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Thoughts on Lovecraft: Part 3

Posted: February 7, 2017 in Review, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: authors, blogging, cosmic horror, Cthulhu, entertainment, films, horror, HP Lovecraft, ideas, Lewis Carroll, living and life, reflections, review, scary stuff, science fiction, short story, storytelling, The Call of Cthulhu, writing

So I started up a binge on H.P. Lovecraft again right after the new year. I’m not sure why; maybe I was just in the mood for him, or maybe something I read made me think of good old Mr. Lovecraft and I wanted to pick him up again.Or maybe the YouTube video where I discovered Uzumaki mentioned him, and that did it. Whatever the case, I’ve noticed that the gaps between my binges are shortening with every binge. I first put him down in September 2015 after first buying my edition of his collected works, picked him up again in June 2016, put him down once more the next month and picked him up again in January 2017. I wonder when I’ll be in meeting Mr. Lovecraft again? Early summer, maybe?

Now if you don’t know who H.P. Lovecraft is (and there seems to be a lot of you who don’t), let me tell you about him. Lovecraft was a writer from New England who wrote in the early 20th century, and is considered the father of cosmic horror, a sub-genre of horror that deals with man’s inconsequential place in our universe, and that some revelations about that are so powerful, they cause you to go mad (it’s the kind of stuff that keeps you up at night if you think too much about it).

I started reading Lovecraft two years ago because I heard he was very influential on some of my favorite writers and filmmakers, and each time I delve into his work I like to write my thoughts on him (see Parts 1 and 2 here). So what did I think this time around?

Well, I have to say, the further I get into Lovecraft’s work, the easier it is to read. I’ve mentioned before that he writes like he’s living in the 1820s rather than in the 1920’s, but I think as time goes on, he learned to write in a more contemporary style while still sounding like he was a contemporary of Poe. I’m not sure that the collection I have of his work is chronological, but if it is, then I’m definitely seeing him develop into a better writer. I also think I’m getting a better grasp at what makes Lovecraft so memorable. Before, I probably would have used generalizations, such as “he’s creepy” or “vaguely disturbing.” Now, however, I’m able to point out what exactly about the story sticks in my mind and why it is successful or not successful, such as the mysterious nature of the monsters in one story or the twist at the end of the story in another.

I also think that the stories written in this period (assuming that the stories are ordered chronologically, of course) are much better than his previous works. I got to read one of his famous stories “The Call of Cthulhu,” and I found it very interesting. Not just because it contains one of Lovecraft’s most famous characters, but it has the essence of his cosmology and philosophy in that story. The idea of man as the insects of the universe, and greater beings just waiting to come back and take over is succinctly and powerfully presented through the narrator’s encounters with the titular demon-god’s cult.

Got to read the story with this guy.

I also really liked the short story “Pickman’s Model,” about an artist who draws very disturbing paintings in an old colonial home. It was well told, and I really enjoyed the twist at the end, which even I didn’t see coming.Same with “Cool Air,” a short story about a doctor living in an apartment building. I read the list at the end of that story, and I was like, “Damn! That’s actually very clever.”

If there was any story I did not like, then it was the last story I read by him this particular binge, and also the longest. “The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath,” a novella that felt like an acid trip ending in a Lewis Carroll ripoff.* It was too long, silly trying to be serious, and like I said, the ending rips off Lewis Carroll in the most obvious way. I kind of wish I had skipped over this one.

All in all though, I’m really starting to gain a healthy respect for H.P. Lovecraft. He added a lot to the horror genre, even if he didn’t live to see his influence, and I can see why he’s still read today. I don’t know when I will pick up his work again, but I have a feeling I am in for a treat when I do.

In the meantime, I found out there’s a movie version of “Call of Cthulhu,” so I will try to get my hands on a copy of that. Hopefully I’ll get it soon, and when I do, you’ll hear my thoughts about it.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope to have a new author interview out Friday, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Until then, pleasant nightmares.

*Weirdly, it wasn’t acid he was on. LSD wasn’t invented until year after Lovecraft died, so there’s no way he could have gotten his hands on it. Or Lewis Carroll, for that matter. Which begs the question: if those two were high when they came up with their respective stories, what were they high on?

Gynoid: To Be Published!!!

Posted: February 4, 2017 in Living and Life, Novelette, Progress Report, Writing
Tags: authors, blogging, Canstock Photos, entertainment, Gynoid, ideas, Joleene Naylor, living and life, novelette, progress report, publishing, reflections, science fiction, Video Rage, WattPad, writing

Well, I’m very excited that something I’ve been wanting to do since the New Year is about to happen. Now, some of you may remember Gynoid, a science-fiction novelette I wrote nearly a year-and-a-half ago about a guy who buys a robot that looks like a human girl, a gynoid (the female equivalent of an android), in order to become more sexually experienced. What results from this move is the basis of this story. I’ve tried getting it published in magazines, but the ones that allow larger word counts rejected it, so I put it aside.

I think I might have mentioned it before, but my New Year’s Resolution for this year is to get more people into reading my work, and one of the ways I can do this is through Wattpad, which is like the YouTube for writers. People upload their stories, and other people read them. I used the website previously, but because I couldn’t make money off of that site, and I would like to make money off my writing, I didn’t use it that much.

But I think that Wattpad could be a good platform to find new readers, and maybe a few of them might subscribe to my blog or even pick up my novels if they like what they find on Wattpad. And I really want Gynoid to be read by people, because I really like the story and what I did with it. So I’m going to be publishing Gynoid in installments on Wattpad for you guys to read!

Yes, that’s right, Gynoid is going to be published on Wattpad. You can read it for free on the website, and since many of you actually aren’t into horror (though I’ll never understand why), you can read this one, since it’s straight science fiction. I plan to publish it in parts, maybe 3 or 4, because it is a bit long and I think it’ll be easier to digest the story if it’s in parts. I also think if I tell it in parts, then it might keep people more interested. If a story or part of a story ends on a cliffhanger, people will probably want to read more, right? That’s what I hope will happen here.

And since Wattpad allows you to upload a cover with your stories and I wanted an awesome cover this time around, I sought out my good friend and fellow writer Joleene Naylor, who also made the cover for Video Rage, to help me bring the cover of my dreams to life. I took photos from CanStock Photos, which is a great resource for affordable stock images for your creative projects, and she took them, along with my instructions, to make this nifty cover.

Isn’t that amazing? Joleene literally took the vision in my head and made it real! Usually I have to kill several people for that to happen on its own. I absolutely love this cover, and I can’t thank Joleene enough for helping me create this awesome cover. It looks really professional, and I think people will gravitate towards it in ways they haven’t to previous covers I’ve made on my own. I wish I could do what Joleene does.

Anyway, the first part will be out February 14th. I feel Valentine’s Day is a good day to put out the first part of this particular story. When it does come out, I’ll be posting links everywhere I can. And after that, I think I’ll release each part on a weekly basis until the story is wrapped up, and put each link on my Stand-Alones and Other Works page so anyone who wants to read it later can.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to reading this story as much as I am for you to read it and I am counting down the days till February 14th. If anything pops up in the meantime to talk about, I’ll let you know. Have a good evening, and pleasant nightmares!

The “First Day, First Paragraph” Tag!!!

Posted: February 1, 2017 in short story, Writing
Tags: authors, entertainment, horror, ideas, living and life, publishing, scary stuff, short story, The Quiet Game, writing

Once more, I’m doing this tag. Why? Because it’s fun. And I still want to see if I can spread it around the Internet. Since I created this tag, I’ve tagged four people. Too soon to tell if #4 has done the tag, but I’ve gotten two of the previous three to do the tag, so the success rate isn’t too bad.

Anyway, here are the rules of the tag:

Publish your own post on the first day of the month.
Use the graphic above
Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.
Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
Post the first paragraph of a story you’ve written, are writing, or plan to write someday.
Ask your readers for feedback.
Finally, tag someone to do the post next month (for example, if you do the tag on the first of August, the person you tag has to do it on the first of September), and comment on one of their posts to let them know the good news.

Published on February 1st? Check. Used the graphic above? Check. Guy from Slovakia is actually a…Czech. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Anyway, not going to thank myself. That’d be weird. I have explained the rules though, so I’m doing a good job otherwise.

Today’s paragraph is coming from the titular story of my collection of short stories, The Quiet Game: Five Tales To Chill Your Bones. That collection was the first work I published myself, and it’s my most reviewed as well. That’s either because it’s been around the longest or it’s also very short. Or both.

Anyway, enjoy:

It was a tranquil Saturday morning at St. Dunstan’s School for Girls as Traci opened her eyes and stretched. Slipping out of bed, Traci moved past her sleeping roommate and across the hall to the bathroom to shower. As she showered, she couldn’t help but feel like she was forgetting something. She wasn’t sure what, but she knew she had forgotten something and whatever it was, it was important. But what on Earth could she have forgotten? It was Saturday, which meant no required Mass. She had some homework, but she’d get that done after breakfast, and there was nothing to do in town today. What could it be?

Comments? Thoughts? Let’s discuss.

And now to tag someone to start a new chain. Let’s see…I choose my friend Adan Ranie! Adan, you’ve been tagged. I hope you decide to take this up and I hope you have fun while doing it.

That’s all for now. It’s February, so I’m hoping for good things this month. Don’t know what form those good things will take, but anything’s possible.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear!

Getting to Meet RL Stine

Posted: January 29, 2017 in Living and Life, Reflections, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: authors, celebrities, Drexel Theaters, entertainment, films, Goosebumps, Gramercy Books Bexley, horror, living and life, publishing, reflections, review, RL Stine, scary stuff, science fiction, writing

Today I ordered an Uber ride from my apartment to the Drexel Theaters in the Bexley neighborhood for a special event. And there I saw something terrifying: the poster for Tommy Wiseau’s The Room. That film is horrible! I’ve seen clips of it, and it’s painful. And apparently the theater shows the film every now and then. And people apparently come to see it. That’s some dark, sadomasochistic stuff right there.

But I was really there because Gramercy Books Bexley was having a big weekend in honor of its opening, and the highlight of this opening weekend celebration was a viewing of the Goosebumps film, followed by a reading and a book signing with RL Stine himself!

Now if you don’t know who RL Stine is, what rock are you living under? Well, he’s the author of the popular Goosebumps children’s books, which are probably the most famous horror series for kids in literature. I’d read them as a kid, well before I knew I wanted to write horror, and was probably an early influence on me. So when I visited Gramercy a couple weeks ago (they’ve been open for a little while now, but they had their celebration this weekend. Kind of like a belated birthday party, I guess) and saw they were hosting RL Stine, I knew I had to buy a ticket to meet him. And I bought a couple of his books too, including some of his adult fiction (did not know the guy wrote adult fiction, but I was happy to purchase a couple books from him).

Sunday came. I enjoyed the movie (see my review of the movie from 2015), and was amazed by the mix of adults who grew up with the series and kids who were reading Goosebumps twenty-five years after the first book came out (yeah, twenty-five years. Time flies, huh?). I always thought Goosebumps was a phenomenon of the 90’s and early 2000’s, but it’s endured beyond when I stopped reading the books. Perhaps kids will be reading the Goosebumps books years and years from now, like how we read Alice in Wonderland and Anne of Green Gables over a hundred years after each book came out. I certainly wouldn’t mind reading them to any kids I might have in the future.

Anyway, the film ended. We waited as the staff from Gramercy set up a podium and microphone at the front of the theater. And then Mr. Stine himself ambled down the aisle, a hunched-over over man in a dark red shirt and dark khakis with large glasses and an amiable smile. He told us about how he had used to visit the Drexel Theaters to watch cartoons and old monster movies, the titles of which he said influenced how he titled his own stories. He also told us a story about how he actually might’ve seen a ghost as a kid (and which he hinted very heavily he made up for us), and then read for us some stuff from his upcoming book, Slappy Birthday to You. Hearing him read it brought me back to my childhood, I tell you.

After that, we all got in line in the theater lobby to get our books signed. The line was very long, circling around the lobby, and I managed to get into it around the circle area. After about ten minutes in line or so, I finally got to the table. And the whole time I was thinking to myself, “Don’t embarrass yourself, Rami. Don’t embarrass yourself.” His wife took my copy of Stay Out of the Basement, the book I’d decided to have Mr. Stine sign and which might’ve been the first Goosebumps story I ever read (I can’t remember very well, I think I was six when I started reading them). He asked me my name, and I said it, though I think he heard “Robbie,” given the noise of the lobby. He signed it, and then I told him what I wanted to tell him:

“I just wanted to thank you, Mr. Stine. I read your books as a kid, and now I write horror and science fiction. And I think you were an early influence of mine. I just wanted to thank you for that.”

Me with RL Stine himself.

He gave me back my book with a smile. If he said anything, I can’t remember what it was. Maybe “That’s nice,” or “You’re welcome,” or perhaps just “Uh-huh.” I think he’s heard that maybe a few times at this point in his career and that he’s used to it, but I was happy to have told him. And I was allowed to take a photo with him afterwards, which you can see here.

I left after that, got an Uber home. Overall, I was happy. I said I’d felt like a child earlier, and in a way, I was. My inner kid was there this whole afternoon, from watching the movie to hearing and finally meeting RL Stine himself, feeling wonder and exultation at getting to meet this early influence of mine. That kid is often with me, reminding me why I write scary stories and powering the imagination needed to tell these stories. And I’m glad he came out with me today.

I sadly didn’t get Mr. Stine interested in reading my books, but that’s okay. I was just glad I didn’t embarrass myself by saying something stupid or offensive (I sometimes get a little starstruck in front of famous or powerful people, and that makes my logic circuit misfire sometimes). And it’s something to aim for, you know? I’m working on finding ways to make sure more people want to read my stories, and maybe someday one of those people will be RL Stine, along with all the other authors I look up to. I just have to keep writing and working hard and maybe someday all I dream will come true.

And I have four RL Stine books on my bookshelf in the meantime to keep me occupied. Definitely feel happy about that.

Thanks to the Drexel and Gramercy Books for making my weekend. I hope you can tell what this opportunity meant to me just by reading this post. I look forward to continuing to support you both in the years to come.

Review: “Uzumaki” by Junji Ito

Posted: January 22, 2017 in Review, Scary Stuff
Tags: anime, authors, entertainment, films, horror, ideas, Junji Ito, manga, reflections, review, scary stuff, spiral, storytelling, Uzumaki, writing

I love manga and anime, but I often have trouble getting my hands on horror manga and anime that is actually scary. I’ve found plenty with ghosts, zombies, homunculi, serial killers, and death games, to name a few, but often they’re mixed with other genres to make them more palatable for non-horror fans. Other times I have heard of a scary one, but I can’t get my hands on it (still trying to get my hands on Corpse Party), and other times I just don’t know of some series that I should. So when I actually hear and find some manga or anime that is actually scary, I rejoice. Case in point, Uzumaki by Junji Ito, who is considered one of the greatest horror manga artists from Japan, and it shows in this series.

Uzumaki literally translates into “spiral,” which is the essence of the manga. The story follows Kirie Goshima, a teenage girl living in the town of Kurozou-cho. One day, her boyfriend Shuichi tells her that his father has become obsessed with spiral shapes, to the point that he is losing his grip on reality. This leads to a gruesome series of events that reveal a curse upon the town and the surrounding area, a curse involving spirals, spirals that hypnotize and entrance, spirals that terrify and excite, spirals natural and unnatural. And once the curse sets in, it doesn’t let go.

From the very beginning, Uzumaki is quite extraordinary. Ito illustrates with incredible attention to detail, which in a horror manga is necessary if you really want to convey a sense of terror. I mean, look at the imagery below.

Holy crap, that is both well-drawn and scary! You can see every detail, how much work is put into each stroke of ink to make the imagery look realistic despite being an illustration. And the best part is, Ito is not concerned with aesthetic beauty. You look at most animation, and it’s meant to be pleasing to the eye. To be cool, or pretty, or adorable. Ito doesn’t concern himself with that. He’s concerned with just making you squirm, and he does that so well with his illustrations.

And on top of that, his storytelling abilities are great. Unlike other horror stories, the horror is based on abstract concepts. A geometric shape, the spiral, is what we’re supposed to be afraid of. You’d never think a spiral shape like the one below would be scary, but Ito uses his illustrations, storytelling, and the turn of a page to weave this frightening tale where we’re forced along to find out what happens, fining stranger and stranger things on the succeeding pages. And best of all, Ito just takes things in the most unexpected directions, inserting the spiral into strange places we normally wouldn’t see it. I won’t say what happens, but things like snails or pregnant women get matched with the spiral, and it becomes terrifying. It’s made even better that you don’t actually get a lot of explanation. With ghosts or vampires, you get a mythology on how they work and how to deal with them. In Uzumaki, Ito leaves it up to the imagination as to what’s happening. It’s very unnerving in a Lovecraftian sense to see how this town becomes part of some strange curse around a geometric shape, and never get an explanation.

Doesn’t look scary at first. Wait and see.

If there is one criticism I have, it’s that the people of the town don’t really come to terms with what’s going on as fast as they should. At a certain point, it becomes impossible not to face what’s happening in the town, but up until then, there are plenty of signs that something’s up, and not one of the main characters realize they have to get up and get out before it’s too late. Even the guy who’s constantly saying they should leave doesn’t. At least make an attempt!

But other than that, Uzumaki is a terrifying story of cosmic horror that takes something harmless and give it a weird, disturbing form that will surely stay with you for a while after you finish reading it. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving Uzumaki a 4.8 out of 5. If you enjoy horror and don’t mind visual reading like comic books and manga, definitely check out Uzumaki. I’m glad I did, and I will try to track down the move version as soon as possible. Because after seeing these sorts of pictures, I’m curious as to how they’re translated into the cinematic world.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Pleasant nightmares.

50,000 Views!!! Plus, An Email Address and An Upcoming Newsletter!!!

Posted: January 9, 2017 in Living and Life, Writing
Tags: authors, blogging, email, entertainment, Goodreads, horror, ideas, living and life, milestone, milestones, Perfect Strangers, progress report, proper decisions, publishing, reflections, social media, writing

Well, here’s something I didn’t think I’d get to until it became apparent in the past couple of months that it was going to happen. Rami Ungar the Writer has reached the 50,000 views milestone! After five months, four months, and seven days, we’ve reached 50K! Followers of Fear, find a partner and do the dance of joy!

I’ve always wanted to do that.

I say this every time I reach a milestone, but I’m incredibly grateful that you guys continue to come back every time I publish a post. For the first two years or so of this blog, there were times where I wouldn’t get views on my blog for several days, and then get a bump of maybe one or two, and then that would be it for a while. Likes and comments were even rarer, and followers came in at a trickle. It made me wonder if I wasting time with a blog, trying to build an audience that way.

But somehow, I persevered. And you guys kept appearing, and a good chunk of you kept coming back. Slowly, views and likes and comments started increasing. There were even times when I’d get spikes into the hundreds or even the thousands! And then the followers started to rise, and I started calling you my Followers of Fear, and none of you seemed to care one way or another on that one, so I kept going with it. And then a couple of months ago I got to the five-thousand likes milestone, and I was like, “Holy crap, I might get another one soon!” And now it’s come to pass.

Thank you, Followers of Fear. I really appreciate the continued patronage and support. I hope you continue to support me for the next fifty-thousand years (hopefully it won’t take another five years to get there) as I work on becoming a great horror novelist.

And on that subject, there are a couple more announcements I’d like to make while I still have your attention.

Firstly, look at your search bar. You’ve probably noticed, but this site is no longer ramiungarthewriter.wordpress.com, but just ramiungarthewriter.com. Yep, I updated my blog into a full website. Why did I do this? Well, beyond the fact that web address is a bit of mouthful and shortening it makes it a bit less of a mouthful, I’m trying a bunch of new strategies and tactics to increase readership both on my blog and with my books. One of those tactics is to upgrade to a full website, which gives me a couple of distinct benefits. One is now I have an official author email address. That’s right, you can now email me! With a lot of successful authors, I’ve noticed that they have more than a few ways to be interactive with their fanbases, so now I have one more.

So if you want to email me about my books, or a blog post or something, you can write me at ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. I don’t know how often I’ll check my mailbox or how quickly I’ll get back to you, but it’s something I’m devoting effort too.

On a related note, I’m also setting up an email newsletter. This, I hope, is where people who are interested will hear first about publications and contests and other things related to my writing career. I have a feeling that people are getting tired of seeing the latest short story being finished or the latest novel review, so I think I’ll put out something separate that focuses on that, and put stuff on the blog related to the intricacies of writing and of horror, as well as the occasional post about my life or my thoughts on certain subjects.

This is all part of my New Year’s Resolution, which is to be better at getting people interested in my stories and in my writing in general. Will it succeed? No idea, but at least I’m sticking with my New Year’s Resolution and keeping things simple by going for an achievable goal with achievable steps. And I’m open to other tactics that could help me accomplish this. Heck, I may even try Goodreads again, if I can get a better handle on how to work that site.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve kind of rambled a bit in this post, but at least I’ve gotten a chance to talk about the good news and show some of the progress I’ve made since New Year’s. Until next time!

The “First Day, First Paragraph” Tag

Posted: January 1, 2017 in Novel, Writing
Tags: authors, blogging, entertainment, films, First Day First Paragraph Tag, holidays, horror, living and life, novel, publishing, Reborn City, scary stuff, Snake, storytelling, thriller, Video Rage, writing

Happy New Year, Followers of Fear! It’s January 1, 2017, and I’ll be talking about the past year in another post, but right now, it’s time to see if I can make this tag I created catch on. It’s time for the “First Day, First Paragraph” tag. And if you don’t know the rules, here they are:

Publish your own post on the first day of the month.
Use the graphic above
Thank and link back to the person who tagged you.
Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
Post the first paragraph of a story you’ve written, are writing, or plan to write someday.
Ask your readers for feedback.
Finally, tag someone to do the post next month (for example, if you do the tag on the first of August, the person you tag has to do it on the first of September), and comment on one of their posts to let them know the good news.

Published on January 1st? Check. Used the graphic? Check. Thank and link back to the person who tagged me? Not necessary, I created this tag. Explain the rules? Done.

Now to post the first paragraph of one of my works. As last month I did Video Rage, and the month before I did Reborn City, I think this month I’ll do Snake. For those of you who don’t know, Snake is a novel I published back in 2014 about a serial killer hunting down members of a powerful mafia family. It’s like Taken with a much more violent and horror-themed twist to it. It’s definitely one of my darker stories, and it’s also one of my favorites. Enjoy:

Paul Sanonia had been touched by a nightmare, an unbelievable disaster that had manifested in reality where it shouldn’t belong. Tonight, he was dwelling on the nightmare in St. Mark’s Cathedral—it didn’t matter that it wasn’t a Catholic cathedral, at this point a mosque would do—and no matter how many times he turned it over in his mind, he couldn’t see what the reason was behind it all, why his life had to have been touched, and why his cousin’s life had to have been touched more.

How did that opening paragraph sound? Let me know in the comments below.

And in the meantime, I’m going to tag someone to do this on February 1st. And it only seems fitting that I tag the author who helped me get this book to publication. I choose Angela Misri, author of Jewel of the Thames. Hope you decide to do this Angela, and have fun with it!

Alright, I’ve got one more post to release today, so I’m going to get to work on that. Until next time, my Follower of Fear.

Video Rage: Third Amazon Review

Posted: December 25, 2016 in Novel, Review, Writing
Tags: Amazon, authors, Barnes & Noble, Createspace, entertainment, films, Full Circle, holidays, iBooks, Kobo, living and life, novel, progress report, Reborn City, review, science fiction, Smashwords, Snake, storytelling, The Quiet Game, Video Rage, writing

Happy Holidays, everyone! Are you having a good time, whatever you celebrate? I know I am, and I’ll tell you why:

Yesterday I went online and found that Video Rage received another review on Amazon (I would’ve posted about it then, but I was busy last night and most of today. Holiday stuff, it takes up time). This is the third review in two weeks, which, as you might expect, makes me very happy. However, it’s a rather unusual review. Not unusual as in bad unusual, just different in a way that leaves me with a lot of questions. I’ll explain all that in a moment.

Now if you don’t know, Video Rage is the second novel in a science fiction trilogy called the Reborn City series I’ve been working on for about eight years now. The series follows the Hydras, a street gang in a dystopian future whose leaders have unusual powers, and what happens when the source of those powers comes back to haunt them. It came out back in June, but it’s only just now started to get reviews (not that I’m complaining). The review that I found yesterday comes from someone simply calling themselves Shopper (accurate title, I guess), who also left a review of The Quiet Game (more on that later). Shopper left a four-star review they titled Surprising read, and which made me think that maybe they didn’t read the first book. Here’s what they had to say:

I almost gave up on this book because It kind of has a Mad Max, post apocalyptic thing going on; dialogue is written in dialect; there are hover-bikes….I need a trigger warning for hover-bikes. I did say almost, because, without warning, there is a character named 011. The binary code moniker aside, this guy was awesome. I guess he was technically the villain, but I was totally rooting for him. I would love to read a zany road trip for him and Zahara as a standalone short story.

Okay, some questions:

Which Mad Max movie? Please say Fury Road, because that is the best movie of the bunch! Seriously though, I did not expect that comparison. As I said, I’m not sure this person read the first book, Reborn City, because that takes place in a more urban environment, while most of Video Rage takes place on the road. Taken altogether, I wouldn’t compare it to Mad Max. I actually don’t know what I would compare it to, but definitely not Mad Max.
Trigger warning for hover bikes? That’s a new one. Don’t know what to make of that one.
Rooting for 011? That’s another new one. For those who don’t know, 011 is a character who first appeared in RC (about three years before the Duffer Brothers put out Stranger Things and introduced their character Eleven,, so I’m safe from any copyright claims) who is a nasty psychopath and likes to kill people. So yeah, no technically about it, he’s a villain. Not the kind you usually root for, either. He’s definitely no Jason or Freddy Kreuger (though he has some similarities to the latter in the second book). Not sure why Shopper rooted for him, but if they like interesting killers, I recommend reading my other novel Snake.

In any case, this is a good review, and I’m thankful for it. Especially since it matches up with the other reviews I’ve gotten recently:

From what I understand, this is book 2 in a series. That being said, I had expected a cliffhanger of an ending. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, but in this particular book, I think the author did an excellent job of finding the balance between making the story stand complete within itself while ending the story on a note that let you know another book was coming. Personally, the ending was one of the most intriguing ones I’d read in a long time. It didn’t leave you to figure it out for yourself (which is something I hate). The author let you know what was happening and why while leaving enough to be answered in a future book.

That all being said, the overall book was an enjoyable read. I especially liked that a former bad guy turned things around and redeemed himself. Those types of characters are one of my favorites. I had hoped in Reborn City (Reborn City series Book 1) that he would, and it was very satisfying to see that fulfilled. I also liked the underlying theme in the novel that what the media tells people through the major outlets is slanted by government agendas. In this book, it was up to the main characters to find an alternative way of getting the truth out.

I think this book is best read after reading Reborn City (Book 1) because it really helped to have the background on the characters, and I think this book is far more effective if you have the foundation Book 1 gives you. The science fiction geek in me really loves the genetic aspect. And so that I don’t spoil anything, I will say the real bad guy in this series does a nice twist in this book along that line.

–Ruth Ann Nordin, romance novelist

I was really looking forward to the continued journey of the Hydras and Rami was able to produce. Zahara is my favorite character and her development from an insecure girl into a strong woman came out clearly in this book. Some other character development was really unexpected but the book moves at such a fast pace that it didn’t hold me up at all. The story line is quite imaginative and, as usual, there isn’t much predictability there. I think that is what draws the reader in – you just need to keep going to find out what weird twists and turns happen next! Looking forward to continuing this journey with Rami and the Hydras.

–Michele Kurland

Reborn City

If these reviews made you in any way want to check out Video Rage, or the first book Reborn City, I’ll post the links for them below. And if you do decide to get a copy and read it, please let me know what you think, either in a review or a comment on my blog. Positive or negative, I love feedback from readers, and I always strive to improve after I hear from readers.

And while we’re on the topic of the Reborn City series, I’ve got an update on the final book in the series, Full Circle. At the moment, I’ve written six out of thirty-six chapters, so I’m officially a sixth of the way done. Currently, FC stands at about 68 pages (8″ x 11″, 12-point font, Times New Roman, double-spaced), with a grand total of 19,373 words. That’s almost a novella. Imagine what it’ll be at a third of the way.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Happy Holidays, and a wonderful New Year.

Reborn City:Amazon, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Video Rage: Amazon, Kindle, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Review: “Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis” by Anne Rice

Posted: December 15, 2016 in Review
Tags: Anne Rice, authors, entertainment, horror, novel, Prince Lestat, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis, review, scary stuff, storytelling, The Vampire Chronicles, Vampires, writing

When I first heard about Anne Rice’s new novel, I thought to myself, “Wait. Lestat and Atlantis? Together? Either this is going to be the most brilliant thing ever or this series has finally jumped the metaphorical shark.” I can now say, having read the book, that there was no metaphorical (or literal) shark-jumping. This book was bloody brilliant, from seductive opening to heartwarming and uplifting ending.

Taking place not too long after the adventures of Prince Lestat (read my review of that here), Lestat and the vampire world is slowly but surely adjusting to all the changes that occurred in the last book. Lestat is getting used to living with Amel, the spirit that animates the tribe, though that has its problems here and there. To many vampires, it is a renaissance for their kind. That is, however, until the vampires are approached by beings who look human, but aren’t. And they’re not vampires either, or spirits. This is something totally new. And they know of Amel, and of a legendary city that has permeated our legends for centuries. The revelations they bring, and the changes they want to make, will shock the vampire world forever.

First off, I love the prose. Anne Rice writes with a style that’s light taking sugar and gossamer and turning it into words: sweet, ephemeral, beautiful. And as always, her characters are full of love, love of life and love of each other. I swear, if mankind was as affectionate as the vampires are, we would have much fewer problems getting along.

But that’s standard for an Anne Rice novel. The rest is anything but standard. The plot has so many unexpected twists which always leaves you wanting to read on and find out more. With the one twist I was able to predict, I thought it would ruin the story for me, but the story is so well-written that it kept things from getting that way. I also like the new characters, not just as characters, but in how they add new dimensions to the series. You’d think twelve books in, there’s only so much innovation a universe can get, but these characters literally added a whole new sphere to the series, and I would love to see this sphere explored in later books (which I hope we get). Not only that, but in many ways, these new characters are challenging to the vampires. They put them in a whole new arena that the vampires aren’t used to, and it’s interesting to see the vampires react to these new situations.

And finally, the philosophy in this book is just out of this world. It really made me think a bit about Earth’s major religions, and about the way we interact with one another. And if a novel can make you do that, it’s definitely one you’ll want to pick up and take a look at.

I can’t really think of anything that makes Realms of Atlantis bad or is a flaw in the story. Like I said, there’s a twist I predicted early on that I thought might ruin the story, but that wasn’t the case. Anything else would really be nitpicking, and I don’t see any need to do that.

All in all, Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis is even better than the book that preceded it, earning a solid 5 out of 5. It’s beautifully written, twisty, and not only reminds me that these vampires still have plenty of life in them forty years after they first graced bookshelves around the world, but inspires me to work harder so that one day I can be said to write stories so good, that even Anne Rice will want to read them.

Go check it out, and see for yourself.

Video Rage: First Amazon Review

Posted: December 14, 2016 in Novel, Review, Writing
Tags: Amazon, authors, Barnes & Noble, entertainment, Full Circle, iBooks, Kobo, novel, Reborn City, review, science fiction, Smashwords, storytelling, Video Rage, writing

Well, I had a pleasant day today. And one of the reasons for that was that Video Rage got its first review on Amazon today.

For those of you who don’t know, Video Rage is the sequel to my science fiction novel Reborn City. The series follows the Hydras, a street gang in the dystopian city-state Reborn City whose leaders have strange and mysterious powers. When the source of these powers comes back to haunt the leaders, what happens will shake the very world they live in.

Video Rage came out back in June, but this is the first review to come on Amazon. Not sure exactly why, but I’m not complaining. Or am I?

Anyway, the review comes from Ruth, as in Ruth Ann Nordin, my fellow novelist and friend who has read some of my books before and enjoyed them (check out her blog after you’re done here). She gave Video Rage a whopping five stars (doing a little dance in my seat as I write this), and titled her review Nice Twists Ahead. Here’s what she had to say:

From what I understand, this is book 2 in a series. That being said, I had expected a cliffhanger of an ending. I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, but in this particular book, I think the author did an excellent job of finding the balance between making the story stand complete within itself while ending the story on a note that let you know another book was coming. Personally, the ending was one of the most intriguing ones I’d read in a long time. It didn’t leave you to figure it out for yourself (which is something I hate). The author let you know what was happening and why while leaving enough to be answered in a future book.

That all being said, the overall book was an enjoyable read. I especially liked that a former bad guy turned things around and redeemed himself. Those types of characters are one of my favorites. I had hoped in Reborn City (Reborn City series Book 1) that he would, and it was very satisfying to see that fulfilled. I also liked the underlying theme in the novel that what the media tells people through the major outlets is slanted by government agendas. In this book, it was up to the main characters to find an alternative way of getting the truth out.

I think this book is best read after reading Reborn City (Book 1) because it really helped to have the background on the characters, and I think this book is far more effective if you have the foundation Book 1 gives you. The science fiction geek in me really loves the genetic aspect. And so that I don’t spoil anything, I will say the real bad guy in this series does a nice twist in this book along that line.

Thanks again for the review Ruth. I really appreciate it. And to answer your questions, yes this is the second book, and I am working on the third and final book as you’re reading this.

This is actually the second time I’ve heard people talk about my endings. When Video Rage came out, my friend and fellow blogger Kat Impossible read and reviewed the book. While she had some problems with certain aspects of the book (everyone has different tastes), she did say that I had a certain talent for writing an ending, and that the epilogue helped keep readers hooked on the story. I’m glad other readers agree.

Reborn City, my first published novel

If you would like to check out Video Rage, or if you think you’d like to start with the first book, Reborn City, you can click on the links below in order to read reviews and see if either book is something you’d be interested in reading (though I’d recommend going in chronological order). And if you do decide to check out one of the books, please let me know your thoughts either in a comment or in a review. Positive or negative, I love feedback from readers.

And while I still have your attention, I’ll just end with an update on Full Circle, the final book in the Reborn City series. Currently the novel is going to be 36 chapters, provided I don’t decide to split up or merge any of them from here on out. I’m working my way through the sixth chapter, and I’ll hopefully be done with that one soon. As updates come, I’ll let you guys know.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I might post one or two more times before New Year’s, so keep your eyes peeled. Until next time, have a good one, and happy reading!

Reborn City: Amazon, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Video Rage:Amazon, Kindle, Createspace, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Rami Ungar The Writer

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