Archive for the ‘Scary Stuff’ Category

Surprise! “The Wild Hunt” is Now an Ebook!!!

Posted: November 3, 2025 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Halloween has passed. Outside my condo, the decorations down. Meanwhile, the music stations and the big box stores are putting up the Christmas trees and the tinsel. People are planning their Turkey Day celebrations as preludes for the holiday season. What’s a horror author who basically lives every day as if it’s Halloween to do?

Simple: get in on it!

Some of you may recall two years ago a short story of mine was published in the anthology “Happy Hellidays” from Hellbound Books. The short story, called “The Wild Hunt,” followed two sisters who run away from home on Christmas Eve and come across a group out of ancient myth. I wrote the story because I wanted to follow in the tradition of Jews adding to Christmas music and literature,, though obviously it was a horror story. And, because Krampus stories have been done to death, I decided to focus my story on The Wild Hunt, a mythical group of supernatural hunters, monsters and spirits from legend and mythology.

Now, I decided to release the story as an ebook. It’s been a while since I released a single story like this, and I heard Christmas stories are enjoyed year round, so I thought, “Why the heck not?” Thus, I had a cover commissioned, and put the story out.

Here is the blurb that I’m using for the story:

“Happy Hellidays” from Hellbound Books, where “The Wild Hunt” was first published.

Tatum and Mia have lived under the oppressive thumb of their abusive father for years. But when their father threatens to separate the two sisters, Tatum makes the risky decision to run away on Christmas Eve and take her sister with her. But the blizzard raging isn’t the only danger out there this Christmas Eve. Something ancient and powerful is riding through the blizzard tonight. An army of hunters out of myth and legend.
Will these mythical hunters be the sisters’ salvation? Or their doom?

If you’re at all interested, I’ll leave links below so you can check the story out. It’s a short story, after all, so it should be a quick read, and I remember people really enjoying the story at the time it came out. So, if you decide to check it out, I’m sure you’ll love it.

(Please be aware due to a mistake with the setup on Apple Books, it won’t be available there till Wednesday, November 5th. However, it is available for preorder there.)

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

Now, if anyone needs me, I had a long day and I might be getting sick, so I’m going to go indulge in some self-care. I just wanted to make sure people knew this story was available to read this holiday season.

So until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and have a lovely holiday season.

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Apple Books
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Goodreads
Kobo

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” Six Months Since Release!!!

Posted: November 1, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Surprised it’s not a Hannah post? Call it a belated trick and treat!

So, if you weren’t aware, Hannah and Other Stories wasn’t the only collection I released this year. Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of nine novelettes I released on May 1st, 2025, also known as Walpurgis Night, when witches are said to be their most powerful (you can read more about that here). I put a collection full of novelettes together because there aren’t a lot of venues for novelettes, which are stories between 7,500 and 17,500 words. Unfortunately, not many venues publish novelettes, and those that do prefer shorter novelettes, between 7,500 and 10,000 words.

Thus, Symphony for Walpurgis, which includes four previously published stories and five original stories. And the stories range from tales featuring cryptids, to stories of revenge and giant bats, and even to a story of a Jewish exorcism! Yeah, bet you didn’t know my people had exorcisms.

Anyway, six months have elapsed since the book came out, and what a six months they’ve been! Symphony for Walpurgis has quickly become one of my most popular books at events, and often sells out or gets close to selling out. I guess that cover and my description of the unusual stories inside appeal to horror fans.

In fact, I know it does, because I’ve read the reviews! Here are what people are saying:

Dipping my toes once again into the world of indie horror. And this, a rare read of single author short story collections.

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.

MG Mason, Goodreads

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. Mother of Spiders was my favourite tale, and definitely one of the most nightmarish.

Only two stories had plots which I wasn’t so keen on, but even then the writing was still engaging enough to make them enjoyable reads. 100% recommend!

Louise Conway, 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, Amazon

From the fiendish imagination of Rami Ungar, Symphony for Walpurgis presents nine stories, each with its own wildly imaginative tale to tell. The author’s acknowledged favorite, The Parasite Man, will make your skin crawl. In contrast, the warmth and psychological insight of The House on Lafayette Square made it this reviewer’s favorite above all. An underlying theme, returned to across several stories but never repetitively, is the revenge of the mistreated, wreaking havoc on a world they never made.

Ann O’Mara, Goodreads

I would include more reviews, but that would involve spoilers of some of the stories. But yeah, it shows how much people are enjoying the collection.

And if you’re interested in reading the book, or you’re looking for something to give your horror-loving family member or friend this holiday season, or you just want to support me, I’ll include links below. You can also read all the reviews that way.

Speaking of which, if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and your fellow readers out in the long run.

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

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

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.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” One Month Since Re-Release!!!

Posted: October 23, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Well, here we are. A month has passed. And is it just me, or did it pass by fast? Must be because so much happened in that month.

Anyway, you’re here, so let’s get to the meat of this post. As you know, last month I re-released my collection Hannah and Other Stories after it had gone out of print at the beginning of the year. The collection contains seven stories of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things, and now has a gorgeous new cover and edit, too.

And I’m happy to say, people have been showing interest in the collection. At my most recent event, in Chardon, I sold nearly half my copies of Hannah. I’ve also heard from several people who have bought copies or plan to buy them in the future. To know that people are reading and enjoying my books just makes my day. Especially since it’s October!

And now we’ve reached the one month mark. Honestly, after the book went out of print, I wondered what it would be like when I reached this point. Hell, since this the first time the book is out in a paperback edition (don’t ask, it’s a long story), I’ve been dreaming about where things would be once the paperback came out. And while not everything is the same as my daydreams (no dragon/motorcycle hybrids to ride around, for one thing), some of the details are right.

Like the smiles on people’s faces when I sign their books. And the photos I get from people who are excited when their copies come in the mail. Those moments mean the world to me.

Anyway, there’s still a little bit of October left, and I have a few events left before the end of the year (more on that later). So, if you would like to check out Hannah and Other Stories yourself; if you would like to support me; or if you’re looking for gifts for family and friends this holiday season, I’ll leave links below. After all, what horror reader wouldn’t love a book full of carnivorous horses, cosmic beasts, and the Paris catacombs, to boot? Especially around this time of year!

And if you end up reading the book, I hope you’ll consider leaving a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers out in the long run. Plus, it’s just a nice way of letting authors know their work is being read and appreciated.

And what’s not to love about that?

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Also, one more thing, Followers of Fear: in two days, my friends in HWA Ohio and I will be holding another Scary Saturday event at the Columbus Metropolitan Library! From 12p-4p on Saturday, October 25th, 2025, at the library’s Main Branch, me and my fellow horror writers will be doing readings, playing silly games, and even giving away a prize basket! And costumes are heavily encouraged.

You can register for the event using the link below.

Ohio Horror Writers Spooktacular

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work, and later to drink in celebration of the big anniversary. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 8 days till Halloween! Have you met the carnivorous horses yet?

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?

Review: “Fiend” by Alma Katsu

Posted: October 14, 2025 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff
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Alma Katsu’s become one of those authors for me that, when I hear they have something new coming out, I immediately want to scoop up a copy and read it. And when I heard that, for the first time, she was releasing a horror novel set in our modern era, I was intrigued. When Fiend finally came out, I immediately went to the library to grab my copy (support your local libraries, kids!) and started reading as soon as I could.

That was about a week ago. I finished the book today. And now, I’m reporting my thoughts.

Set in our modern times and with some flashbacks to the past (which, based on the characters’ ages and context clues, I assume is somewhere between 2004-2015), Fiend follows the Berishas, a powerful family hailing from Albania that rules over a wide business empire. Specifically, it follows the youngest generation of the Berishas: Dardan, an anxious young man being groomed to run the family empire; Maris, who rebels against her father’s patriarchal views and wants to rule while also wanting to please him; and Nora, a wildcard who’s more than she seems. They are well aware that their family, ruled over by the tyrannical Zef, is rumored to be aided by a demon that keeps them rich and untouchable. But after a particular incident, the dominoes start falling. Dominoes that will change the family, and possibly bring down the dynasty, forever.

So, while this book has been marketed or compared to “Succession with a demon” (not sure how accurate that is, having never seen Succession, though I know the basic pitch), I would compare it more with 2015’s The Witch. The focus is on these characters, showing an intimate portrait of a family that is breaking down due to isolation, clashing egos, and external pressures closing in. The demon itself, like the witch in the movie, is just one of the catalysts that hastens the breakdown of the family.

And the way Fiend is written, it is hard to put down or look away. I was breezing through each chapter, just wanting to find out what happened next and how each of these fascinating, unhappy, often terrible people would hurt each other next. We spend the most time with Maris, and you can see Alma Katsu having a ball writing her and showing her trying to achieve what she thinks she wants. After her, we spend the most time with Dardan, who is desperately struggling under the weight of his destiny but too scared to find a way out of it.

My two criticisms are this: one, I would have liked to have spent more time with Nora. As I said, she’s a wildcard who’s more than she seems, and I would’ve liked to get further below the surface than what we got with her. I get why she’s the sibling we spend the least amount of time with, but I still wanted to know her. And two, I honestly wanted to see more interactions with Olga, the Berisha matriarch. She’s mentioned more often than seen, and I think it would have been fascinating to see how she’s weathered being part of this screwy family for most of her adult life.

But beyond that, Fiend is an excellent family drama/horror story. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving it a 4.5. An enthralling deep dive into the world of corporate intrigue and what can occur from generations of abuse and trauma (plus a little demonic magic). If this sounds like it might be up your alley, grab a copy and get ready for one hell of a ride.

“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!

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Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

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

Posted: October 7, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Well, we’re well into October, which means its every horror fan and horror writer’s favorite season. It’s also the season where the latter do our damnedest to get people reading our books, so I might as well keep up the tradition. Specifically, I’ll be promoting Hannah and Other Stories, which has been out in both ebook and paperback for two weeks now!

So, in case you didn’t know, Hannah and Other Stories is a collection of short stories that I originally published through BSC Publishing Group back in 2023. The collection contains seven tales, including tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. Unfortunately, when my contract with BSC Publishing Group ended, the book went out of print, so I decided to re-release it on the two-year anniversary of its original release. That was two weeks ago, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025.

And, for the first time, the book is available in both paperback and ebook (we only did ebook last time). Not only that, but it’s got a new cover and a brand new edit. It’s even better than before!

And since we’re in the middle of October, it’s perfect reading for Halloween season, so I’m hoping plenty of people will want to read it. In fact, I’m doing quite a few events this month just to get the book in people’s hands (more on those below). With any luck, people will not only get copies, but read it. Maybe even review it.

And speaking of which, if you’re at all curious and want to read Hannah this Halloween season, I’ll include links below. And if you enjoy what you read, please leave a review or rating online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 24 days till Halloween. Has anyone else started growing horns and a forked tail, or is that just me?

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

One more thing, my Followers of Fear: this Saturday, I’ll be in Chardon, Ohio for the Ohio Viking Festival and the Cryptid Con & Curios Fest (sort of like a double festival or a festival within a festival). I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings from noon to 6 PM, so if you can stop by, please do. I would be happy to see you.

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.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” One Week Since Release!!!

Posted: September 30, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Wow, can you believe it’s been a week since Hannah and Other Stories was released? And wow, what a week it’s been! Rosh Hashanah, the return of Law & Order, a million things at work, the release of my article “Scary Catharsis” (which you can read here). And now, we’re back at Tuesday.

And already, the new edition of Hannah and Other Stories is getting a lot of positive feedback. I’ve got a five star review on Amazon just a few days after the release, and, at the time of writing this, there are hopefully more on the way. Hell, one of the supervisors at work said he was going to read it (he preordered a copy a couple of months ago), so he might leave a review!

And with October up ahead, I have some events coming up. I’ll be selling books directly to readers. Hopefully, some of them will be interested in reading Hannah. I mean, a book full of stories featuring ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses? If that doesn’t sound like great Halloween reading, then I’m a tuna fish. And I’m not.

Speaking of which, if you would like to check out a copy or the review of Hannah, I’ll leave links below. And if you like what you read, it would mean a lot if you left a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to a full day of work and hopefully more stories to work on tonight. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and…31 days till Halloween?!

NOW IS THE TIME, NOW IS THE HOUR. WORDS ARE OUR MAGIC, HORROR IS OUR POWER!

Let the season of spooky fun begin.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Oh, one more thing, my Followers of Fear: I got a surprise event on Saturday! Bite This by Annie, aka The Spooky Bakery, is a goth bakery with a rotating menu, and they also like to help out the local writing community. And, with October here, they’re letting me and my fellow horror writers sell our books outside their bakery!

If you’re at all interested, please stop by the Bite This by Annie Bakery at 3009 North High Street, Columbus OH 43202 from 9 AM – 3 PM. Me and my fellow members of HWA Ohio will be selling books, I might be doing Tarot readings, it’ll be fun. Hope to see you there.

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