Archive for the ‘Scary Stuff’ Category

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

Posted: August 23, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
4

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the tail end of August, but here we are. And with that, we’re at the one month mark till the release of my collection, Hannah and Other Stories.

Wait, did I say “release?” I meant “re-release.” And yes, I plan to get a lot more annoying with it as we get closer and closer.

So, if you’re unfamiliar, Hannah and Other Stories is a collection of mine that was originally released through BSC Publishing Group in September 2023. It contains seven original tales from yours truly, including tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. Unfortunately, the book went out of print once my contract with BSC ended and we decided to go our separate ways. Unfortunate, but sometimes these things happen.

In any case, I’m now in the process of re-releasing the book. Not only that, but I’ve done another round of edits to improve the stories and ensure it’s as close to my vision as possible. And I added that awesome new cover you see at the top of the blog post!

I’m really excited to release this book again (and on the two-year anniversary of its original release)! I always liked this book, and when it was out the first time around, people who got copies really seemed to enjoy it. And with a paperback edition this time (don’t ask), I’m sure more people will read it and enjoy it this time around.

Who knows? We may even be able to justify producing an audio version in the future.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in preordering a copy of Hannah, I’ll leave links below. (If you want to preorder the paperback copy, it’s only available through Barnes & Noble). As I said, it comes out on September 23rd, so the book will be here before we know it. And if you end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave me a review letting me know what you think. 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. I look forward to joining you when the book comes out next month. In the meantime, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 69 days till Halloween.

Nice.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

13 Movies to Watch for Spooky Season 2025

Posted: August 17, 2025 in Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

It’s that time of year again, which means it’s time to recommend some movies for spooky season. So once again, I’m here to recommend thirteen movies that you can binge between now and Halloween. Hopefully you decide to check some of these out. As usual, I got a mix of old and new, well-known and lesser-known. All guaranteed to make your spooky season that much spookier.

So are you ready? One. BOO! Three. Let’s go.

I Am A Ghost (2012)
A ghost is haunting an old, rambling Victorian home. However, she doesn’t know she’s dead. Not until a medium reaches out to her to let her know she’s dead and it’s time for her to move on. But that’s easier said than done. Especially given the truth of how she died.

Made for only ten thousand dollars, this little indie film has both a creepy mystery and a distinct style that makes it stand out. Some of the editing choices might not be for everyone, but honestly, it’s stuck in my mind for over ten years. And I think it’s something you’ll enjoy, too, if you give it a chance. Plus, it’s on Tubi, so it’s free.

Screamboat (2025)
An anthropomorphic mouse gets loose on an old Staten Island Ferry vessel, going on a violent murder spree. Hijinks ensue.

These public domain horror films based around characters like Winnie the Pooh and the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse get a bad reputation. And for the most part, deservedly so. However, this one is actually decent! The humor is top-notch, the slasher element is extremely gory and well done, and there are actually some really beautiful, heartfelt moments. The flooding closet scene alone will pull at your heartstrings! So, if you’re going to check out any of these crazy public domain slashers, make it Screamboat.

Plus, you can make one hell of a drinking game trying to catch all the Disney references. Just saying.

My Best Friend’s Exorcism (2022)
Set in 1989, friends Abby and Gretchen get together with some friends for a weekend of getting into trouble. However, while attempting to take some LSD, something attacks Gretchen. Something not human. It’s making her do horrible things to herself and those around her. It’s trying to drag Gretchen’s soul to Hell. And Abby will need help if she wants to save her best friend from damnation.

Based on the fabulous novel by Grady Hendrix (see my review of the novel here), this movie is equal parts funny and scary, and is also quite heartwarming. My sister and I watched it on a movie night, and she and I loved it. If you’re looking for a fun horror movie to watch this season, then this is definitely an option for you.

Heretic (2024)
A pair of young Mormon women doing their missionary work go to a man’s house after scheduling to meet with him and proselytize to him. However, the man hasn’t asked them to come to his home because he truly is interested in the Book of Mormon. He’s invited them because he’s built his house to be a giant trap. And while they’re stuck with him, they’re going to go on a religious/spiritual journey with him. Whether they want to or not.

With a standout performance by Hugh Grant as antagonist Mr. Reed, the film delivers both a tense atmosphere and a twisty plot full of religious, spiritual, and philosophical themes that really get you thinking. If you enjoy horror but are also very religious/spiritual, I would recommend seeing this film just to ponder its themes. Also, it’s a damn good horror film.

Banshee Chapter (2013)
After her best friend from college mysteriously disappears after taking a chemical associated with the MKUltra experiments, tries to figure out what happened. Along the way, she gets in deep with government conspiracies, a counterculture writer with a drug habit, and mysterious, barely seen creatures that want to inhabit our skins.

Based loosely on the short story “From Beyond” by HP Lovecraft, this found footage updates the story with one of America’s most infamous moments of violating the rights of its own people. It’s not perfect, but it has plenty of scary and tense moments and it’s hard to look away. Plus, Ted Levine as surly counterculture author Thomas Blackburn just steals the show in the best way.

Abigail (2024)
A group of career criminals kidnap a twelve-year-old ballerina to hold her for ransom. They’re told to lay low in a mansion for the next twenty-four hours. No names, no personal details, and no interacting with the girl. However, it soon turns out that the girl is the daughter of a terrifying underworld figure. And she’s a vampire. And she basically staged her own kidnapping so she could have some fun hunting her prey.

As bloody as it is hysterical, this was definitely one of the best horror films of last year. Watching a preteen in a bloody tutu tear out people’s throats and fight grown adults while dancing the steps to Swan Lake is like nothing else. Plus, you really grow to like these characters, even if some of them are total bastards. Give it a watch and see how it enhances your Halloween season.

Alice, Sweet Alice (1976)
Two young girls are growing up in a heavily Catholic community in early 1960s New Jersey. The younger is murdered on the day of her First Communion, and suspicion falls on her older sister Alice, who is neglected and displays antisocial behavior. She also has never been allowed communion, as she was conceived out of wedlock. As more bodies pile up, more fingers start pointing in Alice’s direction. Is she the one behind it all? Or is someone else the culprit?

When this early slasher was released in 1976, it caused an uproar due to its perceived anti-Catholic views. However, it’s since gained a huge cult following and has been examined and reexamined by scholars for what it says about religion, familial dysfunction, and adolescent psychology. For my part, Alice, Sweet Alice has been stuck in my memory since I saw it a few years ago, and I keep finding myself returning to the movie and its troubled main character, every now again.

If you want a slasher that pushes some boundaries, this might be the movie you should watch this spooky season.

In a Violent Nature (2024)
Another prominent slasher, this one takes things in a very different direction. After his grave is disturbed, an undead killer rises from the dead. He then goes on a killing spree, mowing through everyone he comes across. All while doing it in a slow, methodical, unemotional way. And I mean “slow, methodical, unemotional.” But in the most fascinating way.

Most slashers focus on the characters about to be killed, but In a Violent Nature shows things from the killer’s perspective. Not directly, but usually from behind him. Coupled with a lot of quiet moments, without even a soundtrack other than nature sounds, and it makes for a realistic take on a slasher story, though it still has its moments where you think to yourself, “Okay, you idiot, you did something stupid and now you’re going to die.”

Just make sure to be well-rested while watching. If you’re not careful, the quiet moments can put you to sleep.

The Gate (1987)
A young boy and his friend accidentally discover a gateway to semi-Lovecraftian cosmic entities of evil and try to close it before the demons swarm out into our reality and destroy it. Along the way, they’ll deal with some trauma and feelings of loneliness.

This film isn’t the scariest thing I’ve ever seen, but it is fun to watch. It’s filled with a lot of heart, some decent stopmotion effects, and an emotional undertone that will get you right in the feels. Plus, that opening scene that still scares me (plus it inspired a novel I hope to write someday)!

While I wish it would lean more in to the Lovecraftian elements (maybe a remake someday?), it’s still a great film. Give it a watch, and you’ll see.

The Collector (1965)
A man wins the lottery and buys a huge house in the country. He then uses it to keep a woman he’s infatuated with. Obviously, the woman wants nothing to do with him. But stuck in his home, she only has so many options at her disposal. Thus begins a terrible game of cat and mouse.

This psychological horror film may be older and a slow-burn, but it’s still effective. Watching both characters trying to outmaneuver one another and gain control in this messed up stalker-stalkee relationship, all in the background of the English countryside, has to be seen to be believed.

The Vigil (2019)
A young Jewish man who has recently left his ultra-Orthodox community is hired to watch over the body of a recently deceased man until his body is collected in the morning for the funeral. However, the deceased was apparently haunted his whole life by a terrible spirit. And now, the young man may be its next victim.

This is, by far, one of the best examples of Jewish horror films I’ve ever come across. Spooky, atmospheric, with an emphasis on practical effects and psychological horror, this film will stay with you long after you’ve watched it.

The Spanish-Language Dracula (1931)
It’s the same movie you know. The one that started the Universal horror line and is part of the foundation of modern horror films. Or is it?

Back in the 1930s, movie studios were trying to reach foreign markets, especially Spanish-language markets. And rather than dubbing over the soundtracks or figuring out how to put subtitles onscreen, they would have a Spanish-speaking cast and crew come in when the English-language crew were done filming for the day and film their own version. The Spanish-language Dracula is particularly famous, as director George Melford would watch what was filmed the day before to inform his own version.

The result is a version of the 1931 film that is on par with and maybe even better than the English-language version. It was thought lost for many years, but resurfaced in the 1970s and has since been preserved for both posterity and our viewing pleasure. And honestly, if you’ve seen the English version, then you really have to check out the Spanish version and compare the two.

Sinners (2025)
A pair of twins in Jim Crow Alabama decide to open a juke joint for the local African-American community, enlisting the help of their young cousin and some other locals to make it a success. However, on opening night, the joint gets some unexpected gate-crashers in the form of vampires. And these vamps, who are out for more than just blood, won’t stop till they get what they came for.

If you only watch one film off this list–nay, if you watch only one film this Halloween season, make it Sinners. This film is visual, musical, historical, thematic, and just a few other types of gold besides. Blending genres, breaking conventions, and putting a big boost into both African American horror and original horror stories, I’ve seen it twice and have been blown away each and every time.

So, those are my recommendations for this year. I hope you decide to check out a few of these. I know I’ll be giving the ones I haven’t seen in a while a rewatch.

But in the meantime, tell me: what would you add to the list? Which of these films have you seen? And what were your impressions of them? Let’s discuss.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 75 days till Halloween. Get watching.

In Defense of Ambiguity

Posted: August 10, 2025 in Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

A couple of weeks ago, my friend and colleague Ruth Ann Nordin wrote about why she enjoys horror and romance stories (you can read her full post here). Midway through her post, she mentioned how she doesn’t like open endings or where things are left up to the reader’s interpretation. After reading her post, I commented on her post, “Ironically enough, a lot of horror stories have open endings, which only helps accentuate the feelings of horror and dread.”

I’ve been thinking about that conversation since then, and now I want to write about ambiguity in fiction. Especially in horror. And how that, as frustrating as it can be to some readers, that ambiguity can be helpful to stories at times.

Now, I’m not writing this to trash anyone who doesn’t like open endings or stories that leave unanswered questions. People have different preferences, and that’s okay. And honestly, at one point, I felt the same way…until someone pointed out that I’ve written stories like that in the past. I’m just writing about the open endings and the unanswered questions sometimes help a story more than wrapping everything up in a neat little bow.

So, why would writers create open endings? Or leave questions unanswered? Well, barring cases where extenuating circumstances keep the creator from tying up all the loose ends (*cough* Disney canceled The Owl House way too early *cough*), there could be a variety of reasons. In horror, it could be for a very simple reason: doing so makes the story that much scarier.

Great film. Lots of unanswered questions…until the sequels, at least.

Let’s take Hell House LLC. This horror film, while not in my top six, is a favorite of mine. The film is a found-footage mockumentary revolving around a horrific tragedy at a haunted attraction, and what happened to the team behind the attraction. While, over the course of events in this movie, what caused the tragedy in the first place is explained, a lot of things are left unanswered. Things are further explained in the sequels, but if you only see the original film, the things that are left unexplained lend this air of mystery to the story. And the fact that, at least for that film, we’re left to question what we don’t know, can be terrifying.

Another great example: Perfect Blue, one of my top six horror films and one of my favorites ever. I’ve discussed it here before, but if you’re unfamiliar, it’s an anime film about a celebrity who is hunted by a violent stalker, leading her to spiral into paranoia and madness. While the first third is straightforward, and the final third wraps things up nicely, the second third does a damned fine job of making it hard to tell what’s real and what’s delusion. You really feel the protagonist’s terror as she tries to figure out what’s real and what’s not, only to be swept along and finally stop fighting against the current.

Speaking of paranoia and madness, cosmic horror, especially Lovecraftian horror, thrives on ambiguity. The Great Old Ones and other ancient beings often have forms that are undefined by the writers. The most we can say is, “it’s so scary, even thinking about what it looks like is too terrifying! Also, it’s so unlike anything I know, my mind is having trouble defining any particular portion. That being said, it’s so scary, I can’t write it down to tell you about it.”

Even my Cthulhu statue is only an approximation of his true form!

Even Cthulhu, who is the most well-known and most defined of the Great Old Ones, is somewhat undefined. Technically speaking, his whole man/dragon/octopus thing is what people are able to recall he looked like. He’s still somewhat difficult to describe.

And that’s scary. We fear the unknown, and when we can’t fully define what we’re dealing with, it’s frightening.

So, yeah, ambiguity can be frustrating. But it does have its uses. And in the horror genre, it can help us horror writers do what we do best: scare people silly. Hell, at times, it helps the stories become that much more notable. And if a story can be made better by a bit of ambiguity, then a little bit of frustration is well worth the cost.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to make dinner and figure out what I’m doing with the rest of my evening. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 82 days till Halloween. Thankfully, there’s nothing ambiguous about that!

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

Posted: August 1, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

Is it already August? The summer is going by quickly! Soon we’ll be getting ready for Halloween and figuring out what to put on our spooky season reading lists. Good thing there happens to be a new-ish collection of horror novelettes for you to consider adding.

So, if you’re new here and are unfamiliar, “Symphony for Walpurgis” is my latest book, a collection of nine novelettes (stories that are longer than short stories but much shorter than novels), four previously published and five original. They range from stories of cryptids and giant bats (“Famous,” “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand”), to malevolent spirits (“The House on Lafayette Square,” “The Parasite Man”) and even a Jewish exorcism (again, “The House on Lafayette Square”). It came out on May 1st, AKA Walpurgis Night, when witches hold their get-togethers, which means it’s officially three months old.

And I’m very happy with the response so far. Everyone who’s bought a copy and gotten back to me has told me that they’ve enjoyed what they’ve read, and have even enthusiastically recommended it to other readers. Plus, at both the Big Ohio Book Con and the Columbus Book Festival, I sold out of copies on the first day of both events and came close to doing so on the second days. Clearly, people are liking the book!

But don’t take my word for it. Read some of the reviews:

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, author of “The Residents of the James Hotel,” 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

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 Heyward, author of “Tourtiere: A Culinary Horror Story,” Goodreads

Rather enthusiastic, wouldn’t you say? And so far, I’ve been lucky enough to only have one review that’s not five stars. And even that one was four stars!

And with this sort of response in just the first three months, I’m hopeful for more of the same over the next three. Since before Symphony was released, I’ve been working hard with specific goals for this book, including some milestones I want to hit in the first year. I’m not sure I’ll hit those milestones, but I’ll work like hell to make them happen. And with spooky season creeping up on us, I think now is a good time to strike.

And if this post has made you at all interested in reading Symphony, I’ll include links below. It’s currently available in paperback and ebook, and if things continue to go well, an audio version might not be out of the question. Until that happens, you can buy a copy using any of the links below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Plus, reviews help other readers find books and figure out whether or not they want to read them. So you’d be helping both me and your fellow horror fans by letting your thoughts be known!

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back very soon with another post (believe me on that promise). So, until next time, good night, happy reading, and remember, we’re only 91 days away from Halloween. You better be getting ready to have some pleasant nightmares this fall!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

Review: “Helloween” by Duncan Ralston

Posted: July 28, 2025 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

No, you didn’t read that wrong. That’s not a misspelling on my part of “Halloween.” That is the name of the novel, and since I heard of it, I’ve wanted to read it. I mean, with a name like that, how could I not? And with the audio book just getting released recently, I decided to give it a listen and see if this would become a new classic for spooky season.

Taking place during the Halloween immediately following the September 11 attacks, several strange things are happening in the small town of Crook’s Corner, Massachusetts. A famous scream queen is kidnapped in town while filming a new horror film. A science teacher is putting together a machine that causes those near it to see strange shapes. A Goth teenager and her little sister use the latter’s psychic abilities to play pranks on their grandmother. All this and more herald the coming of something evil: a cosmic being who wishes to become a god over all humanity. And this Halloween, they may get their chance.

This book was so hard to put down (or should I say put on pause?). The first chapter, where the scream queen is kidnapped, is shocking enough, but then the novel jumps back several hours, showing what the main characters–a group of high schoolers filming a horror movie for a class–are up to. And with those opening chapters, you get several different plot threads and you wonder how they’re all going to wrap up into one neat little package.

Which, much to my delight, they did come together nicely, leading to a harrowing story with a strong atmosphere of dread and tension. In fact, that’s probably the book’s biggest strength: the atmosphere. Once the horror part really gets going in Helloween, it’s just nonstop threat to the characters. Even in the pauses to the horror, there’s so much tension, it’s hard to relax. Add in some of the events in the latter half of the book, and you start to wonder if the characters can even triumph over the great evil.

And that’s the book’s second biggest strength: it’s characters, particularly the antagonist Geth. Geth is an ancient entity who schemes to become a god, and when it–or they, I should say–gets the ball rolling on their plans, you better believe that shit will hit the fan! And the way Geth is written, this alien being who thinks differently than us but plans to become a god over us, just makes them fascinating to follow. Even as you fear their victory due to their overwhelming power and disregard for both human life and human autonomy.

The other characters are great, too. Ralston manages to make almost all of the supporting characters– from kooky science teacher Ernie Combs and the Catholic priest to would have been right at home during the Crusades, to scream queen Darla Knight and the annoying kid who annoys almost all the other characters–feel real and fleshed out. And yes, there are a lot of them, but at no point did I ever feel like I was overwhelmed with the number of characters I encountered in the book.

Of course, our six main characters were no exception. At first glance, they do feel like your typical high school stereotypes: Cody the jock; Britney the popular girl; Jay the computer geek; Walden the film buff; Cassandra the Goth and her sweet little sister Taylor. But early on, we see that they all have deep dimensions to them, and that only grows as we get deeper into the story. Before I knew it, I couldn’t help but root for and love these characters dearly.

All in all, Helloween by Duncan Ralston is scary AF and sure to become a Halloween classic in time. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m awarding it a 4.8. Consider picking up a copy and adding it to your reading list this spooky season. If you’re a horror fan, you won’t regret it.

“Beautiful Darkness:” This Graphic Novel Will Disturb You

Posted: July 21, 2025 in Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

This isn’t my normal review. But then again, this is far from a normal graphic novel.

So, when you think of tiny, humanoid people, what do you think of? Fairies? The Borrowers? How about tiny people living inside you (and I don’t mean the emotions from Inside Out)? Not with Beautiful Darkness, a graphic novel by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet.

The graphic novel starts out prettily enough. A girl named Aurora, who is like a Cinderella in a 1950s housedress, is being courted by a princely character named Hector. She’s helped by a short little friend named Plim. In the first page and a half, their romance is going just like a fairy tale…until the cutely drawn characters’ home starts dissolving around them, forcing them to leave.

And then it’s revealed that home is the body of a little girl, left abandoned in the woods to rot. Her name, who she might have been, and how she died, never revealed.

And that’s just the start of a very dark saga dressed up in art that, in another graphic novel, would fit nicely in the children’s section at your local library.

This image is so disturbing, I almost didn’t include it in this review.

Aurora quickly finds herself trying to be a leader as she and the other survivors learn to grasp their new surroundings. However, Aurora, who might be the most realistic, as well as the most idealistic, of this community of tiny people, do not have it easy. Except for one mouse, all the animals and insects are as wild as you’d expect, and do what animals do best. The elements take their toll as well. Schemes to survive lead to further deaths or maiming, such as when one character tries to sneak into a nest full of baby birds and eat with them. The result is that her mouth gets torn open by the mother bird’s large beak, leading her to throwing up blood and running away.

But worse than animals, or nature, or survival attempts, are Aurora’s compatriots. Perhaps because they lived inside the body of a little girl, they are almost oblivious in their innocence and naivete. They see each other die, and move on to fish or fly kites or dance like it was nothing. They scheme against and backstab one another. They even kill each other, and do it with such callousness, never once sparing a thought for the lives they’ve taken!

All this betrayal and disappointment wear on Aurora, especially after her leadership role, and her lover, are usurped by rival leader Zellie. She later thinks that she’s found a friend in a loner survivor named Jane, but events soon force her to make the ultimate choice.

A prime example of how dark and uncaring the world of these characters is.

I’ve written before about “corruption of the innocent” before. The idea that the horrors one faces through a horror story destroys whatever innocence you have left and transforms you into something new. It could be childhood innocence, or that you thought the world was a rational place full of rational people, or that the world is ruled by a loving and merciful god. In some subgenres of horror, like Gothic, it could be considered essential. I certainly consider it essential, to the point I have a tattoo on my back representing it.

And it’s been such a long time since I’ve seen it done so well. Aurora tries to stay strong, but her innocence is destroyed in a world where she and her people are as inconsequential as dust motes, and those she should be able to rely on smile innocently while they betray her. In a way, it’s like cosmic horror, only instead of Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones, it’s a forest full of hungry animals and violent nature, as well as your own community.

(That’s not my observation, BTW: it’s the YouTube channel Tale Foundry, where I first heard of this graphic novel and which I highly recommend. You can check out their video about it here, but beware of spoilers.)

Anyway, it’s probably only a matter of time till this graphic novel appears on my personal shelves. In the meantime, I’m awarding Beautiful Darkness by Fabien Vehlmann and Kerascoet a 4.8 out of 5. It’s dark, it’s disturbing, it’s possibly the prime example of a new subgenre called “innocent horror,” and I think you should check it out.

Just don’t show it to young children afterwards. It’ll mess them up in all the wrong ways.

Representation in Horror: A Start to a Very Long Conversation

Posted: July 2, 2025 in Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
6
From left to right: Rob Costello, Gaby Triana, Tamika Thompson, me, Aaron Dries, Rae Knowles, and Logan Johnson.

I’ve been wanting to write this post ever since I got back from StokerCon, but life has been very, very busy. But hey, better late than never, am I right?

So, as you probably recall, at StokerCon I was on the panel Representation in Horror, where we explored the topic of including marginalized voices in our community, as well as writing characters from those communities. I was very excited about the topic; not just because it’s one that’s near and dear to my heart, but because it was my very first time sitting on a StokerCon panel. You know, one that wasn’t pre-recorded.

And I figured I would be bringing something to the panel. I’m Jewish, bisexual, and have some disabilities, including being on the spectrum, after all. With the amount of time I spent just thinking about the things I would say in response to the questions, I thought I could help my fellow panelists blow some minds and get our audience (which nearly filled the room) thinking.

I did not expect to have my mind blown as well. But there were several moments just like that.

Just for a couple of examples, I remember Rob Costello mentioning that fat people were the only group that it was still cool to beat up on and how he was sick of it, and while the audience responded positively to that (apparently they noticed that, too), I was like, “Whoa! How have I never noticed that?” And Tamika Thompson mentioned how much Stephen King uses the trope of the Magical Negro, and I was like “Huh, she’s right. Dick Halloran, Mother Abigail, that dude from The Green Mile. He does use that trope a lot.”

And I’ve been thinking about that panel and all we discussed since then, as well as all the things we didn’t have time to discuss. For example, we didn’t have a chance to discuss various communities and their inclusion in the community or in our literature, such as Muslims, Native Americans, or the Roma community (seriously, even when it’s not overtly negative, I can’t think of a portrayal of the Romani that doesn’t lean on stereotypes). And I forgot to mention how not-helpful the portrayal of mentally disabled people as being magic because of their disability is (examples: Dudditts from Dreamcatcher by Stephen King, the autistic kid from 2018’s The Predator).

I think we could all use further conversation in this topic. Photo by nappy on Pexels.com

And it’s made me realize something: the discussion needs to continue. Because this sort of subject, the kind of stuff certain people call “woke,” requires constant learning and further conversation. That way, we can continue to think about what sort of stories we are creating and foster better understanding between people.

So, don’t be surprised if I have a few more blog posts like this one in the near future, ones where I discuss portrayal in horror and problematic stereotypes and whatnot. I may even reach out to some of my fellow panelists to help with that (I managed to find most of them on social media). But hey, if they feel the same way as me, they might want to continue the conversation as well.

And who knows? We might see Representation in Horror become a regular topic at StokerCon. And I don’t think anyone could see that as a bad thing.

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

Posted: July 1, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2

These past two months have gone by so quickly, it’s hard to believe we’re already in July. Not surprising, given how busy I’ve been lately. I mean, I just got done with another con, and I’m preparing for another one the weekend after this!

And yet, two months have indeed passed, and that means that Symphony for Walpurgis is two months old now.

Now, if you don’t know (though at this point, you’re probably so familiar with Symphony, you’re sick of it), Symphony for Walpurgis is my newest collection. It is a collection of nine novelettes that include tales of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism, and has plenty of LGBT, Jewish, and disabled representation.

And I’m very happy to say that it’s slowly growing a readership. Just the other day, I received fan art from my fellow horror writer and Follower of Fear, Louise C, for one of the stories, “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand.” It’s of the Akolouthos, the main villain of the story (or one of them). Isn’t it awesome?! I mean, look at it!

And at Big Ohio Book Con this past weekend (which went better than any event I’ve done before, which is even more amazing when you consider that this was the first year this event happened and nobody knew how it would go, but I digress), I sold so many copies, I even sold out on the first day! The same day, someone bought a copy online, which means they were interested enough to get it for their Kindle.

Given all that, plus some glowing reviews and some authors I admire with copies of the book, I’d say that’s been a good first two months. And it makes me hopeful for month number three (especially with the Columbus Book Fest just around the corner). I mean, who knows? Maybe I’ll get to that goal of five-hundred sales and fifty reviews by May 1st, 2026, the one year release anniversary.

And if you enjoy or are curious about scary stories involving cryptids and giant bats, spirits plaguing families with parasites, mermaids, untold masses of spiders, mutating viruses, and, again, a Jewish exorcism, then you should check out Symphony for Walpurgis. It’s nine amazing and terrifying novelettes, and I’m working hard to make sure as many people discover it and enjoy it as possible. And I would love it if you were among those people who discovered and maybe even loved it.

I’ll include links for the book below. And if you end up getting a copy and read it, I hope you’ll let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got a busy couple of days ahead of me, but I hope I can have a few more blog posts (including a few I’ve wanted to write for a while now) out soon. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I hope you have a great month of July. It’s what I’m planning on.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

“Hannah and Other Stories” is Coming Back

Posted: June 23, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
8

It’s finally time.

Back in 2023, I released a collection of short stories called Hannah and Other Stories. It contained tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and even carnivorous horses. Yes, you read that right. Carnivorous horses. And they were terrifying, as were the rest of the stories. In fact, the book was really well-received by most of the people who read the book.

Sadly, as of New Year’s, the book went out of print, due to Hannah‘s publisher, BSC Publishing Group, and I going our separate ways (don’t worry, it’s not because of bad blood). But the good news, the book’s rights were returned to me, so that meant I could re-publish the book whenever I wanted.

And I decided to do just that. Not immediately. After all, I had Symphony for Walpurgis to put out, so there was no way I was going to work on two collections at once! Instead, I decided to wait till after Symphony was released. Once that was done, I would go over the stories in Hannah one more time, and then proceed with releasing the book one more time.

I’m happy to say that I’ve finished going over the stories in Hannah, correcting any errors or missing pieces I missed from the first release, and making some additions or changes to the story to make them a bit closer to my original vision. I also went and got this unbelievable new cover, which is located…

…RIGHT UNDERNEATH THIS PARAGRAPH!

What do you think? Since the carnivorous horses were such a memorable part of the collection, I made sure they were on the front cover this time. And the cover artist, Carin, really brought out how terrifying they were. At least, that’s my humble opinion.

So, if you’re still with me right now, and you’re at all interested in reading Hannah, you’re probably wondering, where do I get this new edition? Well, it’s currently available for preorder, and will be releasing on September 23, 2025, two years to the day of the first release. You can preorder a copy using the links below.

And guess what else? This time, Hannah and Other Stories will be available in paperback as well as ebook! Yeah, for reasons I’m not going to get into, the first time around, Hannah was only available in an ebook format. But this time, a paperback is going to happen, and it’s currently available for preorder on Barnes & Noble. (Why Amazon doesn’t do preorders for paperbacks from self-published authors, I’ll never know.)

So, if you’re at all interested, go preorder a copy by clicking on any of the links below. And, after the book comes out in September, if you end up reading it, please let me know what you think! Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Plus, leaving reviews for books help other readers decide whether the book is for them or not.

I hope you’re as excited as I am for the re-release of Hannah and Other Stories. I’ve been planning this since around October last year, so I’m glad I can finally come out and say, “Hey, this book is on its way again.” And I have a feeling it’s going to do even better than it did last time!

Who knows? It may even get an audio book this time around. Wouldn’t that be cool.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ll be sure to remind you all periodically that Hannah is on its way again. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo

StokerCon 2025: The Leveling Up

Posted: June 20, 2025 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
2
The folks of StokerCon waiting for the Final Frame competition to start.

Here’s a riddle for you: what took place in Connecticut last week, had nearly 800 people in attendance, and I was among the attendees? StokerCon! Yes, last week, horror writers from around the world descended upon Stamford, Connecticut. There, we had panels, a short film competition, and our annual awards show, the Bram Stoker Awards, noting superior achievement in horror from the previous calendar year.

(There was also apparently dripping goo and weird liminal spaces out of the Backrooms in the hotel, and somehow, I missed both! I’m annoyed about that, especially the weird liminal space. That would make a great YouTube video!)

As I said in a previous post, my goal for this StokerCon was to level up my writing career and get that much closer to writing full time. This would be achieved by going to panels that I thought would help me reach that goal, being on my first ever panel, and, of course, pitching The Shape of Evil to agents and editors. (Plus meeting new people whom I could network with, but I try to make that more about making new friends than trying to make new business connections.) Did I accomplish my goals? Well, let’s talk about the con and we’ll see.

Hanging with Logan Johnson, one of the organizers of this year’s StokerCon, the moderator on my panel, and a new friend, at the banquet cocktail hour.

Seeing all my friends (meeting new ones). One of my favorite things to do at StokerCon is just to see all my horror-writing friends. Many of us only know each other through social media, so it’s nice to meet in person or to catch up with one another when the last time we saw each other could be a year or two ago. So, of course, I did plenty of that. The hotel had a lobby and a restaurant/bar, so outside of panels, we would gather there or on the second floor (that was where most of the con stuff happened) and just talk. We catch up, discuss our lives and our projects, and just shoot the shit. It’s lovely!

Plus, there’s always new people to meet. I actually got to know quite a few people whom I’d never met before, and it was fun to ask how they were enjoying the con and what they were working on or up to with their horror writing careers. Obviously, some were already well-known within the community, but most were just like me: working stiffs who enjoy horror and hope to make our marks in the genre. I’ve connected with a lot of these people now, and I’m hopeful we can continue to be friends and support each other as we work on our stories.

Going to panels. As I said, with a few notable exceptions, the panels I went to were ones I thought would be helpful for me as I move forward in my writing career. This included a panel on getting your stories adapted for film (it nearly happened once to me, so I thought I’d get some tips in case it happened again), and on how to get along with others as a professional. This one was particularly important to me, because being on the spectrum, I often feel like everyone but me was given a rule book on social interaction at birth and I have a lot of catching up to do. I actually brought this up during the Q&A section at the end of the panel, and what I should do in case I made a mistake. The answers I received were very reassuring. Not just to me, but, as I learned afterwards, to others in the audience who also were neurodivergent and felt the same way. I even got thanked a few times for bringing the topic up, which surprised me but also made me glad I asked.

As for the other panels I went to, one was about a Jewish writer who, while not a horror writer, had some dark themes in some of his work (I’m going to have to read that at some point), and a panel on using public domain characters and stories in horror (as someone who’s seen the Winnie the Pooh and Steamboat Willie horror films, I couldn’t resist). All in all, they were very educational, and I’m glad I went to them.

The signature scavenger hunt. As you might expect, I went a little crazy in the dealer room and bought way too many books. One of the books was The Rack, edited by Tom Deady, which is pictured above. It’s an anthology of stories inspired by those vintage horror paperback covers from the 70s and 80s. I bought it directly from the editor, Tom Deady, in the dealer room, and he signed it. And then I ran into one of the writers in the anthology, Erick Nunnally, a little while after. On a spur of the moment, I asked him to sign the book where his story began, which he did. And then he suggested I get the other authors in the book who were in attendance at StokerCon to sign. Which I did.

Ultimately, I think I managed to get half the authors to sign their stories. Most of those were done during the Mass Author Signing, where you can go around a big room and get your books signed by the authors who wrote them all at once. That was fun, because I also had them sign other books they’d written I’d bought, and then got signatures from other authors whose books I had copies of. The rest were just during random meetings during the con, and they were always happy to sign.

So yeah, I spent a good portion of StokerCon on a bit of a scavenger hunt, but it was still a lot of fun, and I only missed three of the authors who were in attendance (maybe next year?). And now, I have a cool knickknack in my personal library, which I’m currently reading through and loving! So, no regrets whatsoever.

From left to right: Rob Costello, Gaby Triana, Tamika Thompson, myself, Aaron Dries, Rae Knowles, and Logan Johnson.

Being on my first live panel. I’ve done a few StokerCon panels in the past, but they were always pre-recorded on Zoom for the virtual audiences. And while that is great, I’ve always wanted to tackle being on a live one. Not only did I get to do just that last week, but it was on a topic I am passionate about: Authentic Representation in Horror, which was about including marginalized communities and voices in horror and how to do so. And wow, did a lot of people show up! By the end, nearly all the seats were taken. I guess other people wanted to talk about this as well.

To say the least, the conversations were illuminating. I even had a few moments where I was like, “I never thought of that.” Honestly, I want to give this panel its own blog post, so I’ll stop there, but I’ll say this: it was great being on a panel like that. I look forward to doing it again someday soon.

The pitches. I’m sure a few of you skipped ahead just to find out how this went. Yes, during StokerCon’s annual session dedicated to connecting authors with agents and editors, I did get to pitch The Shape of Evil. And you know what? I got results. Three agents and one editor asked me to send them part or all of The Shape of Evil, which I did on Monday after taking a little time to recover from all the travel (and that traveling is worth a blog post on its own).

To say the least, I am beyond happy about this result. It went way better than I thought it would go, even with practicing pitches beforehand (always recommended), and I am hopeful that at least one of them will want to help me get The Shape of Evil published. I’ll likely know something by the end of the summer. And, of course, if it all goes well, I’ll be sure to let you know.

***

Ultimately, StokerCon was an amazing time for me. Sure, this year’s hotel was weird, but I had fun with friends, accomplished my goals, and made sure to celebrate everyone else’s accomplishments with them. And next year, we’re doing it again: at the end of the awards banquet, it was announced that, to control costs and to ensure StokerCon continues to go in a direction that’s as good as possible for as many people as possible, it’ll be in Pittsburgh for the next two years.

Obviously, I’m stoked, since that means I can drive there. In fact, I’ve already bought my ticket! And next year will be the 10th annual StokerCon, so it should be extra special. (Yeah, I thought it’d been around for longer, too. Color us both surprised.)

Members of HWA Ohio at StokerCon. I have a feeling next year, we’re going to have a much bigger showing.

I wonder what will happen. Will I sit on another panel or two? Do a reading? Somehow get on the ballot and get to be a nominee? I guess we’ll see. In the meantime, I’ll work on getting my stories out there and meeting new readers and having plenty to talk about when I drive to Pittsburgh next year.

In the meantime, I’ll have a new blog post out Monday, so keep an eye out for that. And until then, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and have a wonderful start to your summer. I know I am.

Older Entries
Newer Entries