All videos should be listened to with headphones on and the volume turned up.
As I said in my last post, I was recently at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH, one of my favorite places on Earth, for ParaPsyCon. And as you probably know, it’s one of the most haunted places in the nation. Of all the times I’ve been there, only once have I not experienced something strange or spooky. And that one time was not this past weekend!
And speaking of which, on Friday night, the Reformatory had a mini ghost hunt for the vendors (the mini part meaning it was only three hours instead of the entire night). And you know that I had to participate in that! So, I did. And my friend Jeff Ignatowski, owner of Scorpion Lair Games and Killers the Card Game, whom I’ve mentioned here before, was there too with a new ghost hunting device called a ChatterGeist. So, we teamed up for the ghost hunt and to see if we could get anything.
And oh boy, did we get something! In fact, nearly the whole night, the prison was jumping with activity! And I got a ton of it on camera!
Our first stop was James Lockhart’s cell. If you didn’t know, James Lockhart was a prisoner who, in 1960, immolated himself and died soon after. He was 22. His spirt is said to still haunt the cell he died in. I’ve always had good luck speaking with him using the dowsing rods (he’s got a reputation for not being very talkative), so we headed there first.
And I should just mention, the moment we were about to start, the birds started freaking out! You can’t avoid the birds, they make nests in holes in the building and in the windows and you can always hear them. But when I sat down in Lockhart’s cell, they just freaked out! It was weird. And as it turned out, it was very relevant.
After this session, Jeff and I set up the ChatterGeist device. And the results we got were quite relevant to where we were.
Weird about that “melting” comment, right?
After wrapping up in James Lockhart’s cell, we headed to solitary confinement, where I’ve interacted with the spirit of a dead guard before. However, that night, I learned about a very different story that occurred in the solitary confinement cells. When they used to double people in solitary (which kinda defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?).
Damn, that’s spooky! Who knew Jeff had a dark connection to the prison like that?
After solitary, we were going to head to the attic, but then we found out that the subbasement, which is usually left off the tour and which is supposedly filled with very active spirits, was open for the ghost hunt. So, guess who went down to a place I’ve only seen on TV? We did. And boy, did we get results!
Man, of all the things that I experienced that night, the subbasement sticks with me the most! I mean, you heard those sounds, right? And up until we were trying to leave, we were the only ones in the basement. What made those noises? We may never know.
But as you saw the end of the video, we had some guests and one of them, Daryl, is a volunteer at OSR studying to be a tour guide. So he told us some very dark stories that actually put some things from the last video into context.
Damn! That prison was not run very well back then. 0/10, would not recommend.
After the stories, Jeff and I went up to the attic. Sadly, we didn’t get any good proof on camera, so I did not upload any footage from there. So, we headed to the library. And it was actually kind of peaceful. Here’s what happened.
With that, we went downstairs to the infirmary, where we hung out with some other ghost hunters who were talking to a very smarmy ghost (I wish I got that on video, but oh well). After that, they left and we got out my dowsing rods out for one last time. And it’s probably the second-most memorable experience for me for that night.
I want to think that maybe that ghost just wanted someone to know how he died, and maybe telling someone allowed him to pass on. I hope we at least brought him some peace.
Anyway, after that, it was close to eleven, so we packed up and left so we could get some sleep before the convention in the morning. But man, was it a great night! The prison was more active than I had ever seen it, and we got some amazing stuff on video. I hope plenty of people find the videos informing and entertaining, and maybe makes them want to explore the beyond as well.
Or maybe it’ll scare them silly. I would be happy with that.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoyed my breakdown of my ghost hunt at ParaPsyCon. Be sure to check out my YouTube channel by clicking here and maybe giving me a subscription. And be sure to check out Jeff’s Channel, Route 666, as well.
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
The Ohio State Reformatory at sunset. Isn’t it beautiful?
Can you believe it’s been more than a week since I last posted? I’m almost disappointed in myself!
So, this weekend was ParaPsyCon, which for those of you who don’t know, is a paranormal convention held every year at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH. The Reformatory was once an active prison, but is now the state’s designated prison museum, a film set (it was the filming location for The Shawshank Redemption, among other movies), and one of the most haunted places in America.
Not surprisingly, the prison has plenty of paranormal investigations throughout the year, dedicated employees for that purpose, and ParaPsyCon, which I’ve gone every year since 2021 as a vendor, selling books and doing Tarot readings. And you know what? I really love going (as well as ghost hunting there when I get the chance).
However, last year did not go as well as I’d hoped. Between Pennhurst Asylum in Pennsylvania having their own paranormal convention the same weekend and possible economic worries at the time, many of the vendors last year, myself included, did not make as much as hoped. It was bad enough that I actually considered skipping this year (especially since the amount needed for a table went up). In the end, however, I decided to go again.
I’m glad I did.
I keep a very positive attitude most of the time. But lately, I’ve been frustrated that I’m not closer to my goals of writing full time. Since March, the amount of time I have available to write seems to have been reduced drastically, so I feel like I’m getting through projects a lot slower than I’d like to. And as much as I market my work, it’s not easy to market or get people to read my work, which bums me out because of how much I’m trying to get people to check my books out. Coupled with trouble finding homes for stories I really believe in, stressors in my life (work, finances, etc.), and maybe a tad bit of jealousy over seeing other writers’ successes, I’ve often felt like Sisyphus, rolling that boulder up a hill only to see it fall back to the Earth.
(And yes, these are things all writers deal with at one time or another. And yes, there are plenty of people out there who have it a lot worse than I do. But that doesn’t change how frustrating it can be.)
Which is why I’m very happy I went to ParaPsyCon as a vendor this year.
Besides seeing my friends, being in a place I absolutely love, and even doing a little ghost hunting (more on that in a future post), it was just a balm for my writer’s soul. On the very first day of the con, two people came up to my table to tell me they’d bought a book off me last year, read it, and loved it! Both promised they would write reviews when they can (I hope they remember), and one even bought another book off me after telling me he had hoped I would be there.
And that was only the beginning. A coworker from my day job came to the convention after I told her about it, bought two books for her daughters, and then got a Tarot reading she found very helpful. I woke up this morning to see a new review for The Pure World Comes on Goodreads. One woman bought a copy of Rose because the cover reminded her of a dream she had the night before and she felt it was a sign. One guy who bought a copy of Snake from me said he’d actually seen some of my YouTube videos and that may have been part of his reason for buying a book.
I’m still thinking of that last one. I make those YouTube videos, but it’s hard to tell if those actually lead to book sales. Now, I have some proof that making them has been a productive use of time. (If at all interested, check out my channel here.)
All this and more happened. And all told, I ended the day not just with more than the minimum I wanted to make this weekend, but I felt rejuvenated. Not only are people buying my books, they are reading them and enjoying them. They’re going out of their way to find me and tell me this. And I’m learning firsthand how much my hard work is paying off.
And moving forward, as I work hard on my writing, I’ll keep that in mind so I can keep my frustrations away. I’m not close to writing full time yet, but I am making meaningful progress. And I will continue making that progress. Bit by tiny bit.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m exhausted but happy, and I hope to be back soon (I have some videos from ghost hunting the other night I look forward to sharing). In the meantime, if you’re looking for something scary to read, be sure to check out my books using the button below. There’s plenty there, including free stories you can download, so be sure to check them out. And if you like what you read, leave me a review. Both of those actions help support me immensely.
In addition, the five-year anniversary of the release of Rose is coming up and I’m working on something special for it. If you have a copy of the book, please send me a photo of you with the book and one word you would do to describe the book. I’m planning on putting together a video of the photos, so if you send me something at ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com, it’s likely to make an appearance. Wouldn’t that be fun?
Anyway, until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
I did say I would get a post out between last Friday and this Friday that wasn’t about The Pure World Comes, didn’t I?
So, as I’ve mentioned before, my novel Rose is coming up on its five-year release anniversary. And I’m doing something a bit different to celebrate the momentous anniversary. Specifically, I’m trying to put together a video of people with their copies of Rose, along with one word they would use to describe the book. To do this, I need photos of people with their copies of Rose giving me that one word they would use.
So, I’m asking all my Followers of Fear to help me with this project. If you have a copy of Rose, paperback or ebook, please take a photo of yourself with your book and send it to me with one word you would use to describe the book. You can send your photo and your adjective of choice to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. If you do, I’ll put it in the video.
Now, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. It’s not as if I can force you, after all. However, I need as many photos as possible to make this video longer than half a minute. So, if you can, please take that photo and send it to me along with one word to describe the book. And please send it along by May 31st. That should give you plenty of time, so please send your picture along.
Thank you, and I cannot wait to see what you send me. I’m very excited to be marking this anniversary and to be putting together this video for the anniversary. If all works out, it should be fun.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
If you haven’t read Rose yet but would like to check it out, the links are listed below. If you end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review so I know what you thought. As well as send me a photo and an adjective, but no pressure. Thanks, and happy reading!
So, it’s been more than a week since my last post. And I have some things I wanted to talk to you about. Problem is, none of them are enough for a blog post on their own, so I’m doing an updates post. Because let’s face it, those have worked before! Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to lately:
I’m Writing about a 3D Printer from Hell
You know how after the Great Editing, all I wanted to do was work on some new stories and not edit for a while? Well, I’ve been doing just that, and have so far written one short story, one novelette, and two novellas. Only the short story has been edited and is being shopped around, while the rest are waiting on their second drafts.
The current project is what I hope will be a novella about a 3D printer from Hell. Most likely, it’s going to end up a novel and I’ll be like, “Rami, what did you do?” But if it ends up being that long, so be it. I’m going to care more about the quality of the words instead of the quantity of the word count (though that is important).
Anywho, right now this project, which doesn’t have a title yet, is still early in the first draft. I’m trying to work on it every opportunity I get, and I hope to get further along before too much time passes. After that, I plan on working on a few more (hopefully much shorter) tales. And after that? Well, I think I’ll go through editing all these stories and then finding some of them homes.
Ongoing projects
So, before you ask: yes, I am still planning on getting back to my mummy novel Crawler. It’s just that I wanted to work on a bunch of other stuff and not commit to another huge project for a while. Granted, that might have blown up in my face, with the 3D printer story possibly going the same route as The Pure World Comes (God, I was so naive to think that would be a novelette). But I still plan to get back to it before the end of the year and finish the first draft.
In the meantime, I’m also putting together two new collections. Yes, you read that right: two new collections. All I can say about them is that one will be made up entirely of novellas, and the other will be made up entirely of novelettes. How many in each, and which stories will be in it, I’ll let you know when the projects are a lot further along. But let me be clear: I am working on these, and will update you when it’s appropriate to do so.
Finally, I’ve also started research on a new essay. Won’t say what it is yet, but it’s going to be horror focused, and it’s also going to revolve around one of my favorite things. Like everything else, I’ll keep you updated on any developments.
Important anniversaries are coming up!
So, I realized yesterday that three of my books have anniversaries coming up and these are going to be important ones. First, The Pure World Comes will be celebrating its second anniversary since being released in paperback and ebook on May 10, 2024. Feels like it’s been out a lot longer, but yeah, I counted to be sure. Two years.
Then, Snake will celebrate ten years since release on June 10, 2024. Yeah, the big one-oh. Kind of snuck up on me, didn’t it?
And finally, on June 20, 2024, Rose will celebrate five year since it was first released. I know, I know. Hard to believe, right? It amazes me too that that book came out just before the pandemic!
With all these anniversaries, I’ll be doing something to celebrate each, so be sure to stick around. And if you haven’t read those books…well, if you need some reading material right now, go check those three out. They’re scary and awesome, if I do say so myself. You can check them out using my Book Links and Excerpts page, which is linked to the button below.
Well, I’ve been busy with HWA Ohio stuff. As a chapter, we’re really growing and getting noticed in all the right ways, so as Chapter Coordinator, I’ve been busy with that and making sure we all get more exposure and readers. With any luck, some of us may even be able to take our careers to brand new heights.
Also got some events I’ll be going to soon, which I am looking forward to (see my last post about those). Hope you’re looking forward to and maybe stopping by some of those as well.
I’ve been putting up a lot of stuff on my YouTube channel, including some writing advice videos I’m proud of. Definitely check those out and consider subscribing to my channel.
And…that’s about it. I mean, I could talk about work stuff, or the fact that it’s Passover, but I don’t feel like it. Also, it’s getting late, and I have to go into the office tomorrow, so might as well stop here.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. I hope whatever you’re doing, it’s working out well for you.
So, I have a few new events I’ll be attending this year, as well as one I had to cancel. Thus, an update post. If you’re able to come out and see me, please do so. I would love to see you, and even sign your books or give you a hug if you want.
The first event on the horizon is actually this coming Saturday! HWA Ohio will be an official partner at the Ohioana Book Festival this Saturday, April 20th, 2024 at 10:30 AM – 5 PM at the Downtown Library in Columbus, Ohio. In addition to having several of our members there as featured authors, HWA Ohio will have a booth where we’ll be telling people about our chapter and what we provide for writers and readers. I’ll be volunteering at the HWA Ohio booth for most of the day, so please stop by if you can. Click here for details on the festival.
After that, guess what? I’m going to jail! ParaPsyCon will be occurring on May 17-19, 2024 at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readers both days, so please stop by and check it out if you’re in the area. Entry fee is the same price as a self-guided tour of a prison (ten bucks, if I remember correctly), and it’s an amazing place, so why not stop by, see the prison and check out one of the biggest paranormal conventions in the Midwest? Further details can be found on the ParaPsyCon website.
June I’ll have the month off, but then July gets busy. First, HWA Ohio will be having a booth again at the Columbus Book Festival.The festival will be taking place on July 13-14, 2024 at the Downtown Library and at Topiary Park in downtown Columbus, Ohio (don’t worry, one’s right in front of the other, so it’s not a long walk). We’ll be having a larger booth this year and likely more authors and books, so definitely come out and check it out. Further details can be found on the festival’s website.
And after that, I’ll have another big festival on the way! Motor City Nightmares will be occurring at the Novi Sheraton in Novi, Michigan on July 26-28. This is a huge horror convention, and has had horror luminaries like Bruce Campbell (Ash in the Evil Dead movies) and Kane Hodder (played Jason Voorhees four times) as special guests! And the lineup for this year is also looking pretty awesome, so I’m very excited to join this convention. Further details can be found on their website and Facebook page.
Unfortunately, I will not be attending the Indie Author Book Expo in Terre Haute, Indiana in August. Something came up, and I won’t be able to travel out that week. Sucks, but sometimes that’s just life. Apologies for any fans of mine in Indiana who were looking forward to seeing me.
And finally, HWA Ohio will be hosting a Super Saturday event on October 26, 2024 at the Downtown Library in Columbus, Ohio. Super Saturdays are events the library holds once a month to bring in more adult audiences for the library’s events. What exactly we’ll be doing is still not finalized, but we have a date and the library is excited to collaborate with us. More details will be available as we get closer.
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll do another update post when I have some more news to share. In the meantime, if you would like to attend any of these events, please do! And if you can’t stop by, please consider supporting me by purchasing, reading and reviewing my books. I’ll leave a link below for my Books page so you can check them out, including some free stories.
I especially hope you’ll check out Hannah and Other Stories, my new collection from BSC Publishing Group. Hannah has been out for six and a half months now, and I think there’s a good chance it’ll finally get a paperback edition, but it’ll need your help to accomplish that. So, if you like scary short stories–especially ones with ghosts, serial killers, or carnivorous horses–be sure to check this book out using the links below.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
The photo I took at the very beginning of the eclipse.
When I saw the 2017 solar eclipse, it wasn’t that great an experience. It happened while I was at work, and we were several hundred miles from the zone of totality. I just remember going outside of the building, watching the partial eclipse through a coworker’s eclipse glasses (and it was partial, like barely halfway covered from our perspective), and going back inside not thinking it was a big deal.
And then I learned that the next one would be wandering right over Ohio in 2024. And I got excited again.
Now, I live just outside of the zone of totality, so I could still get a pretty good view from my condo. And I was working from home today, so I decided to log off early and go outside to witness the event. I planned to enjoy it with a beer and some popcorn, but in the end, I put it all back in the fridge and pantry. Beyond the photos I took, I just wanted to enjoy the show.
And enjoy it, I did. Me and some of my neighbors were out in the street, just watching the light change. Watching the streets go grey. And it was grey, like a dark grey filter had been placed over the world. Looking back on it, it was like being in one of those movies where the filmmakers use filters to give everything a moody, morose feel. Like Sweeney Todd or Dead Silence. The lights attached to our buildings came on, their sensors as fooled as the animals around us were.
And, of course, there was the show above us. And it was magnificent.
Except for the briefest of glances, I viewed the event entirely through my eclipse glasses. I watched as the sun shrank, become a big smile, then a sliver, and then a tiny slit. It was kind of crazy. You see eclipses in movies and shows, but that’s all special effects or animation or stock footage. This was the real thing, and it was amazing to be witnessing it. To see the moon cover the sun and bathe the world in an unnatural darkness.
After a few minutes, the slit started to widen again and become a crescent shape, followed by a Cheshire-cat smile. Over the course of a few minutes, the light returned to normal and the animals settled down. And when the lights on our building went out, I knew it was over. I went back inside.
I don’t feel changed or anything. Maybe a little sunburned from going out in what feels like May weather. But I feel incredibly happy to have witnessed that eclipse. To have seen a monumental event that used to be unpredictable and put people into terror, and which now we consider ourselves lucky to witness. To be part of an astronomical event that reminds us that we’re just tiny beings crawling on the surface of the Earth, and that this universe turns and moves like clockwork and we’ve gotten to the point where we can look forward to observing that clockwork.
Well, it’s just amazing. Awe-inspiring, really.
And I’m glad I got some good photos of the event. I had to be careful: according to an article I read, you need to put filters over your phone cameras. Otherwise, your phone will try to gather as much light as possible, and that could damage your eyes. Especially if you take off your eclipse glasses to take the photo. So, I put my spare pair over my phone camera, pointed it to the sky, and took some photos. The one above and this one are the best ones.
If you look closely, it’s kind of a half-sun up there. Pretty cool, right? I wanted to come away with some photos, so I took these before focusing on the event. I’m glad I did. They’re awesome!
And now, the eclipse is over. The next one to hit the United States will pass over Alaska and Canada in 2033, and then over Montana and the Dakota in 2044. I doubt I’ll see the one in Alaska, and I don’t think I’ll see the one in 2044 either. So, I’ll count my blessings and be happy that I got to witness this one.
Did you witness the eclipse? What was your experience like? Have you ever witnessed an eclipse before? Will you witness the next few in the future? Let’s discuss.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. So glad none of us got Raptured, though I do wish some of us got superpowers or witnessed a demonic entity be released from the eclipse. Well, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
The other night, I was reading the final volume of the manga Alice in Borderland. If you haven’t read the original manga or seen the kickass live-action adaptation on Netflix, the story follows a teenager who finds himself among several people randomly placed in a Tokyo emptied of people. Even stranger, the people left in Tokyo have to take place in life-or-death games. If they win the games, they’ll get to live a bit longer. If they lose, they die. And if they don’t survive the games, a laser will come out of the sky and kill them.
Yeah, pretty dark stuff. Makes for a great sci-fi thriller.
Anyway, without spoiling the end of the manga or the TV series, the last chapter features a reporter asking random people on the street why they’re alive. Seems like a random way to end a rollercoaster of a manga, until you realize the death games the characters deal with takes a toll on them psychologically, to the point that some of them even wonder if it’s worth trying to live.
The answers the reporter gets are all over the place. A few aren’t interested in answering and make sure the reporter knows it. A few more don’t know and have never thought about it. Several give variations on “So I can die without regrets” or “I do it because there’s someone important in my life.” Some answers are shallow, like the weekend beer or for material things. Others are about how happy they are everyday or pursuing what they love.
One woman thinks it’s to find out why we’re here, while two others think it’s because of biology.
One little girl in Gothic Lolita dress says she’s living and putting herself in misery everyday for revenge against her parents.*
One man says it’s because this life is all there is.
A couple, for one reason or another, are just going through the motions until they die.
Reading the chapter, I realized something; none of us really know why we’re alive. Not what the meaning of life is; that related, but I feel like that’s a question revolving around the general population and not the individual.
But seriously, why are we alive? Was each one of us placed on this planet for a purpose? Is it just because of biological drives for survival? The need to reproduce and pass on our DNA to a new generation? Is it something we need to figure out for ourselves? Or is it just because we’re already alive, so might as well keep living?
Or perhaps it’s not something we should not think too much about. Perhaps instead we should live.
It’s a question that would probably puzzle this guy for quite a while.
It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I read that chapter. I know my purpose in life, the purpose I set for myself: live a good life, write some damn good horror stories, and try to leave this world a bit better than I found it. And I have an opinion on what the meaning of life is (no, it’s not 42). But are those the same answers to this question?
Maybe. Or maybe not. Like I said, I don’t get up every day thinking, “I’m getting up and I’m alive to write scary stories and have a good life and improve the world.”
Hmm…but I do get up every morning because I have dreams I want to pursue. A lot of what I do everyday is because I want to achieve those dreams. So maybe’s that’s why I’m alive.
But in the end, I don’t know if I need to think about it that hard. It never was something I needed to think that hard about before, after all. Why should that change going forward?
In any event, I’ll keep going forward. I’ll keep pursuing those dreams and hopefully improving my life and the lives of others while I’m at it. And maybe, if a reporter asks me, “Why are you alive?”, I’ll have a decent answer.
How would you answer that reporter’s question? What do you think of this topic? Was this too heavy a subject for a blog post?
*And I’m probably going to write a story around that little girl, because that answer was just too dark and intriguing for me to just pass over. I want to write a story around her and find out what made her like that!
Just a reminder, my Followers of Fear: this Saturday, April 6, I’ll be at the Wagnalls Library in Lithopolis, Ohio from 10 AM – 2 PM for their Local Author Fair. If you can, please stop by. I’ll be selling books, doing Tarot readings, and sitting on a panel. You can find out more on their website here. Hope to see you there!
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and check out Alice in Borderland. Manga or TV show, it’s an awesome series. Just my two cents on the subject!
Recently, on the blog Broadside run by journalist Caitlin Kelly (check her out, she’s a great journalist who has interviewed Queen Elizabeth II, done pieces for the New York Times and other publishers, has two books out, and does writing/journalism coaching), she did a post where she answered 25 questions about herself.
I enjoyed the post, asked if I could do it myself while changing some questions (I don’t wear scents, for one thing), and where she got it. Caitlin told me it came from the Financial Times’ HTSI (apparently it’s a weekend supplement standing for “How to _______ It,” with “S” standing for a variety of things) and she gave me permission. And, with apparently a lot of new followers on this blog (or so WordPress tells me), I decided to try this and let you get to know me better.
So, thanks to Caitlin for giving me the inspiration for this post, and thank you for reading it. Without further ado, 25 Facts About Me, inspired by the Financial Times’ HTSI Questionnaire.
Something you never find me without.
My glasses. Unless I’m sleeping or in the shower/bath, they’re on my face and helping me see. I also have prescription sunglasses for those days where that nasty sun is making its presence known. I also wear some rings and a necklace with personal meaning to me, and I often wear a watch (though typing with it hurts my wrist, so I take it off when I’m using a keyboard).
The last thing I bought and loved.
This is the poster I bought of the King in Yellow. It’s by Abbie Norton and available from the YouTube channel Tale Foundry. Isn’t it awesome?
A poster from one of my favorite YouTube channels depicting the King in Yellow. I got it specially framed and the poster now hangs over my bed. It’s such a cool piece of art, and I hope it gives me great ideas while I sleep.
Places that mean a lot to me.
Marietta, Ohio is lovely. I love going down there to explore the paranormal hot spots or enjoy the beautiful scenery. Just going down this past November helped me de-stress significantly. I also love New Orleans. It’s such a beautiful city and I want to go back again someday.
The best book I’ve read this year.
God, hard to choose. I go through so many. I really enjoyed Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix, and The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle was amazing. There was also The Store by Bentley Little, All Hallows by Christopher Golden, and Sister Maiden Monster by Lucy Snyder. All were excellent books.
The podcast or audio book I’m listening to.
I’ve about 19 hours left of IT, which I haven’t read since college. Afterwards, I plan to listen to The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones.
What I need to write.
I sit in front of my computer in my office with something to drink (tea or non-caffeinated diet soda, though I’ll have alcohol on the weekends or water if it’s super hot). I often have some sort of music playing, with what depending on the story. And I like burning incense in the background, as it fills the air with a sweet scent.
The item of clothing I’d save from a fire.
Probably my Jason Voorhees hockey jersey. I love wearing that thing on Fridays, whether it’s a Friday the 13th or not. Though if it’s too warm, I’ll wear something else on a Friday.
I’ve wanted to be a writer since…
Since I was ten or so. I’ve always enjoyed writing, but I never thought of it as a career until that point. After all, kids want to be everything: scientists, rock stars, police officers, superheroes, etc. But I’d always go back to writing, and eventually I was like, “I think I’ll do this as a career.” Two years later, I discovered Stephen King, and that showed me what stories I was going to write for the rest of my life.
The writing moment that changed everything for me.
I think it was when a friend introduced me to my first publisher, Castrum Press. That would eventually lead to Rose being published, and has changed lots of things for me since then.
Talents I don’t normally talk about.
Well, I can cook decently. Not many things, but enough that I eat well and on the rare occasion I have guests, I can whip up something awesome. I’m also good at making people feel old. I’ve made my coworkers cringe in horror by reminding them how much younger I am than them. This will probably come back to haunt me someday, but for now, I wield it with sadism pride.
The best gift I’ve given recently.
Impossible to say without getting too personal. Though I did give my dad and stepmom some delicious banana bread when I stayed with them recently, so can I say that?
And the best gift I’ve received recently?
I love this Cthulhu onesie. It’s awesome!
I’ve gotten wonderful gifts from lots of people, both material and immaterial. But for the purpose of this post, I’ll say it’s my Cthulhu onesie. It’s awesome!
The last music I downloaded.
Some of the greatest hits from the Backstreet Boys. Don’t judge me, sometimes I’m just in the mood for them while at work!
In my fridge you’ll always find…
Yogurt, bread, soda, and maybe something of an alcoholic nature.
Something I want to do the next time I have a few days off.
I think I’d like to binge-watch some of my anime. I’ve a few seasons of different shows on DVD and Blu-Ray I haven’t watched in a while, so I’d like to take the time to just chillax and watch those shows. Maybe this summer? It would certainly be fun.
Some goals I’m working towards.
Obviously, I want to be able to write full-time someday, and I’m working on making that happen, slowly but surely. But there are other goals. I’m hopefully going to start doing some renovations to my condo that I’ve wanted to do since I moved in. And this may scare some of my readers, but I would like to get more tattoos someday.
Yes, I have tattoos. They’re normally covered by clothes.
Animals I feel a special kinship with.
Tigers are my spirit animal. I love their fierce beauty and power. I even have one tattooed on my chest.
I also love owls, ocelots, snakes, foxes, wolves, and regular cats and dogs. Honestly, I would love to be able to interact with any of these in a safe manner. The cats and dogs are easy enough, but the rest would probably be a challenge. Still, a guy can dream, can’t he?
A skill I wish I had and a skill I would like to learn.
I would love it if languages came easily to me. Unfortunately, perhaps because I just haven’t found the right teacher, I’m terrible with anything other than English (though I still remember plenty of Hebrew and some French and German). Maybe there’s a skill or technique that’s not a total scam to teach me other languages? If so, sound off in the comments!
If I could hang out with any of my characters, who would I hang out with?
Kat from my Backrooms story (still looking for a publisher for that one). She and I are both aromantic, and we have similar nerdy interests, so we would get along fine. We’d probably make some snacks, sit on the couch, and binge whatever we’re in the mood for.
Things I like to collect?
Books, obviously. I have over 600 or 700 books across various media, including ebooks and audio books. I also collect dolls and figurines, which I keep in my room. I think some of them are haunted and watch me in my sleep. And I have plenty of wall art, too, so I guess that counts.
What am I reading now?
Currently, I’m in the middle of Spectrum, which is an upcoming anthology of horror stories written by neurodivergent writers. Many of the stories are about the authors’ own neurological states, so it’s really personal. As someone who’s also neurodivergent (or “neuro-spicy,” according to some definitions), I’m finding it all very fascinating. Thanks to the publisher for furnishing me with an advanced copy (it comes out on April 2nd if you’re interested).
I’m also listening to IT on audio book. Though I already mentioned that, didn’t I?
What am I writing now?
A novella about a 3D printer from Hell. Well, hopefully it stays a novella. There’s a chance it could bloat into a novel. Though one way or another, I have a feeling it’ll be a fun story. Very in line with the mass market horror stories of the 1970s and 1980s.
In another life I would have been…
When I went to Israel, my friends on the trip told me I’d make a great late-night show host, so maybe that. Or a radio or podcast host.
I’d also enjoy being a massage therapist, or even a professional dancer. Those are great jobs that bring people happiness and are fulfilling to the people doing them.
Though if I’m being honest, a sorcerer of dark magic is also quite appealing…
Something I try to do once a day.
I do one Tarot reading every day. I find Tarot helpful as a way to receive advice from the universe and get previews of the events in my life. And it can be scarily accurate sometimes.
Also, I’ve gotten skilled enough to do it at events where I sell books. People go crazy for it and it’s wonderful as an extra source of income. Though I can’t see me doing it everyday or as a career for a variety of reasons.
The best writing advice I can give.
You need to carve out the time to write. I give this to every writer, no matter their background or experience. A writing fairy will never appear before you and grant you certain hours in the day to write. You have to make that time. Sure, you might have to give some things up. But hey, look at this way: before becoming famous, Stephen King would find time every day to write in the laundry room of the trailer he, his wife and his three children lived in at the time.
If he can do that while also working as a teacher and an occasional gas station attendant, imagine what you can do if you cut a few non-essential things out here and there.
I hope you enjoyed that, my Followers of Fear. If any of the questions and answers really spoke to you, let’s discuss in the comments below. Be sure to also read Caitlin’s post, to see how I got inspired to write this one.
And if you are interested, do your own post like this! You can change the questions as you like, or come up with an entirely new list of questions. Just be sure to tag or link back to me so I can see your post.
That’s all for now. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Well, we have another announcement post. I got plenty of upcoming events and I want to see if I can get as many people as possible to go to those events. So, as I typically do, I’m making an announcement post. Let’s get into it, shall we?
So, next month, I have two conventions during back-to-back weekends. The first will be Cleveland Concoction in Cleveland, OH. It’ll be at the Bertram Inn Hotel and Conference Center from Friday, March 8 through March 10. I will be hanging out in the Authors Alley, selling books, doing Tarot readings, and possibly speaking on panels (to be confirmed at a later date). If you can stop by, please do, I would love to see you. More information on the event website.
The following weekend, on March 16, I’ll be at ShamROCK, a Pagan Celtic Celebration hosted by the Magical Druid, one of Columbus’s favorite metaphysical shops. It’s being held at the Courtyard by Marriott West Columbus. I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings. And then later, I’ll probably take part in pagan rituals, drinking and dancing. I promise I probably won’t do anything I’ll regret in the morning. Anyway, if you’re interested in joining us, please check out the website.
Next, I’ll be at the Wagnalls Local Author Fair at the Wagnalls Memorial Library in Lithopolis, Ohio. It’ll be April 6 from 10 AM – 2 PM, and I’ll be selling more books and doing more Tarot readings (I’m surprised they’re letting me do the latter but I’m not complaining). I have also volunteered my services for a presentation or panel, so more on that in the future.
One month later, I’m returning for my fourth ParaPsyCon on May 17-19 at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. This year, Hearsemania will be joining us, so there will likely be all sorts of wild and wonderful altered hearses to check out. You already know what I’m going to be doing there, so if you’re interested in joining us, please check out the website.
During the summer, it looks like I’ll be taking a break till August 10, when I’ll be joining the Indie Author Book Expo in Terre Haute, Indiana at the Terre Haute Convention Center. This is the same group I did an event with in Iowa back in 2020 (and then afterwards I went to the Villisca Axe Murder House). Hopefully out of the pandemic, we have an even better time than we did in Iowa. If you want to learn more, or about the other events they’re doing in 2024, you can check out their website.
And there will probably be more events in the future. I’ll be sure to let you know. I’ll also be sure to give you a reminder right before the event, in case you forgot.
And if you can’t stop by the events but still want to support me, you can always check out one of my books. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, my work has something for every horror fan. And judging from the reviews, they seem to like it. I’ll leave a link below to my Book Links page. And if you end up reading something of mine and like it, please leave me a review so I know what you thought.
That’s all for now. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
I’ve always felt “the struggle is real” is a weird phrase. I mean, we all have jobs, bills, relationships, school, and a million things that are out to kill you. The struggle is always real.
Lately, I get why people say that. Because at my day job, the struggle is very real right now.
Now, I try not to talk about my day job on my blog. After all, this blog is about my writing. But I need to vent, and I feel like talking about it here. Helps that it’s been a week since I last posted, and that makes me itchy.
Still, I don’t want to go into details, so I’ll just say that it’s been crazy busy. Like, I’ve had to work a couple of late nights, and I probably will be working more of them in the near future. Maybe even a couple of hours on the weekend. I don’t know, it’s still being discussed.
But that’s just the kind of workload we’re dealing with, and it’s a small team doing what I’m doing. Plus, we’re facing pressure from all sides, as well as malarkey that’s only giving us more headaches. It’s enough that, sad to say, I finally get why people say “the struggle is real.”
Now, before you get yourself all worried, just know I am taking care of myself. Maybe I have indulged in a beer or sweets a bit more, guilty as charged, but I am monitoring my mental health, talking to people who are trained to listen to problems, and I am doing self-care. Earlier today, I watched a horror movie with dinner. It was a terrible horror movie, but it did help with the stress (and with not being able to write for two days due to the effects of stress).
And I have scheduled some vacation time in the near future. Not saying when in case stalkers or burglars read this blog, but it’s soon. I’ll take that time to simulate living like a full-time writer, with most of my day spent writing.
And possibly visiting my dad and stepmom. Hey, they live in another city and I don’t get to see them as often as I see my other close family. Also, I may have an appointment at a spa scheduled for that period. And you know I like to watch anime as soon as it’s available to stream.
According to my Tarot, things might be improving next week. I hope that’s true.
But other than that, I am spending the time working on stories and doing other things a full-time writer might do. Hopefully it’ll be good for me, it’ll help me get some good stories out, and help me in my quest to become a full-time writer. I’m really looking forward to that.
And wow, just writing this all out has made me feel better. The struggle is still very real, but it feels a bit less soul-grinding than it did when I got home earlier today. Maybe getting it out will be the start of changing how things are going. It would match up with my Tarot reading for next week. That would be nice.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If you would like to help me get through this period, just keep doing what you’re doing: supporting me. This could be as simple as reading this blog and leaving a comment, or even reading and reviewing my books (links to which can be found on my Book Links and Excerpts page).
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Rami Ungar The Writer 