Archive for the ‘short story’ Category

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

Posted: September 30, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Heya Followers of Fear. Can you believe it’s been a week since Hannah and Other Stories was released? I’m having trouble with it, simply because I had such a wild week, so it feels longer than seven days. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that seven days have passed since Hannah came out.

Now, if you’re new here, Hannah and Other Stories is my new book, a collection of seven short stories. Among those stories are tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. It took over two years of work to get it ready for publication, and was finally released last week on the 23rd.

Since it released, I’ve heard from quite a few Followers of Fear that they’ve either bought the book and have started reading it, or they’re planning on getting it soon. Not only that, but I even got a really nice review! Joshua Gage, a reviewer for Cemetery Dance magazine’s website, posted this review on their site. Here’s a quote from the review that I really liked:

Hannah and Other Stories is a really solid collection of horror stories that span the gamut from cozy and comforting to gory and disturbing…After you have read this book, you will wonder why you didn’t own it already, and will most likely want to read everything Ungar has written.

Wow! Now that’s a compliment. And I would love it if more people read all my work.

Mr. Gage also put out this nice tweet to help with spreading the word:

Those flesh-eating horses are quite popular. I wonder if they’ll become the best-known part of the collection?

Anyway, at the time I’m writing it, Mr. Gage’s reviews are the only review, but I’m sure more will come in time. And when they do, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Trust me, I will. You can’t get me to shut up about this book.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something good to read this Halloween, you can’t go wrong with Hannah. I’ll include links below so you can check it out. And if you read it, I hope you’ll leave a review online. After all, I love reader feedback, positive or negative. And your reviews help other readers whether or not to check out the book.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to going into October like I am. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 29, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Good Friday, Followers of Fear. Hannah and Other Stories has been out for six days, and is hopefully scaring the pants off plenty of readers. In the meantime, I’m finishing off this revival of #FirstLineFriday with the last story in Hannah: Poor, Unfortunate Souls.

So, for those of you who are unfamiliar, #FirstLineFriday is a tag I used to do all the time and which I decided to bring back for the release of Hannah. For the past six weeks, I’ve been posting the openings of each story, one by one, for this tag. And now, I’m down to the final story.

But first, the rules. For a #FirstLineFriday post, you must:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s story, besides being the last one in Hannah and Other Stories, takes us to the bowels of the Paris catacombs. Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary classy citizens, I present to you the opening of Poor, Unfortunate Souls:

Over a rock and along her belly Ozma crawled, following Naomi and Baptiste, the tour guide, as they traveled through the dark. With every inch she traveled, she found a single thought repeating itself: When we get out of here, I swear I’m either going to strangle this girl, quit on the spot, or both!

Trust me, Ozma, it’s only going to get much, much worse.

If you would like to find out what happens, you can now buy a copy of Hannah and Other Stories using the link below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

Also, if you would like to do this tag as well, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules onto your own blog and then have fun with it! I look forward to seeing what you put out there.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. You can expect another blog post tomorrow, most likely. I bet you can guess on the subject as well. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares!

“Hannah and Other Stories” Has Finally Been Released!!!

Posted: September 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Everybody, quick! Light the sparklers! Get out the snacks! Pour the wine! Play the wild dance music! Put in your favorite horror movie! Prepare a sacrifice for the Great Old Ones! Summon demons to dance with us while we writhe in terror and ecstasy! Run through the streets in terrifying costumes while carrying lit torches! But most of all, find a place to read and start reading, because Hannah and Other Stories is finally released and available to read!

Okay, so if you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories. It was first accepted by BSC Publishing Group in October 2021, and we’ve been spending the past two years making sure it’s ready for all of you to read when the time comes.

And now, that time has come: today is September 23rd, 2023, meaning Hannah is finally out for you all to read. And I am so excited for you all to read this collection! I’ve been saying it for a while now, but Hannah is the perfect book to read for the Halloween season. And why wouldn’t it be? It has tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, just to name a few!

Anyway, if you preordered the book, I hope you’re looking forward to getting into it. And if you haven’t, I hope you decide to download a copy today. I’ve put a lot of hard work into this collection and I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks of it.

And whether you preordered the book or just bought a copy today, I hope you’ll let me know what you think when you finish reading it. Amazon, Goodreads, blog posts, articles on horror sites, even a tweet or Facebook status would be great. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, as it helps me become a better writer. Not to mention, your thoughts help other readers decide whether or not to check out the book.

Now, I know Hannah is only available in ebook at the moment. But if it does well enough, it may get released in paperback and even audiobook editions! So please support the book, even if it’s only in an ebook format, and maybe we’ll get those other formats as well.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If you would like to check Hannah out, I’ll leave links below. Remember to leave those reviews out there! And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 22, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Tomorrow. It’s tomorrow. The release of Hannah and Other Stories! It’s tomorrow. YEEEEAGH!

I’m sorry, I’m a little excited. Can you tell?

So, as you know, Hannah and Other Stories will be releasing tomorrow, September 23rd. And for the past several weeks, I’ve been doing the #FirstLineFriday tag to help get people interested in the collection. If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of #FirstLineFriday, here they are:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s opening comes from What Errour Awoke, a cosmic horror tale with some British literature mixed in. Enjoy:

            “Now today class, we’ll be starting our unit on Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene.” Taylor wrote Faerie Queene in cursive on the whiteboard and turned back to the class. “You may recognize some stuff from our unit on Arthurian literature, as Arthur and a few other knights show up in this book. At the same time though, it’s not about Arthur or chivalry.”

Technically, this is three lines. But who cares? It’s my blog, I’ll do as I please. Anyway, how does this college class lead to a cosmic horror story? You can find out when Hannah and Other Stories releases tomorrow. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you think.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

And if you want to do this tag yourself, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules and go to town on your own blog.

Well, that’s one more down. And one more to do next week, after the book is out. I hope you’re as excited as I am for Hannah to release. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 15, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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You ever go to visit family, and it all goes terribly wrong? Well, that describes the next story in Hannah and Other Stories very well. And I have the opening below.

As before, here are the rules for #FirstLineFriday, which I’ve brought back for Hannah‘s imminent release:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s opening is from The Red Bursts, which follows a man and his husband as they go to check on the man’s sister after she stops communicating with them. Once they get to the town, things go haywire pretty quickly. Enjoy:

“Okay, it says to turn left in a quarter mile,” said Joel Gladstein, looking up from his smartphone.

You know how every journey starts with a single step? He’s really going to regret that first step.

Anyway, if you would like to find out what happens once they get to the town, you should preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

And if you would like to try this tag yourself, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules above, and I look forward to seeing what you post.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll see you all on the flipside. I hope you’re all excited for Hannah coming out soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Only Ten Days Away!!!

Posted: September 13, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Yeah, this September is going to be the month where I post about very little but Hannah. But you knew that going in, didn’t you?

Now, if you’re unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my latest collection of short stories, containing tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. You know, all the things that are perfect for the Halloween season. And the book releases on September 23rd, 2023. Which is…ten days away! EEEK!

***

Sorry, I had to go scream in terror and excitement while also performing a voodoo ritual to ensure the book’s success. Now, where were we? Oh yeah. So, as I’ve been saying, Hannah‘s release is just over a week away. And I am beyond excited for you to read it. I’ve been recording videos, going on podcasts (going to be on one tonight, actually), and obviously posting about it here nonstop. All in the name of getting people interested in reading this book, which my publisher and I have been working to get it ready for nearly two years now.

And I think you’re going to really like the stories inside. Each one is special to me and I think will resonate with readers of the horror genre (as well as possibly scare the shit out of readers who don’t read horror). Hannah is a fun ghost story told through the point of view of an experienced ghost hunter (and no, not one of those fakes); Queen Alice is a surprising thriller that crosses Alice in Wonderland with Slender Man; The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah is a dark, gruesome tale about a teen getting wrapped up in the machinations of a budding serial killer; Fuseli’s Horses is about carnivorous horses, and they are as terrifying as they are cool; The Red Bursts is the most abstract story, but it also talks a great deal about finding faith in tragic circumstances; What Errour Awoke takes cosmic horror to talk about the horrific events the world has suffered through the past few years; and Poor, Unfortunate Souls is about finding someone who understands in the depths of the Paris catacombs.

Awesome, right? I think so, too.

Anyway, I can’t wait to share this book with you and will do everything in my power so you’ll want to read it when it releases. If you’re interested, you can preorder it from any of the sites below. And if you end up reading it once it’s released, I hope you’ll leave a review with your thoughts. Even if it’s negative, I would appreciate the feedback. Plus, other readers would appreciate it, too.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything else comes up, I’ll be sure to let you know. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

“The Wild Hunt” is Getting Published in Happy Hellidays!

Posted: September 11, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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The mythological Wild Hunt, and the inspiration for this forthcoming tale.

Followers of Fear, there’s so much going on in my writing career beyond just Hannah and the Face of Horror contest that I can’t share with you yet, but which I want to so badly. Thankfully, I can now share one thing with you: one of my short stories is getting published!

Back in March, I wrote a Christmas horror story called “The Hunting Party,” which I hoped to start submitting around the time holiday anthologies started seeking submissions. Well, I edited the story and renamed it “The Wild Hunt,” and then submitted it to Hellbound Books for consideration in their upcoming anthology Happy Hellidays.

As you can tell from the title of this post, it’s now going to be published in said anthology. And I cannot wait for you to read it!

Taking place at Christmas Eve, “The Wild Hunt” follows two sisters who have a fateful encounter with the Wild Hunt, a mythical band of riders who travel the sky at night. According to some, this band gets quite powerful around Christmas.

You know, Followers of Fear, I really didn’t think I’d be able to get this story a home. Or at least, not so easily. I mean, I thought it was great, but it’s long for a short story at 7,300 words and I worried that the ending might be a bit too sweet and happy, even for horror. Even a rewrite of the ending didn’t calm my worries.

But on the first try, “The Wild Hunt” was accepted. And to be in an anthology from Hellbound Books, no less! It’s an honor.

Not to mention, I’m kind of tickled that, as a Jew, I get to add a Christmas horror story to the world. Feels kind of like a variation on a theme, seeing as my people wrote some of your favorite Christmas carols last century. Yeah, that’s true. Look it up. You’ll never look at carols the same way again.

Anyway, I look forward to letting you know when Happy Hellidays, and thus “The Wild Hunt,” is released. It’s a great story, and I hope it fills you with Christmas fear–I mean, cheer. And I can’t wait to tell you all the other good news out there I’m celebrating. With any luck, I may be able to reveal it all in the coming weeks and days.

For now, though, my Followers of Fear, I’ve edits to make and emails to write. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Merry Christmas come early!

Couple of quick notes: as you know, Halloween is currently fifty days away and Hannah and Other Stories releases in just twelve days. Why not prepare for the former by reading the latter? Hannah and Other Stories, my new collection of short stories, is perfect Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. You can preorder a copy from any of the links below.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Site
Kobo
Wook

Second, I’m currently participating in the Face of Horror contest. I don’t expect to win, but I’m working hard to keep myself in the competition for as long as possible. If you would like to help, you can cast a daily vote for me on my profile page using the button below. Do that, and I might survive a few rounds. Hell, I might even win! Wouldn’t that be nice?

The Face of Horror contest

Once more, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 8, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Week four. And this time, the story we quote from is the one that tends to get people’s attention the most. Fuseli’s Horses, the one about the carnivorous horses.

To recap, here are the rules to #FirstLineFriday, which I revived just for the release of Hannah and Other Stories:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

So, ready for a preview of one of the bloodiest stories in Hannah and Other Stories? Here we go:

“So, you’re getting a bunch of new horses and a cousin?” Matt asked, leaning on the fence posts that divided his family’s property from Pam’s family’s. He was tall for fourteen, with an athletic build hidden under a T-shirt and jeans, and a mop of sweat-slicked dark hair on top of his head.

Are these new horses the carnivorous ones? And what will happen with the cousin? You’ll have to read Hannah and Other Stories to find out. And if you do, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. We got three more stories to go, so I’ll see you next week. If you would like to do the tag yourself, I hereby tag you. Just copy and paste the rules on your own blog and I look forward to seeing what you post.

Couple of things before I sign off, Followers of Fear. First off, as you know, I’m taking part in the Face of Horror contest. And thanks to your votes, I’m staying in the Top 10. However, that could easily slip, so I’m asking you to keep voting for me each and every day while I’m still part of the contest. If you do, I’ll be able to advance through the rounds and maybe even get to the finals. So, if you’d like to vote, you can use the link below.

The Face of Horror

Secondly, tomorrow starts Mystics and Marvels. If you happen to be in Hilliard, Ohio this weekend, please stop by the Franklin County Fairgrounds and stop by the HWA Ohio booth. I’ll be there with my fellow Ohio writers selling and signing books. I hope to see you there.

Until next time (or the next blog post), my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 1, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
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Good morning, people. Do you like serial killers? Because this story has one.

So, we’re on week three of my revival of the #FirstLineFriday tag in honor of Hannah and Other Stories coming out in…22 days! Yikes! It’s coming up. Have I appeased all the right evil deities and bribed all the right people?

Well, we’ll leave that for another time. As you know, I’m posting the first sentence or two of each Hannah and Other Stories every Friday. Both for fun, and in the hope that some more people will want to check out Hannah when it comes up. Anyway, here are the rules for #FirstLineFriday:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s quote comes from one of the most difficult stories I wrote and edited in this collection, The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah. Who knew writing a story about a teen girl wrapped up in the machinations of a budding serial killer would be so hard to get ready for publication? Anyway, here’s the story’s opening:

The Paris Toy and Games Expo was awash with people and noise, which made what Sarah had to do that much easier and that much more difficult.

It’s not a spoiler to say that what she has to do is going to make life that much more difficult for her.

If you would like to find out what happens to Sarah, you can preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories using any of the retailers below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Site
Kobo
Wook

And if you would like to do this tag yourself, you can do so. I hereby tag you. Just copy and paste the rules on your blog and have a blast.

Also, if you would like to read the tags from the first two weeks, you can check them out here and here.

Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: August 25, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Well, we’re back again, folks. #FirstLineFriday is back, just as promised. And this time, the story we’ll be quoting from tends to get…curiouser and curiouser.

So, if you weren’t here last week, #FirstLineFriday is a tag I’m bringing back in honor of the upcoming release of Hannah and Other Stories. Last week, I did the opening lines from Hannah (you can check out that post here), so it only makes sense to do the next story in the collection.

But first, the rules of #FirstLineFriday:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

And today, the story from Hannah and Other Stories will be Queen Alice, AKA the story that crosses Alice in Wonderland with Slender Man. Enjoy:

In the WIDI studios on State Street in the heart of downtown Columbus, Joshua Blumfield patiently sat as the make-up artist brushed an eyelash from his cheek. She then put her brush on the vanity.

Not the most terrifying beginning…but then, Alice in Wonderland‘s opening was pretty quiet in and of itself.

Anyway, what did you think of the opening of Queen Alice? Is this Blumfield a reporter? And what’s he reporting about? For the first question, let’s talk in the comments below, and for the latter two, you’ll have to read Hannah and Other Stories, which you can preorder using the below buttons. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

And if you would like to try this tag as well, by all means please copy the rules above and try the tag yourself for next week.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back next week for the next story in Hannah and Other Stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

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