Archive for the ‘Living and Life’ Category

Events in 2026

Posted: August 3, 2026 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Hello Followers of Fear. I did say I would be back, but this is sooner than expected, isn’t it?

Anyway, I’m happy to announce that it looks like I have one more event I’ll be appearing at before the year is out. Remember when I did BookBash earlier this year? Well, they decided to host an early Halloween event,* and guess who’s confirmed as an attending author? That’s right: me!

So, here are the details: BookBash Halloween will be taking place on Saturday, September 26, 2026 at the VFW center in Ashtabula, Ohio. The address is 4102 Main Street, Ashtabula Ohio, 44004. There will be two sessions: one family-friendly session that’s more centered on Halloween fun and trick or treating from 11 AM – 3 PM, and then a darker, spookier section from 6 PM – 9 PM. Either session, of course, will include amazing authors with spooky books for the season, so anyone in the area should totally show up.

Obviously, I will be doing the evening session (can you imagine me at the family-friendly session? The carnivorous horses would traumatize the kids!), and I will be bringing Tarot cards along with copies of my books. Hopefully plenty of readers show up.

BookBash Halloween’s poster. Hope you can join us!

And that might not be the only event I do. My HWA Ohio friends and I are trying to set up one or two events for the month of October. If we manage to get anything planned, I will be sure to spread the word.

And, of course, I will be keeping an eye out for other events I want to attend. The moment they open, I want to apply. Wish me luck!

And in the meantime, if you can’t make it to the event and still want to support me, or you’re looking for something spooky to read for the season, I have plenty of stories available, including some free ones. Why not check them out? From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I got something for all horror fans. I’ll include a link below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Again, I hope I will be back with news very soon. Can’t say when, though; life is unpredictable. Anyway, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 89 days till Halloween. I assume that means Michael Myers is training hard at the gym right now (and I don’t mean the guy playing Austin Powers).

*I did suggest to them after BookBash that something for Halloween might be a fun idea. However, whether my suggestion actually led to this event or not, I cannot confirm.

Rami Ungar’s Books

Rami Ungar the Writer’s 15th Bloggaversary

Posted: August 2, 2026 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections
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Photo by Phu00fac Phu1ea1m on Pexels.com

Happy birthday to the blog,
Happy birthday to the blog.
Happy Birthday to Rami Ungar the Writer.
Happy birthday tot he blog.

Well, this snuck up on me. But it’s true: today is the fifteenth anniversary of when this blog first came online. I still remember the day in the library that I created the blog. I had no idea what I was doing, and those early posts really show it. Still, I kept blogging, blogging several times a month (occasionally several times a day). And now, this blog is just under half the age. And it’s been around longer than some of my own IRL relationships, if you can believe it.

And it’s even harder to believe when you think about how transient anything online can be. Especially blogs. Some have lasted for years but have been shut down for any of a thousand reasons, including creator burnout or lack of interest. Others have transitioned to vlogs or to short form platforms like Twitter or Instagram. Many more blogs may last a couple of months or years at most, with their writers getting bored, too busy to keep blogging, or discouraged by lack of numbers.

Honestly, that last one could have done me in once upon a time. I mention this every bloggaversary, but I still remember how I was posting frequently back in college and only getting maybe one or two views a day, if any. I often wondered if I was just spinning my wheels uselessly, trying to get people interested in books that might never come out. Thankfully, I’m stubborn and optimistic, and I kept telling myself that, with time, I would gain a larger audience and see people respond to what I was putting out there in bigger numbers.

As it turned out, I was right. With consistency, and learning what made for a decent reading experience on a blog, I gained an audience. At the time I’m writing this, Rami Ungar the Writer has gained:

  • 305,591 views
  • 1,484 followers (bloggers and email sign ups)
  • 2,294 posts (including this one)
  • 8,820 likes
  • 6,850 comments
  • 1,236,744 words

(I know it’s considered a little cringe to list your stats like that, but it’s the 15th anniversary of this blog. I’m allowed a little leeway, right?)

But best of all, through this blog, I’ve gained not just readers, but friends. I said before that this blog has lasted longer than some relationships. However, some relationships are because of this blog, and a few have even been around as long as this blog. (I was actually messaging one of these friends on Friday, and messaged them today. We make each other laugh.)

And whether they’re friends or not, everyone following this blog is a Follower of Fear. That probably includes you, if you’re reading this. You’ve stuck with me from when I started college, through my higher education, graduation and an internship abroad, a grueling job search and starting my new job, the pandemic, and everything else that’s come with. Plus, there’s been my writing journey. From my early short stories and self-published books, to finding publishers for Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, to self-publishing books like The Pure World Comes and Symphony for Walpurgis, and now trying to find homes for books like The Shape of Evil.

Plus, numerous short stories and articles published in a variety of venues.

And the many events I’ve vended at.

Photo by Thirdman on Pexels.com

And that one time my friends and I formed a small press to publish an anthology focused on Ohio horror writers.

And my time with the Horror Writers Association and running the Ohio chapter of the organization.

And all the stuff I’m working on now.

The point is, through this blog, you guys have continued to support me and even read and review my work. And I want you to know that I am incredibly grateful for that support. I hope you’ll continue to watch my journey as I work towards becoming a full-time writer and create great stories that entertain and frighten all who read them.

(Speaking of which, if you’re interested, I’ll leave the link to my books page down below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan, including some free stuff. And if you end up reading something, I hope you’ll leave a review. Not only do reviews help me out, but they help other readers as well.)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got stuff to do today, so I better get to it. But don’t worry, I’ll be sure to celebrate this anniversary somehow. Maybe I’ll even have a tiny slice of cake or something. You never know.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear (which may be very soon), good night, pleasant nightmares, and 90 days till Halloween. if you’re not getting ready for spooky season, what are you doing with your life?

Rami Ungar’s Books

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” One Year Since Release!!!

Posted: May 1, 2026 in Living and Life, Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Happy Walpurgisnacht! Today, May 1st, is Witches Night (and day, apparently), as well as the Feast Day of Saint Walpurga. It’s a day where witches are at their most powerful, and where a saint with a reputation for fighting wishes gives people her protection. And, not coincidentally, it is the one-year release anniversary of Symphony for Walpurgis, my latest collection.*

Now, for those of you who don’t know, let’s do a little recap: back in 2023 or 2024, I could already feel the desire to write another collection of short stories, even though Hannah had just come out. And, because my shorter stories tend to be novelette length and novelettes are harder to find homes for, I decided to create a whole collection of novelettes! (For those unaware, novelettes are stories between 7,500 and 17,500 words.) I gathered some previously published novelettes, wrote some new ones for the collection, and, after changing the name and theme a thousand times, decided to name the book Symphony for Walpurgis and release it on Walpurgisnacht.

And yes, I’m pretty sure I named it that way just so I could release it on Walpurgisnacht.

And since the book was released, a number of people have picked it up, and some of those readers have even left reviews! Here are what some of those readers have said on the book:

All these stories are so very different, but they’re linked (in my mind anyway) by one common theme… that is, all these stories start out a certain way, but a turn of events during the narrative delivers a quite different story.

None of these stories are especially weak, but I have some stand out favourites: The House of Lafayette Square, Mother of Spiders, The Little Goddess of Horror, and Natural Predators. Even those I weren’t so keen on were solid, just a matter of personal taste.

Not my first outing reading this author, and it certainly won’t be my last.

M.G. Mason, author of Residents of the James Hotel, Goodreads

The best thing about this collection of stories is that I couldn’t predict what would happen next. For that, I give the book 5 stars. I enjoyed all of the stories, but it’s the “I didn’t think this was going to happen” fact that pushed them over the top.

Ruth Ann Nordin, author of The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife, Amazon

Bravo! This might just be Rami Ungar’s best work yet. Offering tales of unearthly retribution, dark mysteries, vampires re-imagined and blood curdling entities, Symphony is a gloriously ghoulish anthology with something for almost every kind of horror fan.

I absolutely adored the introduction; it creates a spooky atmosphere straight away and is so much fun, putting you in exactly the right mood for the horrors ahead. Each story is creative and the characters are so vivid and well crafted– Rami has done an incredible job of filling every page with witty prose, clever descriptions and emotions which pulled me right into the characters’ minds…100% recommend!

Louise Conway, Goodreads

That’s some lovely praise! And I’m especially touched, because these stories were a lot of fun to write and I feel they represent some of my best work. One of the best feelings I get as a writer is knowing people are reading and enjoying my work, and seeing the proof here just makes me want to write more and entertain those readers even more. With any luck, I’ll be doing that with new releases and acceptances this year.

Speaking of which, for the coming year, I’ve got high hopes for between now and May 1, 2027. Not only to get more people reading Symphony, but also to maybe produce an audiobook. Nothing concrete at the moment, but there might be an opportunity for it in the near future. I’ll keep you posted.

In the meantime, if you’re curious to check out Symphony, I’ll include links below. Like I said, it’s a collection filled with some of my best work (including a story featuring a Jewish exorcism, of all things), so I’d be really happy if you chose to celebrate with me and got a copy. And if you like what you read, I would be most honored if you wrote a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I appreciate reader feedback. And not only do your reviews help me, but you help out other readers as well!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Also, be sure to check out the book trailer for Symphony for Walpurgis. I worked really hard on it and think it totally gets to what I was going for with this book.

*Hannah and Other Stories was re-released last year in September, but it was originally released in September 2023. So, it’s not the latest, even though at times it feels like it. Just saying.

One more thing before I sign off, my Followers of Fear: tomorrow starts Columbus Horror Con! This is looking to be a fun con right here in my hometown, with celebrity guests, a film festival, and plenty of vendors. Plus, a scary karaoke afterparty on the first day! I will be there signing books and doing Tarot readings (as well as singing at the karaoke party). So, if you’re free and in Columbus tomorrow and Sunday, please stop by. I would love to see you.

You can purchase tickets here.

I’ll Be Teaching a Class at StokerCon!!!

Posted: April 30, 2026 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I already announced this over on my social media, but I wanted to make sure you guys heard about it here as well. So, as you know, I’ll be at StokerCon in June. And earlier this week, they announced the Horror University classes that will occur during the con. For those of you who don’t know, Horror University is a series of classes taught by members of the Horror Writers Association on the art of writing and horror. The subjects can range from Disability in Horror, to Scripting a Haunted House (yes, those attractions have scripts), to tone and word choice in your horror poetry. These classes can be held throughout the year, but many of them are held at StokerCon each year.

If you can’t tell from the title and preamble, I am teaching one of those classes. One of nine classes that will be occurring at StokerCon this year. And I will be teaching “Vending 101; Or, How to Successfully Vend at a Convention.” As you all know, I do several events a year, and have been doing so since 2020. Through trial and error, I’ve picked up a lot of experience and have figured out what works and what doesn’t work with these conventions, as well as how to find them.

With that in mind, I will be imparting my years of wisdom and experience to whoever decides to take the class. I’m sure many horror authors would like to try vending at a con or an expo but aren’t sure where to start or what they need to succeed in their goals. Perhaps I can help them with that and have successful experiences as con vendors without making the same mistakes I did.

So, what’s next? Well, I will put together a slideshow and some worksheets. I’ll also talk about this topic with a friend/colleague who is working on something similar. And I’ll see about practicing with one or more friends so I can be prepared for the actual class. And when the class date and time are set in stone, I’ll be sure to let people know so they can sign up. Hopefully a lot of people will show up. I’ll make sure to let you guys know when I know.

Oh, and just so you know, the classes aren’t included with the StokerCon tickets. You will have to pay extra for it. However, I like to think that price will be worth it. Also, I’m one of three horror authors from Ohio teaching Horror University classes this year, meaning a third of the classes will be taught by Ohio authors! I wonder if there’s something in the water that makes us Ohio horror authors both very scary and very good teachers?

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back with another blog post very soon, believe me. So, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

That Time I Was Accused of Using AI

Posted: April 22, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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I’ve already written posts about this across my social media, but I know everyone doesn’t follow me on Facebook and whatnot. So, I’m writing this blog post to update you all. Plus, let’s face it, I can do the long-form thing a bit easier here than on Threads or BlueSky.

So, not too long ago, I posted an ad for Hannah and Other Stories on social media. And someone commented, basically saying, “Because of this and that, I think this cover is AI. I bet the stories inside are AI-generated as well.”

For reference, here’s the cover of Hannah and Other Stories.

Now, full disclosure: I did experiment with AI image and story generators when they first became available to the public. Not because I planned to use them for my career, but just to see what the big fuss was about and to see if they had any deficits. This blog has a few posts containing AI images, just to show how overrated and unhelpful AI-generated art is. However, I no longer try out those generators, not even to experiment. They cause too much damage to communities and environments and are usually trained on stolen works.

And I have never used AI to write stories or create images I use for my writing career. Especially not for Hannah and Other Stories! In fact, the stories themselves were written between 2016 and 2021, well before AI story generators were available to the public. And after I got the rights back to Hannah and decided to re-release it, I used GetCovers, a company that designs book covers for cheap, to achieve the vision for the new cover I had in mind.

I explained this all to the commenter, and they seemed to accept that. However, they told me that some authors have raised concerns about GetCovers using AI images as assets. I took it under advisement, but assured them that I didn’t think AI was used in the creation of the cover at all, and left it at that.

Okay, that’s not true. I spent the next twenty-four hours slightly anxious that people would latch onto that accusation, believe it, and things would snowball from there, leading to me being canceled.

Which sounds like a silly thing to worry about, except something similar happened to another horror author. For those of you who don’t know, horror author Mia Ballard self-published a novel called Shy Girl, and it became popular enough that it was picked up for a traditional publishing deal by Hachette Book Group. However, rumors started spreading that AI was used in writing the book. And there was apparently enough to the rumors that Hachette canceled the book’s new US release and stopped printing it in the UK. Ballard herself said that she didn’t use AI to write the book, but that she believes that an editor she used may have used AI instead of editing it themselves. Ballard is now pursuing legal action against the editor in question.

Now, I have not read Shy Girl, so I don’t know if the book reads like a computer wrote it. And while I would like to write a post just on the incident, I have already said enough on social media, so I won’t. However, it did spur me to cover my ass and make sure there wasn’t any AI in the cover GetCovers made for me. I got in contact with them and they sent me the assets they used for the cover.

Here’s the link to the horse asset.

And here’s the link for the background.

GetCovers also assured me that the assets were not made by AI and that all they did was use a common filter and other normal editing tricks with the cover. No AI involved.

That was good enough for me, and armed with the assets, I posted about it on social media. No surprise, everyone found that easy to believe. One friend/colleague even said he ran the cover through an AI detector to help back me up, and it showed as “no AI used.” And another friend/colleague mentioned that since AI programs learned by stealing other people’s work, it’s no wonder someone would think it was AI!

Honestly, I’m just glad that I wasn’t deceived and I’m not going to be canceled over a case of mistaken AI. And now that I’ve gotten through it, I’d like to say one thing: I will never use generative AI in my writing, and beyond what I’ve previously used in my posts to illustrate the failures of AI, I won’t use AI-generated imagery. I love the creative process. I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish a new story, and when, after lots of edits and searching, I find it a home. I love collaborating with editors and artists to get the story right and the covers attractive. And I especially love it when readers tell me they read my stories and enjoyed them or even were frightened by them!

Besides, I pride myself on telling weird horror stories with off-the-wall pitches and wild elements thrown in for fun. I doubt an AI program, which looks for recognizable patterns, would be able to reproduce those kinds of stories. Even if it were trained on all my published work! (And if anyone tries, I will consider it copyright infringement.)

So yeah. If you ever read a Rami Ungar story, you can be assured it’s 100% human created (or whatever the hell I am) and not from a computer program.

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

Just a Quick Reminder…

Posted: April 17, 2026 in Living and Life, Writing
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Normally, I put these reminders at the bottom of other posts. However, I haven’t been able to write a post where I can conveniently add this reminder. Believe me, I’ve tried. So, before too much time passes, I’m going to put out this reminder.

So, as you know, I’m going to be at BookBash 2026 on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 from 1-7 PM. It will be taking place at the New Leaf Event Center in Conneaut, Ohio, and will feature authors, crafts, panels, food trucks, and so much more! I will even be on the World of Horror panel, and when I’m not on the panel, I’ll be signing books and doing Tarot readings.

And I will likely be wearing my “Let’s Summon Demons” T-shirt. Which is hilarious, because the event center is owned by a Methodist church, but they’re not putting any limits on what sort of materials we’ll be selling or what we wear or whatever. So, guess who’s taking full advantage of that in his horror author fashion?

Anyway, I hope you can join us there. It’s going to be a huge event, and did I mention it’s absolutely free to get in? I didn’t? Okay, let’s fix that: IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE TO GET IN! And if you would like to know more, you can find out on the event’s Facebook page.

And if you can’t attend but would like to support me, or if you’re looking for a spooky book to read, I’ll include a link to my books page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan. And if you like what you read, please leave a review for me so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps your fellow readers out in the long run.

Rami Ungar’s Books

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll hopefully have a proper blog post out at some point in the next week or two. No guarantees, but I’ll try. And until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and have a restful weekend. I know I plan to.

Clawing Through Obstacles

Posted: April 9, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections
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The Chariot card in my personal Tarot deck.

If you weren’t aware, I do Tarot card readings for myself and (when I’m at events and I’m allowed) for others. For myself, I do readings several times a week. And in today’s reading, in the present position, The Chariot came up. For those of you who don’t know, The Chariot represents obstacles to overcome (among other things).

Honestly, that feels accurate. Lately, everything feels like obstacles. The price of everything is going up (and I will save my rants about that for another day), and finances are keeping everyone in a state of low-grade anxiety. Even if that wasn’t the case, a lot of people don’t feel safe traveling, or traveling certain ways or to/from certain places. Every day we worry about what new headline will cross our screens. What new horror or piece of stupidity we’re going to have to deal with.

And on a personal note, life is crazy. I have so many ideas and plans and I want to write every day, but I have to make a living to do that writing. And after a long day of work, I may only have a limited amount of time to write. Hell, some nights I don’t have any time! I’m too busy being a responsible adult and getting ready for the next day. And as much as I would love a TARDIS or other time machine just so I could have more time to write, I know that’s not an option, so I end up feeling frustrated when I don’t have the time to write.

Plus, there are the usual worries and annoyances of being an indie author: what can I do to get more readers? How are my sales lately? Is that amount good or bad? Why isn’t this story I really believe in finding a home? What can I do that doesn’t require a million dollars or a whole marketing team? That stuff tends to keep us up at night (especially in months when we may not be doing too well on sales).

So yeah. Obstacles upon obstacles upon obstacles. And I tend to visualize as obstacles as blocks in the road of life that you have to climb over (“overcome,” right?). And right now, the blocks can feel like they’re forming all around us, blocking us in at the bottom of a deep, deep tower or hole. Like the well in The Ring, except we’re the ghost at the bottom, and we’re having trouble getting out.

Maybe that’s why I’m not trying to overcome the obstacles. I am, like a monster out of a horror story, tearing through them. Clawing through them.

Anyone else feel like they’re having trouble getting out of a well?

That’s what it feels like, anyway. If I can’t overcome things as big and as outside of my control, I might as well fight against them. Claw through the obstacles so I can get to the other side. Break them apart with talons and sharp nails and teeth. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Is that the best approach? I don’t know. Is it the one that’s needed in this crazy world? I don’t know. But I like to think is that it’s helping. Especially when so much is out of my control. It’s something I’ll definitely discuss with my therapist the next time I talk to him.

In the meantime, I’m hoping that things will improve with time. My Tarot cards say there’s a chance of that. And I like to think they’re right for the most part. In the meantime, I think I’ll just keep clawing and see what happens.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I wanted to check in and assure you I was alive, and when I cast around for a topic to blog about, this is what came up. Hope you found it interesting, at least. And if not, I’ll hopefully have something more interesting out in the next couple of weeks. Maybe as soon as next week. You never know.

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

Events in 2026

Posted: March 21, 2026 in Living and Life, Progress Report
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I know, the last events update post wasn’t even a month ago. But I’ve already announced the new event on my social media, and it would be wrong of me not to update the folks who primarily keep up with me through this blog. So, without further ado (and so I can hopefully fit in some writing tonight), let’s talk about the events I’ll be at in 2026.

First, in just over a month, I’ll be one of the attending authors at BookBash 2026. This event will take place at the New Leaf Convention Center in Conneaut, Ohio on April 25, 2026 from 1 PM to 7 PM. This is a convention that will be hosting self-published and indie authors from all over the place (a few of my author friends will be there along with me). I’ll be there signing books, doing Tarot readings, and sitting on the horror panel. I would love to see you if you can stop by. You can find out more on the convention’s Facebook page.

(Fun fact: the convention center where BookBash will take place at is owned by a local Methodist church. However, we’re not being restricted on what kind of books we’re allowed to sell or what services we provide in their space. So, as well as doing the Tarot readings and selling books with rather unholy covers, I’ll be wearing my LET’S SUMMON DEMONS tee if the weather is nice enough.)

The weekend after that will be closer to home and just as close to my heart. Columbus Horror Con will be taking place on May 2-3, 2026 at the Crowne Plaza Columbus North-Worthington here in Columbus (times vary depending on which day you’re there). It’ll be a horror convention with celebrity guests, a film festival, and all sorts of vendors. And by the way, I’m among the group of vendors. I know you love me, but I’m hardly a celebrity at this point! Anyway, you can find out more on the convention’s website.

Next, StokerCon will be taking place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Westin Pittsburgh on June 4-7!, 2026 I love going to StokerCon, and I’m looking forward to seeing all my horror writing friends. Plus, there’s the awards ceremony, all the panels, and plenty of chances to find new reads. I’m hoping to be on a few panels and maybe even sell some books, so it’ll be a very exciting time for me. If you can go, you can grab tickets from this website.

And finally, the new one. My friends and I at the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association, also known as the Ohio Horror Writers Association and HWA Ohio, will have a booth at the Columbus Book Festival again! This year, the festival will take place on July 11 and 12, 2026 at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Main Branch and Topiary Park (which is right behind the library). This is a major event for us, and we love doing it every year, even when it rains or gets super hot and humid. I hope you can join us there. You can find out more from the festival’s website.

And that’s all for now. With any luck, I’ll be able to do one more event this year, but after that, I’ll probably cut back (God knows these events are expensive enough without all these tariffs and wars and oil prices). Still, I’m sure I’ll enjoy the events I do go to. Especially if any of you Followers of Fear are able to join me.

And if you can’t but would still like to support me, or if you’re looking for a scary book to read, you can always purchase one of my books online. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have plenty for every horror fan (including some free stuff). I’ll include links to my work below.

And if you end up reading my stories, I hope you’ll leave a review somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback. And it helps me and your fellow readers out in the long run.

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

Rami Ungar’s Books

I’m Blogging Less Lately

Posted: February 19, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections
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If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you might have noticed I’m blogging a lot less than I used to. Or you haven’t noticed because you have a life and are too busy to keep track of that sort of thing.

But I’ve noticed. I would. I write this blog. And I’ve noticed that I’m blogging less.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because I’m disenchanted with blogging. I love it! I’ve been writing this blog for over fourteen years and I don’t intend to stop now! Besides, I’ve met some wonderful friends and readers through blogging. And it is still one of the main avenues of how I let people know when I have something new coming out.

But life keeps me busy. Not only do I have a day job that occupies a lot of my time, I have a lot of other responsibilities that come with being a functioning adult in this crazy society. And then I have to find time to eat, sleep, and relax. And then, after all that, there’s time to write. And I’m spending a lot of time on those stories so I can get them out there and hopefully get them published.

With all that happening, it cuts down on blogging time. And when I do blog, I want it to mean something. I want it to be more than just advertising for Rami Ungar’s books. I mean, I do want people to check out my books, but my blog should be more than that. It should be a way for my readers and friends to connect with me. So, what I post here should be important.

That being said, I just don’t have the energy to talk about politics or current events on my blog like I did in my college days. I mean, I could. I get angry like everyone else. But I feel like if I try writing my feelings out on my blog like that, I would be doing that every day for the rest of my life! Which would probably be short, because my blood pressure would skyrocket from the constant anger and anxiety and dealing with commenters who may not agree with my views.

So, I try and save those posts for when I feel it’s really needed and it can’t be said in just a Facebook post.

An accurate representation of me considering whether something is worth blogging about. Photo by Athena Sandrini on Pexels.com

And that’s another thing: if it can be said in a short post on one of my social media profiles, I probably won’t say it here. Whether that be politics, or Hollywood adapting the same Stephen King stories for the umpteenth time, or just a moment in my day that felt very impactful. If I can say it in just a short post on Facebook or Instagram or whatever, it probably won’t be said here. It needs to be worth filling a blog post for.

All that conspires to keep me from blogging more often. And part of me is not okay with that, because, as I said, I love blogging. I love the interaction and I love keeping this thing I’ve created going. But I have to accept that, as much as I love to blog, I don’t always have a lot to blog about. And if I try to force it, I will feel burned out and not want to blog any more. And I would hate that even more.

On the bright side, I have no intention to stop blogging. I still intend for this blog to be one of the main avenues for my Followers of Fear to get to know me and hear important updates on my life and career. I just won’t be averaging six or seven blog posts a month, like I used to. (Yes, I did the math.)

But hey, at least you know that when I do put something out there on this blog, it’s because I really feel it needs to be shared on this blog. And isn’t that why blogs exist in the first place? Because we have something worth saying? I think it is.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m sorry if I worried one or two of you by my less-frequent posts. On the bright side, next week, I should have at least one thing to blog about. I’ve been sitting on an announcement since the beginning of the month, and I may finally be able to speak about it very soon.

But until that time comes, good night, my Followers of Fear, and pleasant nightmares. I’ll be seeing you very soon. Possibly by jumping out from under your bed and shouting “Boo!” I mean, would you put it past me?

See you soon.

Horror Writers at the Haunted House Restaurant

Posted: February 10, 2026 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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There’s a restaurant in Cleveland, near where I have family, that’s gained something of a reputation. You see, it’s kind of scary. The decorations look like something out of a Halloween attraction. Weird noises like knocking on the walls or sirens are heard throughout the day. And, if you’re not careful, the staff might threaten you with a knife or a bat.

And you know what? People freaking love it! Especially me!

The Haunted House Restaurant in Cleveland is a restaurant themed after horror, especially horror movies. The entrance has a statue of the Grim Reaper in it, the waiting room looks like a movie theater lobby, and the actual restaurant has a statue of Pennywise and horror-themed art watching over the guests. The wait staff dress up like horror characters, and wear masks from The Purge whenever there’s a birthday to celebrate. On TV screens set up around the restaurant, various horror movies, particularly slashers, play. And depending on when you get there, there may be trivia games and horror movie villains walking around and trying to kill interacting with the guests.

Obviously, the entire menu is themed after horror movies. And what I’ve had has been quite enjoyable.

I’ve been twice, with the most recent trip being on Sunday (I know it’s Wednesday when I’m writing this. I’ve been busy!), and I was there for brunch with some of my horror writer friends! In particular, Kelly Griffiths, Ann O’Mara Heyward, Marvin Brown, Andromeda Ruins, and Idalita Wright Raso joined me there. We’re all members of HWA Ohio, the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association, which I help run. Here’s the group photo we took.

Starting from the bottom left and going counter-clockwise: Idalita Wright Raso, Andromeda Ruins, me, Marvin Brown, Ann O’Mara Heyward, and Kelly Griffiths.

Looks pretty cool, right? This restaurant has been around for a few years, and since it opened, there’s been talk among the Ohio horror writers of having a lunch or dinner there one of these days. As it happened, coming up for Akronomicon gave me the opportunity to set it up. And while not everyone in the area could come, a few of us were able to. Some of us had never even been, or even knew the place existed! So, it made for a special lunch.

Until Ida was nearly killed by a Killer Klown from Outer Space. But she survived and the klown learned its lesson. I think.

I decided to post about this for a couple of reasons. One is that not everyone has heard of this place, and I would love for it to get some more attention. Hell, if it got famous enough to open a franchise location in Columbus, I would be over the moon!

I also posted about this because I wanted to show off me and my horror friends getting together to talk shop and enjoy ourselves. One of the best parts of StokerCon is getting together with your fellow horror writers, in a setting where horror permeates every square inch (even in the nicest hotel spaces) and talk about writing and horror as freely as you want. Sadly, these opportunities don’t happen as often as I like, and even less of the time in person. So, getting together with everyone like this was like having a small slice of StokerCon right in the middle of February with my friends by my side.

And in such a fun restaurant, to boot! I mean, can you think of anywhere more appropriate to talk about our craft? I can’t.

And finally, I just wanted to post about going there…well, just because. Do I need another reason?

If you’re ever in Cleveland and feeling a little adventurous and spooky, head on over to the Haunted House Restaurant. Better make a reservation, though, because they can get busy. And bring a spooky friend or two. You’ll have the time of your life. I know I have, and I think my friends did, too.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoyed reading this, and I’ll try to have more posts out soon, including some with good news I’m currently sitting on. In the meantime, enjoy the slightly improved weather we’re having this week. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

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