Posts Tagged ‘contest’

The Hannah Challenge!!!

Posted: January 30, 2024 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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I’ve said for a while that Hannah from Hannah and Other Stories is based on an actual little girl. Since before the story was published, if I remember correctly. But more recently, in social media posts and in the occasional YouTube video or convention reading, I have been saying that if someone figured out who Hannah is based on, I would name a character after them. And unlike when I write other people into my stories, this won’t be a punishment, but something to celebrate.

Yes, you’d be happy to have a character in a Rami Ungar story named after you. Won’t wonders ever cease?

Recently, some people have been getting serious in trying to figure it out. I even had someone get really close when I was at ConFusion earlier this month. And if people are going to get serious, I might as well get serious, too.

So, without further ado, I’m announcing the Hannah Challenge! If you are the first to figure out who Hannah from the short story “Hannah” in Hannah and Other Stories is based on and let me know, I will name a character after you (and you won’t be sorry for the privilege). Just download a copy of Hannah and Other Stories using any of the links below and read the story “Hannah” (and the other six stories, of course).

Then, if you don’t immediately figure it out, try to do some research. Reread the story and notice anything that might help you identify whom Hannah is based on. If you figure it out, reach out to me. Email me, comment on my posts on this blog or my social media, whatever. If you don’t slide into my DMs, find my private number, or show up at my home or work, I’ll be happy to hear your guess.

And if your guess is the correct one and no one else has gotten it right so far, you’ll be the winner! I’ll announce your name on this blog and my social media (possibly with a photo) and see about writing a story with a character named after you as soon as possible. I may even let you read a draft before it gets published.

But, of course, you need to start reading, so below are the links for getting Hannah and Other Stories. And whether or not you figure out who Hannah is based on, I hope you’ll read the rest of the book. And if you do, I hope you let me know what you think in a review or a social media post. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have a new story I need to outline. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
Kobo
Wook

The Face of Horror: Well, I Lost

Posted: October 12, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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If you’ve been following this blog recently, my Followers of Fear, you know that I’ve been participating in a contest called The Face of Horror. Participants competed for daily votes, and would advance through the rounds based on how many votes they got. The winner will get a cash prize and be in a photo shoot with Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in four different films.

And, as is obvious from the title of this blog post, I lost. Or rather, I didn’t get enough votes to make it to the next round.

Not that I’m bummed. I always knew I probably wouldn’t win and was instead aiming to stay in the competition as much as possible. And besides, I had fun. Thanks to all your votes, traffic on my blog went waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up! Just let me know how much you all care for me and were willing to support me in this endeavor. That in itself is its own prize.

So, what happens now? Well, back to the usual, I guess. Work at my day job, writing/editing/submitting stories, doing all those things that responsible adults are known to do, and…oh yeah, I have a new book to promote. You might have heard of it. Hannah and Other Stories? It’s a perfect collection of Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. I’ll leave links below in case you want to check it out.

Again, thank you for supporting me in this contest. It means a lot to me. And now that it’s done, I’ll put my focus on more important stuff. Hell, maybe I’ll make some changes to this blog. I mean, who knows? The future is unwritten, though I intend to write my best life into being. Will I make that happen? Only time will tell.

Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to go and dream up dark monsters to put into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Site
Kobo
Wook

The Face of Horror Contest: Onto the Witch Trials!

Posted: October 5, 2023 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff
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Well, here we are again, my Followers of Fear. I’ve made it past the Bloodsucker round and am now onto the Witch Trials round. And this will be the round that will make or break me. In fact, if things happen like last year, I may not survive this round.

So, if you didn’t know, the Face of Horror contest is a contest I’ve been participating in since last month. Competitors compete against one another to stay high in the rankings in order to make it to further rounds. To get through the rounds, competitors mobilize their social media followings for daily votes. The final winner will get a cash prize and a photo spread in Rue Morgue magazine with Kane Hodder, AKA the actor who played Jason Voorhees the most.

I’ve survived the Bloodsucker round, so now we’re in the Witch Trials round. And here is where it’ll get way more cutthroat than previous rounds. You see, I had to stay in the Top 5 in the Bloodsucker round. But now, I need to stay in the Top 2 spots to survive.

If I stay in second place, I’ll go into the Re-Animator round, and have a further chance to stay in the contest. If I get into first place, I’ll get a short break and compete in the Living Dead round after the Re-Animator round. Either way, I still have a fighting chance.

At the time I’m writing this, I’m currently in second place, so I think I have a chance. Still, if I manage to survive the Witch Trials round, I think I might seriously have a real chance to win this whole contest. I would totally love it if I did.

Anyway, if you would like to support me, you can go to my contest page using the link below and cast a daily vote for me. Or you can buy extra votes by donating to a charity associated with the contest, but only do that if you want to. Whatever you do, we’ll know on October 12th if I made it or not.

Rami’s Face of Horror page

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I look forward to keeping you updated on my progress in the contest and whether I have a real shot of winning this.

One last thing, my Followers of Fear: Hannah and Other Stories has been out nearly two weeks now and has been doing spectacularly! It’s received reviews on Amazon and Goodreads and all so far have been around five stars. Like I’ve been saying, this book full of ghosts, budding serial killers and carnivorous horses (among other things), is perfect Halloween reading. And if you would like to check it out, I’ll leave links below.

Happy reading and pleasant nightmares, Followers of Fear. And if you do read it, I hope you’ll leave a review so I know what you think.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

The Face of Horror Contest: Onto the Bloodsucker Round

Posted: September 28, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Well, I made it to the fourth round! Not bad. Thanks for getting me this far, everyone.

Anyway, if you didn’t know, I’m taking part in something known as the Face of Horror contest. Competitors compete to gain votes and get through the rounds. The final person standing gets a cash prize and a photo spread in Rue Morgue magazine with Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees the most of any actor.

As of this evening, I’m now in the Bloodsucker Round, the fourth round of the contest. And guess what? I’m only this far thanks to you all. Every time you cast a daily vote for me (or buy extra votes that go to charity, some of you may be doing that, I don’t know), you help me stay high in the rankings and ensure I get through to the next round.

Now, I need your help again for this next round. In the Bloodsucker Round, every group of contestants is down to its Top 10, and now we’ll be whittled down to the Top 5. Now, at the time I’m writing this, I’m #4 in the rankings for my group. However, if I slip below fifth place, I may never get back up. So, if you would be kind enough to help me, I would appreciate it if you could continue voting for me through October 5th. Either you can vote for me for free every day, or, if you’re comfortable with it, donating to charity for extra votes.

If you do, who knows? I could even get to the final rounds.

Anyway, if you would like to vote for me, you can do so using the link below. I look forward to updating you on my progress and I hope when we discuss this again, I’ll have made it to the fifth round.

Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami Ungar’s Face of Horror Profile

The Face of Horror Contest: Voting for 2023 Has Begun!!!

Posted: September 5, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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So, if you weren’t aware, I am taking part in the 2023 Face of Horror contest. This contest requires contestants to get votes from their social media platforms. Each round, those who have enough votes move to the next round. The winner will get a cash prize and a photoshoot with Kane Hodder (AKA the actor who played Jason Voorhees the most) in Rue Morgue magazine.

And as of 1 PM EST today, the contest has begun.

The first round, “First Kill,” runs from today, September 5th, to September 14th. All competitors are divided into groups, and each group will be reduced to its top twenty competitors based on votes. So, if you would like to help me win this contest, this is the first hurdle. What do you have to do? Well, you can vote for me.

Now, a couple of things to keep in mind:

  • First off, I don’t expect to win. There are plenty of other people participating in the contest, and many of them likely have bigger followings or are better at getting their followers to respond to calls to action. I’m doing it mostly because it’s fun, it’s something I want to do, and I was able to meet many new Followers of Fear by participating last year. I’m hoping for a repeat of that this year.
    That being said, I will fight hard to get as far as I can this year. After all, that’s the point of a contest, isn’t it? And who knows? I may even win. And if I do, woo-hoo! I will be a very happy eldritch entity disguised as a human storyteller.
  • You’re under no obligation to vote for me. This is all voluntary, and you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. That being said, if you do vote for me and help me get through the rounds, I’ll greatly appreciate it.

So, if you would like to vote for me, all you need to do is click the button below. That will take you to my profile page, where you can cast one vote a day. Do that each day, and that will help me immensely.

You can also buy extra votes by donating to B+, a charitable foundation that provides support to families whose children have cancer, as well as funding research into juvenile cancer. But again, that’s only if you want to.

Anyway, I look forward to updating you on my progress through the contest. Who knows what will happen as a result of my participating and your votes? Only time will tell. That, and you clicking that button.

Rami Ungar’s Face of Horror Page

See you after the first round.

One more thing:

As you know, my Followers of Fear, we’re just eighteen days away from the release of my new collection of short stories, Hannah and Other Stories. This collection is perfect Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. And while it’s currently only available in ebook format, if it does well, it may end up in paperback and even audio book!

So, use any of the options below and prepare for a world of terror on September 23rd. I look forward to hearing what you think of the book, so be sure to leave reviews. And until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

The Face of Horror Contest: Looks Like I’m Doing This Again.

Posted: August 17, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Many of you may remember last year, I participated in a contest called The Face of Horror. Participants competed for votes from their social media networks and fans to make it through the rounds, with the eventual prize being a walk-on role in a horror movie and a photo spread with Kane Hodder (he played Jason Voorhees in Friday the 13th four times, the most of any actor). I got pretty far last year, but I lost once the rounds started getting more competitive.

Still, I had fun, I was able to grow the number of my Followers of Fear a bit, and I learned how much some of you support me in my endeavors, which touched me in my cold, black, demonic heart. And I thought that was that.

But recently, I found out the Face of Horror contest would be happening again, this time with the prize being another photo spread with Kane Hodder and a cash prize. And you know what? I decided to sign up again. I mean, I don’t expect to win, but if last year is any indication, I’m going to have fun and meet some new Followers of Fear along the way. And if I win? Great. I’ll be able to spread word of my stories a bit further and get a nice cash prize while I’m at it.

So, the contest formally starts September 5th. My profile for the contest is listed below. If you would like to support me for this contest, you can either vote once daily for me, or you can buy extra votes by donating to a cancer research society through the contest’s page. You’re under no obligation to vote for me, but it would make me happy if you did.

Anyway, that’s all for now. I’ll post again when September 5th rolls around. I hope you’ll support me and help me get through the first few rounds of the contest. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

My Face of Horror Profile

One more thing, my Followers of Fear: we’re only 36 days away from Hannah and Other Stories releasing. This book is great Halloween reading, with tales of ghosts, budding serial killers and carnivorous horses, among other things. If you’re looking for another way to support me, or just a good scary book, you can preorder below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and they help both me and other readers in the long run. Anyway, once more, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Preorder Hannah and Other Stories

The Face of Horror Contest: Help Me Win

Posted: September 6, 2022 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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55 days till Halloween! Who’s excited?

You’re probably wondering what this is about. Well, a little while ago I heard about a contest for horror fans called the Face of Horror. What’s it about? Well, various horror fans and creators sign up to show that they are the greatest horror fans there are. The Face of Horror, if you will. And over the coming days, you’ll be able to vote for the candidate of your choice.

Guess who signed up as a contestant?

That’s right, me. I mean, can you blame me? And what happens if I actually win? Well, I’ll earn $13,000; get to stay in Buffalo Bill’s house from Silence in the Lambs for two nights (apparently it’s a real place in Pennsylvania); a walk-on role in the next movie of the director running the contest, Jim Vendiola; and a photo shoot with Kane Hodder, the only actor to play Jason Voorhees more than once, let alone four times, in Rue Morgue magazine! And all I need is your votes.

Now, I know you guys don’t owe me a thing and there’s no reason for any of you to help me. However, even if I don’t win, this could be a good opportunity for me. By participating, I might get even just a little bit of exposure, which may help me find some new readers. And if I end up winning, this could be a huge boost to my career! I could end up meeting all sorts of new people and followers through this contest.

Plus, you would have my gratitude in helping me move forward through the contest and hopefully furthering my career.

So, how do you vote? Click on the highlighted link below, and it’ll take you to my profile. You can cast one free vote per day during the contest, and can purchase additional votes (a portion of proceeds from purchased votes going to the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which funds pediatric cancer research and financial assistance for families of patients). All you need is a Facebook account and/or a valid credit/debit card (especially if you intend to purchase more votes).

Anyway, this post being out means that the contest has begun, and the first round will go until September 15th. That’s at least ten chances for each person to vote. I hope you’ll consider voting and helping me out with moving onto the next round. Who knows? You may end up helping me further my dreams by leaps and bounds just with your support.

The Face of Horror — Rami Ungar

One more thing: I’ll be at the Mystics and Marvels fair on Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, from 11 AM – 6 PM, at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. This is a really cool convention with Tarot readers and fortune tellers, stones and crystals sellers, and, of course, authors. I’ll be at the chapter for the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association, HWA Ohio, so stop by if you can. You can check out more information at the website here.

And on Saturday, September 17th, the Pickerington Public Library is holding an Author Spotlight Event for Ohio authors at their location in Pickerington, Ohio from 10 AM – 2 PM. I will be signing and selling books at a spooktacular table, so I hope you’ll stop by and say hello.

And if you can’t make it to either event but would still like to support me (in addition to voting, of course), you can always check out one of my books and let me know what you think when you read it. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback and it helps me in the long run. I’ll include links below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll check in again soon. So until next time, happy voting and pleasant nightmares!

The Pure World Comes: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo, Goodreads, Audible, Chirp, BingeBooks, LIbro.Fm, Storytel

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

Snake: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

The Quiet Game: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo.

State Fair: Finished

Posted: January 12, 2015 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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A picture from the Ohio State Fair, which was a big influence on my own “State Fair”.

Well, it took me a day longer than I wanted it to, but I got it done. This is my final short story for winter break, and I got it done. This one’s called State Fair, and it’s about a ghost haunting a state fairgrounds who becomes infatuated with a girl he sees one day. It’s different than some of my other short stories, very literary but also very ghostly. I also think that this short story’s first draft is much better than my usual first draft, and I wish I could have submitted this one to my creative writing class to critique. I think they would’ve liked this very much.

From the moment I had the initial idea for this short story, I knew this one was different, that it was special. It’s probably why I decided to work on it over winter break. I also got to integrate many of the lessons I got from last semester and from some books I’ve been reading recently with this story, which I think might have contributed to the quality I feel this first draft has (though I still can’t keep a short story under forty-five hundred, it seems).

I’m still deciding what to do with this short story. My ultimate goal for State Fair is to submit it to a contest on campus for short stories. The deadline’s in mid-February, so I have a little time to edit and maybe get another person to take a look and give me some feedback. I got an honorable mention for my submission last year, so I think that this year I’ve got a pretty good chance with State Fair. Whatever the case, I’ll keep everyone posted and let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, I’m watching my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Oregon Ducks, and I want to see how this game ends. Tomorrow I get back to working on my thesis Rose, with the hope of getting that done by late February. I’ll keep everyone updated on what i’m doing and how things are going. Wish me luck and have a goodnight, my Followers of Fear.

Reborn City: One Year Since Publication

Posted: November 1, 2014 in Living and Life, Novel, Writing
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Reborn City

One whole year. One whole crazy, kooky, lovely, exciting, frustrating, magical, mystical, marvelous year. Can you believe how much time has passed since then?

Actually, yes I can. I’ve had that sort of crazy life. But yeah, it’s amazing that an entire year has passed since Reborn City was first published. It’s my first novel and I’m especially proud of it. And the reception to it has just been great. I’ve had a lot of people who’ve told me how much they’ve enjoyed reading RC, how they thought it was really original and that they couldn’t wait to read the sequel.*

For those of yo who are unfamiliar with RC, let me tell you about it. Reborn City is the first in a science fiction trilogy I started writing in high school, and that I’ve been working and polishing on and off since then. It follows Zahara Bakur, a Muslim teenager who lives in the titular city, a Las Vegas-like entertainment town in the year 2056. After the death of her parents, Zahara is forced by circumstance to join the Hydras, an interracial street gang whose leaders have special abilities and powers. Zahara finds a new home with the Hydras, despite the constant violence in her neighborhood and the discrimination she faces because of her religion. However, when tragedy strikes, Zahara learns that there are people in the government interested in the Hydras for very specific reasons, and the choices she makes will influence not only her life, but the lives of those she cares about.

Currently, Reborn City holds a 4.7 rating based on seven reviews on Amazon, and people have been mostly very positive with what they’ve had to say. Take a look:

This is an extremely commendable effort by a new young writer, whom I believe we will see much more of in the years ahead. Rami Ungar’s vision of a frightening dystopian future is peppered with those elements that make us all human. There are quite a few surprises in the book, and I am anxious for the next volume in the series to be released.

–Marc M. Neiwirth

This is not a genre I typically delve into, but I took this book on vacation and couldn’t put it down. The plot had me turning pages at quite the clip. The characters were unique and interesting and the imagery had me creating my own visual of what Rami’s interpretation of the future looked like. For first time novelist, Rami Ungar, this was an outstanding showing of talent and commitment to his passion of writing. Looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next!

–Michele Kurland

As a reader who does not read books in this genre, I must admit that I could not put down the book. I attribute this to the talent of the author. I am looking forward to reading the next books published by Ungar. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy action with features of supernatural powers and sci-fi.

–Enjie

And in honor of a full year since Reborn City was published, I’m doing a couple of special things to celebrate. First, I’m doing a two-week sale. All e-books of Reborn City will be only $0.99 and the print paperback will be $6.50, down from their usual prices from $2.99 and $8.99, respectively.

In addition, I’m holding a contest. From November 1st-November 14th, you have the opportunity to win an autographed copy of Reborn City, sent to wherever you may live. This contest is available to all, except to those who are closely related to me or had some hand in the creation of Reborn City. All you have to do is leave a comment below with your name, where you’re from, and a superpower you would like to have. Easier questions than what was asked at the Bridge of Death, right?

If you would like to check out Reborn City, you can buy a print or digital copy from Amazon and Smashwords (the latter only has the e-book version). And if you like (or hate) what you read, please let me know what you think, whether in a comment or in a review. Positive or negative, I love feedback, so please let me know your thoughts on the book.

Good luck to all contest participants and fun reading, my Followers of Fear. And thanks for a wonderful year, everyone. I couldn’t have done it without you.

*Speaking of which, I’m sorry editing and publishing Video Rage is taking so long. I’ve been busy with my thesis and school, so there hasn’t been any time to work on it. But I’m hoping that with a slightly easier next semester in the spring, I might be able to actually put in some time finishing up the second draft of VR. Of course, I’ll deep into the job search at that point, so that could get in the way.

Snake: One Day Away

Posted: June 9, 2014 in Novel, Progress Report, Writing
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How far would you go for love and revenge?

Snake

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:

  1. Give me your name
  2. Give me your city, state/province, and (if you’re outside the United States) your country
  3. What’s your favorite scary movie/book or something that scares you
  4. 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.

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