Archive for the ‘Scary Stuff’ Category

Some Updates on “Symphony for Walpurgis”

Posted: February 9, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Good evening, humans. I hope you’re doing well. If you’re like me, you’re avoiding the Super Bowl (now if it was the Superb Owl, I would tune in). And I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some updates on Symphony for Walpurgis, seeing as a lot has happened since I last posted about it. Which was…just six days ago? Damn, it has been a crazy week!

Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, Symphony for Walpurgis is my upcoming book, a collection of novelettes, some of which were previously published and others which weren’t. The book is set to come out on May 1st, 2025, meaning less than three months from now. I’m doing my utmost to get as many people as possible reading it once it releases. In fact, I’m hoping to sell 500 copies and get fifty positive reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads in the first year!

Anyway, let’s get into these updates, shall we?

Walpurgis has two reviews now!

It’s crazy to think, but Symphony for Walpurgis already has two reviews on Goodreads. And even better, both are five-star reviews! Both came from advanced readers and Followers of Fear, but they’re willing to criticize me if necessary. The most recent review, written by Louise Conway, starts with this:

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.

“Best work yet.” I’m flattered. Of course, I aim to put out more and more work as time goes on, and to improve as well.

Anyway, this is good progress on my goal for fifty positive Goodreads reviews. I hope more of the advanced readers let people know what they think of the book, and that leads to plenty more readers when the book comes out. In the meantime, if you would like to read the full reviews, you can click below to check them out.

“Symphony for Walpurgis’s” Goodreads page

The author copies came in this weekend!

One of the most exciting moments for a published author is when the first batch of author copies comes in. That includes self-published books, and I felt that excitement this weekend when my author copies for Walpurgis came in. I designed the cover myself after a lot of trial and error, as well as the book’s back cover and interior. It was nice to see it had turned out so well!

And, being the kind of guy who likes to share every achievement, no matter how small, I filmed an unboxing video. Here it is, in all its cheesiness and beauty. Enjoy!

Hopefully, this is the first of many author copy deliveries. Like I said, five hundred sold copies in the first year, and most of those will likely come from live events. And I plan to find many homes for many copies.

The Book Trailer is Live!

Like with my last collection, Hannah and Other Stories, I sought to create a gripping book trailer for Walpurgis. This time, I wanted to have one out before the release date (that should have happened with Hannah as well, but life had other plans). And with a couple of hours of work this afternoon, I created what I think is an awesome book trailer for a collection of horror. Check it out.

Not bad, right? It’s nothing special, but I think it’s decent and conveys the horror of this collection well. If it gets even one or two people to read Walpurgis, I’ll be happy.

By the by, if you enjoyed these videos, please consider liking/commenting/subscribing. You know, all that usual YouTube shtick. You can find my channel here.

Book Quotes

One thing I learned from Hannah and Other Stories was how helpful releasing quotes from your book can be. Especially when you pair the quotes with interesting and relevant graphics. So, this time around, I’m creating graphics with quotes on them, and releasing them three times a week. Here are the first batch of quotes graphics, one from each story. Hope you find them exciting and interesting. They were fun to make.

I’ll post the next nine in a single post once they’ve been published on my social media. In the meantime, you can find each graphic as they’re uploaded on Walpurgis‘s page on this blog.

Final Word

Anyway, that’s all to say right now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with Walpurgis-related posts, though I do have to do my necessary advertising for it as we approach May 1st. And in the meantime, if you would like to preorder a copy of Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. More stores and formats will be made available as we get closer, so keep checking back if you don’t see a store or format you prefer.

And if you like what you read, my Followers of Fear, then please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.

Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Kobo

Review: “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix

Posted: February 6, 2025 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff
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The photo I took the day I got my copy from the library. Can you tell I was excited?

We’re only five weeks into 2025, but I may have already found my favorite new book of the year. In fact, at times I got so deep into this book, I had dreams about it! You don’t know how special a treat that was for me.

Set in 1970, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows four girls sent to Wellwood House, a home for unwed mothers in Florida: Fern, a young high schooler who wants her old life back; Rose, a rebellious hippie with a bit of a mean streak and a bit of a nice streak; Zinnia, a young musician who plans to marry her baby’s father; and Holly, whose youth and silence hides a dark and terrible secret. Hidden away from the world like shameful secrets and repeatedly told that they are at fault for their condition and that the only good thing they can do now is give up their babies for adoption to a loving couple, the girls seek any way to take back a little control over their lives and bodies. When a mysterious librarian hands them a book that’s full of actual magic, they think they’ve found their solution. But when it comes to magic, everything comes at a price. And the price they have to pay may be bigger than any of them can pay.

So, if it wasn’t clear from the first paragraph, I freaking loved this book! For one thing, the horror is palpable from the first couple of chapters. Not from the witches, but from the people. Through Fern’s eyes, we see how everyone blames her, including herself, for getting pregnant outside of marriage, even though it takes two to tango. From what I’ve been told, that really was the attitude towards unwed mothers back then, and Hendrix does a great job bringing it to life throughout the story, as well as the callous cruelty the girls face as unwed mothers, even after they’ve given birth.

I also really liked the witches of the story. They’re not exactly old school wicked witches, but they’re not entirely good witches or granola-crunching Wiccans, either. They’re their own thing, a group of women with access to power and who are trying to ensure the continuation of their way of life and their freedom, and they’re willing to get their hands dirty to do so.

To list out all the colorful characters would keep us here too long, but some of my favorites included hippie Rose, who grew on me as the story went on and whose experiences midway through the book broke my heart; Hagar, the cantankerous cook at the Wellwood House, who does try to help the girls, if rather reluctantly; Zinnia, who has more sense than most of the other characters in the book; and Fern, who really does learn something from her experience.

All these elements come together into a fantastic story where I struggled to guess what would happen next and was surprised more than a few times by certain developments. It really was amazing.

Hendrix admits in the acknowledgments that he’s probably the last person to be writing a book where nearly every character is pregnant, but given how phenomenal of a job he did, I think we can forgive him. I can’t think of a single flaw in this story, it was just that good. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix a full 5. Grab a copy, put on an appropriately witchy playlist (I hope “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga is on that playlist), and settle down for a read.

Trust me, this is one you don’t want to miss.

“Symphony for Walpurgis” Got Its First Review!!!

Posted: February 3, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Review, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Oh, happy day! It’s still only three months away, but Symphony for Walpurgis has its first review! And holy crap, it’s a five-star review! Everybody start dancing!

No surprise, this review, which I discovered on Goodreads yesterday, comes from an ARC reader. And not just any ARC reader, but from Priscilla Bettis, who is not just a fellow author, but has been a Follower of Fear for several years now. Since…I want to say before Rose came out? Anyway, she got the ARC of Walpurgis the other day and apparently got through it in a week before leaving a review.

Don’t be fooled, though: just because she’s a longtime Follower of Fear, doesn’t mean Priscilla isn’t willing to criticize a story when she dislikes it or finds something problematic. I should know, she’s beta read a few of my stories. So the fact that she gave Walpurgis five stars means she must’ve really liked it.

Here’s some of what she wrote:

Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of novelettes, all horror. There are themes of money-power-arrogance (I should just say “corruption), abuse of nature and one another, grief, and (my favorite) insects.

Dragon bats … not a story title, but a thing. One of the best creatures Rami’s ever created. You’ll find them in “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand.”

In “Blood and Paper Skin,” Grey, a college-aged man, and a group of his friends run into deadly trouble when out to buy drugs. It’s scary and tense, and Ungar makes it easy to like Grey and cheer him on. But there are twists. Other characters besides Grey come to the forefront. This is the twisty-ist story in the collection, great fun!

“The House on Lafayette Square” is a Jewish demon-exorcism story with freaky-scary descriptions. The story takes a left turn somewhere, so instead of everything being tied up in a neat bow, I was left DISTURBED at the end, maybe because I am a mother IRL. (Kudos to Ungar for that.)

Wow. I disturbed her. For a horror writer, that’s a serious compliment. Especially from someone who’s a big fan of horror.

And that’s only half the review! You should see the rest of it. In fact, I hope you do. Because I’m aiming to amass fifty (hopefully positive) reviews on Amazon and on Goodreads in the first year alone, so this is a good start! So, if Priscilla’s review gets you even a little bit interested in reading the book, then I hope you read the rest and then go preorder the book.

Here’s the back cover blurb for the book, which is out May 1st:

What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.

I’ll leave links below in case you want to check the book out. And if, after the book is released, you read it and like it (or don’t), I hope you’ll leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers out in the end.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be sure to check in with you guys when I have updates on Walpurgis or on anything else going on in my life and/or in my writing career. So, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Apple Books
Goodreads
Kobo

10 Haunted Locations I Want to Visit Before I Become a Ghost, Part IX

Posted: January 16, 2025 in Scary Stuff
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One of the locations in today’s posts. It’s got quite the history. As do all the locations.

It’s no secret that I love visiting haunted locations, and have visited quite a few of the ones on the previous lists. I’ve even experienced some freaky and frightening stuff in those locations! And as time goes on, I’ve learned of many more locations, which means I not only want to visit them, but I want to list them here. Either to inspire my fellow horror fans and writers, just to spread the knowledge of my fellow ghost hunters, or to scare those who are freaked out by the very idea of a place with real ghosts in it (you know who you are).

So, without further ado, here are ten haunted locations I want to visit before I become a ghost.

Chateau d’Amboise, Loire Valley, France
Ah France! So beautiful. So cultured. So historical. And so full of blood and death, it’s no surprise there are ghosts all over the place. The Chateau d’Amboise, a massive estate in the Loire Valley, is no exception. It’s a beautiful and immense castle that was a favorite of the royal family for years. However, it also has its fair share of darkness. In addition to a failed rebellion that occurred there, a man named Jacques de Breze murdered his wife, Charlotte, and her lover, Breze’s stepbrother (awkward!). Charlotte’s said to wander and wail through the halls in a green dress, giving her the nickname “the green lady.”

Other ghosts include King Charles VIII, who died while hitting his head on a lintel in 1498, and Leonardo da Vinci, who is supposed to be buried there. Hmm…maybe I should start brushing up on my French.

Manhattan Well, Soho, New York City
In 1799, the body of Guilelma “Elma” Sands was found dead in the Manhattan Well in what is today Soho in Manhattan. An architect who had been courting her, Levi Weeks, was accused of the murder, but thanks in part to representation by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, he was acquitted (this even gets a mention in the song “Non-Stop” from Hamilton). Meanwhile, the well was built itself over and resided under homes and shops.

Today, the well can be found in the basement of a Soho clothing store, where it has since become something of a minor tourist attraction. However, after dark, it’s said that the spirit of Elma Sands still haunts the well, crying over her murder by Weeks and attempting to get out of the well. And I now have another reason to visit New York City.

Thurber House, Columbus, OH
I was at this local Columbus writing center and arts organization back around Halloween, and before doing a reading and selling some books, I did a tour of the old house, which was the home of local writer and humorist James Thurber. Apparently, this house is said to still be inhabited by the spirits of Thurber and his family.

And it’s available for rent for the night! So, hopefully, someday soon, I can join some friends to ghost hunt in the place one of these days. I mean, a writer who ghost hunts hunting in the house of a local writer who’s now a ghost? What’s not to love?

Also, the house is where I took this spooky photo.

Even for Halloween decor, this was inspired. Hats off to the folks running Thurber House!

Boleskine House, Loch Ness, Scotland
Have you ever heard of Aleister Crowley? If you haven’t, he was a early 20th-century magician who dabbled in a lot of occult practices. He owned Boleskine House for fourteen years. While he was there, he supposedly engaged in a ritual he never finished, and which, according to some, caused demons to remain on the property.

In the years since, there’s been a number of tragedies in the house, including a suicide and two fires. Plus, former residents, including a man who worked for rocker Jimmy Page while the latter owned the house, have experienced numerous strange and terrifying phenomena. It’s set to open up again this year after lots of restoration due to the second fire. I wonder if they’ll let people rent the place for ghost hunts? If they do, I want to sign up.

Abbey of Thelema, Cefalu, Sicily
Boleskine House wasn’t Aleister Crowley’s only notorious home. In 1920, he bought a small cottage in Italy, where he planned to start a magic school and preach his Thelema religion. He stayed there for three years, leaving once Mussolini’s government forced them out. The house has since fallen into ruins, but it’s said that if you step inside, spirits from the strange rituals Crowley and his followers performed there might say hi.

You know, I hear Italy is beautiful this time of year. Anyone want to come with me?

Hampton Court Palace, London, England
Ah, England! Such history! Such culture! Such haunted locations! Hampton Court Palace used to be one of the favorite residences of the Royal Family. Today’s it’s a museum that’s open to the public, but that doesn’t mean the royals moved out. In fact, some are said to hang around. Two of Henry VIII’s wives are said to haunt the palace: Jane Seymour, who died of complications of childbirth, and Catherine Seymour, who was executed for having multiple affairs.

In addition to the queens, a woman named Sybil Penn may be haunting the palace. Known as the Grey Lady, she nursed Elizabeth I through smallpox, caught it after the future queen recovered, and died. I wonder if I could run into all three ghosts and play songs from the musical SIX to the queens. That would be fun.

Plenty of ghosts hiding here. I want to visit and find them!

The White House, Washington DC
I don’t need to go into the history of this place. You know it, who lives there and what they do there. But did you know it’s haunted? Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of his sons, Thomas Jefferson, Dolly Madison and Abigail Adams, and several other famous former presidents are said to haunt the White House.

Obviously, it would be extremely difficult to even get into the White House just for a tour. It would be even harder to get permission to ghost hunt there, if not impossible. And I would not want to do it with the incoming administration. But it would still be cool if I could. If I could see what’s haunting the White House.

St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland
Not a traditionally haunted location, but it is spooky nonetheless. This Church of Ireland church dates back to the 17th century (though a church has been on the site since the 11th century), and has something unique about it: in its basement, there are numerous mummified remains which have survived centuries, desecration and even a fire.

I wonder if there’s anything freaky associated with those mummies?

The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
The Dauphine Orleans Hotel has a storied history. At one point, it was one of the most notorious brothels in New Orleans, especially its onsite bar, May Baily’s Place. It was also a place where numerous Civil War soldiers would hang out, which explains why numerous spirits of Confederate soldiers and prostitutes continue to haunt the property.

Maybe I should stay there the next time I’m down there.

The Haunted Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana
Or I can stay here. Located on Ursulines’ Ave, this hotel is considered one of the oldest hotels in the French Quarter, and prides itself on being the most haunted. In fact, the website says the hotel has been haunted since 1918, when the serial killer the Axeman went on a murder spree through the city.

I’m interested to see if the hotel is all hype. Or if it’s really is the most haunted hotel in New Orleans.

Have you been to any of these locations? Have you experienced anything? Do you have any suggestions for where I should investigate someday? Let me know in the comments below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to dream of spooky things and write them into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Symphony for Walpurgis:” Now Available from Apple Books!!!

Posted: January 12, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Hello, my Followers of Fear. Once again, I have news regarding my upcoming book, “Symphony for Walpurgis.” For those of you who are not familiar, the book contains nine novelettes featuring tales of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and a Jewish exorcism, among other things, and will release May 1st, 2025.

Previously, the book was only available for preorder from Amazon and Kobo. But now, it’s available from Apple Books! So, if you prefer to read on an Apple device, you are now hooked up. I will include links to all the stores below. Currently, the book is only available as an ebook, but paperbacks will be available on release day from Amazon, and they will be available to preorder from Barnes & Noble once I can get those links up. (Waiting for my vendor’s license to be approved.)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be sure to let you know if there’s any updates on this awesome book. If you end up preordering the book, I hope you’ll read it and leave me a review on whatever site you bought it from. Reviews not only help me, but other readers as well.

Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Kobo

Announcing My Next Book: “Symphony for Walpurgis”

Posted: January 6, 2025 in Novelette, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear! I hope 2025 is treating you well so far. For me, it’s not so bad. Sure, there’s been heavy snow these past couple of days, but I’m indoors and don’t mind it so much.

Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that my latest book is now available for preorder. And what is that book, you’re asking? Why, it’s a new collection called Symphony for Walpurgis!

Not a bad cover, right? I designed it myself based on one of the stories in the collection.

Speaking of which, the collection is made up of nine novelettes, four of which have already been published. Those are “Blood and Paper Skin,” about a group of older teens who end up locked up in someone’s private basement; “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand,” which features my famous monsters, the dragon bats; “Cressida,” about a mermaid who bears a mysterious resemblance to a girl who supposedly died years before; and “Natural Predators,” about a new pandemic with startling implications for the fate of humanity.

The five other stories will be “The House on Lafayette Square,” an exorcism story with a Jewish twist to it (yay for more Jewish horror!); “Mother of Spiders,” about one town’s dirty secret and the woman who comes to collect her dues; “Famous,” about a wannabe starlet who will do anything to achieve the fame she deserves; “The Little Goddess of Horror,” about a rather famous and unusual actress; and “The Parasite Man,” about a powerful lawyer whose family comes under attack from a relentless spirit.

I’m so looking forward to you all reading this book. I’ve scheduled it to come out on Thursday, May 1st, 2025, the actual date of Walpurgisnacht (think Halloween in spring for witches, if you’re unfamiliar). Currently, it’s only available to preorder as an ebook from Amazon and Kobo. And for some reason, Amazon doesn’t allow preorders for paperbacks published through their platform (yeah, I think it’s stupid, too). But I’m working on getting it available to preorder through Barnes & Noble and Apple Books, and B&N actually allows preorders for paperback books. So, sit tight. As soon as that’s ready, I’ll let you know.

And in the meantime, if you would like to preorder a copy from the stores where it’s currently available, I’ll leave links below. I hope you’ll check it out. And when it releases this May and you read it, I hope you’ll leave reviews online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m being allowed to work from home tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean I can slack off. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Kobo

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Last Chance

Posted: December 30, 2024 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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If you read my blog post from earlier this month, you know that my short story collection Hannah and Other Stories will be going out of print on Wednesday, January 1st, 2025. That’s two days from today! So, if you’re interested in getting a copy, there’s a limited time to do so.

Honestly, I’m both sad about this. It sucks that BSC Publishing Group and I aren’t renewing the contract and keeping Hannah on the market. However, this does mean I can put it out again in the new year, and make a couple of changes so that some of the stories better reflect my original vision. And hell, I’ll even spring for a new cover. That should be a lot of fun.

But anyway, if you would like to check out Hannah before it goes temporarily out of print, you can get a copy using any of the links below. It’s a book filled with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things, so it’s sure to thrill all of you horror fans out there.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online wherever you purchased it. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. (Not to mention other readers.)

And with that, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If I don’t post anything new before the New Year, I hope you have a fun and safe New Year celebration and that 2025 is nicer to us than 2024 was. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy New Year!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Fable
Goodreads
Kobo
Wook

“The Shape of Evil:” The Second Draft is Finished!!!

Posted: December 24, 2024 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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A temporary cover for The Shape of Evil. I think it captures the idea of the novel pretty well.

‘Twas the night before Christmas (and Hanukkah, coincidentally). And all the Haunted Condo, only the Rami was stirring. Because he’d finished the second draft of The Shape of Evil, AKA the 3D Printer from Hell story, and he’d only just gotten around to drinking the celebratory wine and writing the celebratory blog post.

Doesn’t rhyme, but I’m not much of a poet, so I think it’s okay.

So, as I said before, The Shape of Evil‘s second draft is now complete. And this novel, as I also said before, is about a 3D printer from Hell. I started writing it back in March, thinking it would be a novelette or short novella, and finished it as a novel back in August. Right around Thanksgiving, I began work on the second draft, and I finished it earlier today.

I would’ve celebrated right then and there, but at that point, I had to run an errand, then grab some takeout, and then do my usual routine of watching Die Hard on Christmas Eve. But now that that’s taken care of, it’s time to let you know and celebrate!

Overall, I saw a ton of improvement with the second draft. Not just with spelling/grammar/punctuation, but in finding plot holes and fixing issues I missed in the first draft. I also took out a lot of stuff that I thought worked for the first draft but, on the second go around, didn’t work. The final result was ten pages and around twenty-eight hundred words longer, at 283 pages (8.5 x 11 inch paper with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced), and 75,300 words. That’s about two thousand words less than the first Harry Potter novel (no, I will never stop using that book as a good comparison, even if the author is now a TERF).

So, what’s next for The Shape of Evil? Well, I plan to find a beta reader who can also double as a sensitivity reader. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my main character is non-binary trans, and I’m cisgender, so I would like someone from the trans community to read the manuscript and give me feedback to ensure I’m respectful to the community. I already have a few people in mind, so hopefully one of them would be interested. And if not, I have a few other ways to find someone.

Whoever reads it, after I get their feedback, I’ll do another draft. And after that draft is done, I think I’ll be ready to pitch this novel to agents. Particularly anyone at StokerCon this coming summer.

In the meantime, I have a new short story I want to write, and I have a new collection to start the work of self-publishing. No, I am not slowing down. I’m brimming with too much drive and imagination, and am nowhere near burnout, so I’ll keep plowing on!

(That being said, I am planning on spending at least one day in the coming week or so just chilling on the couch in my pajamas and reading or watching anime. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so no time like the present!)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll certainly be back soon with more news for you. Until then, good night, pleasant nightmares, and to all those who celebrate, Merry Christmas! May we all get visited by three spirits (whether we want them to come or not).

An Update on “Hannah and Other Stories”

Posted: December 16, 2024 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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So, I have an announcement regarding Hannah and Other Stories. If you’re unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is a collection I wrote that was published by BSC Publishing Group on September 23, 2023. The collection contains tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things.

The collection has been well-received, if the reviews I’ve gotten are anything to go by. Unfortunately, sales have not been as good as they might have been, despite my best efforts, and, with my contract ending earlier this year, BSC Publishing has decided to relinquish the rights to publish the book back to me on January 1st, 2025.

Which means on January 1st, 2025, Hannah and Other Stories will go out of print.

Honestly, I’m going through several emotions at the moment. But the major one is acceptance. It is what it is, and I’ll always be grateful for BSC helping me get Hannah to the level it was. Trust me, I have a feeling it wouldn’t be as well received as it was without their help on the later drafts. Having to go through this kind of sucks, but I know it could be a lot worse.

And I also feel hopeful and determined. You see, once the rights are back in my hands, I can publish the book again, either with another publisher or self-publish. And I think I’ll self-publish. Not immediately, but at some point in 2025. I’ll release Hannah and Other Stories again, and it’ll be the same great book as before.

Well, with some changes. BSC’s business model called for only selling paperbacks if there’s enough demand for the ebook. Now, I’ll be able to publish a paperback, which I’m sure plenty of people who haven’t converted to ebooks yet will appreciate.

I also plan to return the Lovecraftian elements to “What Errour Awoke,” one of the stories in the collection. BSC wasn’t a fan of the Lovecraftian and wanted me to take them out. In the end, we compromised and made it semi-cosmic, but it’s never sat right with me. Now, I have an opportunity to make that story the way it was supposed to be, rather than how it was. (I may make a few more changes, but that’s the big one.)

And I think I’ll shell out for a new cover. Something I think will not only attract readers, but symbolize the book’s rebirth to a tee.

2025 is going to be full of possibilities.

So yeah, Hannah and Other Stories is going away for a while. But it’ll come back sometime in 2025, better than ever and in paperback, too. And if it does well enough? Maybe an audiobook version as well. It could happen.

For now, though, if you haven’t read Hannah yet, you still have fourteen days and about five hours to get an ebook copy. Even if you don’t read ebooks, buying a copy will help me in the long run and show me that there is plenty of demand for this book. And if you do read ebooks, please read it. And then leave me a review so I know what you thought. Not only will I really appreciate it, but it’ll help when Hannah eventually returns.

Hmm…between Hannah and the collection I’ve been working on, 2025 is looking like the year for collections. Maybe I’ll do a third as well? Well, we’ll see. However many I release, I hope they all do well.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Links for the book are below. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and thank you for always supporting me. It means the world to me.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Fable
Goodreads
Kobo
Wook

Review: “Midwestern Gothic” by Scott Thomas

Posted: November 29, 2024 in Novella, Review, Scary Stuff
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As many of you know, Kill Creek by Scott Thomas has become one of my favorite novels, if not my favorite (you can read my review from 2018 here). So, when I heard Thomas was releasing a collection of four novellas, I had to get my hands on it. And while it took me longer than I wanted to get through it (I picked it up in September and only just finished it), I’m glad I got to read it.

Taking place in a fictional version of Kansas that’s part of the same universe as Kill Creek (and possibly his other novel Violet, I’m not sure), each novella follows a native who gets pulled into horrors beyond their control. Three of these stories connect to the very land and the entities, natural or supernatural or preternatural, that inhabit and make up Kansas, all of these stories deal with dark histories and hidden truths, and each story connects in some way to the authors who were the stars of Kill Creek,* enhancing the reading experience.

The first novella, The Door in the Field, follows a young construction worker with anger issues who joins his boss for a drink after an incident, and ends up spending a night in terror. This story does move a bit slow at times, but it’s a thrilling tale full of blood, violence, and cosmic horror that pays off well at the end with the reveals and the main character’s growth. My one major criticism is that the novella is kind of a story within a story, and the framing device doesn’t really add much to the story. It doesn’t take anything away, but it doesn’t add much, either.

The second novella, Wear Your Secret Like a Stone, follows a troubled young woman who, after her pick of book for the Halloween display at her job is taken down by a customer complaint, goes on a mission to get her favorite book back. Only along the way, she learns some frightening local history which is more alive than she thought. I think this might have been my favorite novella of the bunch. It’s atmospheric, the protagonist is likeable, and the ending is a dark fantasy twist that will bring you chills.

The third novella, The Boy in the Woods, is about a young boy who, on the last night at camp, finds himself in the middle of a slasher story with a rage zombie twist. It’s a wild ride of a story with a sympathetic protagonist and a the way the slasher/rage zombie aspect are approached gives both tropes new life that I wasn’t expecting. If Wear Your Secret was my favorite, then The Boy in the Woods is a close second.

The final novella, One Half of a Child’s Face, is about a mother who is able to see into her ex’s apartment building al a Rear Window. There, she frets about not having her daughter living with her full-time and gets a vicarious thrill at watching the residents live their lives…until a strange painting in an empty apartment seems to throw an evil influence over the building’s residents. Of the four novellas, I would consider this the weakest. It takes a long time to build to anything and there are quite a few plot threads left hanging at the end. However, the last fifty pages are so were hard to put down and I enjoyed reading them.

All in all, Midwestern Gothic by Scott Thomas is a worthwhile collection of novellas. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would rate it a 3.9. Pick up a copy, settle down in your favorite chair, and prepare to be transported to a different sort of Kansas.

*If you haven’t read Kill Creek, don’t worry. You can still read the collection just fine. Kind of like how you can watch The Big Bang Theory and still laugh at all the jokes while not necessarily getting every sci-fi or comic book reference the characters make. Still, I highly recommend Kill Creek, so if you’re curious, read that one, too.

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