Archive for the ‘Living and Life’ Category

A Tribute to a Friend Who Passed Away

Posted: November 30, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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A yahrtzeit candle. In my faith, they’re used to memorialize those who have passed on.

I lost a friend yesterday.

I first met MG Mason, known to his friends at Matt, on Twitter. He was running something called “Horror Writers Chat” there. On Wednesdays, horror authors would meet up on Matt’s account. Matt would then ask us a series of four or five questions over the course of an hour. These questions would be about horror, writing, our current WIPs, our favorite books or movies, and our thoughts on the craft. And at the end of it, we could post about our current publications and upcoming releases.

Obviously, it was a lot of fun, and I got quite into it. I even hosted it once. And when Twitter became a hellscape of toxic masculinity and far-right ideology, I moved over to BlueSky with Matt to continue with Horror Writers Chat. I wanted to continue enjoying Horror Writers Chat.

But more than that, I wanted to continue being part of this community. Through Horror Writers Chat, I was making so many new acquaintances and colleagues. So many new friends to talk about horror and writing with! Most of all, I was becoming friends with Matt, who I found a sort of mentor-like figure. Well, how could I not? He had basically created this community, and we were all thankful for it.

But he was more than just the Moses of our little community. He was demisexual and demiromantic, and openly talked about his struggles as someone who only feels attraction to people when he gets close to them. He also talked about his struggles with life and mental health, and about his home and living in England. As someone who is aromantic and also struggles with life and mental health on occasion, I could relate. And I enjoyed hearing about his life in England.

And of course, Matt was a horror writer. He found enjoyment and comfort in scary tales, as well as in writing them. So, obviously, we bonded over that.

The posts that let us know Matt had passed on.

Truly, Matt was a good man. He was friendly, easy to talk to, and willing to listen when you had a disagreement or misunderstanding with him. And as I said, he struggled with things, as do we all. But he had such a big heart.

He also read many of our books, including one or two of mine. When he listened to the audio book of The Pure World Comes, he honestly thought the narrator was Jenna Coleman, AKA Clara Oswald from Doctor Who! When I told Nikki Delgado, the actual narrator, that, she was flattered. And I was glad that he really enjoyed the book.

And, of course, I read his work. In fact, last month, I read his book Residents of the James Hotel, and I just bought one of his other works, The Small Bronze Carriage on the Mantelpiece, today. The former was really good, and I’m looking forward to reading the latter.

I’m talking about Matt today because he passed away this past week. A few months he revealed that he was battling cancer and that it looked to be terminal. We were all devastated to hear that, and we sent him our well-wishes, hoping he could get better. And while he didn’t respond to all of our messages, he did continue to interact online with us when he could. But yesterday, he passed away.

Honestly, I’m devastated. Matt became such a big part of many lives, and his creations, especially Horror Writers Chat, have had such an effect on people. In the past twenty-four hours, I’ve read so many posts from so many people who are mourning Matt. I’ve posted online too, but it doesn’t feel like enough. For the effect Matt has had on so many people, I feel so many more people should know his books and his story.

So, I’m writing this post. I wanted to let more people know about Matt, about his works and his effect on people. I’m hoping people will want to learn about him and his stories after reading it.

And so, if you’re looking to check out a great author, check out MG Mason’s work. I really enjoyed Residents of the James Hotel, and I’m sure to enjoy The Bronze Carriage on the Mantelpiece, but he has ten other stories available besides those. Plenty to choose from, if you ask me. I’ll include a link to Matt’s Amazon page below for those who are interested.

Thank you for reading this post. Losing author friends is never easy, but losing Matt hit me very hard, and I wanted to do something to memorialize him. And Matt, I hope wherever you are, you’re at peace. We’ll be keeping your memory alive through Horror Writers Chat and through reading your works. Thank you for everything you did for the horror writing community.

Matt’s Amazon Page

“The Shining” Hits Differently For Me As I Age

Posted: November 10, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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The first time I read Stephen King’s The Shining, I think I was thirteen or fourteen. And while I was reading at the adult level, I didn’t always understand all the deep stuff that was being thrown my way. I think I understood Danny’s point-of-view the easiest. Sure, he wrestled with concepts usually grasped by brains more developed than a kindergartener’s, but he was still the youngest of the characters, and the one closest to me in age.

As for Jack and Wendy…well, they were adults. And at the age I first read the book, anyone past college age, especially any with parents, were ancient. Hell, some people just past high school age were ancient to me! So, when I saw the movie after I read the book (and I’m in the camp that hates the movie, like King himself does), I saw Jack Nicholson and Shelley Duvall playing Jack and Wendy Torrance, respectively, and was like, “Yeah, they seem the appropriate age.”

Then, in 2018 or 2019, I read it again. And not only did I understand all the difficult concepts way easier than I had last time, but I was shocked by something I hadn’t noticed before. And that was Jack and Wendy’s ages. Based on hints in the book, I realized they were around my age, in their mid-to-late 20s. In fact, at one point in the book, Jack hints that he’s only 29 or 30. And at the end of the book, Dick Halloran notices that Wendy no longer has any of the young girl he met in September the previous year, but is all woman. Which is something you might think when describing a woman moving out of her 20s (especially after an experience like the Overlook).

Like I said, I was shocked. As I said before, when I first read the book, Jack and Wendy seemed ancient to me just by being parents. So understanding that they were around my age, and had yet done so much more, like having a kid, was more than a bit of a surprise. Plus, the fact that Jack Nicholson, who was clearly in his 40s when he filmed The Shining, threw me for a loop. I mean, he already looks insane, but you also cast a guy who was so much older than the other characters? Boggles my mind.

Jack Nicholson may have been iconic as the character, but he’s at least a decade older than the character in the book.

And last month, I started the audio book of The Shining as part of my Halloween reading. And I’m 32 now, though I would say everything since 2020–COVID, elections, wars, etc.–has aged me mentally in some ways. Anyway, I just finished it yesterday, and I think I love the book more now than I did the first two times. I mean, I loved it plenty the first two times, but I think with age and getting hopefully wiser with it, my love has deepened. I understand the characters and appreciate how well-written the book is better.

And speaking of the characters, my reaction this time around to Jack and Wendy was much milder. Mostly me thinking, “Poor kids,” whenever they experienced something tough (which is pretty much everything from after their wedding to around the time Jack got possessed). Remember, these past five years have aged me mentally in some ways.

Also, Jack Torrance nearly got tenure in his teaching position before he lost it, and he wasn’t even thirty yet? I don’t know if that was more common in the mid-70s than it is now, but given the average age these days to get tenure, I’m impressed.

Anyway, every time I read The Shining, I get something new out of it. It’s like my relationship with the book, especially with its characters and themes, changes with every read. I wonder how old I will be the next time I decide to check into the Overlook, and what reaction I’ll have when I do. Maybe I’ll post about it after I find out!

What are your thoughts on the book? Has your relationship or reaction to The Shining changed over time? Let’s discuss.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m planning on starting a new short story tomorrow, so I better log off and get some rest. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and–who let that bloated ghost lady into my bathtub?! I’ll have you know, only ghosts I invite in with me are allowed in there!

Happy Halloween, My Followers of Fear!!!

Posted: October 31, 2025 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Happy Halloween, my Followers of Fear. I hope you have a day full of spooktacular fun and wonderful scares. And thank you for all your support of this writer’s career. It means the world to me.

And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Updates on the Second Great Editing

Posted: October 29, 2025 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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So, if you have been here a while, you know I’m in the middle of editing a lot of stories, with the occasional new works sprinkled throughout. I’m calling this the Second Great Editing, as the original Great Editing was back around 2022 and 2023.

And you’re probably not wondering how that’s going, but I thought I would update you on how the Second Great Editing is going. And, to put it simply, it’s going well. Actually, it’s going very well.

The last time I talked about this, back in August, I mentioned that I had two novellas I needed to work on, plus a few new stories here and there. After that, my plans were open, but I had a feeling, of course, that there would be much more editing involved.

It’s been over two months since then, and I’m happy to say I edited those two novellas. One of them, by the way, I’d been putting off for ages due because it required a lot of rewrites. I’m still traumatized by having to rewrite two-thirds of Rose during one of the later drafts, after all. But once I started working on the novella, it came out wonderfully! I had such fun writing the new scenes and even finding a way to slide in Mothman! And as of last night, when I finished the edits on the novella, I couldn’t help but feel it was twenty times stronger than it was before!

Plus, Mothman. He’s a classic cryptid. You got to love any story he’s in, even if it’s just a silly cameo (though whether or not that’s what’s the case here, I’m not telling).

So, what’s next? Well, I wrote three short stories and one academic paper this year, and they need to be edited. So, I think I’ll do that next. I’ll also be sending the novella with the Mothman in it to a beta reader or two to see if they have any feedback for me.

And, I heard about an amazing anthology opportunity that I’m eager to participate in. It’s a long shot that I’ll get in, but I’ll write a story and send it in when the submission window opens. Who knows? I might get in.

And after that? Well, we’ll see what’s what then. But I have a feeling, the kind that usually comes true, it’ll involve editing. Though what I’ll be editing is up for debate.

Just a reminder, Followers of Fear: I’ll be at the Columbus Witches Ball this coming Saturday, November 1st, at the Ohio Brewing Company in Columbus, Ohio. In between the rituals and lectures, I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings. If you’d like to join me, I’ll include links to buy tickets below.

And if you’re not able to come but would still like to support me, or you’re looking for a spooky book for Halloween or for someone’s holiday presents, then I’ll include a link for my books page. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan to enjoy!

And if you end up reading something of mine, please leave a review online so I know. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback. And it helps both me and other readers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and only a day and three hours till Halloween. Am I the only one salivating from excitement and bloodlust? Or are you salivating as well?

Columbus Witches Ball tickets
Rami Ungar’s Books

This Year’s Halloween Costume

Posted: October 21, 2025 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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In previous years, I’ve gone as the King in Yellow.

As Cthulhu.

As Sweeney Todd.

Going up to people in that last one and telling them they could use a shave freaked so many people out.

But now, I go as something even more terrifying. Something even stranger. Something that will outclass all these previous costumes with its power to scare. Ladies and gentlemen, Followers of Fear, prepare thyselves. I present to thee, my costume for Halloween 2025.

David S. Pumpkins.

Not what you were expecting, was it?

So, if you’re unaware, David Pumpkins is a character Tom Hanks originated on an episode of Saturday Night Live some years ago. The character and the sketch, which you can watch HERE, went viral, and has been making people laugh ever since. Truth be told, I’ve wanted to dress as the character for a few years now. However, this year, I decided to finally go ahead and dress up the character.

The original David S. Pumpkins, as played by Tom Hanks on Saturday Night Live.

And I have to say, I like how I look in the costume. Plus, it’s a nice fit! Even the pants fit nice, despite no belt loops for my belt.

And you know I’m going to find all sorts of opportunities to wear the costume, either in part or in full. Hell, that tie might show up at my cousin’s bat mitzvah next month!

Or not. I don’t want to give my dad a heart attack that badly.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back Thursday with another blog post. But until then, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 10 days till Halloween! Is the condo jumping up and down with excitement, or is that just me?

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Three Weeks Since Re-Release!!!

Posted: October 14, 2025 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story
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Once again, another post about Hannah and Other Stories being out. Once again, I hope you’re not sick of hearing about it.

But if you’re unaware, today marks three weeks since my collection, Hannah and Other Stories, was re-released. It was originally published in September 2023 through BSC Publishing Group, but it went out of print after the company and I split ways. I decided to re-release it on the two-year anniversary of the original release, complete with a new cover and a new edit. And, because BSC Publishing Group did not have a paperback edition the first time around (they had this whole publishing strategy regarding paperbacks and ebooks I’m not going to get into), it’s now available in a paperback edition.

Thus, I re-released Hannah and Other Stories on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025.

And I’m happy to say, in the three weeks since it’s come out, it’s been doing nicely. That might have something to do with it being October and the number of people looking for something spooky to read for the season. Or it might be me just giving a good pitch. I mean, who wouldn’t want to read a collection of short stories full of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses for the month of October? Even one of the supervisors at work was interested enough to download a copy to his Kindle!

And we’ve even gotten our first review of the new edition. Longtime Follower of Fear Priscilla Bettis left a five-star review of Hannah on Amazon a couple of days after it released, titling her review “Scary and Creative.” Which, obviously, I appreciate. Hopefully, that review encourages a lot more people to read the new edition and maybe leave reviews of their own. I know I would like that.

And if you are at all curious to check out Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll leave links below. As I said, it’s currently available in both paperback and ebook this go-around, and I hope to add an audio version if things go well. In the meantime, if you end up reading the book, please leave a review letting me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers in the long run.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I will give you a slightly longer break between Hannah posts, as the one-month post will be coming out not next Tuesday, but on the actual one-month anniversary, October 23rd. But don’t sigh in relief just yet; if you don’t get a copy of Hannah or leave a review, I will find other ways to torture you. I’m evil that way, after all.

Anyway, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 17 days till Halloween. If you’re not sending Halloween-themed cards to your loved ones, you’re doing something wrong. Believe me on that one!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Taking a Break to Celebrate the Season

Posted: October 9, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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Photo by Maria Tyutina on Pexels.com

These past few days, I haven’t done any writing. I haven’t done any editing. I’ve only done some blogging, but that feels more like a mix of writing, therapy, advertising, and socializing. It’s not the same as pure writing or editing. Instead, I’ve been watching anime, the new Ed Gein miniseries on Netflix, and a couple of scary movies.

Now, you might be wondering reading this, “Is something wrong with Rami? Did he get burnout?” Don’t worry, I’m not burned out. If anything, I’m just practicing balance to prevent burnout.

As you know, my life is busy these days. I have a full-time job that takes up a lot of my time and energy. I also have to do all the things a functioning adult does to maintain their existence (e.g. eating, running errands, exercising, etc.). And I have four events this month, the second of which is Saturday.*

And, on top of all that, it’s October. So, you know, I want to do spooky season things! I don’t feel right if I’m not watching all the movies and shows and reading all the books I can!

With all that going on, and keeping in mind that I’m doing several events close to one another, I decided to take a break. Not stop writing altogether, but just not work on it as doggedly as I have. Instead, I’d spend that time doing seasonal things. Allowing myself to do the activities that make spooky season…well, spooky season.

And you know what? It’s a nice break. Honestly, I think I needed it. Don’t get me wrong, I love the story I’m editing right now (a novella involving owls that requires quite a bit of rewriting), but working on it takes up time. But not being able to fit in all I love to do around this time of year was stressing me out! It felt like I wasn’t spending my favorite time of year the way I should.

I’m celebrating the season the best way I know how and I feel great!

So, I’ll continue this break through maybe Monday or Tuesday this week. I’ll continue celebrating the season in the meantime. And, when I’m ready and feeling energized while also feeling like I’ve celebrated October properly, I’ll get back to that story. With any luck, I’ll even have it finished before Halloween.

But for now, I’m going to get ready for bed and read some manga before hitting the hay. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and twenty-two days till Halloween. Better start figuring out what your jack-o-lantern is going to look like.

*Speaking of which, hope to see you in Chardon, OH for the Ohio Viking Festival/Cryptid Con this Saturday! I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings. Should be a blast!

This Year’s Halloween Display

Posted: October 5, 2025 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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It’s the first weekend of October, so you know what that means! It’s time to set up my Halloween yard display!

Since 2022, when I moved into my condo, I’ve enjoyed putting up a new yard display every October for spooky season. This year, I decided to do something a little different: instead of just putting out a bunch of random stuff, this year I put up something with a theme.

Ladies, gentleman, and non-binary/genderfluid people of class, I present to you “Hanging Out in the Graveyard!”

Neat, huh? And every character is special. We have Lizzie Borden (are you surprised that she’s in this?).

We have the kids (these skeletons were a gift for me from a friend. I’ve been waiting since March to dress them up and put them up in the yard).

We have an undead American Revolution soldier.

And we have the Ghoul of the Graveyard. Both are old Halloween costumes on a pair of skeletons. One final hurrah before they become unusable.

No surprise, I had fun planning this one and setting it up. I even filmed a silly little video of the yard. You can watch it here.

Anyway, that’s this year’s Halloween display. Here’s hoping it survives and none of the skeletons or tombstones fall over too frequently. One way or another, I know it’s going to be a hit with my neighbors.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Good night, pleasant nightmares, and 26 days till Halloween. Ask your doctor if being bitten by a zombie, werewolf, or vampire is right for you.

Trying to Find a Better Portrayal of Disability

Posted: September 12, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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It’s no secret that disability has had a troubled portrayal in our media. There’s inspiration porn in the news, which tries to make able-bodied people feel “inspired” to achieve their goals at the expense of making the disabled seem pitiful and hopeless. People with dwarfism are often equated with fantasy settings or fantastical elements. And, of course, there’s horror. Horror’s history with disability has been, to say the least, fraught.

Look, I love this genre. That’s obvious. But it’s no secret that, when the genre was coalescing, a lot of horror came from stereotypes of minorities, and the disabled were no exception. Most often, disability was used as a shorthand for sinister or evil. The original Phantom of the Opera was a manipulative groomer, and his later portrayals have added plenty of murder. From Psycho to Split, people with DID are often portrayed as dangerous and even magical. And most of the famous slashers have some form of disability! It’s not the focus of the characters, but it’s definitely there.

That being said, it hasn’t always been bad. The 1932 film Freaks was actually pretty progressive for its time, with many of its disabled characters getting humanizing portrayals. American Horror Story‘s fourth season, Freak Show, was heavily inspired and influenced this film. A Quiet Place and its sequels have been very disability-positive.

The problem is, sometimes even the positive portrayals are problematic. I still cringe over the characters of Duddits from Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher, and the autistic kid in 2018’s Predator somehow being an important factor in human (and Predator) evolution felt…well-intentioned but missed the mark. And just earlier this year, I read a recent book by an author I like which included a character with mental disabilities who was kind of psychic/magical, a secondary antagonist with a cleft palate, and a main antagonist with an eyepatch!

That’s why I’m glad that, as both the community and the genre evolves, more disabled writers join it and include disabled characters like themselves in their stories. I’m among those writers. The Shape of Evil‘s three main characters all have various disabilities, and in two short stories I wrote recently, the major characters all have disabilities as well. The stories themselves are still not published, but I’m working to get The Shape of Evil out there, and the other two stories will hopefully find homes soon after I edit them.

And as those stories, as well as other stories by disabled writers, get published, perhaps there will be ripple effects. The fiction we consume can have a noticeable effect on our perception of the world. Perhaps with portrayals that are just not more positive, but also realistic, we can make the world a nicer place for the disabled.

And given that 1 in 5 people have or will get a disability, but most of the US is still not accessible and laws aren’t always disabled-friendly, that would be nice.

A Year of Being Diabetic

Posted: August 28, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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I do this as necessary. It’s not fun, but it’s necessary. Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

That title is misleading. Today is actually the one-year anniversary of when I was diagnosed as diabetic. But saying all that isn’t as catchy, so I went with what we have.

So, for those of you who may not have been around last year or may not remember, last year I was diagnosed as having diabetes. Apparently, it runs in both sides of my family. And for the first thirty-one years of my life, I was fine. Well, I didn’t have diabetes; I had other problems. But then some time last summer, I started to rapidly lose weight, even though I wasn’t doing anything differently. I got blood tested, and went about my day. The next morning, my doctor’s office called and told me to get to the emergency room. I had diabetes and my blood sugar was extremely high.

I spent the rest of the day in the ER with a headache, starving myself so my blood sugar could come down. Not my favorite day of last year by a long shot. A few days later, I got my first round of supplies, including medications, and started working on adjusting my lifestyle with a combination of diet, exercise, insulin, and a few other things besides.

A year later, I’ve adjusted. I don’t think I went through the five stages of grief, but I’m definitely at acceptance. And I was definitely a little bummed after I got the diagnosis, though I wouldn’t call it depression. But yeah, I’ve adjusted. For a while, I couldn’t look at something full of sugar without hissing like a cornered cat. Now, I’m able to indulge in the occasional sugary treat, so long as I’m careful. I know the patterns my blood sugar tends to take during the course of a normal day. I’m eating better, and working out more. I know what foods to avoid or limit. I’ve even been able to travel, such as for StokerCon. (Though when I’m finally able to go abroad…that could be challenging.)

That being said, it still sucks. I can’t eat ice cream when the urge hits me. Like I said, when I travel, I have to make special arrangements so my medication and everything else stay functional. Eating out was already a challenge because I keep kosher, but now I got to keep an eye out to make sure there’s nothing that’s not going to put my blood sugar over the edge. Try eating at a multiday convention where most of the food is either out of a food truck or what you’d find at a stadium snack bar!

And this condition still finds ways to surprise me. Just in the past six months, I’ve learned about “dawn phenomena” and “diabetic hypoglycemia.” Fun!

Still, I’ve adjusted. And I’ll keep adjusting. I’ve got way too much living to do. Too many things I want to do with my life (even if the economy and my bank account keep me from doing some of them right this moment). And I have no intention of letting a disease get in the way of that.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Putting this out on my blog helps me get my thoughts on this weird occasion out. Not sure I’m going to celebrate it, but I may mark it with sugar free chocolate pudding and sugar free whipped cream tonight after dinner. Sweet, but not going to put my health in danger.

I may have a beer, though. Hey, what’s life without some fun?

Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 64 days till Halloween. Are you enjoying all the pumpkin spice you can get your hands on?

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