOOOVE Halloween. In fact, I pretty much celebrate it year round and try to get people to freak out with me between late August and November 1st. So, I take great delight and great preparation in my Halloween costume and my front yard (especially now that I have a front yard).

So, without further ado, let me show you my very special Halloween costume. Behold, I am…Cthulhu!

Pretty cool, huh? I’m wearing a kigurumi, which is a Japanese costume you can wear as streatwear, as a costume, or as onesie pajamas. I got them as a birthday present, and have worn them for a couple of YouTube videos. And now that it’s October and it’s gotten colder, I’m wearing this as both pajamas and as a costume. Isn’t it awesome?

I may also wear other stuff, and I’ll be sure to take photos, but this will be my main costume. Besides, it’s so comfy!

And here’s my yard this year. I bought a whole bunch of stuff, so now my yard’s even more creepy! Check it out!

What’s your favorite part? I’m quite proud of the big spider web. I found one that’s not dangerous to wildlife (because, as you may have heard, the stuff that we’ve stretching across our bushes for years can kill birds and small animals) and which I can still hang scary spiders on. One’s even got a baby head! Isn’t that freaky!

And next year, I’ll go even bigger and creepier! Maybe even a giant statue that moves when motion is triggered in front of it!

Whether I dress up as a cosmic horror entity again is another matter (remember last year, when I was the King in Yellow?). Though I’m not sure how I would dress up as Nyarlathotep, Azathoth, or Shub-niggurath without getting an expensive and elaborate costume that’s hard to move around in. I mean, can you imagine what those costumes would like? Without going mad, that is?

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I don’t have work tomorrow, so I’m going to pop popcorn and watch a scary movie. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Speaking of Halloween, as you’re probably aware, Hannah and Other Stories is out now and is scaring everyone silly! If you would like to check out these stories full of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, you can do so using any of the links below. And if you do, please leave me a review after you read the book. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps readers decide whether or not to check out the book.

Once more, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares, my Followers of Fear.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook
Older Entries
Newer Entries