Get on your costumes! Bust out the creepy music! Prepare a parade of terrifying proportions to go through every neighborhood and distribute candy and frights it’s Halloween, the greatest day of the year!
And with that, I have a treat and a fright, all wrapped together, for all of you. Some of you may remember that a short story I wrote earlier this year, “The Wild Hunt,” was accepted for publication in a holiday horror anthology. The story follows two sisters who encounter the mythical Wild Hunt one Christmas Eve and what happens afterwards.
And yes, a Jew wrote a Christmas horror film. Talk about a variation on a theme, considering my tribe has written some of your favorite Christmas carols.
Anyway, the anthology, Happy Hellidays, was released today by Hellbound Books and is now available for purchase. And wow, what a cover! I mean, look at that thing! It’s terrifying. And no, that’s not the Ghostface from the Scream movies. The design of the masks from the movies is based on a general design that is open to use, including in horror anthology covers. Trust me, there are court cases on this.
But back on topic. I was proud of “The Wild Hunt,” but I did not think I would find a home for it with so much good Christmas horror out there, let alone that I would find a home for it in the same year I wrote the story. I’m so thankful to Hellbound Books, who were a delight to work with and whom I would work with again. And I cannot wait for people to read “The Wild Hunt” and tell me what they think.
That being said, there are plenty of great stories in the book. I read a few of them, and they were quite scary and creative. You should check them out and give them a read, and then tell all your friends to give the anthology a read. I’ll give you a link to check it out below.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on new stories and then watch scary movies while wearing a costume or two. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy Halloween!
I actually wanted to write this post days ago, but you know how life gets. It gets crazy, and my life has been especially crazy lately. Still, it was nice that last week, on Wednesday, I started a new short story. And on Thursday, I finished that story. It’s been my first new work in…God, I don’t know how long.
So yeah, it’s safe to say The Great Editing has ended. However, because of that crazy life I mentioned above, I wasn’t able to start writing for several days after my last editing project. When I did, when I started working on that story, it was such a release! Like something that had been building up inside of my brain and in my fingers was released in the course of eleven-hundred words. And the next night, I wrote the rest of the story in one glorious sitting. Again, there was that sense of relief and release. Like, after so many months of editing and promotion, telling a new story that had been rattling around in my head for months was exactly what the doctor ordered.
So, how is the new story? Well, as the writer, it’s hard to tell. “White Leaves” involves the strange events occurring in an apartment complex on a chilly Halloween morning (hey, that’s coming up!). It’s also told in the second person, which is something I’ve only done once before. (If you’ve read The Quiet Game, you probably remember the story.) The reason why I did is because I read a horror story recently that was told in the second person, and it was awesome. When I formulated “White Leaves,” the idea of telling the story in the same method as that other story just seemed to make sense.
And, somehow, it’s under three thousand words, which is a surprise for me. Normally my short stories are at least seven-thousand words. I even said on my social media, “Who am I and what have I done with my normal writing style?”
Anyway, it’s weird and fun and I think my critique group is going to get a kick out of it. Perhaps, with their feedback and a bit of a polish, I’ll even be able to find a home for it that will enjoy the strange tale and what I’ve included. That would be nice.
As for my next story, I already have the idea and I’ve done the research necessary. It’ll be a Jewish horror story, so hopefully it becomes a great addition to that growing catalog. I’ll keep you guys updated on it, especially if the story gets published.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve had a long day and I’m going into the office tomorrow, so I better wrap up my night. Especially if I want to watch a scary movie. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
One last thing, my Followers of Fear: tomorrow night, at the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers will be doing a flash fiction writing workshop. If you can come by, please RSVP and show up. We’ll have a good time, we’ll write scary stories, and you’ll see my new author costume in person. Trust me, it’s awesome.
Until next time, another good night and more pleasant nightmares to you.
Around this time of year, you want to read something that practically screams jack-o-lanterns and chilly air and people running around in costumes. So, when I heard about All Hallows by Christopher Golden earlier this year, I knew this would be my audio book for October.
Taking place in the mid-1980s in Coventry, Massachusetts, the majority of the story is set on Parmenter Road and in the woods beyond. Here, Halloween is a big thing. The Barbossa’s turn the woods behind their house into a haunted attraction that attracts plenty of people every year; the Koenigs have a huge costume party for the whole neighborhood; and, of course, every kid is excited about trick or treating.
But despite the excitement in the air, there’s a dark undercurrent to it all. Marriages are coming undone, kids are feeling the tensions, teens are in a weird in-between state where they’re not quite kids and not quite adults, and a dozen other things are happening in the background. And then, in the midst of it all, strange children in old costumes are walking up and down Parmenter Road, asking for help. They say they are in trouble, that the Cunning Man is after them, and they need to hide until midnight.
Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a new classic in Halloween literature.
All Hallows is so well told. The first several chapters, rather than focusing on anything outright scary like other horror stories, spends its time setting up the characters and their various problems. Tony Barbossa, Vanessa Montez, Barb Sweeney, Rick Barbossa, and many more. We all get to know these characters intimately before Halloween truly gets started, and the telling is so well done, you don’t even mind that nothing scary has occurred yet.
And when the scary stuff does start, it’s almost like the beginning of a storm. At first, it’s only a few drops here and there. Then you get a nice drizzle going on, and then before you know it, there’s an all-out thunderstorm of horror, making the last couple hours of the book quite the read, with violence and great twists and scary imagery.
Also, the audio book narrators, John Butler and January LaVoy, do a great job bringing the characters to life and giving each one a unique voice.
My one gripe is that I felt the mythology behind what we’re seeing could have been explained a bit better. The delivery for some information was delivered weirdly and all at once, and for one character, I felt like not enough was given.
Overall, All Hallows by Christopher Golden is sure to become a staple for this time of year. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m assigning a 4.7 to the novel. Grab a copy, sit back while wearing a spooky costume, and be sure to give it a read.
Hey folks! Told you I’d be doing a non-Hannah or Face of Horror post at some point soon.
Anyway, it looks like I have two final events for 2023 (and that’s deliberate so I don’t tucker myself out). On October 30th, 2023, I’ll be at the Bexley Public Library with my friends in HWA Ohio for the Halloween Writing Workshop. We’ll be teaching some tips and tricks for writing flash fiction and then writing flash fiction together. It’ll be from 7 PM – 8 PM, and if you want to, you can join us! Just use the link below to RSVP.
And this is exciting, because I’ll be doing an event with Hidden Marietta in Marietta, Ohio! Yeah, I’ll be doing a reading and book signing at their location, the Anchorage Mansion. You know, the one I found was really haunted (see this post to get all the spooky details)? I’m looking forward to working that into my reading!
Anyway, it’ll be happening on Saturday, November 11. Details such as time and whether you need to RSVP prior will be announced as we get closer. And there may be someone else there doing something cool, like reiki healing or Tarot reading, so look forward to it.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to make dinner. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
You might recognize Greg Chapman’s name, as he was responsible for the amazing cover for That Which Cannot Be Undone. But in addition to creating horror art and horror covers, he also writes as well. And Midnight Masquerade is his latest book, a collection of short stories with many of them taking place on or around Halloween. I received an eARC from him and gave it a read back during the summer. And with it coming out on Halloween proper, I thought I would release a review now, at the beginning of October.
So, what did I think?
Well, like most anthologies and collections, there were stories I enjoyed and others I didn’t. Of the ones I enjoyed, they were really good. The novella at the beginning of the collection, “The Last Night of October,” is a tragic tale of a man dealing with both grief and fear of mortality, wrapped up in what might be a revenge story. The stories “Octoberville” and “Vaudeville” were also good, though I thought the latter’s ending wrapped up a bit too nicely and left one or two questions.
However, a few of the stories felt like they entered a bit too abruptly, such as “Left on October Lane” and the titular story, “Midnight Masquerade.” Honestly, I would have liked to see the concept in the latter explored in a longer story, but it ended just too quickly. And the story “Happy Daze” felt like it was partly inspired by 2019’s Joker but didn’t go far enough with the concept of a party clown on a bad day. If any of these stories or a few others were maybe fleshed out a bit more, I might have enjoyed them more.
As the collection stands, Midnight Masquerade by Greg Chapman is decent reading for spooky season. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’ll give it a 3. It comes out on Halloween day, so if you enter November still craving that Halloween horror buzz, this collection might fill the need. Head to your favorite retailer to preorder a copy.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to summon armies of terrifying beings for a month-long party. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares! Only 30 days till Halloween, so get fucking excited!
A lot of authors I know get their stories reprinted every now and then. Sometimes, a story previously published elsewhere just fits an anthology or magazine call very well. Plus, it can be a good way to make some extra money, especially if you don’t have anything new that you can submit at the moment (happens to the best of us).
That being said, I’ve never been reprinted before. There are a couple of reasons for that, including not a large enough catalog of previously published works and not finding markets for those stories. At least, until now. Because, my dear Followers of Fear, I just got a story accepted for reprint!
To be specific, I’ll be in Solar Press Book’s first horror anthology, simply titled the Solar Press Horror Anthology volume 1. Here’s the graphic they used yesterday to make the announcement.
Fun fact: Ann O’Mara Heyward is a fellow member of HWA Ohio. As soon as I found out we were going to be in an anthology together, I emailed her to let her know. We’re excited about it.
Anyway, you’re probably wondering which of my stories will be reprinted in the anthology. I’ll tell you: I submitted “The Dedication of the High Priestess,” which follows a young ballerina discovering her true destiny after becoming a model for a famous painter. The story was first released last year on the Tales to Terrify podcast as an audio story (which you can listen to here). This will be the first time the story will appear in a print format.
Though if the story hasn’t been printed before and was originally read aloud on a podcast, is it really a reprint?
Fan art of “The Dedication of High Priestess,” painted in oils by my friend and colleague Iseult Murphy.
Well, I’m sure someone else will do a whole essay or YouTube video on whether or not it counts. The point is, I’m excited for this story to get into a print format and to be my first reprint. I’ve said it before, but I consider “Dedication” to be some of my best work, and has even inspired some amazing fan art, which you can see to the side of this paragraph. So, I’m glad it’s going to have a new venue and maybe find some new fans.
Hell, maybe it’ll inspire some new fan art and even a movie. I can hope!
Anyway, I look forward to letting you know when the Solar Press Horror Anthology volume 1 and “Dedication of the High Priestess” are released. If you’re not into the audio format but want to check out the story, this is a great opportunity to do so.
In the meantime, my Followers of Fear, you know pretty well by now that Hannah and Other Stories will be out in one week. This book is perfect Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. If you would like to preorder it, you can do so with the links below.
Also, I’m still in the Face of Horror contest, and I need your daily vote to stay in the contest. If you would like to support me, click on the button to do so.
After reading Philip Fracassi’s book Gothic back in spring (see my review here) and after meeting and sharing a drink with him at Stoker Con in June, I was interested in his new book Boys in the Valley. It helped that there was a lot of advanced buzz around the book. So, I preordered the audio book, and started listening to it earlier this month. What did I think?
Boys in the Valley takes place at St. Vincent’s, a Catholic orphanage for boys in an isolated section of 1905 Pennsylvania. It’s not a terrible place, but it’s not exactly a great place, either. Still, those there try to make the best of it. At least, until one night, when the sheriff shows up with an injured man covered in occultic symbols. The events of that night set in motion the release of a terrible evil and a plot that will test everyone in the orphanage. And failure of that test may lead to consequences worse than death.
Gothic was good, but I liked Boys in the Valley better.
The best part of the story is the cast, and it goes to show Fracassi’s skill as a writer at how well he juggles an ensemble cast. Among the characters are Peter, a young man who is training for the priesthood (though he also has feelings for a local farmer’s daughter) and who views himself as part of a long line of St. Vincent boys; David, an angry young man who considers the orphanage a sort of hell; Brother Johnson, a brutish staff member at the orphanage whose journey through the story is fascinating to watch; and Father Poole, the megalomaniac running the orphanage whom I wanted to strangle throughout the book (and it says a lot about the writer that I reacted as viscerally to the character as I do with some politicians).
All these and more characters really made the story come to life for me, as did the story itself. It’s a possession story, but it doesn’t follow the usual trajectory of one, and that makes the direction unpredictable and the twists so much more satisfying. There were several moments where I had no idea what would happen, but desperately hoped for it to go one way and to open my mouth in surprise when it didn’t.
If there were some things I would have liked better, I would have preferred to see some more demonic antics in the novel. That, and I was hoping for a different ending in the final chapter.
But overall, Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi is an excellent novel and a fun read. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving the book a 4.6. Heartfelt, with a strong cast and vivid storytelling. Set yourself down with a copy and some communion wine and strap in for the ride.
And if you go with the audio book, you’re in for a treat. The narrator, David Aaron Baker, does an excellent job with the various voices of the characters, shifting from boys and teens with cracking voices to gruff adults in a skillful flash.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
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!
Rami Ungar The Writer 