Archive for the ‘Writing’ Category

That Time I Was Accused of Using AI

Posted: April 22, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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I’ve already written posts about this across my social media, but I know everyone doesn’t follow me on Facebook and whatnot. So, I’m writing this blog post to update you all. Plus, let’s face it, I can do the long-form thing a bit easier here than on Threads or BlueSky.

So, not too long ago, I posted an ad for Hannah and Other Stories on social media. And someone commented, basically saying, “Because of this and that, I think this cover is AI. I bet the stories inside are AI-generated as well.”

For reference, here’s the cover of Hannah and Other Stories.

Now, full disclosure: I did experiment with AI image and story generators when they first became available to the public. Not because I planned to use them for my career, but just to see what the big fuss was about and to see if they had any deficits. This blog has a few posts containing AI images, just to show how overrated and unhelpful AI-generated art is. However, I no longer try out those generators, not even to experiment. They cause too much damage to communities and environments and are usually trained on stolen works.

And I have never used AI to write stories or create images I use for my writing career. Especially not for Hannah and Other Stories! In fact, the stories themselves were written between 2016 and 2021, well before AI story generators were available to the public. And after I got the rights back to Hannah and decided to re-release it, I used GetCovers, a company that designs book covers for cheap, to achieve the vision for the new cover I had in mind.

I explained this all to the commenter, and they seemed to accept that. However, they told me that some authors have raised concerns about GetCovers using AI images as assets. I took it under advisement, but assured them that I didn’t think AI was used in the creation of the cover at all, and left it at that.

Okay, that’s not true. I spent the next twenty-four hours slightly anxious that people would latch onto that accusation, believe it, and things would snowball from there, leading to me being canceled.

Which sounds like a silly thing to worry about, except something similar happened to another horror author. For those of you who don’t know, horror author Mia Ballard self-published a novel called Shy Girl, and it became popular enough that it was picked up for a traditional publishing deal by Hachette Book Group. However, rumors started spreading that AI was used in writing the book. And there was apparently enough to the rumors that Hachette canceled the book’s new US release and stopped printing it in the UK. Ballard herself said that she didn’t use AI to write the book, but that she believes that an editor she used may have used AI instead of editing it themselves. Ballard is now pursuing legal action against the editor in question.

Now, I have not read Shy Girl, so I don’t know if the book reads like a computer wrote it. And while I would like to write a post just on the incident, I have already said enough on social media, so I won’t. However, it did spur me to cover my ass and make sure there wasn’t any AI in the cover GetCovers made for me. I got in contact with them and they sent me the assets they used for the cover.

Here’s the link to the horse asset.

And here’s the link for the background.

GetCovers also assured me that the assets were not made by AI and that all they did was use a common filter and other normal editing tricks with the cover. No AI involved.

That was good enough for me, and armed with the assets, I posted about it on social media. No surprise, everyone found that easy to believe. One friend/colleague even said he ran the cover through an AI detector to help back me up, and it showed as “no AI used.” And another friend/colleague mentioned that since AI programs learned by stealing other people’s work, it’s no wonder someone would think it was AI!

Honestly, I’m just glad that I wasn’t deceived and I’m not going to be canceled over a case of mistaken AI. And now that I’ve gotten through it, I’d like to say one thing: I will never use generative AI in my writing, and beyond what I’ve previously used in my posts to illustrate the failures of AI, I won’t use AI-generated imagery. I love the creative process. I love the sense of accomplishment I get when I finish a new story, and when, after lots of edits and searching, I find it a home. I love collaborating with editors and artists to get the story right and the covers attractive. And I especially love it when readers tell me they read my stories and enjoyed them or even were frightened by them!

Besides, I pride myself on telling weird horror stories with off-the-wall pitches and wild elements thrown in for fun. I doubt an AI program, which looks for recognizable patterns, would be able to reproduce those kinds of stories. Even if it were trained on all my published work! (And if anyone tries, I will consider it copyright infringement.)

So yeah. If you ever read a Rami Ungar story, you can be assured it’s 100% human created (or whatever the hell I am) and not from a computer program.

And that’s all for now. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Just a Quick Reminder…

Posted: April 17, 2026 in Living and Life, Writing
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Normally, I put these reminders at the bottom of other posts. However, I haven’t been able to write a post where I can conveniently add this reminder. Believe me, I’ve tried. So, before too much time passes, I’m going to put out this reminder.

So, as you know, I’m going to be at BookBash 2026 on Saturday, April 25th, 2026 from 1-7 PM. It will be taking place at the New Leaf Event Center in Conneaut, Ohio, and will feature authors, crafts, panels, food trucks, and so much more! I will even be on the World of Horror panel, and when I’m not on the panel, I’ll be signing books and doing Tarot readings.

And I will likely be wearing my “Let’s Summon Demons” T-shirt. Which is hilarious, because the event center is owned by a Methodist church, but they’re not putting any limits on what sort of materials we’ll be selling or what we wear or whatever. So, guess who’s taking full advantage of that in his horror author fashion?

Anyway, I hope you can join us there. It’s going to be a huge event, and did I mention it’s absolutely free to get in? I didn’t? Okay, let’s fix that: IT’S ABSOLUTELY FREE TO GET IN! And if you would like to know more, you can find out on the event’s Facebook page.

And if you can’t attend but would like to support me, or if you’re looking for a spooky book to read, I’ll include a link to my books page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan. And if you like what you read, please leave a review for me so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps your fellow readers out in the long run.

Rami Ungar’s Books

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll hopefully have a proper blog post out at some point in the next week or two. No guarantees, but I’ll try. And until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and have a restful weekend. I know I plan to.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Six Months Since Re-Release!!!

Posted: March 23, 2026 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Wait, six months? It’s only been six months? Let’s see, this released in September, and it’s March…holy crap, it has been six months! So much has happened since then, it feels like a lot longer.

Anyway, if you’re not familiar, back in 2023 I released a book called Hannah and Other Stories through BSC Publishing Group. It was a collection of short stories that featured tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses (among other things). Sadly, however, BSC and I went our separate ways at the end of 2024, and the book went out of print as well (these things happen). I decided to re-release the book on the two-year anniversary of its original release, September 23, 2025, with a new edit and a new cover.

Now, we’re celebrating six months since the book was re-released. And I’m happy to say that people have been reading the collection and enjoying it. Hell, one of the supervisors at work even read it and enjoyed it. As he said, “I wasn’t bored with any of the stories.” Honestly, I was floating on air for the rest of that day!

And here are some of the other reviews that have come out since the book released:

Ended 2025 & Started 2026 with a good one! I had been waiting a while for “Hannah & Other Stories” by Rami Unger to be available in paperback & when it finally happened… hurrah! It was as good as I had hoped! Unger has such unique ideas & executes them wonderfully. Will definitely picking up more of his work as I am able.

Pamela A Parish, Amazon

I have read Ungar’s other books and enjoyed reading this one while on vacation. Each story is quite different, but the author has a real talent for setting up a believable scenario and characters to care about. I wished some of the stories had been a little longer!
My favorite was Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah. Nothing supernatural, just real creepy.

Gefilte, Barnes & Noble.com

4.5 stars out of 5.

I always love reading about a new type or creature or monster, and this collection has a few new ones, but this is not just a one horse book (pun intended) there is a wide range of horrors and story types, It’s got creepy ghosts, unnerving budding serial killers, carnivorous horses, and something that was once human, something for everyone.

The writing is smooth and easy to read, with well-developed and diverse characters, I liked how some of the stories had layers to them, giving them a complexity and depth that you don’t often see in short stories.

blatdriver, Barnes & Noble.com

Talk about some positive feedback! And from some people with some fun usernames off Barnes & Noble’s website.

But most of all, I’m glad that people are enjoying these stories. They were all originals when I first published them, and ran the gamut from ghost stories (“Hannah”) to cosmic horror (“The Red Bursts,” “What Errour Awoke,” “Poor Unfortunate Souls”) to just plain old psychological with hints of splatterpunk/slasher (“The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah”). Oh, and there’s one with carnivorous horses. Can’t forget about that one. It tends to be popular.

Anyway, I’m really hopeful that, during the next six months, I’ll be able to get more people to read the book. After all, that’s why I wrote it: so people would read it! Of course, I’ll be selling it at events, but I have some other avenues I’m exploring that will hopefully lead to more readers. If they lead to anything, I may or may not announce it here on the blog.

And then, when we reach the three-year publishing anniversary/one-year re-release anniversary, I’ll be able to celebrate lots of good news with you. I would love that more than anything else.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in reading Hannah; if you’re looking for a book of spooky stories; or if you want to support/celebrate with me, I’ll include links to where it’s available down below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers out in the long run.

Plus, doing so might keep the carnivorous horses at bay.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got a full day ahead of me and I’m planning to do a little celebrating tonight. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and LOOK OUT! THERE’S A CARNIVOROUS HORSE BEHIND YOU!!!

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Goodreads
Kobo

I’ve Received My First Acceptance of 2026 (And It Is Special)

Posted: March 2, 2026 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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I’ve been sitting on this news for a month. I had to wait until it was official and all the paperwork was signed. Now, it’s time to let it all out.

As many of you remember, my friend Matt Mason, AKA the author MG Mason, died of cancer back in November (you can read my full post written in his memory here). He built a thriving community online around “Horror Writers Chat,” a weekly get-together on BlueSky where we all talked about horror and writing through questions and reposts and supporting each other. His death affected us greatly, and we still miss him.

One of our members, William Beck, who owns his own publishing press, organized a charity anthology in Matt’s memory, The Shadows That We Carry. He invited all of us to write stories to contribute to the anthology. If it’s not obvious, I wrote a story that would hopefully be included in the anthology and would honor Matt’s memory.

I can now say with both honor and humility that my contribution, “The Static Man,” will appear in The Shadows That We Carry.

I’m so happy to be in this anthology. The writers who participate in Horror Writers Chat every week are amazing storytellers, and I’m looking forward to being in an anthology with them. Especially one that will not only honor Matt’s memory, but help others. You see, proceeds from sales of The Shadows That We Carry will go towards Macmillan Cancer Support, a British charity that was dear to Matt. The charity supports people with cancer through medical, informational, and financial support. They are one of the largest charities in Britain, and seek to improve the lives of all in the UK affected by cancer. You can find out more about them here.

Honestly, that seems like a wonderful mission and I’m happy to do my part to help.

As for my story, “The Static Man,” I think you’re going to enjoy it. It’s the story of a college co-ed who is being stalked by an entity made entirely of what appears to be TV static. One of the other authors participating in the anthology, Louise Conway, read it and gave it some positive feedback, so I think plenty more horror fans will enjoy it as well. I tried to make it as claustrophobic and unnerving as possible.

Anyway, the release date for The Shadows That We Carry has yet to be announced, so I’ll be sure to let you know once it has. I hope you’re excited to read it, as well as my short story “The Static Man.” And in the meantime, if you’re looking for something to spooky to read, you know I have quite the catalog already available.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to celebrate with some reading and maybe a cocktail. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Something New is in the Works

Posted: February 15, 2026 in Progress Report, Writing
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So, for a couple of years now, I’ve had a few novellas lying around. Half of them were edited extensively and had even been sent out to publishers. The other half had only been edited so much and needed a lot more. And on-and-off, between The Shape of Evil and multiple short projects, I’ve edited and rewritten these novellas and even sent them off once or twice.

When did I decide to just turn them into a four-novella collection?

Honestly, I can’t remember. All I know is, I find something very special and prestigious about four-novella collections. It’s not a collection of multiple short stories or a full-length novel, but something in-between. Not to mention there’s been some really good ones over the years, like Four Past Midnight or Different Seasons, both by Stephen King. Or Ronald Malfi’s Ghostwritten (that one is so good!). And the idea of taking these novellas and making a collection out of them just took hold of me.

And some time last year, I started editing the two novellas that needed more editing with the goal of getting them edited to the point where I wanted to show them to others. I gave each of them another draft, then sent them off to beta readers. Once the beta readers finished with the stories and sent me their notes, I gave them both another round of edits. Which I finished doing last night.

So, now the collection of novellas is complete. And I’ve already sent it off to a publishing house. With any luck, they’ll want to publish it. If not, I’ll try elsewhere, though I have a good feeling about the place I sent it to in the first place (why else would I send it there?). Whatever happens, I’ll keep you guys posted. After all, you know how much I love letting people know when I have stories coming out.

For now, though, I have a couple of short stories to edit before I send them off to potential publishers. And after that, I’ll do something short and new for my critique group, followed by another draft of The Shape of Evil (still trying to find a home for that, but I think there are some ways to improve it while I’m waiting to hear back from a few places). In other words, I’m going to be busy.

But hey, I feel like all this is leading me closer to being able to write full time, which would be my dream come true. And if my Tarot readings lately are anything to go by, I might be on the cusp of realizing that dream (or opening up the path towards it). So, better keep busy and get it done.

Being busy and getting lots of stories out there is how I’m going to make my dreams come true.

And in the meantime, if you’re looking for something spooky to read, I already have six books and a few short stories out (including some that are free to download). From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan, so why not give it a try? I’ll include a link to my books page below. And if you like what you read, please consider giving what you read a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and your fellow readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll try to tune in again some time later this week. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami Ungar’s Books

Events in 2026

Posted: January 25, 2026 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I know what you’re thinking: “Didn’t he just do a post like this?” Well, right after that post, a friend let me know about another event happening near me. And it was right up my alley. So, I applied for a booth, and got approved immediately! I almost posted an update post then…but felt that was too soon. So, I decided to wait.

And now, with some time and a few posts having passed, I’m posting an updated post of events I’ll be vending at in the near future. If you’re able to attend any of them, I would be happy to see you.

Our first event will be in less than two weeks. Akronomicon will be occurring at the Emidio Expo Center in Cuyahoga Heights, Ohio on Saturday, February 7, 2026, from 10 AM – 6 PM. This is a fun horror convention with celebrity guests, lots of horror enthusiasts, and plenty of vendors. I’ll be there signing books and doing Tarot readings, so if you want to, please stop by. You can find out more on their Facebook page and purchase tickets here.

This will be followed by BookBash 2026 on Saturday, April 25, 2026 from 1 PM – 7 PM, at the New Leaf Event Center in Conneaut, Ohio. This will be a gathering of writers from all over Ohio and the surrounding states, with panels, workshops, and, of course, lots and lots of books. Again, I’ll be signing books and doing Tarot readings there (and laughing because the venue is owned by a Methodist church and my wares aren’t necessarily in line with their teachings). I’ll also be on the horror panel, so that will be all sorts of fun! You can find out more on their Facebook page.

And the following weekend will be the new event that necessitated this post. Columbus Horror Con will be taking place on Saturday and Sunday, May 2-3, 2026 at the Columbus Crowne Plaza Columbus North-Worthington here in Columbus! (Times vary based on the day.) This is going to be a big horror-themed convention, with celebrity guests, a free film festival, and over 80 vendors. As I said, I’ll be signing books and doing Tarot readings. If you can, please stop by. You can find out more and purchase tickets on the convention’s website.

And finally, StokerCon will be taking place on June 4-7, 2026 at the Westin Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This is the Horror Writers Association’s premiere convention, with numerous panels, an awards ceremony, and multiple opportunities to make new friends. Not to mention to find new books to read! I’ll be there having fun and maybe sitting on a few panels. I can’t wait! The website for the event isn’t up yet, but you can purchase tickets on Eventbrite here.

And that’s all for now. I will hopefully be attending the Columbus Book Festival in July, and there might be other events in the future that I can sign up for. Once I get confirmation I’ll be attending, I’ll let you know. And I’ll be sure to give you a reminder right before each event. But no more. I don’t want to annoy you with invites to my events.

In the meantime, if you’re unable to attend any of the events and would like to support me, or you’re just looking for something spooky to read, I have quite the catalog of stories to choose from. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, there’s something for every horror fan (including free stuff). So, why not take a look? I’ll include a link to my books page below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback. And your reviews help both me and my fellow writers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to meet with my fellow writers and then do some editing. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami Ungar’s Books

Positive Anxiety and Writing

Posted: January 17, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Nobody likes feeling anxiety. The tightening chest, the quickening heartbeat, the cold sweat and the panicky thoughts. It makes us dread the future and even the present. You look anywhere online, you’ll find numerous articles about how to combat anxiety that range from medication to breathing exercises to a variety of cognitive exercises. And in our crazy world, there’s never been a higher need for those combat tools.

But what if I told you there’s a form of anxiety that’s good for you? A form of anxiety that helps you?

A growing body of research suggests that we might be looking at anxiety all wrong. Rather than treating everyday anxiety as a disease or a problem, as we’ve been doing for decades, we need to see how anxiety can positively affect us. Known as “positive anxiety” or “good anxiety,” this anxiety helps us in our daily lives. According to the articles I read (which I will link to below), anxiety reminds us of uncertainties in the future, how those uncertainties can affect us, and to plan how to deal with them.

In other words, anxiety can give you a to-do list against unknowns and negative scenarios, and even increase your productivity as part of dealing with those unknowns.

Now, I’m not saying all anxiety is positive. Anxiety disorders, which are when constant or reoccurring anxiety impairs your life and makes it hard to function (like what I’ve had since 2018), are serious medical diseases and should be treated accordingly. I know my GAD improved dramatically with medication, coping techniques, and talking therapy. And with anxiety being a daily occurrence, we all could use ways to cope, including avoiding sources of anxiety.

However, emotional regulation isn’t about avoidance or immediate pacification. Instead, it’s about feeling/recognizing your emotions, and engaging with them in a healthy manner. And using anxiety to motivate you, rather than paralyze you or force you into a safe zone, sounds like healthy engagement to me.

So, why am I bringing all this up? Because I’ve been feeling positive anxiety on a more frequent basis. With the pitch sessions back in June; with phone meetings with some of the people I pitched to; and when I’m about to start a big project. I felt it most recently when I had a couple of stories to edit. Overall, the beta readers liked the stories, but they had a lot of notes. And that kind of made me anxious. Would I be able to incorporate that feedback? Would I be able to bring out the full potential of these stories before I started shopping them around?

Rather than run away (AKA never work on those stories again), I decided to start small. At least get started on the projects and see what I can do, I thought. Then, if it goes well, keep going. Lo and behold, that worked and I was able to get started on the edits. And while I’m not sure any of the stories are as good as they could be, they’re definitely at a point where I wouldn’t mind sending them out to publishers.

And when I was doing the pitch sessions, I felt anxious, but I didn’t let that take control. Instead, I started making plans. I did research on all the agents/editors accepting pitches, learned from others what the pitches were like and what to expect, and practiced several times. And while I’m still working on finding The Shape of Evil a home, I’m happy to say that I made great progress on that front because of the pitch sessions and and the prep I did for them.

Anxiety can sometimes work with your writing career, rather than against it.

So as it turns out, anxiety can be a help when it comes to writing. It can also be a hindrance, no doubt (so many writers I know deal with mental health struggles, same as me). But we can use it motivate, plan, and accomplish our goals. How do we do that?

Well, first off, if you feel anxiety, take a deep breath (that really does work). And if the anxiety is negatively impacting your life, discuss it with a medical or psychological professional. Believe me, therapy and medication can work. But after those steps, do the following:

  • Identify what’s giving you anxiety. Is it starting a project? Trying to get it published? Once you figure it out, you can work on the next steps:
  • Figure out what you ultimately want to do. If you want to move forward, you need to state your goal.
  • Make a plan with steps on how to accomplish your goals. I would recommend doing that with any goal, but doing that to help with anxiety works. Especially if you factor in balancing your mental health with breaks and whatnot. And finally:
  • Go and do the thing. Once you get it done, your anxiety will become a thing of the past, and it’ll be easier to repeat the tasks that give you anxiety in the future.

Anxiety can be rough. But there are benefits to anxiety, and if you figure out how to use anxiety to your advantage, it can help you reach your goals. Just don’t neglect your mental health if you seriously need to care for yourself. After all, the most important thing is that you’re able to function and enjoy life to the fullest. Everything beyond that is just to enhance your enjoyment of that life.

Sources:
How we misunderstand anxiety and miss out on its benefits, University of California
Good Anxiety Does Exist. Here’s How You Can Benefit From It, NPR

The Plan (So Far, Anyway)

Posted: January 5, 2026 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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This is what I look like when I’m editing.

So, we’re five days into the new year, and it already feels like it’s been super long and way harsher than it has any right to be. But that’s beside the point. What is the point is that we’re already five days into the new year, and I’m already hard at work on achieving my goals. And one of those goals is to get as many stories published this year as possible.

With that in mind, I’ve been continuing with the Second Great Editing, which has been going on for so long, I don’t even remember when it started. Only at this point, most of the stories have been looked over by or are with beta and alpha readers. Even the one I’m working on now, a novella about killer fairies, will be sent off to a beta reader once I’m finished with its third draft. And after that, it’s just a matter of incorporating beta reader feedback into the stories and either sending them out or keeping them on hand for future collections.

And so far, this plan has been going great. I’ve already sent off two stories. I’ve got one article waiting for the submission period of a certain magazine to open before I send it off. I have a beta reader who agreed to read the killer fairies story once I’m done with that, and three stories with reader notes to edit after that. Plus, I should be hearing back from another reader with their notes on a story for an anthology call in the next ten days or so.

But, you know, this is life we’re living in. And as they say, “man plans and God laughs.” That phrase applies to me, even if I’m only human in my outer form. And God, or whatever rules this universe, doesn’t just laugh; He/She/They throw curveballs that throw your whole life into chaos. Often the curveballs are somewhat ironic in nature.

Anyway, the point is, this is the plan for now. But who knows what’ll happen in the next several weeks? Two of the stories I wrote in 2025 were written last minute, upsetting all my plans, because there was a call and I HAD TO PARTICIPATE. Even if I only have an infinitesimal chance of getting into one of them, I had to participate. One of those stories is already submitted, and the other is the one that should be returned to me by the reader soon.

Who’s to say that another one of those calls won’t pop up and I’ll feel the overwhelming need to participate?

You never know when one of these are going to come and rock your life.

Or maybe I’ll get some piece of news, good or bad, but it’s so big, it makes me juggle my priorities. Maybe writing related, or work related, or homeowner related. Who knows? Only the force or entity running the universe. And as cosmic horror often points out, sometimes ignorance truly is bliss.

But for now, this is what I’m working on. And I’m looking forward to seeing how many of the stories I’m editing I’ll be able to get published this year.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I just wanted to give you guys an update on what I’m doing lately before things get too crazy. I hope soon I’ll be able to share with you some good news. Until then, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Writing, Loneliness, and the Community That Lifts Me Up

Posted: December 30, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Writing is a lonely occupation at times. If any of you write, you know this. We lock ourselves up in our rooms or offices and spend hours with our imaginations. Sometimes, we go hours or even days without direct interaction with another person. In fact, the loneliness can get so bad, there was a whole panel about it at StokerCon earlier this year. I believe one of the panelists on that panel started an online meetup group so members of the community can get regular interaction.

And that’s the thing: while writing is a lonely endeavor, there can be a lot of people around you who make writing a little less lonely. Not only that, but the help they can provide in your career can make all the difference!

As you might know, I’m working on a lot of projects right now. This includes an essay or paper on the intersection of ballet and horror (come on, you know my interests!). And I was hoping to submit it to a particular publication once I’d edited it. Unfortunately, after taking another look at the guidelines, I realized that I would have to cut about thirty-five hundred words to submit it there. Needless to say, that wasn’t happening.

Instead, I posted to my social media about the situation. And within an hour, I had responses from some of my writing friends for potential venues. One of them, I’ll try submitting to in spring (and I may only need to cut 500 words. Much more doable).

And as many of you remember, a writing friend of mine, Matt Mason, passed away a little over a month ago. Matt created a whole community online, Horror Writers Chat, and the following Wednesday, during our weekly meet up, we all got together and dedicated the meetup to his memory. Afterwards, one of the members, who owns his own press, announced he was doing a charity anthology in Matt’s memory, with the deadline to submit a story to it at 11:59 PM on New Year’s Eve (AKA tomorrow).

Naturally, I wanted to submit something. So, I wrote up something, and a fellow member of Horror Writers Chat was kind enough to read it and provide feedback. She got back to me within a day, and I sent in the story after going over it one more time and considering her feedback. She sent me a copy of her submission, and I’m going to read it ASAP. (Don’t worry, she’s already submitted her piece; I’m just going to read it.)

Having this community is so wonderful. Photo by Dio Hasbi Saniskoro on Pexels.com

Working with my fellow Horror Writers Chat participants for this anthology for Matt was kind of healing. But more than that, just meeting every Wednesday online and participating in Horror Writers Chat can be so healing. Even with Matt gone, it’s still going on. We’re still discussing horror and writing, and we’re still cheering each other on. It’s a warm feeling, and even though I’ve never met any of these people in person, I don’t feel alone when I’m with them.

If I don’t make it into the anthology, I won’t be sad (though I do hope I get in). Because I know these people are going to be there one way or the other, and that we’ll continue to discuss writing and horror far into the future.

And there are just so many other instances I want to mention, quite a few of them from this month! And it’s been wonderful. Because when it’s been tough to get the words out, or work’s been driving me crazy, or I just feel like I’m not making the progress I should be, everyone’s here. My fellow writers (some of whom are Followers of Fear as well). Helping me. Supporting me. Like a thousand hands, giving me hugs while carrying me forward.

And as we move forward into 2026 (and who knows what hell that comes with it), I’m going to need these hugs and hands carrying me forward. Pushing back against the loneliness of writing and helping me reach for my goals.

Happy New Year, everyone.

So, if you’re a Follower of Fear, a fellow writer, or both, thank you. You guys make working through my struggles, the dark grey winter, and everything else that much easier. And I hope I never forget the gratitude I feel for you all.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I’m heading to bed and tomorrow I’m going to enjoy New Year’s. I’ll see you all in 2026. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Three Months Since Re-Release!!!

Posted: December 23, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Hello, my Followers of Fear. Are you enjoying your holiday season?

Right now, it’s December 23rd, 2025, which means a couple of things. One is that Christmas is in a few days. Another is that today is the parody holiday of Festivus. You know, for the rest of us? And third, and most importantly for the post, it’s the three-month anniversary of the re-release of Hannah and Other Stories!

Now, in case you somehow missed my constant mentions of this particular book (in which case, there is no escape! Except your fate, my dear Followers of Fear!), Hannah and Other Stories is a collection of seven stories I originally released with a publisher back in September 2023. The tales range across all types of horror, including extreme and cosmic, and include tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses (one of which is on the new cover). Sadly, the company who helped me publish Hannah in the first place decided not to renew our contract, and it went out of print late last year.

I decided to re-release it on the two-year anniversary of its release, with a new cover and edit. I also took steps to put out a print edition, which didn’t happen the first time around (long story, don’t ask). Thus, we have this amazing book that came out (again) on September 23, 2025.

And since then, people have been slowly but surely picking up copies and reading it. I might have mentioned this in a previous post, but even a supervisor at work is reading Hannah, and so far, he’s really enjoying it! Plus, a few people here and there have left reviews, and the majority of them have been nothing but glowing. Which, after all this time working to get the book in paperback and then in people’s hands, is nice to see.

As to what happens next…hard to say. I would like to get Hannah, as well as Symphony for Walpurgis and The Wild Hunt, into audio format, but I would like to sell more copies of all of those before that happens. So, in the meantime, I think I’ll just keep posting about the books and trying to get more people to read them. Especially Hannah. Who knows? Perhaps at the six-month anniversary, I’ll have some good news to share.

In the meantime, if you would like to read Hannah and Other Stories, or if you’re still looking for a gift for the horror fan in your life this holiday season, I’ll include links below. And if you like what you read, please be sure to leave a rating or a review somewhere online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and happy holidays. May whatever come down your chimney be welcome, rather than traumatizing.

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