Posts Tagged ‘anniversary’

Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Happy Birthday to the blog,
Happy Birthday to the blog.
Happy Birthday to Rami Ungar the Writer!
Happy Birthday to the blog.

I did warn you that I would have a new blog post out sooner than you might expect. Still, pretty incredible, isn’t it? That today is the fourteen year anniversary of when I set up this blog?

I think I say this every year, but it’s kind of incredible that I’m still blogging all these years later. I started writing this blog at the library near my mom’s house the month before I started college, hoping that, as I entered the world as an adult, I could build an audience for when I started publishing. I was just a young, naive, newly-minted adult back then, no idea where my life was going beyond starting school and working towards my dreams.

Now look at me. I’m a man in my thirties, with a job and my own condo and books to my name. Still no idea where my life is going at times, but I’ve already accomplished some dreams and I think I’m getting closer to making some more come true.

And this blog’s been through it with me the whole journey. There were times, especially early on when getting only a view or two per day was considered a good day, where I thought about giving up on the blog. But I persevered. I kept posting, especially when I had good news or stories to share. And before long, people found it. Some of them even became my friends. Some of them read my work. And many of them are still following me, all these years later.

So, thank you, Followers of Fear. Whether you only just started following me a few weeks ago, or you’ve been here since the beginning, or anywhere in-between, you have kept me going through thick and thin. Through good times and tough times, through celebrations and failures, and through times of fast growth and times of slow growth. It’s fair to say that, without you guys, neither me as a person, nor me as a writer, would be where I am today.

Here’s hoping when I write this post in a year from now, I have plenty of developments to celebrate, and plenty more people here to celebrate with.

In the meantime, my Followers of Fear, if you want to celebrate with me, if you want to support me, or if you’re just looking for a good scary story or two to read this spooky season, I’ll include the link to my book page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan (including some free stuff). So, go ahead and take a look. You might find your next favorite read.

And if you do end up reading something of mine, please consider giving it a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers in the long run.

That’s all for now. I’m off to a meadery to celebrate. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 90 days to Halloween!

Ooh! I think I felt a chill in the air!

As many of you know, my last book was a collection called Hannah and Other Stories. The book contained seven stories, among which were tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. The collection was released on September 23, 2023, which means at the time I’m writing this, the one-year release anniversary is only fifteen days away.

In honor of the upcoming anniversary, I created a book trailer for Hannah. One was actually supposed to be created last year before Hannah was released, but things didn’t work out, so it never happened. So, to help celebrate the anniversary, I created one myself using a combination of stock footage, the Canva design app, an editing program on my desktop, and YouTube-provided music. The result is below.

And thus, I present to you, the book trailer for Hannah and Other Stories.

What did you think? Did you like it? Can you believe that was all stock footage and some photos I created myself?

And if you liked that trailer and are curious about the book itself, I’ll leave links below. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if enough people show interest and read and review the book, a paperback will likely happen as well.

And speaking of reading and reviewing, be sure to leave a review if you end up reading Hannah. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to a spooktacular autumn like I am. Until next time, good night, happy reading, pleasant nightmares, and only 53 days till Halloween. Where is the year going?!

Happy birthday to the blog,
Happy birthday to the blog.
Happy birthday, Rami Ungar the Writer!
Happy birthday to the blog.

Hard to believe, but today this blog turns (un)lucky 13. And coincidentally, I turned 31 a couple of months ago. Or is that a coincidence? Yes, yes it is. But it’s a weird one.

Anyway, it’s amazing how far this blog has come. Especially considering how short-lived many blogs are, even popular ones. Those who write them don’t get the views they’d hope for, or they face burnout from keeping up demand. Either way, they decide to shut down their blogs, leaving the blogs themselves to disappear from the internet.

And I’ve said it before, but I could have become one of those people. During the first few years of blogging, while I was still in college, my blog barely got one or two views a day, if at all. Growth was slow, and interaction didn’t happen that often. Honestly, a few times I wondered if I should keep blogging, as it didn’t seem to be helping my writing career at all. And helping my writing career was why I created this blog to start with.

However, maybe I like a challenge, or maybe I’m just stubborn. Either way, I kept at it. And all these years later, I’ve written over 2,100 posts and usually gain over two thousand views a month. Sometimes I even get three-thousand, or close to it. And while growth has been slower in recent years, I have over 1,450 followers subscribed to the blog. Many of these followers have been with me for years, and I consider quite a few of them as friends.

And, whenever I let you guys know that I’m working on a story or I’m getting something published, several of you let me know how excited you are and how you can’t wait to read it. (Or in the case of those published in audio format, listen to them.)

So, at this point in the post, I want to say thank you, my Followers of Fear. Thank you for all the support you’ve given me through these thirteen years. All the views, likes, comments, subscriptions, and even buying, reading and reviewing my books, give me energy and keep me going even in my lowest points (which are few and far between, but which still happen). I hope you’ll continue to support me through this coming year. Here’s hoping this year, I’m able to start writing full-time. Or, if not, I’m able to see the path to this start to form in front of me.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to work today and then open up a bottle of wine to celebrate (and because it’s Friday). I hope you’ll have a drink with me, wherever you are. If you would like to check out my books, I’ll include a link below. Just remember to leave a review after you’ve read the book so I know what you thought.

And until next time, good night, Shabbat Shalom, and pleasant nightmares.

So yeah, it’s another anniversary! And this one’s very special. It’s the fifth anniversary of my novel Rose!

For those of you who don’t know, Rose was my first novel with a publisher and is my most popular book to date. The story follows a young woman who gets turned into a plant/human hybrid, which starts her on a desperate quest for survival. I first had the idea for the story in the middle of a science fiction literature class in college (yes, my school offered that course). I later wrote the story as my college thesis, and then edited it on and off through the years.

In 2018, I was introduced to the editor of Castrum Press through a friend, who agreed to publish Rose. Fifteen months and several drafts later, Rose was released and has been getting enthusiastic readers ever since. I even got some of my Followers of Fear to send me photos of them with the book for a special video I made. Check it out!

Not bad, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve edited anything like this, so I’m proud of the work I did. And thanks to everyone who contributed a photo and their thoughts about the book to the video. You don’t know how much that means to me.

And really, it means so much to me that so many people have been reading and enjoying Rose. Through the pandemic, and elections, and everything else we’ve dealt with over the past five years, Rose has continued to find readers who have taken the time to tell me how much they love the book. And with so many other great books out there for people to read, I find that frankly amazing.

Be sure to check out Rose this week! It’ll be a frightfully good time.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested in checking out Rose, guess what? In honor of the five-year anniversary, Rose is on sale from today through June 27th! So, whether you prefer paperbacks, ebooks, or audio books, you can grab a copy at a great price till next Thursday!

And if you like what you read, please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it not only helps me, but other readers in the long run.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoy reading what will hopefully become your new favorite fantasy-horror novel. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Pop the champagne, play the music, and dress up like your favorite slasher villain! It’s the ten-year anniversary of the release of Snake, my slasher horror novel!

For those of you who are unaware, Snake follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken and Friday the 13th got smooshed together into a novel. It’s a very visceral, deeply violent novel (as well as my longest), and I had a lot of fun writing it. (Yes, I’m aware that makes me potentially very messed up. I don’t care.)

Anyway, in honor of the ten-year release anniversary, I’m putting the book on sale from the majority of retailers (but especially Amazon). So, if you want to check out the novel, now is a good time to grab a copy of the ebook or the paperback. You can grab your copy at a special price until the 17th.

And if you like what you read, please leave me a review. Not only do I love reader feedback, but it helps me out as a writer in the long run, and it helps other readers decide whether or not to check out the book.

Anyway, that’s all for now. Head on over to the retailer of your choice and grab yourself a copy of Snake. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

That’s right, it’s another sale! This is what happens when four out of my books came out during the same three month period!

So, if you’re unaware, Snake is the oldest of my published novels (as well as the longest at around 500 pages). The story follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken, and Friday the 13th got smooshed together into a novel.* And on June 10, 2024, this novel will turn ten years old.

Which, if you don’t have your calendar nearby, is a week from today.

And in honor of the occasion, Snake will be on sale from Amazon (and a few other places as well). If you would like to check out the story and for a great price, you can do so between June 10 and June 17! I’ll be sure to include links.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review for me to find. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run as well.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until the sale next week, good night, pleasant nightmares, and–hold on, is that a masked killer right behind you? RUN!

*Fun fact: John Wick came out four months after this novel did. However, I was unaware of John Wick until maybe around 2015 or 2016, and I didn’t see any of the films until the third one was already on home media. I was really surprised by the similarities between the two works, but weird shit like that happens all the time (check out Ronald Malfi’s The Night Parade and then see which famous video game came out the same year to see what I mean). Now I use it to get people interested in the book. And you know what? It works!

Raise a glass in celebration! Unless it’s before five or you have some other good reason to not be drinking alcohol right now, then instead lift a Diet Coke or glass of orange juice or coffee or something.

So, as I said last week, my Victorian Gothic horror novel The Pure World Comes came out two years ago today. The novel follows Shirley Dobbins, a maid who thinks she’s getting the job of a lifetime when she’s offered a position at the manor of the Baronet Hunting. However, strange things are happening at the manor, known as the Hunting Lodge. Things that terrify and bring back things from Shirley’s past that she would rather forget. In addition, the baronet is researching some very strange science and Shirley gets wrapped up in it. All this will have an explosive conclusion that will threaten not only Shirley’s life, but those she loves as well.

It’s kind of like Frankenstein and Crimson Peak had a baby together. With an appearance by Jack the Ripper for some added terror.

Anyway, to celebrate the two year anniversary of The Pure World Comes releasing, I’m doing a sale! From today, May 10, through May 17, the book will be on sale in multiple formats from multiple retailers. Even the audio book will be on sale from select stores (I can only do sales on the audio book from Spotify, B&N, Apple and Chirp)!

This is a great opportunity to check out the book if you’re interested, so why not do so? I’ll leave links below so you can purchase from the retailer of your choice. And if you do, and you end up reading the book, I hope you’ll leave me a review letting me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me grow as a writer as well.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to this book as much as I am looking forward to you reading it. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

The Pure World Comes: available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel, Palace Marketplace, Hoopla, Vivlio, Smashwords, Thalia, Scribd, Spotify, Fable


Two more things, my Followers of Fear:

  1. If you have read and have a copy of Rose, one of my other novels, please take a photo of yourself with the copy and send it to me with a single word to describe the book. I’m gathering photos for a project in honor of Rose‘s own anniversary next month, so if you can contribute one, it would make my day.
  2. Next week is ParaPsyCon! If you’re in or around Mansfield, OH on May 17-19, please stop by the Ohio State Reformatory for the biggest convention of ghost hunters, psychics, and more around. I’ll be there selling books and doing Tarot readings, and I would love to see you there. You can find out more details here.

That’s really all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

So, this past Thursday was the one-year anniversary of the release of the audio version of The Pure World Comes. (And yes, I realize this is the second time I’ve missed an anniversary like this in the past couple of months, but I’ve been busy!) And, of course, me being me, I have to mark it. So, let’s start celebrating!

So, if you didn’t know, The Pure World Comes is a Gothic horror novel I wrote during the pandemic. It follows a maid who goes to work for a mad scientist during the Victorian era and what happens to her. Here’s the description on the back cover:

Shirley Dobbins wants nothing more than to live a quiet life and become a head housekeeper at a prestigious house. So when she is invited to come work for the mysterious baronet Sir Joseph Hunting at his estate, she thinks it is the chance of a lifetime. However, from the moment she arrives things are not what they seem. As she becomes wrapped up in more of the baronet’s radical science, she realizes something dark and otherworldly is loose within the estate. And if left unchecked, it’ll claim the lives of all she holds dear.

Not bad, right? I had a lot of fun writing this story. I love the Victorian era (I actually spent five years really researching the era before writing this story) and I kind of made this story into a love letter for both the age and to the Gothic stories that came out during this period, like Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Actually, when I’m selling it at events, I tell people it’s like Frankenstein and Crimson Peak (you know, that Guillermo del Toro movie?) had a baby together. People tend to like that description.

And the reviews the book has received have been enthusiastic. Here’s what they say:

Really enjoyed this! Been a while since I’ve read a Gothic tale and it did not disappoint. I love the twists that it took!

Pax Panic, YouTuber (left on Goodreads before her untimely passing)

What I got was a short novel so perfectly Victorian and utterly Gothic that it made my old-fashioned self giddy as a schoolgirl…Mixing classic-romantic Victorian elements with early science-fiction, tales of Jack the Ripper/Spring-Heeled Jack, and a bit of the occult, this book gives the reader a truly chilling and also slightly fun little Gothic adventure.

HD Daughrity, author of “Tales My Grandmother Told Me.”

The idea of a pure world where pain and suffering doesn’t exist sounds incredible but life is about balance between good and evil. In his book, ‘The Pure World Comes’ Rami Ungar explores the idea.

The main character, Shirley, starts out as a maid, but the reader soon learns that she is mature beyond her years. Her difficult past could however not prepare her for the terrifying experiences she is subjected to. I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book.

The story flows seamlessly and grows in intensity until it explodes at the end. I love stories where the characters evolve with the story. In ‘The Pure World Comes’ we watch Shirley go from being a maid to a brave, super smart young lady who defies the odds.

A great read for anyone who enjoys a mystery thriller sci fi story.

Celeste Wilson, Goodreads reviewer

And these are just a fraction of the reviews I’ve received, the majority of which have been just as enthusiastic.

Sadly, the audio book has only received one review, which is a shame because I think it is awesome! It’s read by Nikki Delgado, who does a fantastic job with all the accents and characters and really helps you immerse yourself in the story. So, I’m really hoping that in the next year, more people will listen to the audio book and maybe even leave reviews.

If you’re interested, I’ll leave links below. Not just for the audio retailers, but for the ebook and paperback retailers as well. And if you like what you read (or listen to), please leave a review or rating other readers and listeners can see what you thought.

Thanks, my Followers of Fear. Also, as we’re 80 days away from Halloween, I wish you happy reading and pleasant nightmares.

The Pure World Comes: Available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel, Palace Marketplace, Hoopla, Vivlio, Smashwords, Thalia, Scribd, Spotify


Speaking of this past Thursday, if you missed the live showing of Galactic Terrors, I have the video of it embedded below. If you’re at all interested, you can watch me, Lara Frater, and Teel James Gleen read from and discuss our recent or upcoming works. I hope you’ll give it a watch and maybe then start watching the new episodes regularly.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Happy Birthday to the blog,
Happy Birthday to the blog,
Happy Birthday to Rami Ungar the Writer,
Happy Birthday to the blog.

So yeah, it’s been exactly twelve years since this blog was created. Hard to believe, right?

For those of you who don’t know, I first created this blog a few weeks before I was supposed to start college at Ohio State. I was sitting in the library down the road from my mom’s house, on one of their computers, and signed up for WordPress. I had barely any idea what I was doing back then. I had just heard that having a blog might be a good way to build an audience for when I published my first book (which I always considered an inevitability).

Even so, I consider that moment a turning point in my nascent career. Before then, while I had had one paid publication and some unpaid publications prior to the blog, I was still just writing on my parents’ computers and those who knew me as a writer were confined to my social circles. But beginning with my blog, I was able to start making connections with people from around the world. Blogging opened my world, and was essential in me making the connections that would help me grow as a writer and as a person.

Today, at the time of this writing, my blog has over two-thousand posts, over fourteen hundred subscribers, and gets between fifteen hundred and two-thousand views per month. And over the last year, this blog has seen me through so many things in my life: all the editing on Hannah and Other Stories; the publication of That Which Cannot Be Undone, my dragon bat story, and The Dedication of the High Priestess; the audio book for The Pure World Comes was released; I celebrated my first Halloween, Hanukkah, and Passover in my condo, among other things; I took part in the Face of Horror contest and The Great Editing; I went to my first ever Stoker Con; I celebrated several big publishing anniversaries, including The Quiet Game‘s ten-year release anniversary; and, as I announced the other day, I got a grant from the Greater Columbus Arts Council.

I wonder what will happen in the next year? Obviously, Hannah is due out next month, and I have big hopes for that book. But what else? I was invited to submit to an anthology, but we’ll see if that story gets accepted or fits the publisher’s vision for the anthology. And I have a number of stories I need to edit and start shopping around, so hopefully that goes well. And I want to try and finish writing Crawler, the mummy novel I started last year.

Whatever happens, I know I’ll have the support of so many amazing readers and writers behind me. Reading this blog, reading my books, and leaving their thoughts in comments and reviews.

Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder Hannah and Other Stories, or you would like to check out any of my books that are already available, I’ll leave links below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, happy anniversary, and pleasant nightmares!

Hannah and Other Stories: Preorder here

The Pure World Comes: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel, Palace Marketplace, Hoopla, Vivlio, Smashwords, Thalia, Scribd, Spotify

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible, B&N

Snake: AmazonCreatespaceBarnes & NobleiBooksSmashwords, and Kobo

The Quiet Game: AmazonCreatespaceBarnes & NobleiBooksSmashwords, and Kobo

Pop the champagne! Eat the little hors d’oeuvres! Let loose the death wolves and dragon bats and other monstrosities! As of today, The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones is ten years old! My very first book, my very first self-published book, and my very first collection of short stories is a decade old.

I still have memories of being a young college student, writing the stories in-between classes and homework and designing the cover. I was looking forward to experimenting with self-publishing, as well as seeing what the reaction to my work would be.

If I could, I might go back and teach myself some important things so I could avoid some mistakes. Not the least of which was the double letter “F” in the subtitle. I mean, I’m fond of that now, but it’s still a mistake that if I could, I’d correct it. Sadly, due to some technical issues, I can’t.

But despite all those little imperfections, The Quiet Game has gotten some positive reception. Perhaps because it’s so short and it’s made of short stories, it’s one of my most popular books. Especially at conventions. And I think people responded to all the weirdness of my style that was evident even in my earlier stories. I mean, death wolves, nurses as ogresses, ghosts and dybbuks, and wacky cures for sex addiction. I think people were surprised by that and enjoyed it.

At least, that’s what the reviews seem to indicate. Check out what they had to say:

A collection of five varied stories that get stronger as the collection builds, with the final being my favorite. Though I fancy myself able to “solve” the stories before the reveals, there were several surprises here, especially the reveal in the Quiet Game and I’m Going to be the Next James Bond. I also liked that Rami pulled no punches with his characters. In one instance, an anti-semite for instances uses words that would be hard for any author to write -though are necessary to his character. There are other examples sprinkled throughout the stories that show Rami’s commitment to telling the story in the way it needs to be told. A good collection for a stormy night!

Joleene Naylor, author of the Amaranthine book series

This is the first time I’ve read any of Rami’s stories. I was very impressed with the wide variety of stories and the way he wove the paranormal into each piece. Paranormal is not something I usually read and I enjoyed this collection very much. The collection reminded me of the Twlight Zone. The descriptions were especially well developed. Keep on writing Rami!

Arthur Siegal, Amazon reviewer

I thought these stories would be scarier than they were, but it was a great read and a good effort from the first time author. These stories were more in the genre of creepy rather than scary, but what I really liked was that it made you think of them long after the book ended. The themes of addiction, of sweet innocence gone bad, and of the sins of the fathers being visited on their descendants were very well dealt with, and caused the reader to think of them even after finishing the book. I’m looking forward to more from this new author!

Anonymous, Amazon reviewer

And these are just a fraction of the reviews, the majority of which are positive. I think twenty-year-old me would be happy to know that. To know that people like and enjoy this book and are continuing to read and review it.

And hopefully, as the years go by, more people will find The Quiet Game, enjoy it, and leave their thoughts about it where I can see it.

Speaking of which, if you would like to check out The Quiet Game, I’ll leave links below. And if you do end up reading it, no matter your thoughts, please write a review somewhere so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback. And it not only helps me, but other readers as well.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I plan on celebrating tonight with some pizza, some sweets, and a cocktail. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Now Available on AmazonCreatespaceBarnes & NobleiBooksSmashwords, and Kobo