Is it just me, or is time moving so fast, it’s kind of crazy?
Anyway, as you’re likely well aware at this point, Symphony for Walpurgis is only three weeks away from being released! And if you’re not aware, Symphony for Walpurgis is my latest book, a collection of nine novelettes with a range of stories focusing on cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism! And it will be releasing in exactly three weeks from today, on May 1st, 2025, AKA Walpurgis Night 2025 (for what Walpurgis Night is, click here).
To say the least, I’m really excited for this book to come out. Not only do I feel that the novelette-length story isn’t given enough love by publishers and readers (7,500-17,500 words, if you didn’t know), but I feel that these stories, some of which have been previously published and some of which are original, represent some of my best work and I’m looking forward to hearing what people think. Will they enjoy “The House on Lafayette Square,” which is my story about the Jewish exorcism? Or will people find “Mother of Spiders” and “The Parasite Man,” which both involve some literally skin-crawling imagery, terrifying?
Luckily, some of my advanced readers have already posted their reviews online, so I already have some idea on how people might feel about the book (one described the imagery in a couple of stories as disturbing, and another said it was a very imaginative book, which I appreciated). But, like every author working to get their stories into readers hands, I want more people to read my work and give me their thoughts.
And I hope those thoughts are pretty universal in agreeing that the stories are scary and that they like what they read.
I hope people read passages like this, and get chills up their spines.
Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a scary collection, if I’ve somehow persuaded you to check out Symphony, or you’d like to support me, I’ll leave links below the collection’s book trailer. You can read the reviews I’ve already gotten on Goodreads, or you can preorder a copy of the ebook. And don’t worry, more stores and a paperback edition will be available as we get closer to the release date.
And, after release day, if you like what you read, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review anywhere just letting people know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Not to mention, it helps other readers out as well.
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Thank you for your support all this time and as we get closer to the release of Symphony for Walpurgis. I look forward to sharing this new book with you and hearing what you think. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Time, for better or for worse, is moving along quite quickly. And that means we are a week closer to the release of my new collection, Symphony for Walpurgis!
For those of you who are unaware (though at this point, given how much I talk about it, I’d be surprised if you weren’t aware), Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of nine novelettes I’m releasing on May 1st, 2025. The stories include tales of cryptids (“Famous”), malevolent spirits (“The Parasite Man”), and even a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square”). Yes, we Jews have exorcisms. Not often, but we do.
Here’s the blurb I wrote for the back cover:
What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.
Neat, isn’t it? I think it gets the mood of the book across quite well.
Anyway, I’m very excited for this collection. Novelettes don’t have a lot of places you can submit to, and the ones you can often prefer shorter novelettes (for those who aren’t aware, a novelette is around 7,500-17,500 words). I tend to write stories in the novelette range, so I’m hoping if this book does well, more people will want to read and write stories in the novelette range, and maybe there will be more publishers for them.
At the very least, though, I would like this book to be successful. I really enjoyed working on these stories, about half of which have originally been published, and I want others to enjoy them. If I can, I would like to sell 500 copies within the first year. I’ll certainly work hard to make that happen.
Anyway, if you would like to check out Symphony, I’ll leave links below. It’s available to preorder now as an ebook, but there will be more formats and stores in time as time goes on. And there are even some early reviews, which you can find on Goodreads, also linked below.
And speaking of reviews, if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Also be sure to check out the book trailer I made. Is it the most amazing book trailer ever designed? But does it include hints of what’s in the book and gets its mood down perfectly like the book blurb? I like to think so.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re as excited as I am for this new book. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Good evening, humans. I hope you’re doing well. If you’re like me, you’re avoiding the Super Bowl (now if it was the Superb Owl, I would tune in). And I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some updates on Symphony for Walpurgis, seeing as a lot has happened since I last posted about it. Which was…just six days ago? Damn, it has been a crazy week!
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, Symphony for Walpurgis is my upcoming book, a collection of novelettes, some of which were previously published and others which weren’t. The book is set to come out on May 1st, 2025, meaning less than three months from now. I’m doing my utmost to get as many people as possible reading it once it releases. In fact, I’m hoping to sell 500 copies and get fifty positive reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads in the first year!
Anyway, let’s get into these updates, shall we?
Walpurgis has two reviews now!
It’s crazy to think, but Symphony for Walpurgis already has two reviews on Goodreads. And even better, both are five-star reviews! Both came from advanced readers and Followers of Fear, but they’re willing to criticize me if necessary. The most recent review, written by Louise Conway, starts with this:
Bravo! This might just be Rami Ungar’s best work yet. Offering tales of unearthly retribution, dark mysteries, vampires re-imagined and blood curdling entities, Symphony is a gloriously ghoulish anthology with something for almost every kind of horror fan.
“Best work yet.” I’m flattered. Of course, I aim to put out more and more work as time goes on, and to improve as well.
Anyway, this is good progress on my goal for fifty positive Goodreads reviews. I hope more of the advanced readers let people know what they think of the book, and that leads to plenty more readers when the book comes out. In the meantime, if you would like to read the full reviews, you can click below to check them out.
One of the most exciting moments for a published author is when the first batch of author copies comes in. That includes self-published books, and I felt that excitement this weekend when my author copies for Walpurgis came in. I designed the cover myself after a lot of trial and error, as well as the book’s back cover and interior. It was nice to see it had turned out so well!
And, being the kind of guy who likes to share every achievement, no matter how small, I filmed an unboxing video. Here it is, in all its cheesiness and beauty. Enjoy!
Hopefully, this is the first of many author copy deliveries. Like I said, five hundred sold copies in the first year, and most of those will likely come from live events. And I plan to find many homes for many copies.
The Book Trailer is Live!
Like with my last collection, Hannah and Other Stories, I sought to create a gripping book trailer for Walpurgis. This time, I wanted to have one out before the release date (that should have happened with Hannah as well, but life had other plans). And with a couple of hours of work this afternoon, I created what I think is an awesome book trailer for a collection of horror. Check it out.
Not bad, right? It’s nothing special, but I think it’s decent and conveys the horror of this collection well. If it gets even one or two people to read Walpurgis, I’ll be happy.
By the by, if you enjoyed these videos, please consider liking/commenting/subscribing. You know, all that usual YouTube shtick. You can find my channel here.
Book Quotes
One thing I learned from Hannah and Other Stories was how helpful releasing quotes from your book can be. Especially when you pair the quotes with interesting and relevant graphics. So, this time around, I’m creating graphics with quotes on them, and releasing them three times a week. Here are the first batch of quotes graphics, one from each story. Hope you find them exciting and interesting. They were fun to make.
I’ll post the next nine in a single post once they’ve been published on my social media. In the meantime, you can find each graphic as they’re uploaded on Walpurgis‘s page on this blog.
Final Word
Anyway, that’s all to say right now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with Walpurgis-related posts, though I do have to do my necessary advertising for it as we approach May 1st. And in the meantime, if you would like to preorder a copy of Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. More stores and formats will be made available as we get closer, so keep checking back if you don’t see a store or format you prefer.
And if you like what you read, my Followers of Fear, then please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Pop the champagne! Run wild through the streets with hardly any clothes on! Propitiate the horror gods with sacrifices, lest you be eaten by monsters! Hannah and Other Stories is a year old today!
So, if you were unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my second collection and my fifth book overall. The collection contains seven short stories, among which are tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. Yes, you read that right. Carnivorous horses! They’re horrifying and will get you when you least expect them!
Honestly, it’s hard to believe that this collection has been out a year. I started collecting the stories and then shopping them around to publishers in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. In October of that year, while I was on vacation, BSC Publishing Group told me they wanted to publish them and sent me a contract! Over the next year and a half, we worked to get the stories up to scratch, finally releasing them on September 23, 2023. And here we are today, at the one-year anniversary of the release!
And I’ve been doing a lot for this anniversary. In addition to the usual posting to social media, I created a book trailer, which you can watch below.
Pretty cool, huh? Personally, I think it’s my best work yet! And hopefully it conveys the terror within Hannah.
But this isn’t the only thing I’ve been doing for Hannah and Other Stories. I also did a radio interview recently that should air soon. Yes, you read that right as well. A real radio interview, for a show about artists and writers’ techniques and processes for creating their work called The Craft. I’ll post more details when I can, so you can listen to it live with me.
But more than that, I have a big announcement to make: the title story of the collection, Hannah, is going to be adapted into an audio play!
You see, the guy who produces The Craft, Doug Dangler, does a yearly show where short stories are adapted into audio plays for Halloween, and Hannah is going to be one of those stories! For those of you who don’t know, Hannah follows some ghost hunters who sneak into an abandoned school to ghost hunt, and find more than they expected. Anyway, the story will be adapted and acted out by local high school students, and I can’t wait to see what these kids are able to do. I’ll be sure to let you know when the show airs, but it should be around late October.
With all this going on, I hope this leads to a lot of people checking out Hannah and Other Stories, as well as leaving reviews. The reviews I’ve gotten so far have been rather positive. Take a look:
I just finished Hannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar. This is a great little collection. Stories range from ghost hunting to the dangers of social media to diabolical new friends and Lovecraftian horrors and more. Had this on my TBR for a while and finally pulled the trigger to finish (the adhd is strong). Very fun collection and I would recommend it and am excited to see his future work. I give it a 4/5.
Dustin Allen, Amazon
This collection of seven stories had me hooked from the get-go. Each story has a little bit of everything: horror, occult, revenge, betrayal, ghosts, and so much more. Every story is solid and unique. Expertly crafted and well told. If you are a fan of horror anthologies, this is an absolute must-read. I’m still thinking about some of the stories. Good stuff. Check it out!
5 severed fingers out of 5
Yeti Reads and Reviews, Goodreads
There are horror stories set in houses across the street and in apartments next door. There are also horror stories set in exotic locations like the Catacombs of Paris. There are even horror stories set in imaginary worlds of cosmic horror and monstrous gods. And then there is Rami Ungar’s collection which manages to be all those things at once. This is what makes these stories so special: a combination of exotic and familiar; Ohioan farmlands and Romantic paintings; Lovecraftian gods and suburban ennui. The stories in this collection range from a traditional haunting with a strange twist at the end (“Hannah”) to a postapocalyptic small-town horror reminiscent of Stephen King’s Cell (“The Red Bursts”); from an unfortunate encounter on a Parisian rooftop (“The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah””) to a rather more optimistic, though equally bizarre, Beauty-and-the-Beast meeting in the Catacombs (“Poor Unfortunate Souls”); from a creepypasta (“Queen Alice”) to a Renaissance poem coming to life on social media and in the Midwest (“What Errour Awoke”). My own favorite story is “Fuseli’s Horses,” which seamlessly blends the famous Romantic painting of The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli with the realities of farmwork and growing up in rural America. It is not the combination I would ever think of, but the story is flawlessly plotted and executed. The stories in this collection combine moments of visionary beauty and visceral horror, perfect for the genre’s afficionados. Rami Ungar is a writer to watch!
Elana, Goodreads
Along with the titular story, “Hannah”, this collection from the Master of Fear comprises 5 other short stories and a novelette.
There is a certain level of intense imagination, dread-filled atmosphere, and relatable characters that I’ve come to expect from Ungar’s short stories. The last three stories in this collection certainly delivered all these qualities and more.
This is an enjoyable anthology, with solid stories. At times, the political message in some of the stories detracted from the characters and plot. It worked best in “The Red Bursts”, where it layered seamlessly with other thematic elements without distracting from the story.
“Hannah and Other Stories” is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of the Followers of Fear.
Iseult Murphy, author of “Gone But Not Forgotten,” Amazon
Sorry, I couldn’t help but want to post some of these reviews. They’ve all been overwhelmingly positive! And if more people read the book and leave reviews, with any luck we’ll get a paperback edition soon. Yeah, BSC Publishing is waiting until we’ve reached a certain threshold in sales and reviews before giving the okay on a paperback. I’ve been working since well before the book came out for this, and I’m hopeful the first anniversary will bring it about.
Anyway, if you would like to read Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll post links below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so that I, as well as other readers, know what you thought. Plus, reviews help me out so much in the long run.
Thank you, my Followers of Fear. I’m so grateful for all the support you give me everyday, and especially over the last year. I hope the next year brings plenty of amazing things for my career, as well as Hannah.
One more thing, Followers of Fear: I know I’ve already said this, but this Saturday, September 28th, is the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo! If you’re in or around Marietta, Ohio this weekend, stop by the Washington County Fairgrounds. There will be psychics, ghost hunters, and me, doing Tarot readings and selling books. More information can be found on the website here.
Hope to see you there. Until next time, good night (or morning) and pleasant nightmares, my Followers of Fear!
As many of you know, my last book was a collection called Hannah and Other Stories. The book contained seven stories, among which were tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. The collection was released on September 23, 2023, which means at the time I’m writing this, the one-year release anniversary is only fifteen days away.
In honor of the upcoming anniversary, I created a book trailer for Hannah. One was actually supposed to be created last year before Hannah was released, but things didn’t work out, so it never happened. So, to help celebrate the anniversary, I created one myself using a combination of stock footage, the Canva design app, an editing program on my desktop, and YouTube-provided music. The result is below.
And thus, I present to you, the book trailer for Hannah and Other Stories.
What did you think? Did you like it? Can you believe that was all stock footage and some photos I created myself?
And if you liked that trailer and are curious about the book itself, I’ll leave links below. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if enough people show interest and read and review the book, a paperback will likely happen as well.
And speaking of reading and reviewing, be sure to leave a review if you end up reading Hannah. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to a spooktacular autumn like I am. Until next time, good night, happy reading, pleasant nightmares, and only 53 days till Halloween. Where is the year going?!
It’s time! It’s here! After working with BSC Publishing Group’s graphic designer and waiting for days, it’s here! The cover for my new collection of short stories, Hannah and Other Stories, has been released! And you can look at it below.
What do you think? The cover depicts a moment from one of the stories in the collection, a rather macabre moment that made even me shiver (imagine what it will do to readers). I gave BSC the idea of the cover, as well as other covers I love, and they ran with it. From there, we worked together on fonts, added and subtracted elements, and eventually got to the beauty above. At which point, I emailed BSC and was like, “We’ve got it! By George, I think we’ve got it!”
But that was only the beginning. Not only did they create a cover with my input, but they went and created a book trailer too! A freaking book trailer! I’ve tried my hand at creating book trailers before and was thinking of trying to make a new one with Hannah, but they did something even better than anything I have in mind. Check it out below.
How about that? Having a publisher create this book trailer and work so hard to make it as creepy and enticing as can be shows how much they believe in this book and want it to succeed.
So, what happens next? Well, as the trailer states, Hannah will release in Fall 2023, so at least five months and a few days away. In the meantime, BSC and I will work together to make sure the final manuscript is as polished and clear of mistakes as possible. We’ll also work together to build as much buzz for the book before it releases. That way, when it releases, as many people as possible are reading it.
And I may do a little voodoo on my end. What can I say, I like the idea of friendly supernatural entities helping me out with my dreams. And I have reason to believe it’s worked before. Why can’t it work with this book?
Anyway, I’m just so excited for you to read the stories within. They’re all original stories I’ve been crafting over the years and I’m so excited for you to finally read them. There’s Queen Alice, about an internet legend that takes on a life of its own; Fuselli’s Horses, about a horse ranch with some unique stallions among its residents; and What Errour Awoke, about how a simple English literature class leads to a dangerous situation during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. And that’s just three out of seven! But trust me, the other four are just as creepy and as fun.
But in the meantime, if you’re interested in supporting me, or if you’re just looking for something spooky to read, you can check out my Books page and then check out any of my already published work. And if you like what you read, consider leaving a review online somewhere. Not only do I appreciate your feedback, but it helps me grow as an author and helps other readers find my work.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to celebrate the reveal. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and are you scared yet? Because if you are, then my job here is done.
Let’s face it, every creative out there (especially those who weave stories together) has put themselves into their work. Often, they do it more than once, and the resemblance to themselves, accurate or in their own heads, varies from self-insert to self-insert.* HP Lovecraft loved to put himself through cosmic horror and dreamlike ordeals as Randolph Carter (does that count as masochism?), and Stephen King’s The DarkHalf is obviously him having fun with a fictional version of himself and his pen name Richard Bachman.
And don’t forget, Dante Alighieri made himself the star of The Divine Comedy, where the poet Virgil and later Beatrice, the dead girl he crept on when she was alive, led him through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
You know, now that I’m typing this, I realize that a lot of self-insert characters get to go on the biggest, most grandiose adventures. I mean, Dante traversed the afterlife and recorded it in detail! And remember Lani Sarem, the lady who conned her way to the top of the New York Times bestseller list? Her novel’s protagonist, who from the cover art is basically her under a different name, was a witch who basically became the delight of the Las Vegas entertainment scene using her abilities.
There’s an article to be found in this, I’m just not in the mood to research and write it right now.
Anyway, where was I? Oh yes. Self-inserts. I’m no exception to the rule. Throughout my writing career, I’ve included different versions of myself in my stories. One or two have even been included in published stories (I’ll let you guess which ones those are). And once more, I’m inserting myself into the story I’m currently working on. Only this time, this might be the most obvious and blatant self-insert since Dante!
Okay, that’s an exaggeration. But it feels like it! My character is basically what I hope will be me in a few years: a full-time writer with his own home, hosting costume parties in his living room and able to focus on creepy tales as a living. His last name is an anagram of my own and his first name also begins with an “R.” So yeah, pretty obvious self-insert.
Still, I’m having fun with it. The story’s focus isn’t on my character, he’s just a good way to get this story going. And since I can focus on telling the story and not making my self-insert seem like the bee’s knees to readers, I can get a little ridiculous and have a ton of fun with it. Whether that will lead to a decent ghost story (because of course I would put myself into a ghost story!) remains to be seen. But perhaps with some edits…well, we’ll see.
Anyway, I’ll get back to this story soon. And I’ll likely have a post or two for you all very soon, so keep an eye out. And in the meantime, check out this book trailer for The Jewish Book of Horror that was uploaded to YouTube last night. It’s really cool, and you can even see my name listed beside my story, “The Divorce from God,” at one point. Give it a watch and consider getting a copy of the book when it releases.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Yes indeed, Snake is only one day away from being released. I can hardly believe it myself and yet I’m so excited! I just hope nothing happens to derail the publication and force me to push back the release. That would suck big time.
Also, today is the last day to enter the contest to win a free, autographed copy of Snake. Yes, that’s right, you can win a free, autographed copy of Snake, that I will ship anywhere in the world. All you have to do is follow the directions below:
Give me your name
Give me your city, state/province, and (if you’re outside the United States) your country
What’s your favorite scary movie/book or something that scares you
And tell me how far you would go for love and/or revenge (I would ask how far you would go for love and revenge, but I know not everyone likes to go that far, so I’m giving options)
The contest is open until 5PM Eastern Standard Time today, at which point I will select a winner from the entrants and announce it here on the blog. The contest is open to everyone who is not closely related to me, hasn’t helped with the creation and publication of this book, and/or isn’t receiving a dedication in the book. Good luck to all entrants and I hope you enjoy reading Snake, whether or not you win the contest.
If you would like to know more about Snake, you can click here, or watch the book trailer below.
That’s all for now. I’ll post the contest winner later today. Good luck, my Followers of Fear.
It’s only three days away from the release of Snake, the thriller that I started nearly two years ago. I’m really excited for the release of this book, which has been quite an exciting story for me to write as well as a ton of fun to edit and prepare for publication. I’m so glad that I can finally share it with the whole wide world now that the release date is only a couple of days away.
In the meantime, I would like to announce a special contest for Snake: from now until 5 PM on Monday, June 9th, readers of this post will have the chance to win a free, autographed copy of Snake, which I will send to them from anywhere in the world. You enter by leaving this information in the comments below:
Your name
City, state/province, and country (only do the latter if you live outside the United States)
Your favorite scary movie or book or what really scares you.
Answer this question: “How far would you go for love and/or revenge?”*
Anyone 15 or older may enter the contest, as long as they are not related to me the author, did not have a hand in helping to make this novel possible, or you are not one of the people to whom this book is dedicated (sorry folks, but I don’t want to be accused of favoritism. Besides, do you really want me to call you up, make you think you’re the winner, and then tell you you’re not just to mess with you? I didn’t think so). The winner will be chosen by me personally from all the entries. And if nobody enters…well, I won’t think about it.
Anyway, I hope you decide to enter. The contest winner will be announced on June 9th, before Snake comes out, so start preparing your answers now. And if you would like more details about Snake, you can click here or watch the video trailer below. And may the best person win. Good luck, my Followers of Fear.
*I decided to do “and/or” instead of just “and” like in the novel’s tagline. Let’s face it, not everyone will go to the extreme lengths that the Snake went to. Anyway, you can enter an answer for love, for revenge, or for both, whichever you feel comfortable with. Just remember to make sure it’s an impressive answer if you want that free book.
I never get tired of playing this video. Guess how long there’s left till Snake hits the digital bookstores?
Thank you, creepy little girl on the other end of the line. Yes, Snake will be out in seven days, exactly two years from when I began work on the novel. It also happens to be about twenty-two years from when I was born, meaning that every book sold is a birthday present.
For those who are unfamiliar with the book, Snake is a thriller novel about a young man who, in order to save his girlfriend from a powerful mafia family, becomes a serial killer called the Snake and starts hunting down members of the family in order to find her. But in the process of saving his girlfriend from the monsters holding her captive, will the Snake become a monster himself?
I’ve really been looking forward to putting Snake out, and I hope you’ll be as excited as I am come June 10th. Snake will be available in both paperback and e-book, and will be available first from Amazon before becoming available on Smashwords later on. I don’t have the price for the paperback yet (Amazon determines that, not I), but the e-book will definitely be on sale for the first couple of weeks, so it’ll be a good time to download it right after it comes out.
And guess what else? One lucky reader will be able to get a free paperback copy of Snake signed by me and sent to wherever they live in the world. The details for said contest will be made available about three days before Snake is released.
If you’d like to read more about Snake, you can check out the character interviews I released last month, or read the page for the book. Also, make sure to check out the video for the book trailer, which I’ve posted below.
That’s all for now, Followers of Fear. Expect another reminder at the three day mark (I’d do one at the five-day mark, but I don’t want to annoy my readers. That’s too much work. It’s hard enough annoying my family). Have a lovely day, everyone.
Rami Ungar The Writer 