Posts Tagged ‘entertainment’

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 29, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Good Friday, Followers of Fear. Hannah and Other Stories has been out for six days, and is hopefully scaring the pants off plenty of readers. In the meantime, I’m finishing off this revival of #FirstLineFriday with the last story in Hannah: Poor, Unfortunate Souls.

So, for those of you who are unfamiliar, #FirstLineFriday is a tag I used to do all the time and which I decided to bring back for the release of Hannah. For the past six weeks, I’ve been posting the openings of each story, one by one, for this tag. And now, I’m down to the final story.

But first, the rules. For a #FirstLineFriday post, you must:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s story, besides being the last one in Hannah and Other Stories, takes us to the bowels of the Paris catacombs. Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary classy citizens, I present to you the opening of Poor, Unfortunate Souls:

Over a rock and along her belly Ozma crawled, following Naomi and Baptiste, the tour guide, as they traveled through the dark. With every inch she traveled, she found a single thought repeating itself: When we get out of here, I swear I’m either going to strangle this girl, quit on the spot, or both!

Trust me, Ozma, it’s only going to get much, much worse.

If you would like to find out what happens, you can now buy a copy of Hannah and Other Stories using the link below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.

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

Also, if you would like to do this tag as well, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules onto your own blog and then have fun with it! I look forward to seeing what you put out there.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. You can expect another blog post tomorrow, most likely. I bet you can guess on the subject as well. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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 End of the Great Editing?

Posted: September 28, 2023 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Reflections, Writing
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It’s almost October, meaning we’re three-quarters of the way through calendar year 2023.

Before 2023 started, I announced that I would be doing something called The Great Editing, where I would spending several months deep in editing stories, mainly drafts of Hannah and Other Stories, plus a couple of novellas and novelettes. Every now and then, I’d take breaks to work on original work, and hopefully it would be done in a couple of months.

Somehow, the Great Editing extended through the summer, and in recent months has been very revved up as I go through stories I wanted to get edited back in the spring. Sure, I still worked on original stories, such as the story I wanted to submit to the grimdark anthology* and a weird fiction story, but for the most part, I’ve been doing a ton of editing.

And promoting for Hannah and the Face of Horror contest. But mostly editing.

Now, I think I’m close to finishing this insane process. I’ve got one more story I’m definitely editing, then another I haven’t decided if I want to edit or if I want to put it in the proverbial trunk. After that, unless beta readers or publishers have notes for me (and usually those edits can be done in less than an hour), I plan to end the Great Editing and work on some original stories. In fact, I have five or six shorter works I want to work on, because they just intrigue me and seem like a ton of fun.

And after those are done, I want to get back to Crawler, the mummy novel I started last year, then put on the back burner, and then entirely off the stove. I’d like to go over what I’ve written once more, apply all the learning and experience I’ve gained since I last worked on the book, and then get to the end of it. I absolutely hate that this book is unfinished, especially when it has such potential. Perhaps by this time next year, it’ll be finished. I would like that.

Well, before that happens, I need to get some edits done. Wish me luck, my Followers of Fear. If I can, I’ll finish The Great Editing done by Halloween.

*Unfortunately, the story I wrote for the anthology wasn’t exactly grimdark, so the anthology rejected it. However, they did say it was a great story and really enjoyed it, so I was happy to hear that. I’ve already resubmitted it, and will hopefully have news soon.

How about that, my Followers of Fear? I only mentioned Hannah and the Face of Horror without trying to get you to buy something or take part. But don’t worry, I’ll do plenty of that in later posts.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 33 days till Halloween! Release the scary clown army!

“Hannah and Other Stories” Has Finally Been Released!!!

Posted: September 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Everybody, quick! Light the sparklers! Get out the snacks! Pour the wine! Play the wild dance music! Put in your favorite horror movie! Prepare a sacrifice for the Great Old Ones! Summon demons to dance with us while we writhe in terror and ecstasy! Run through the streets in terrifying costumes while carrying lit torches! But most of all, find a place to read and start reading, because Hannah and Other Stories is finally released and available to read!

Okay, so if you’ve been living under a rock for the past couple of months, Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories. It was first accepted by BSC Publishing Group in October 2021, and we’ve been spending the past two years making sure it’s ready for all of you to read when the time comes.

And now, that time has come: today is September 23rd, 2023, meaning Hannah is finally out for you all to read. And I am so excited for you all to read this collection! I’ve been saying it for a while now, but Hannah is the perfect book to read for the Halloween season. And why wouldn’t it be? It has tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, just to name a few!

Anyway, if you preordered the book, I hope you’re looking forward to getting into it. And if you haven’t, I hope you decide to download a copy today. I’ve put a lot of hard work into this collection and I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks of it.

And whether you preordered the book or just bought a copy today, I hope you’ll let me know what you think when you finish reading it. Amazon, Goodreads, blog posts, articles on horror sites, even a tweet or Facebook status would be great. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, as it helps me become a better writer. Not to mention, your thoughts help other readers decide whether or not to check out the book.

Now, I know Hannah is only available in ebook at the moment. But if it does well enough, it may get released in paperback and even audiobook editions! So please support the book, even if it’s only in an ebook format, and maybe we’ll get those other formats as well.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If you would like to check Hannah out, I’ll leave links below. Remember to leave those reviews out there! And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 22, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Tomorrow. It’s tomorrow. The release of Hannah and Other Stories! It’s tomorrow. YEEEEAGH!

I’m sorry, I’m a little excited. Can you tell?

So, as you know, Hannah and Other Stories will be releasing tomorrow, September 23rd. And for the past several weeks, I’ve been doing the #FirstLineFriday tag to help get people interested in the collection. If you’re unfamiliar with the rules of #FirstLineFriday, here they are:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s opening comes from What Errour Awoke, a cosmic horror tale with some British literature mixed in. Enjoy:

            “Now today class, we’ll be starting our unit on Edmund Spenser’s Faerie Queene.” Taylor wrote Faerie Queene in cursive on the whiteboard and turned back to the class. “You may recognize some stuff from our unit on Arthurian literature, as Arthur and a few other knights show up in this book. At the same time though, it’s not about Arthur or chivalry.”

Technically, this is three lines. But who cares? It’s my blog, I’ll do as I please. Anyway, how does this college class lead to a cosmic horror story? You can find out when Hannah and Other Stories releases tomorrow. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you think.

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

And if you want to do this tag yourself, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules and go to town on your own blog.

Well, that’s one more down. And one more to do next week, after the book is out. I hope you’re as excited as I am for Hannah to release. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Face of Horror: Onto the “Silver Bullet” Round

Posted: September 21, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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Well, we’re here again. Somehow, I survived. Can you believe it?

Well, actually, yes, I can. You Followers of Fear have been freaking amazing in supporting me in this! I have had so many people visiting my blog just so they can find the link to my profile page, which has allowed me to continue forward with the contest.

Now, I’m in the third round, AKA “The Silver Bullet” round. And if you keep voting for me and help me stay in the Top 10 of my group, I’ll move onto the next round. But I need you all to keep voting for me each day. If you feel comfortable with it, you can buy more votes by donating to a charity connected to the contest, but all I’m asking you to do is vote once a day.

Who knows? If I manage to keep going, I could get farther than I did last year. And if that happens, I could even win! I could get a cash prize and even meet Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th movies four freaking times! Wouldn’t that be amazing?

Though as I’ve said before, I won’t be bummed if I lose. I’ve tried hard this year and I’ve already benefited greatly from all your help in this contest. Still, it would be nice to win. I mean, isn’t it always nice to win?

Anyway, I’ll leave the link to vote below. This round will go until Thursday, September 28th, 2023 at around 11 PM EST. If I survive, you’ll hear about it then.

And then a few hours later, you’ll hear about Hannah! But that’s for another post.

For now though, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. I’ll be seeing you again very soon.

The Face of Horror contest

Getting Reprinted for the First Time

Posted: September 16, 2023 in Living and Life, Novelette, Scary Stuff, Writing
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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.

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

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.

Face of Horror contest

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got stuff to do, so I’m going to get on it. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 15, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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You ever go to visit family, and it all goes terribly wrong? Well, that describes the next story in Hannah and Other Stories very well. And I have the opening below.

As before, here are the rules for #FirstLineFriday, which I’ve brought back for Hannah‘s imminent release:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s opening is from The Red Bursts, which follows a man and his husband as they go to check on the man’s sister after she stops communicating with them. Once they get to the town, things go haywire pretty quickly. Enjoy:

“Okay, it says to turn left in a quarter mile,” said Joel Gladstein, looking up from his smartphone.

You know how every journey starts with a single step? He’s really going to regret that first step.

Anyway, if you would like to find out what happens once they get to the town, you should preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.

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

And if you would like to try this tag yourself, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules above, and I look forward to seeing what you post.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll see you all on the flipside. I hope you’re all excited for Hannah coming out soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Only Ten Days Away!!!

Posted: September 13, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Yeah, this September is going to be the month where I post about very little but Hannah. But you knew that going in, didn’t you?

Now, if you’re unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my latest collection of short stories, containing tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. You know, all the things that are perfect for the Halloween season. And the book releases on September 23rd, 2023. Which is…ten days away! EEEK!

***

Sorry, I had to go scream in terror and excitement while also performing a voodoo ritual to ensure the book’s success. Now, where were we? Oh yeah. So, as I’ve been saying, Hannah‘s release is just over a week away. And I am beyond excited for you to read it. I’ve been recording videos, going on podcasts (going to be on one tonight, actually), and obviously posting about it here nonstop. All in the name of getting people interested in reading this book, which my publisher and I have been working to get it ready for nearly two years now.

And I think you’re going to really like the stories inside. Each one is special to me and I think will resonate with readers of the horror genre (as well as possibly scare the shit out of readers who don’t read horror). Hannah is a fun ghost story told through the point of view of an experienced ghost hunter (and no, not one of those fakes); Queen Alice is a surprising thriller that crosses Alice in Wonderland with Slender Man; The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah is a dark, gruesome tale about a teen getting wrapped up in the machinations of a budding serial killer; Fuseli’s Horses is about carnivorous horses, and they are as terrifying as they are cool; The Red Bursts is the most abstract story, but it also talks a great deal about finding faith in tragic circumstances; What Errour Awoke takes cosmic horror to talk about the horrific events the world has suffered through the past few years; and Poor, Unfortunate Souls is about finding someone who understands in the depths of the Paris catacombs.

Awesome, right? I think so, too.

Anyway, I can’t wait to share this book with you and will do everything in my power so you’ll want to read it when it releases. If you’re interested, you can preorder it from any of the sites below. And if you end up reading it once it’s released, I hope you’ll leave a review with your thoughts. Even if it’s negative, I would appreciate the feedback. Plus, other readers would appreciate it, too.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything else comes up, I’ll be sure to let you know. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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

The Face of Horror: Onto the Full Moon Round

Posted: September 12, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
Tags: , , , , , , ,
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Well, it looks like I survived the first round of the Face of Horror contest, Followers of Fear. And it has amazed me how many of you came out in droves to vote for me! I kid you not, during the past week thousands of people have visited this very blog just to find the link to my profile page and cast their vote for me. So, thank you, Followers of Fear. I literally couldn’t be doing this without your support, and I hope you’ll continue to support it.

Now, for those unfamiliar, the Face of Horror contest is a contest where competitors try to gather the most votes and prove they’re the greatest horror aficionados around. The winner of the contest will get a cash prize and a photo shoot in Rue Morgue magazine with Kane Hodder, who played Jason Voorhees a total of four times. I participated last year and got pretty far, so I thought I would try again and see if I could get farther than before. And so far, I think I stand a chance.

Now, I don’t think I’ll win this contest. But I’m working to get as far as possible. Why? Because it’s fun, and I get so much out of it. I mean, I got to see just how much people were willing to support me in this contest! That’s amazing, and it makes me think that perhaps some of these people will also help me in other aspects of my career.

So, if you would like to help me (and understand, this is all voluntary on your part), you can do so by voting once per day on my profile page. You can also buy extra votes by donating to a cancer research charity connected to the contest, but I won’t urge you to do that unless you really want to. All I ask is that you go each day to my profile and vote for me so I can stay in the contest.

And speaking of which, we’re now in the “Full Moon” round. Between now and September 21st, I have to stay in the Top 15 in my group or I’ll get kicked out. I hope you’ll continue to help me out in that regard.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Below is the button to lead you to my profile. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

And no, there wasn’t a reference to Hannah in this post. Don’t worry, you’ll get a whole post about that in a few hours.

The Face of Horror
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