So, in case you’re wondering, yes, this is a real book, and this is the actual title. Yes, I know, it’s hard to believe. My own mother sent me a meme featuring the book’s Amazon page and how it was the perfect title, thinking it was a fake page. She was so surprised that it was a real book and there’s a Netflix movie in the works, though she wasn’t too surprised to hear that I knew the author.
Anyway, Man, Fuck This House has been on my TBR list for a while, but I haven’t been able to get to it till recently. And with only 158 pages, it was a quick read. But was it a good one? Well, keep reading and find out.
Man, Fuck This House follows the Haskinses, a stereotypical nuclear family with some friction underneath the surface who move from Columbus, Ohio (yay, my home!) to the quiet neighborhood of Jackson Hill out west and to a beautiful new home. However, the house is more than just a pretty structure of timbers and aluminum siding, and it starts to reach out to the family. To communicate. To even terrify them!
So, this book was really funny. From the first couple of pages, I was laughing at the antics of the Haskins family. Most of it is told from the POV of mom and housewife Sabrina, who fully admits to herself that she’s not entirely satisfied with her life, that her husband Hal is kind of dimwitted, and who is terrified that her son is secretly evil (hence why she named him Damien). Speaking of which, Damien’s pretty funny, too: he’s an intelligent old soul who enjoys messing with his mom, though he does go through some growth in the story as well.
I also loved the narration of the story. The plot’s a mostly stereotypical haunted house story, with some twists and references to other haunted house tales (anyone else remember watching Monster House as a kid?). But it’s told in such a funny fashion, you find yourself laughing and enjoying how the author plays with the tropes and typical structure of such stories.
My one gripe is that the book was maybe too short. I mean, I bought it because I needed something short to read, but I feel the story could have gone on a bit longer and still be as funny. We might have even gotten some more character development from Hal and daughter Michaela that way.
But all told, this was a fun, funny, light horror-comedy. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving Man, Fuck This House by Brian Asman a 4.8 out of 5. If you’re looking for something of the funnier variety in your horror that doesn’t use too-crude humor, this is the book for you.
Just make sure you respect and take care of your own house before, during, and after reading, okay? Your lifespan will thank you for it.
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.
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.
So if you saw my last post, I’m going to be guest starring on Galactic Terrors, a live webshow/podcast run by Carol Gyzander and James Chambers of the HWA NY chapter. In addition, I’ll be joined by Teel James Glenn and Lara Frater. We’ll all be reading from work we have coming out either soon or just recently released.
Anyway, if you’re planning on joining us, you can watch it live at 8 PM EST either on Facebook or YouTube. I’ll be including links below. And if you do join us, be sure to stay for the whole thing. Not only will the other authors be reading (and who knows? You may really want to check out what they’re reading from after you’ve heard them read it), but we’ll all be doing a Q&A session after the readings are wrapped up. You’ll definitely want to stay for that. Especially if you have questions of your own.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll see you later this evening. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Well, I’ve got an updated list of events and goings-on for the year, so you know the drill. I got to tell you about them in case you can attend!
So, later this week, on Thursday, August 10 at 8 PM, I’ll be on the Galactic Terrors show. This is an online show/podcast run by members James Chambers and Carol Gyzander of the HWA NY chapter. They have authors join them, read from their upcoming or recently published works and answer reader questions. In addition to me, we’ll be joined by authors Lara Frater and Teel James Glenn. I’m looking forward to hearing what sort of stories they read aloud! And if you are too, you can join us live for August’s show via Facebook or YouTube. I’ll include the link for Facebook in the button below.
Then, in September, I’ll be joining HWA Ohio at the Mystics & Marvels Oddities Fair! This will take place on September 9 and 10 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. Me and my fellow HWA Ohio authors will be there to sell books and hopefully have a good time. If you can come by, please do! We had a lot of fun last year, so I expect the same thing this year. You can find out more on their website using the button below.
After that, we hit October, and we’ve got something special going on that month. After all, it is Halloween season, so it would be weird if we didn’t do something. And this year, HWA Ohio is teaming up with the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio for a Halloween Flash Fiction Night! We’ll be giving advice on short story writing before we do write some flash fiction pieces (stories under a thousand words, if you didn’t know). This event takes place Monday, October 30th, at 7-8 PM. If you want to join us, please register on the website. You can do so using the button below.
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. We’ve got a few more things on the horizon, to be sure, but until those are finalized, I’ll leave them for a future blog post. In the meantime, if you’re unable to come to any of these events but want to continue to support me, you can check out any of my books using the links listed below. And if you end up reading one, I hope you’ll leave me a review so I and others know what you thought.
BTW, I highly recommend Hannah and Other Stories. It’s not just the new one, but it’s got a lot of great stories in it for you to enjoy.
Anyway, until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
The title of this post really should be “Thoughts on Attempting to Write a Grimdark Story,” but that’s not a title that rolls off the tongue, is it?
Anyway, not too long ago I was invited to submit to an anthology. Length of my story, themes and whatnot were pretty much left up to me, provided one thing: the story was a grimdark story.
For those unfamiliar, grimdark is not exactly a subgenre (though I did call it such in my post about what counts as dark fantasy). Rather, it’s a tone or atmosphere that spans across genres. The name comes from the tagline of the roleplaying game Warhammer 40K, “In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war.” Very sci-fi, but as I said, a grimdark story can fall into any genre. What makes a story grimdark? Well, it has a dark, oppressive, bleak tone; characters who are either amoral or just downright awful; and, rather than a focus on hope as in other stories, a focus on cynicism bordering on hopelessness or nihilism. Characters are often antiheroes or villains, or hopeless grunts doing awful stuff, or just the worst ever, and happy endings are few and far-between, if they ever happen.
Now, you may be wondering to yourself: who the hell would want to read that? Quite a few people, actually. The term grimdark has been applied to popular works such as those of George RR Martin, Batman comics from the 1980s onwards, the Spawn comic book series (love that guy, he needs more recognition), and the Walking Dead franchise.
And I’ve heard that if you take out the cheery songs from the musical Chicago, you’d have a very grimdark story. Think about it: two unrepentant murderesses living in Prohibition-era Chicago murder their spouses or lovers and care only about getting off and having careers as entertainers. Their lawyer is a man who only cares if his cases are sensational and getting paid, their warden trades on favors, and the only good person is Roxie’s husband, who gets used and abused by his unfaithful wife throughout the show.
Spawn is a classic example of both a grimdark character and a grimdark series.
If that’s not grimdark, it sounds damn close.
Actually, Chicago might be something of an influence on my own grimdark story, “Be Careful What You Wish For,” which follows a Vegas actress down on her luck and trying to find her big break. And I hope this grimdark story, which I finished on Sunday, is actually a grimdark story: I certainly succeeded in making the characters, particularly the lead, really awful people. I also tried to make an atmosphere of hopelessness, greed and cruelty under the glitz and glam of Vegas (not very hard). And I did listen to a lot of music I associate with dark moods while writing this story.
But I don’t have a lot of experience with writing that sort of mood, and this is the first time I’ve ever tried to write a grimdark story intentionally (I may have written them in the past without realizing it). So whether it can actually can be considered grimdark is unknown.
That being said, writing the story was a fun challenge. The MC is such a horrible person, and usually my MCs are likable, so writing someone so self-centered and greedy was a lot of fun. And finding ways to make the story that much more grim and dark was fun, too. I could honestly see myself trying to write more stories in this vein, provided I have the right inspiration.
Anyway, I plan to have this story looked over by someone more familiar with grimdark and then edit it before I send it to the anthology’s editor. With any luck, not only will it fit the anthology well, but they’ll want to publish it. And if it gets a really good reception…well, we’ll see what happens we get there. I’ll keep you guys posted.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for something dark and spooky to read, there’s only fifty days till my new collection, Hannah and Other Stories, releases. This collection contains tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. It’s not grimdark, but the stories are definitely not sunshine and rainbows.
Anyway, Hannah releases on September 23rd, but you can preorder using the button below. If you’re at all interested, please be sure to preorder a copy. And if you do read the book after it comes out, let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the end.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Picture about ten years ago. You’ve released a book, but after an initial ten or so sales, no one is looking at your book or leaving reviews. Your blog has barely a hundred followers, and you maybe only get one or two views a day. Sometimes you get more, but those days are rare and they don’t usually get you more than ten. Also, you’re sending out short stories to plenty of publications–non-paying, because you think those publications are easier to get into and you’re working your way up to paid publications–but over and over, it’s just rejection after rejection.
Thoughts about what you’re doing wrong and how are you supposed to become a writer like this flit through your head.
This was me at times during my early writing career, specifically after the release of The Quiet Game. Variations of it, I’m sure, other writers have gone through at various points of their careers, including well into them. Some may even entertain giving up fiction writing, that they don’t have what it takes to become anything in this industry.
Repeated disappointment can be quite the demotivator.
That being said, if you keep trying and can get through the disappointment, perhaps something amazing can happen.
Despite the disappointment, I kept writing and blogging and submitting. I published some more books (two of which I later took out of circulation for reasons I won’t get into), and they got fans. A few even scared people. My blog kept growing and people started rooting for me in earnest. I started working with some other writers to give advice on writing and self-publishing, and it helped increase my influence. I got a lot of rejections on my short stories, but I did get some publications, and that helped me stay motivated.
In 2017, I joined the Horror Writers Association, and not too long after, I joined the newly-formed Ohio chapter. Finally, I’d found my people. And somehow, I ended up becoming the chapter coordinator, which is still my position today (I was reelected by popular vote).
I honestly feel Rose was a turning point in my career, both as a validation of all my previous efforts and a sign of things to come.
In 2018, I got my novel Rose, which I wrote as a college thesis, accepted for publication. I was going to be traditionally published. Thus followed fifteen months of editing and rewriting, during which my anxiety disorder also manifested. Somehow, through all of it, I got the book published and people liked it. To this day, it’s still my most popular book.
Also, in 2019, I had a short story, “Car Chasers,” published in an anthology and was paid five-hundred dollars for it. To this day, it’s still the most I’ve ever made off a single story.
During 2020 and COVID, I kept writing. I met with my fellow writers virtually and we helped each other along. I attended my first event as a vendor in Iowa, and learned a lot. In 2021, I attended events and got more stories accepted and published, including The Pure World Comes and Hannah and Other Stories. In 2022, the former came out in paperback, ebook, and audio book, and I got more work accepted, including The Dedication of the High Priestess, which to this day I still think is some of my best work ever.
Also, after nearly two years of work, my friends and I created a small press and released That Which Cannot Be Undone, an anthology of Ohio horror.
This year, editing on Hannah reached the point we could set a release date. I went to Stoker Con, where not only did a lot of people know who I was, but many people, including my heroes in the horror genre, were eager to meet me. (And they were so nice!) A few even agreed to be eARC readers for Hannah.
Also, I’m working on a grimdark story for an anthology I’ve been invited to, and there’s a chance other stories may be released this year. This past week, The Quiet Game reached its ten-year release anniversary and more people are reading it than ever, especially this week. And I was at the Columbus Book Festival this past weekend and sold more books and made more than I’ve ever earned in four years of vending. I don’t expect the same results this weekend at Gem City Comic Con, but I’m hopeful for good things.
Me and my fellow Ohio horror writers at the Columbus Book Festival. I’m on the end.
And I’ve heard from plenty of people, including an old coworker and my tattoo artist, that they’re reading my work and enjoying it so far.
(Yes, I have a tattoo artist. Surprise!)
All this isn’t to brag. It’s to say that if you keep working hard and working to improve, things won’t stay the same. You can build a foundation for yourself, a catalog of work. And then readers and colleagues and more will be drawn to you. They may even eagerly await your work. You may not be able to write full-time, let alone live the Stephen King lifestyle, and it may take a shit ton of time, but you could become someone whose work people enjoy.
Or, to quote Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.”
And isn’t that what we all want, in the end?
That being said, I do hope I’ll be writing full-time by 2028. I actually asked my Tarot cards if I could be writing full-time in five years, and they said there’s a strong possibility. That’s poured gasoline on the fire under my ass. I can’t wait to see what happens under this level of motivation. Wish me luck, Followers of Fear!
Thanks for reading, my Followers of Fear. I’ve been wanting to do a post like this for a while. I hope many of you found it helpful.
Also, I’ll be in Dayton, Ohio this weekend for Gem City Comic Con to sell books and do Tarot readings. If you can stop by, please do so. And if you can’t, click that button thing below. It’ll take you to my Books page. If you’re looking for new reading material, there’s plenty there to choose from. Just remember to leave me a review if you end up reading something of mine so I know what you thought.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
A little dramatic, but it sums up the feelings of many writers towards marketing very well.
Writers–especially those aiming to make writing their full-time job someday–have it rough. Not only do we have to figure out how to write stories, how to edit them, and how to get them published, but we have to figure out the marketing angle so people actually read our work once we publish it. And that part can be trickier than even putting two sentences together.
I might have mentioned, but in the wake of Hannah coming out in less than three months, and on the advice of my publishing company, I’ve changed my marketing strategy for new books coming out. Prior, it was something along the lines of “get the mentions out there, but don’t inundate. You don’t want to annoy people.” Now, it’s closer to “Inundate! Inundate! Inundate!”
Well, maybe that’s an exaggeration. I’m definitely increasing the number of ads and mentions I put out on my social media. I’m also doing a giveaway (more on that below), telling as many people in person I can, putting out more Hannah-themed YouTube videos (BTW, check out my channel), and reaching out to as many BookTube channels and podcasts as possible.
I’m also trying, per my publisher’s advice, to show how excited and enthusiastic I am for this book and for people to read it. You know, as opposed to sounding like, “Buy! Buy! Buy!”
And I am. Enthusiastic and excited, that is. I’m so glad that this book and these stories are coming out! I’m so looking forward to hearing what people are going to say what the ebook is out, and the possibility of a paperback and even an audio book if the ebook does well! I can’t wait to hear if the stories give people nightmares, and taking photos of people who have copies of the book (I’m hoping I can get some with their e-readers if it takes a while to get to paperback status)! And I’m looking forward to celebrating with friends and family when the book comes out.
But with posts nearly every day, especially on Facebook and Twitter, I can’t help but feel that I’m spamming the platforms. And it’s hard to tell on which platforms I’m having any sort of success. You can tell on most of them how many people see your posts, as well as how many people like, comment, and share them, but clicking on links or getting sales is almost impossible to tell.
Some days, it’s easy to feel like I’m shouting into the void of cyberspace and somehow isolating myself further, rather than bringing people closer to me. Let alone potential readers.
Still, I got to try. And while I’m trying, I’m trying to increase my enthusiasm and my love for these stories to the people seeing my posts. With any luck, something will pan out and more people will want to read the book. And that would make me happiest of all.
That being said, if anyone has any advice to help me get this book to readers, I’m all ears. Every little bit helps. Thanks in advance!
Speaking of Hannah, there’s still some time between now and the 14th. If you would like to win a signed copy of my first collection, The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones, all you need to do is preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. And if you then send me proof of your preorder at ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com, you’ll be entered to win said copy. The winner will be announced on the 17th.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
I can’t believe I missed this milestone! I know I was busy, but man, there’s no excuse.
Anyway, to be precise, Rose was originally released two years ago yesterday. For those of you who don’t know, Rose is my most popular novel, and the first I published with an actual publisher. The novel follows a young woman, Rose Taggert, who turns into a plant/human hybrid. And that’s just the start of her problems! It’s Kafkaesque, full of Japanese mythology, and is plenty creepy.
Here’s the back cover matter:
Rose Taggert awakens in a greenhouse with no clear memory of the past two years and, to her horror, finds her body transformed into an unrecognizable form.
Paris Kuyper has convinced Rose that they are lovers and as Paris could not bear for her to die, he has used an ancient and dark magic to save her from certain death.
But the dark magic Paris has used comes at a price. A price which a terrible demon is determined to extract from Rose.
As Rose struggles to understand what is happening to her, she must navigate Paris’s lies and secrets; secrets that Paris will do anything to protect.
Not bad, right? And let me tell you, plenty of people have come to enjoy the book in that time. Here are the reviews:
Loved the premise and all of the descriptions of turning into a plant creature, as well as several other body horror scenes, were disturbing in the best way. I also liked the psychological horror of the story and was often at the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next…Overall, a solid horror story! I feel the strong beginning and surprising and intense ending made this a great horror experience and a book I would definitely recommend.
Emma, Amazon reviewer
One of the most original stories that I have read in quite some time. Rose is a tale that is hard to categorize; part horror, part urban fantasy, but entertaining from start to finish. This was my first time reading Rami Ungar, but it will not be my last.
John Watson, author of “Bloody Mary” and “Salem”
In this work, Rami Ungar paints a captivating picture of Japanese folklore and magic, which serves as a backdrop for a story about captivity, manipulation, and possession! His narrative style also captures the dread and claustrophobia of being a captive, not to mention the twisted pathology of the captor! Scary stuff, and all the while you’re rooting for the bad guys to get their just desserts!
Matthew Williams, author of The Cronian Incident
And these are only a small fraction of reviews Rose has received. As I said, it’s my most popular novel. And I’m hoping in the coming year that it’ll continue to grow in popularity and readership. Hell, I got to give a copy to an author I greatly admire at Stoker Con, so maybe she’ll tweet about it or something.
And if she doesn’t, oh well. Rose is constantly finding its way into the hands of readers, and they usually become fans. Some even leave reviews online, which is great because it lets me know other what they think and encourages other readers to check out the book.
Speaking of which, if you would like to check out Rose, I’ll include links below. You can get it in paperback, ebook, and audio formats. And if you do get a copy and read it, please leave a review online. Like I said, they help me and other readers out, and I would love to see what you think.
Anyway, that’s all for now. I may have missed the four-year anniversary, but I’ll be sure to do something big for the five-year anniversary. And in the meantime, you know I’ll be working like a demon to accomplish my writing goals.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Good night and pleasant nightmares!
I’m back, Followers of Fear! And let me tell you, I had the best time at Stoker Con, the biggest convention for the horror writing community in the world! Four days spent with my comrades in the Horror Writers Association discussing all things horror and enjoying all things macabre. Honestly, it was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had!
And it was in Pittsburgh, which despite how difficult it is to drive in, was the home of George A. Romero, so his presence was felt throughout the convention. Hell, the city has kind of embraced Romero as sort of a patron saint, and the George A. Romero Foundation was even a sponsor for the con, so that made it extra special.
But back to the con. Honestly, how can I describe it to you? I guess I could go over the things that made it memorable to me while also supplying photos here and there. Yeah, that works, so let’s go for it.
All the awesome panels! I think there were over 60 panels and classes to take, and I attended as many as I could. All were a lot of fun and quite educational. I didn’t sit on any panels, but I did enjoy watching them. Some, like the Evolution of the Zombie panel, were more like a conversation between the panelists and the audience. Probably helped that I walked in pretending to be a zombie in need of caffeine and snacks.
The panel for portraying drug use and drug addiction. Started out funny, but quickly got serious.
Others, like the Bisexuality in Horror and the Mental Health in Horror, hit me in a personal space (for those unaware, I’m bisexual, and I am on the autism spectrum. I also have ADHD and an anxiety disorder, among other things). It was interesting to hear what others had seen about my communities in horror and how we can portray them better in our stories.
Others, like Writing Nonfiction and Pitching Your Novel, I went to see what tips I could glean from my more experienced colleagues. I got some great info from the former that are already producing results, and the latter will come in handy in a couple of years once I finish Crawler.
Every panel was definitely worth it!
Author readings! While I was there, authors gave and attended readings for upcoming and recently released works. I did a reading with Barbara Cottrell, Jeremiah Dylan Cook, and Gabino Iglesias on Friday. We each took turns, with me going third. Of course, I read from Hannah, specifically the story “What Errour Awoke.” I think people enjoyed it.
Me during my reading. And yes, I wear that hat and cloak during plenty of events.
From left to right: Jeremiah Dylan Cook, myself, Gabino Iglesias, and Barb Cottrell.
Of course, the best reading was from Clay McLeod Chapman. And it wasn’t even a reading, but a one-man show! He’d basically memorized a monologue where a seventh grade boy recounted learning sex ed and how the diagrams of the reproductive systems resembled Lovecraftian entities (and they kind of do, from a certain point of view). He flailed and gesticulated around the room while speaking loudly. It was the most hysterical histrionics I’ve ever seen! I wish I’d seen it on camera.
The Final Frame competition was intense!
Final Frame film competition. On Friday night, we gathered in one of the ballrooms for a competition of 13 short horror films from around the world. These films ranged from the comedic to the terrifying, and most were quite good. The clear winner was “The Queue,” about a content moderator for a video-sharing platform who finds the videos are way more than meets the eye. God, that film was so terrifying, my brain tried to repress it minutes after I’d seen it! If you get the chance, definitely go out and see it.
Honorable mentions go to “Shut,” “Eric,” “Drop Dead,” and “We Forgot About the Zombies.”
The Awards Banquet. Saturday night was when the Bram Stoker awards were awarded, and it was lovely. After a tasty dinner, awards were given out in Superior Achievement for a variety of categories (and I love that it’s “Superior Achievement,” not “Best”). There were a lot of laughs from our speakers and presenters, and some beautiful moments. Cynthia Pelayo became the first Puerto Rican horror author to win Superior Achievement in a Poetry Collection, and to win a Bram Stoker, overall. And Gabino Iglesias became the second not too long after, while also winning Superior Achievement in a Novel, the first Puerto Rican to do so.
And a lot of people won Stokers for the first time, leading to tears. I got to hug a lot of people who won their first Stokers after years of trying, and I was happy to be there for those moments. It was beautiful, and I’m so happy for them.
People showing interest in my work! Throughout the convention, people were showing interest and even preordering copies of Hannah and Other Stories (which you can do here). And during a mass author signing (think a book fair within a very small hotel room where you can either buy books or bring your own to get signed), I sold plenty of copies. It put a hop in my step to have so many people wanting to read and support my work.
Being with my people! It’s great being connected to so many horror writers online, and even meeting a few over Zoom or even in person from time to time. But it was nothing compared to meeting so many likeminded individuals in person, and being able to discuss horror subjects so openly. Hell, I had two different conversations on cannibalism in one evening!
Being part of this community, being able to meet and talk with people I’d only interacted with online, and making new friends, is truly special.
Me and my fellow HWA Ohio members: DM Guay, Neil Sater, Sarah Hans, and John Kachuba.
Me with Gabino Iglesias, first Puerto Rican author to win the Bram Stoker award in Superior Achievement in a Novel.
Me with Alma Katsu, Lee Murray, and Barbara Barnett, three amazing ladies of horror. Alma and Lee won Stokers later that evening.
Me with John Langan and Phillip Fracassi. The former and I had plenty of laughs sitting next to each other at the banquet.
Me with Patrick Frievald.
Me with Clay McLeod Chapman.
Me with Brian Keene.
So yeah, Stoker Con was absolutely amazing, and I was so happy to be able to go. And while I probably won’t be able to go next year (San Diego is a little too expensive for me), I would definitely like to go. Maybe next time, I’ll be able to sit on a panel. Maybe I’ll even be nominated for a Stoker award. That would be nice.
Opening ceremonies. It was great.
And if you get the chance, I would highly recommend going to Stoker Con. It’s a fun time and you can learn a lot. I’m already so inspired and can’t wait to start writing this week. Imagine what it’ll do for you.
Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I got a lot of work to do before the day is over. But don’t worry: I’ll be back real soon. There’s still plenty to talk about.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
It’s that time again. I have a bunch of events coming up, including a few new ones, so I’m listing them here and now.
First, I’ll be doing a reading at Stokercon this Friday! The reading will occur at 11:00 AM in the Brighton I Room in the hotel. I’ll be joined by Barbara Cottrell, Jeremiah Cook, and Gabino Iglesias, whom you may know from his Stoker-nominated novel The Devil Takes You Home, and we’ll each take turns reading from our work. My reading will be from one of the stories in Hannah and Other Stories, “What Errour Awoke.” Expect it to get very weird!
In addition, later that day at 5 PM, there will be a mass author signing that I’ll be participating in. This is exactly what it sounds like: lot of authors, lot of books to buy and get signed. Or you can bring your own and get them signed. Either way, show up in the Admiral Room this Friday at 5 and get ready to pick up some awesome books! Check the Stokercon website for more details.
Moving onto next month, HWA Ohio will be participating in the Columbus Book Festival on July 15th and 16th! It’ll be held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s main branch in downtown Columbus, and will have authors and organizations from around Columbus and Ohio. We’ll be selling books and meeting readers and having speeches and all sorts of other activities for readers of all ages. Be sure to stop by! You can check the website for more details.
Not too long afterwards, I’ll be at Gem City Comic-Con in Dayton, Ohio on July 22nd and 23rd. This will be a fun event for pop culture lovers of all ages, and feature comic book artists, authors, and so much more. If you can, stop by the Dayton Convention Center on those dates and say hi! I would love to see you. You can find out more on the website.
And then finally, HWA Ohio will be back for Mystics & Marvels on September 9th and 10th, 2023! We had such an amazing time last year and our members did so well, so we’re back again. Stop by the Franklin County Fairgrounds that weekend if you can and say hi. We would love to see you. And, as always, you can find out more on the website here.
And there will likely be more events in the future. I’ve already expressed an interest in returning to some and making my debut at others. Hopefully vendor applications will release soon and I can take part. I’ll be sure to let you all know as those pop up.
In the meantime, if any of you are unable to pop by these events but still want to support me, you can pick up copies of any of my books using the links below. And if you enjoy them, please leave a review online for me so I know what you think.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. Even if it is morning when this post is going out.
Rami Ungar The Writer 