Author Archive

The Review That Shook Me

Posted: July 26, 2023 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff, Writing
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How many of you follow booktubers?

If you don’t know what those are, they’re YouTubers who mostly review books. There’s a whole bunch of them devoted to horror. I’ve been following one for a while now. Pax Panic. She was funny, she was enthusiastic, she loved horror and you could tell that, even though her channel was small, it would grow.

I say “was” because she passed earlier this year. Some time ago, she announced she had cancer and was undergoing treatment. I, and the rest of her following, rallied around her, offered her our support. I think there might have been a fundraiser for medical costs, but I’m not sure. Anyway, she went through treatment, and we hoped that was the end of it. But we soon learned that the treatment didn’t take, and she posted that she only had a few months to live.

Obviously, we were upset. We kept watching her and supporting her.

And then a few months ago, her husband posted that she’d passed. And just writing it, I’m feeling a little teary. I don’t get teary-eyed often, but I feel like crying just typing this. She was an amazing person, and it fucking sucks that she had to die so young.

Anyway, her husband said that she recorded a bunch of videos prior to her treatment and death, and that he would be uploading them in her memory. Which I and her other followers appreciated.

And today, a video was uploaded to her channel, a video with reviews of multiple books. One of the books was The Pure World Comes. My Gothic horror novel.

I’ve posted the video below. If you want to watch just her review, it’s from 3:12 to 5:52.

Followers of Fear, I was not expecting this. I sent her a review copy of The Pure World Comes a while ago, and she left a review on Goodreads, and I thought that was that. I never expected that she would include it in a video, let alone one after her death. And she delivered it full of such love for the story and for the concept and how I played with both the Gothic elements and the Victorian elements and the scientific elements.

I appreciate all my reviews (except for ones like the one from a troll who wanted to make fun of me over something in my biography). But this one had me shook emotionally. It was so sweet and unexpected and it really hit me emotionally. These videos always make me feel a little sad, because Pax is no longer with us, but this one…it just amplified both my sadness and my gratitude. Hands down, one of the best reviews I’ve ever received for one of my stories.

Pax, wherever you are, thank you. This meant so much to me. I miss you, and I hope that right now, you’re reading all the scary stories you can dream of.

If you’re at all interested, I highly recommend checking out Pax’s channel and her other videos. She left a lot of material and there’s probably going to be more in the weeks and months to come. It’ll be heartbreaking, but it’ll be worth watching.

And if you’re at all interested in checking out The Pure World Comes after watching Pax’s review, I’ll include links before. For those unfamiliar, it’s a Gothic horror story about a maid in Victorian England who goes to work for a mad scientist. As Pax said, it’s got Gothic with Frankenstein mixed into it.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers as well.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m still kind of shook, but I’m taking it in stride. I’ll also be heading to bed soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

The Pure World Comes: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel, Palace Marketplace, Hoopla, Vivlio, Smashwords, Thalia, Scribd, Spotify

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Two Months Till Release!!!

Posted: July 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Did you know that we’re only a hundred days away from Halloween? It’s true. And I can’t think of any way to celebrate the opening of spooky season than preordering what will surely be one of the best horror releases of 2023.

Okay, terrible opening aside, it is both 100 days away from Halloween and two months till the release of Hannah and Other Stories. For those of you who don’t know (I’m sure there are a few of you out there), Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories. It’s being released on September 23rd by BSC Publishing Group and features tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things.

And I am so excited for people to read these stories. The seven stories are all plenty fun and strange and unique, which is what I love. The title story, “Hannah,” is about a pair of ghost hunters who get more than they bargain for when they investigate a haunted school. The one that follows it, “Queen Alice,” combines Alice in Wonderland with Slenderman, which I’m sure would intrigue many of you. The story “What Errour Awoke” combines classic English literature, cosmic horror and some of the biggest events of the past few years into an epic tale of magic and horror. “Fuseli’s Horses” contains those carnivorous horses I mentioned, and come on! Don’t you want to know how that works?

Plus, half of the stories contain LGBT characters and “What Errour Awoke” deals with a lot of the conspiracy bullshit we’ve been dealing with these past few years, so I’m sure someone’s going to try to get it banned from a library or school at some point. I’m sure more people will want to read it just for that.

But back on track. I’m so excited for people to read these stories, and I’m doing all I can to get people interested in preordering copies. It hasn’t been easy (see my recent post on marketing), but I feel I’m making headway. For example, I’ve posted some videos on my YouTube channel, and they’ve gotten some attention. Below are some of the ones I think really help with the sell.

If you watched all those videos, or even just one, thank you. That helps immensely.

I’m also releasing tons of excerpts, some of which are below. And I’m appearing on podcasts soon. Plus, with the eARC almost ready, that will mean I can do a lot that will surely heighten Hannah‘s profile, not the least of which will be the eARC readers, some of whom are very well known in horror, may help spread the good word about it.

Hopefully by September 23rd, there will be plenty of buzz for Hannah.

In the meantime, I’ll leave a button down below. If you click it, you’ll be taken to the preorder page for Hannah. I hope you do and you decide to preorder a copy. Every copy helps immensely. And I know it’s only going to be in ebook at first, but if Hannah does well, a paperback version isn’t out of the question. Maybe even an audio book.

So if you’re at all interested, preorder a copy. And be sure to talk about Hannah on your social media. The more people talking about Hannah, the likelier it is to be ordered and read and reviewed. All that will help this book be as successful as possible.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I look forward to Hannah‘s release and what you think of it. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and–look out! There’s a carnivorous horse behind you!

Click to preorder Hannah and Other Stories

EXCERPTS FROM HANNAH AND OTHER STORIES

“If You Build It, They Will Come.”

Posted: July 21, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Picture about ten years ago. You’ve released a book, but after an initial ten or so sales, no one is looking at your book or leaving reviews. Your blog has barely a hundred followers, and you maybe only get one or two views a day. Sometimes you get more, but those days are rare and they don’t usually get you more than ten. Also, you’re sending out short stories to plenty of publications–non-paying, because you think those publications are easier to get into and you’re working your way up to paid publications–but over and over, it’s just rejection after rejection.

Thoughts about what you’re doing wrong and how are you supposed to become a writer like this flit through your head.

This was me at times during my early writing career, specifically after the release of The Quiet Game. Variations of it, I’m sure, other writers have gone through at various points of their careers, including well into them. Some may even entertain giving up fiction writing, that they don’t have what it takes to become anything in this industry.

Repeated disappointment can be quite the demotivator.

That being said, if you keep trying and can get through the disappointment, perhaps something amazing can happen.

Despite the disappointment, I kept writing and blogging and submitting. I published some more books (two of which I later took out of circulation for reasons I won’t get into), and they got fans. A few even scared people. My blog kept growing and people started rooting for me in earnest. I started working with some other writers to give advice on writing and self-publishing, and it helped increase my influence. I got a lot of rejections on my short stories, but I did get some publications, and that helped me stay motivated.

In 2017, I joined the Horror Writers Association, and not too long after, I joined the newly-formed Ohio chapter. Finally, I’d found my people. And somehow, I ended up becoming the chapter coordinator, which is still my position today (I was reelected by popular vote).

I honestly feel Rose was a turning point in my career, both as a validation of all my previous efforts and a sign of things to come.

In 2018, I got my novel Rose, which I wrote as a college thesis, accepted for publication. I was going to be traditionally published. Thus followed fifteen months of editing and rewriting, during which my anxiety disorder also manifested. Somehow, through all of it, I got the book published and people liked it. To this day, it’s still my most popular book.

Also, in 2019, I had a short story, “Car Chasers,” published in an anthology and was paid five-hundred dollars for it. To this day, it’s still the most I’ve ever made off a single story.

During 2020 and COVID, I kept writing. I met with my fellow writers virtually and we helped each other along. I attended my first event as a vendor in Iowa, and learned a lot. In 2021, I attended events and got more stories accepted and published, including The Pure World Comes and Hannah and Other Stories. In 2022, the former came out in paperback, ebook, and audio book, and I got more work accepted, including The Dedication of the High Priestess, which to this day I still think is some of my best work ever.

Also, after nearly two years of work, my friends and I created a small press and released That Which Cannot Be Undone, an anthology of Ohio horror.

This year, editing on Hannah reached the point we could set a release date. I went to Stoker Con, where not only did a lot of people know who I was, but many people, including my heroes in the horror genre, were eager to meet me. (And they were so nice!) A few even agreed to be eARC readers for Hannah.

Also, I’m working on a grimdark story for an anthology I’ve been invited to, and there’s a chance other stories may be released this year. This past week, The Quiet Game reached its ten-year release anniversary and more people are reading it than ever, especially this week. And I was at the Columbus Book Festival this past weekend and sold more books and made more than I’ve ever earned in four years of vending. I don’t expect the same results this weekend at Gem City Comic Con, but I’m hopeful for good things.

Me and my fellow Ohio horror writers at the Columbus Book Festival. I’m on the end.

And I’ve heard from plenty of people, including an old coworker and my tattoo artist, that they’re reading my work and enjoying it so far.

(Yes, I have a tattoo artist. Surprise!)

All this isn’t to brag. It’s to say that if you keep working hard and working to improve, things won’t stay the same. You can build a foundation for yourself, a catalog of work. And then readers and colleagues and more will be drawn to you. They may even eagerly await your work. You may not be able to write full-time, let alone live the Stephen King lifestyle, and it may take a shit ton of time, but you could become someone whose work people enjoy.

Or, to quote Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”

And isn’t that what we all want, in the end?

That being said, I do hope I’ll be writing full-time by 2028. I actually asked my Tarot cards if I could be writing full-time in five years, and they said there’s a strong possibility. That’s poured gasoline on the fire under my ass. I can’t wait to see what happens under this level of motivation. Wish me luck, Followers of Fear!

Thanks for reading, my Followers of Fear. I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for a while. I hope many of you found it helpful.

Also, I’ll be in Dayton, Ohio this weekend for Gem City Comic Con to sell books and do Tarot readings. If you can stop by, please do so. And if you can’t, click that button thing below. It’ll take you to my Books page. If you’re looking for new reading material, there’s plenty there to choose from. Just remember to leave me a review if you end up reading something of mine so I know what you thought.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami’s Books and Book Links

“The Quiet Game:” The Ten Year Anniversary Post!!!

Posted: July 17, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Pop the champagne! Eat the little hors d’oeuvres! Let loose the death wolves and dragon bats and other monstrosities! As of today, The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones is ten years old! My very first book, my very first self-published book, and my very first collection of short stories is a decade old.

I still have memories of being a young college student, writing the stories in-between classes and homework and designing the cover. I was looking forward to experimenting with self-publishing, as well as seeing what the reaction to my work would be.

If I could, I might go back and teach myself some important things so I could avoid some mistakes. Not the least of which was the double letter “F” in the subtitle. I mean, I’m fond of that now, but it’s still a mistake that if I could, I’d correct it. Sadly, due to some technical issues, I can’t.

But despite all those little imperfections, The Quiet Game has gotten some positive reception. Perhaps because it’s so short and it’s made of short stories, it’s one of my most popular books. Especially at conventions. And I think people responded to all the weirdness of my style that was evident even in my earlier stories. I mean, death wolves, nurses as ogresses, ghosts and dybbuks, and wacky cures for sex addiction. I think people were surprised by that and enjoyed it.

At least, that’s what the reviews seem to indicate. Check out what they had to say:

A collection of five varied stories that get stronger as the collection builds, with the final being my favorite. Though I fancy myself able to “solve” the stories before the reveals, there were several surprises here, especially the reveal in the Quiet Game and I’m Going to be the Next James Bond. I also liked that Rami pulled no punches with his characters. In one instance, an anti-semite for instances uses words that would be hard for any author to write -though are necessary to his character. There are other examples sprinkled throughout the stories that show Rami’s commitment to telling the story in the way it needs to be told. A good collection for a stormy night!

Joleene Naylor, author of the Amaranthine book series

This is the first time I’ve read any of Rami’s stories. I was very impressed with the wide variety of stories and the way he wove the paranormal into each piece. Paranormal is not something I usually read and I enjoyed this collection very much. The collection reminded me of the Twlight Zone. The descriptions were especially well developed. Keep on writing Rami!

Arthur Siegal, Amazon reviewer

I thought these stories would be scarier than they were, but it was a great read and a good effort from the first time author. These stories were more in the genre of creepy rather than scary, but what I really liked was that it made you think of them long after the book ended. The themes of addiction, of sweet innocence gone bad, and of the sins of the fathers being visited on their descendants were very well dealt with, and caused the reader to think of them even after finishing the book. I’m looking forward to more from this new author!

Anonymous, Amazon reviewer

And these are just a fraction of the reviews, the majority of which are positive. I think twenty-year-old me would be happy to know that. To know that people like and enjoy this book and are continuing to read and review it.

And hopefully, as the years go by, more people will find The Quiet Game, enjoy it, and leave their thoughts about it where I can see it.

Speaking of which, if you would like to check out The Quiet Game, I’ll leave links below. And if you do end up reading it, no matter your thoughts, please write a review somewhere so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback. And it not only helps me, but other readers as well.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I plan on celebrating tonight with some pizza, some sweets, and a cocktail. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Now Available on Amazon, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Updates on What I’m Doing

Posted: July 11, 2023 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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It’s that time again. I have a lot going on, so I thought I would list it now right now. Besides, it’s a good excuse to slip in some reminders about things.

So, without further ado, here’s what’s going on in my crazy life. Enjoy!

Hannah and Other Stories
As you are no doubt aware, my new collection Hannah and Other Stories is on its way. It contains tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things, and it’ll be out on September 23rd, while currently available for preorder.

Before we get there, however, there’s a bit more work to do. BSC Publishing Group will be sending me the notes for the last draft any day now, at which point I will quickly edit it. We will then send out the eARCs to the ARC readers, who will hopefully read it and provide some helpful blurbs and reviews that will make people want to read Hannah more.

In addition, I’m doing everything I can to make sure this book is successful. I’ve already been booked for a couple of podcasts and shows, some of which I will list below, and I’ll likely be scheduled for more once the eARC is ready. I’m also posting short videos on my YouTube channel about the inspiration behind some of the stories in Hannah, as well as a candlelit reading of an excerpt from one of the stories. I plan to post more videos and excerpts as time allows.

With any luck, these and more avenues I’m pursuing will allow Hannah and Other Stories to be successful once it’s released. It would be amazing if that were to happen.

Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder a copy of Hannah, you can do so here. And you can read an excerpt here. I hope you check them out, because it’s a fucking great collection. Not something horror fans will want to miss.

The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones
As I’ve said before, The Quiet Game, my first collection and first published book, will pass its ten-year release anniversary next Monday, July 17th, 2023. Obviously, I plan to do a blog post and a YouTube video, as well as other social media posts, to mark the occasion. I’m even doing a giveaway: if you preorder a copy of Hannah and email me letting me know you did before Friday the 14th, you could win a signed copy of The Quiet Game.

My email is ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. I’ll hopefully announce the winner on the 17th. I hope you all take a chance to enter.

Short Fiction
I’ve some good news on this front. I recently wrote a weird fiction short story that I think has potential. And very soon, I’ll be writing a grimdark story for an anthology. I was actually invited to submit a story to this anthology, so I’m very excited to start on the story. And once it’s done, I plan to have it edited and submitted as soon as possible. Same with the weird fiction story.

After that, I have a bunch of short stories, novelettes, and novellas to work on. I want to finish rewriting the ending of “They Sleep Within the Rock,” AKA the story where I put neo-Nazis through hell. I also have to edit “It Changes You,” AKA the Backrooms story before shopping it around, and rewrite/heavily edit “The Underground Kings” and “Forever Young,” two short stories I think have a bunch of potential.

All of them, I feel, have a chance of being published somewhere. And after they’re worked on…

Crawler
For those of you who are unaware, Crawler is a mummy novel I started writing last year. I got about seven or eight chapters in, but then stuff with Hannah started to heat up, and I had to put it on the back burner. And then I took it off the burner and onto a trivet. I’d like to get it back on the stove again by the end of the year. It may not be the biggest new thing in horror, but I would like to get it done.

Fingers crossed that happens.

Upcoming Events
Here are some of the things I’ve got going on in the near future that I think you may be interested in. Hell, maybe you’ll have an opportunity to stop by for some of them:

  • This coming weekend, Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16, I’ll be joining HWA Ohio at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus. It’s an amazing festival to support local authors, organizations and groups. If any of you are in Columbus this weekend, please feel free to stop by. There’s entertainment for all ages, and I would love to see you.
  • The weekend afterwards, on July 22 and July 23, I’ll be at the Dayton Convention Center in Dayton, OH for the Gem City Comic Con. I’ll be selling books and reading Tarot cards there, so please stop by if you can. I believe if you go to their website, you should still be able to get tickets.
  • On August 10, I’ll be joining some members of the New York HWA chapter for their podcast, Galactic Terrors. It’ll be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube before becoming available as a podcast. I’ll be reading from Hannah and maybe answering some questions from those listening in. Further details, such as links and who else will be on the show, will be provided as we get closer. I’ll be sure to post those details as soon as we get them, so hopefully you can attend.
  • On September 9 and 10, I’ll be with HWA Ohio at Mystics & Marvels at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. At this event last year, HWA Ohio really cleaned up, and I almost sold out! I’m looking forward to returning this year, and I hope more people come by. Including you!

And there will be more events as time goes on, especially with Hannah releasing in September. I’ll be sure to let you know about them as soon as they’re confirmed!

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything else comes up, or there’s something I really want to talk about, I’ll be sure to let you know on this or any of my other platforms (which now includes the Threads app as rami_ungar_writer). Until then, however, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Marketing is No Walk in the Park

Posted: July 6, 2023 in Reflections, Writing
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A little dramatic, but it sums up the feelings of many writers towards marketing very well.

Writers–especially those aiming to make writing their full-time job someday–have it rough. Not only do we have to figure out how to write stories, how to edit them, and how to get them published, but we have to figure out the marketing angle so people actually read our work once we publish it. And that part can be trickier than even putting two sentences together.

I might have mentioned, but in the wake of Hannah coming out in less than three months, and on the advice of my publishing company, I’ve changed my marketing strategy for new books coming out. Prior, it was something along the lines of “get the mentions out there, but don’t inundate. You don’t want to annoy people.” Now, it’s closer to “Inundate! Inundate! Inundate!”

Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I’m definitely increasing the number of ads and mentions I put out on my social media. I’m also doing a giveaway (more on that below), telling as many people in person I can, putting out more Hannah-themed YouTube videos (BTW, check out my channel), and reaching out to as many BookTube channels and podcasts as possible.

I’m also trying, per my publisher’s advice, to show how excited and enthusiastic I am for this book and for people to read it. You know, as opposed to sounding like, “Buy! Buy! Buy!”

And I am. Enthusiastic and excited, that is. I’m so glad that this book and these stories are coming out! I’m so looking forward to hearing what people are going to say what the ebook is out, and the possibility of a paperback and even an audio book if the ebook does well! I can’t wait to hear if the stories give people nightmares, and taking photos of people who have copies of the book (I’m hoping I can get some with their e-readers if it takes a while to get to paperback status)! And I’m looking forward to celebrating with friends and family when the book comes out.

But with posts nearly every day, especially on Facebook and Twitter, I can’t help but feel that I’m spamming the platforms. And it’s hard to tell on which platforms I’m having any sort of success. You can tell on most of them how many people see your posts, as well as how many people like, comment, and share them, but clicking on links or getting sales is almost impossible to tell.

Some days, it’s easy to feel like I’m shouting into the void of cyberspace and somehow isolating myself further, rather than bringing people closer to me. Let alone potential readers.

Still, I got to try. And while I’m trying, I’m trying to increase my enthusiasm and my love for these stories to the people seeing my posts. With any luck, something will pan out and more people will want to read the book. And that would make me happiest of all.

That being said, if anyone has any advice to help me get this book to readers, I’m all ears. Every little bit helps. Thanks in advance!

Speaking of Hannah, there’s still some time between now and the 14th. If you would like to win a signed copy of my first collection, The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones, all you need to do is preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. And if you then send me proof of your preorder at ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com, you’ll be entered to win said copy. The winner will be announced on the 17th.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Hannah and Other Stories Preorder Link

One Year a Homeowner

Posted: July 2, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections
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Me on the day I bought my home. That was an exciting day.

Hard to believe it’s been a year since I moved into my condo. A year and a few weeks of being a homeowner, on top of that. But still, it’s incredible to think about.

And living in a home I own has been great. I live in a great neighborhood with nice walking trails and a gas station/mini-mart nearby. It’s a short drive from work, as well as anywhere else I want to go. It’s way more affordable than staying in my old apartment complex (or any of the places I looked at) would have been. I have my own dishwasher and laundry machines. And I can make modifications and renovations to my home as I please, provided I have the funding for it.

That being said, owning a home isn’t all butterflies and rainbows. It comes with responsibilities. I had to replace my toilet about a week into staying here, and I’ve probably spent a thousand dollars on my shared garage’s issues already (my neighbor and I are both hoping we won’t have to spend anymore on it in the near future). And then there was the time the disposal went out during Passover, making the sink and dishwasher unusable. And those are only some of the problems I’ve had to deal with.

Like I said, not all butterflies and rainbows. And I haven’t even gotten into how hot the upstairs can get when the heater’s on. Makes you want to open the window in winter!

My writing space. It’s gotten even creepier since this was taken.

Still, despite all that, I still love this place. I love putting up all my eclectic artwork and showing off all the weird stuff I’ve collected and put up in this place. I love going under the stairs to get my wine making supplies (hopefully I can make some dandelion wine soon). I’ve even gotten some new pieces of furniture, like a credenza and a wine cabinet, and they’re nice additions to the place. And I love thinking of all the things I’m going to do to this place over the coming years as I continue living here and saving money.

And I know how damn lucky I am. As I’ve said in previous posts, there are a lot of people in my age group who can’t afford even a starter home or a condo like mine because the market right now is not designed for them. Too many older folks downsizing, property prices rising, never enough starter homes or affordable apartments, laws and ordinances that make building bigger homes more profitable than building starter homes, corporations buying up new properties so they can sell them back at exorbitant prices.

I could go on. But to sum it up, for a lot of people my age, the former American Dream of owning a home is currently out of reach, and may be forever. Now, their American Dream is just to survive with what money you have and maybe find something that fulfills you in your spare time.

Yikes, this got dark in a way I didn’t expect. Let’s fix that.

My first Halloween here. I went as big as possible for it. I plan to go bigger this coming fall.

Anyway, I’m so glad I have my condo, and I hope that I get to spend many happy years here writing stories, building equity and growing as a person. And I can only hope more people in my generation get the chance to experience this. Provided they have the money to cover a mortgage and everything else, of course.

Oh, one last thing: my condo’s nickname is “the Haunted Condo!” A friend came over and called it that, and now it’s kind of stuck. Sadly, the only thing haunting this place is me, but someday that’ll change. After all, this is me we’re talking about. Who knows what might happen during some of my planned renovations?

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

The Quiet Game: Ten Year Anniversary Giveaway!!!

Posted: July 1, 2023 in short story, Writing
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I found a way to make the ten-year anniversary special!

So, as you probably know, my first book and my first collection of short stories, The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones, was published nearly ten years ago on July 17, 2013. And I wanted to do something special to mark the occasion. The question is, what?

And then I remembered that it’s been ten years between the release of collections, what with Hannah and Other Stories releasing in September. And an idea formed.

So, allow me to announce the Ten Year Anniversary Giveaway! If you preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories, and send me the proof between now and July 14th, you’ll be entered for a chance for a free, signed copy of The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones. This could be a screenshot or a PDF of your receipt from the sale. It just has to prove that you ordered a copy.

On July 17th, the actual day of the anniversary, I’ll announce who won a copy and then reach out to that person to get their contact information. I’ll then send it out to them as soon as possible.

To enter, please email me at ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com.

I hope that gets you excited to read some short stories. Both books are excellent. One contains early work of mine and features ogresses, death wolves, and deadly games. The other contains seven original tales of ghosts, budding serial killers and carnivorous horses, among other things. And who wouldn’t want to read one and win the other?

Anyway, I’ll include links for both Hannah and The Quiet Game down below. I hope you’ll take part in the giveaway. And even if you don’t win, I hope you’ll keep your preorder of Hannah. It’s a great book and I think you’ll enjoy reading it.

And if you read either book, I hope you’ll leave a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps other readers know whether or not to check out the book.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I hope you’re having a good weekend and that it continues to be good. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

To preorder a copy of Hannah, click here.

The Quiet Game: Available on Amazon, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Hannah and Other Stories: More Excerpts With Graphics

Posted: June 29, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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So a few weeks back, I posted some excerpts for Hannah and Other Stories that my publisher and I had created. These excerpts each had beautiful backgrounds and graphics to match each story, and I was really proud of each and every one of them (even though I only made three). And at the end of that post, I promised to post the other graphics as soon as they were available.

I should have said as soon as there were more of them and I had the time, which is what happened. But oh well. All the excerpts are out on my other social media, so let’s post them all here.

For a refresher, here are the ones from the last post. These first two are from BSC Publishing Group and are from “The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah” and “Fuseli’s Horses.”

Then we had one from “Queen Alice,” which I made. If you can’t tell, Alice in Wonderland is a big influence on this particular story.

And now for the new stuff. Here’s two more from me. One is another from “Fuseli’s Horses,” while the other is from “Hannah.”

Pretty neat, right? I wanted to use some atmospheric quotes and combine them with matching images. I’m happy to say, I think I succeeded.

Now, check out these excerpts from BSC Publishing Group. I swear, Peyton, my editor, went all out on these and they’re amazing. First, we have “The Red Bursts,” with the most scenic background.

Then we have the inciting incident, “What Errour Awoke,” which combines classic English poetry with cosmic horror and contemporary events.

I wonder what he’s screaming about? Well, I know, but I’ll never tell. Next, we have another from “Hannah” which introduces the main characters, Dominic Holmes and Diesel Berkowitz. They’re ghost hunters with their own ghost hunting show. Maybe you’ll want to check it out?

After that, we have an excerpt from “Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” which takes place in the Paris catacombs. Finally get to publish a story with that beautiful and terrifying location as the setting.

Did that make you feel claustrophobic? I’m hoping it did.

Finally, we have another one from “Queen Alice,” which BSC dropped yesterday. Don’t be fooled by the sweet prose or unassuming background, however. This tale is as dark as a pool of water on a moonless night.

So there you have it. Ten excerpts, seven by BSC Publishing Group and three by me. And who knows? Maybe more excerpts will drop between now and September 23rd. Maybe even other types of content. I already put a video about “Queen Alice” on my YouTube channel (you can check it out here), and I will probably add more videos (so subscribe there as well). Whatever there is, I’ll be share it with you, no matter the platform.

And, of course, you can preorder Hannah and Other Stories here if these excerpts have intrigued you at all. Right now, it’s only available as an ebook, but if it does well in preorders, sales and reviews, we may see a paperback and even an audio book version in the near future. That’s even more incentive to preorder a copy, if you ask me.

And if you want one more excerpt, you can click here for that. It’s a digital copy of the chapbook I’ve been giving away at events. It’s quite popular.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back soon. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares. I’m off to do some reading before bed.

“Rose:” Four Years Since Release!!!

Posted: June 21, 2023 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I can’t believe I missed this milestone! I know I was busy, but man, there’s no excuse.

Anyway, to be precise, Rose was originally released two years ago yesterday. For those of you who don’t know, Rose is my most popular novel, and the first I published with an actual publisher. The novel follows a young woman, Rose Taggert, who turns into a plant/human hybrid. And that’s just the start of her problems! It’s Kafkaesque, full of Japanese mythology, and is plenty creepy.

Here’s the back cover matter:

Rose Taggert awakens in a greenhouse with no clear memory of the past two years and, to her horror, finds her body transformed into an unrecognizable form.

Paris Kuyper has convinced Rose that they are lovers and as Paris could not bear for her to die, he has used an ancient and dark magic to save her from certain death.

But the dark magic Paris has used comes at a price. A price which a terrible demon is determined to extract from Rose.

As Rose struggles to understand what is happening to her, she must navigate Paris’s lies and secrets; secrets that Paris will do anything to protect.

Not bad, right? And let me tell you, plenty of people have come to enjoy the book in that time. Here are the reviews:

Loved the premise and all of the descriptions of turning into a plant creature, as well as several other body horror scenes, were disturbing in the best way. I also liked the psychological horror of the story and was often at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next…Overall, a solid horror story! I feel the strong beginning and surprising and intense ending made this a great horror experience and a book I would definitely recommend.

Emma, Amazon reviewer

One of the most original stories that I have read in quite some time. Rose is a tale that is hard to categorize; part horror, part urban fantasy, but entertaining from start to finish. This was my first time reading Rami Ungar, but it will not be my last.

John Watson, author of “Bloody Mary” and “Salem”

In this work, Rami Ungar paints a captivating picture of Japanese folklore and magic, which serves as a backdrop for a story about captivity, manipulation, and possession! His narrative style also captures the dread and claustrophobia of being a captive, not to mention the twisted pathology of the captor! Scary stuff, and all the while you’re rooting for the bad guys to get their just desserts!

Matthew Williams, author of The Cronian Incident

And these are only a small fraction of reviews Rose has received. As I said, it’s my most popular novel. And I’m hoping in the coming year that it’ll continue to grow in popularity and readership. Hell, I got to give a copy to an author I greatly admire at Stoker Con, so maybe she’ll tweet about it or something.

And if she doesn’t, oh well. Rose is constantly finding its way into the hands of readers, and they usually become fans. Some even leave reviews online, which is great because it lets me know other what they think and encourages other readers to check out the book.

Speaking of which, if you would like to check out Rose, I’ll include links below. You can get it in paperback, ebook, and audio formats. And if you do get a copy and read it, please leave a review online. Like I said, they help me and other readers out, and I would love to see what you think.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I may have missed the four-year anniversary, but I’ll be sure to do something big for the five-year anniversary. And in the meantime, you know I’ll be working like a demon to accomplish my writing goals.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Good night and pleasant nightmares!

Rose: Available from Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible, B&N

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