Posts Tagged ‘Gestalt Media’

“Haunted: True Tales of the Paranormal” Has Been Released!!!

Posted: October 19, 2020 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff
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There was an unfortunate delay last week, but I’m happy to let you know that “Haunted: True Tales of the Paranormal” has been released!

Now, if you missed the announcement last week, let me tell you about “Haunted.” To put it simply, it’s an audio collection of stories of the paranormal. Real people have come forward and told their stories of encountering the paranormal and the supernatural in the form of a campfire story. And I was one of the people who got interviewed!

I’m very excited for you to check out “Haunted.” It’s available from Gestalt Media, the company that put the collection together, and you can buy just the audio collection for 3.5 hours of creepy stories. Or you can buy the companion guide, which contains the complete transcripts of the interviews, follow-up questions, photos of the locations, and maybe an actual image of a spirit!

And it can all be found on Gestalt Media’s website.

I look forward to hearing what you have to say about the collection. I’ll be listening right alongside you.

Now if anyone needs me, I’m either going to be at work or I’m going to be competing on a nightmarish version of The Bachelorette involving torture, demons, and a Gothic, labyrinthine castle in the middle of the Rocky Mountains. I forget which. Either way, I’ll be listening to “Haunted” and having a ton of fun.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, stay safe and pleasant nightmares!

Haunted: An Audio Publishing Announcement!!!

Posted: October 13, 2020 in Scary Stuff
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I know you’re all expecting me to recount my adventure at the Bellaire House over the weekend. Believe me, I’m working on it and will have that out as soon as I can manage it. In the meantime, I’ve some other things to take care of. Including a special announcement. One I’ve been sitting on for quite some time.

Some time ago, I was asked by Jason Stokes, owner of publisher Gestalt Media, if I wouldn’t mind taking part in a project called Haunted. The project is a collection of audio recordings of various people, quite a number of them creative types like myself, recounting their experiences with the paranormal. Given that I go to haunted locations at least once a year and I have plenty of stories to tell, I said yes.

It’s been agony keeping this in for so long. But I’m pleased to announce that Haunted, as well as its print companion guide, will be released on Thursday, October 15th, 2020. You can check out the art for the collection below.

Pretty awesome, right? And the collection will have music in the background, each track written and fitted for each story by Mombi Yuleman, a musician specializing in dark, cinematic ambient music. The track behind my section is called “Lizzie Borden.” Gee, I wonder what it could be about?

Anyway, you can expect links to both the collection and the companion guide as soon as they’re up. I hope you’ll consider checking Haunted out when it’s available, and leaving reviews so people know what you think. I’m really excited for you to hear about some of my paranormal experiences,* as well as those of these others.

I also hope you’ll check out Gestalt Media’s other works, which you can find on their website. It’s a great company devoted to putting authors first, and even did fundraising for their authors after the pandemic hit and cut into many authors’ incomes from events. They also were behind Dark Tides, a charity anthology that benefits victims of the Virginia Beach shootings and their families. I can’t think of a better reason to support a company.

Thanks for supporting, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re as excited as I am about Haunted. I promise to share the links as soon as I have them. In the meantime, I’ll be busy uploading videos and photos, writing blog posts, writing stories, editing stories, making moves and making deals, summoning demons, raising hellhounds, and a million other things (and that’s just the writing-related stuff). I’m having a busy October!

Until next time, pleasant nightmares!

*Obviously, the Bellaire House won’t be among the ones included.

Gestalt Media is Raising Money for its Authors

Posted: March 28, 2020 in Living and Life, Social Activism, Writing
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The other day, I posted my thoughts on the COVID-19 virus. Among those thoughts was my desire for writers and readers alike to support authors who will be struggling during the ongoing crisis. For a lot of authors, this crisis will cut into conventions, teaching seminars, readings, and so much more that they rely on to sell their books and use their craft. The best thing we can do for those authors is to support them. This could be by buying their work, writing their reviews, anything else you can do to help them out while we’re all stuck inside and trying to protect our health.

That said, there’s an opportunity to do just that.

I’ve known Jason Stokes, owner of Gestalt Media, for about a year. He’s a writer whose work I’ve read and reviewed, but he’s also the owner of a publishing company that tries to give authors the best experience with a publisher as possible. This includes better royalty rates and more control over the creative process than you might find at another publisher. And the model’s worked so far; in the year or so they’ve been in business, Gestalt Media has acquired a number of authors, many of them horror authors, and are sending their stories into the marketplace.

Not only that, but Gestalt Media put together a charity anthology last year for victims of the Virginia Beach shooting which included the likes of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman. Yeah, not kidding, those authors let their short stories be used in the anthology, Dark Tides, to benefit victims and families of victims of that charity. You can check out the anthology’s Amazon page by clicking on this link.

Anyway, just like authors everywhere else, Gestalt Media is working hard to support its authors during this difficult time. They’re raising money on GoFundMe to ensure their authors are able to whether the storm, and they’ve already made almost ten percent of their goal. And for every dollar they make, companies like GoFundMe, Intuit and Yelp will match them. Yeah, every dollar does count here!*

Now, I know a lot of you might be struggling yourselves during this difficult time. Many of us are out of work and unable to make an income during this crisis. I understand. But if you are able to help somehow, please consider doing so.  I’m lucky enough to still be working and making enough money to meet my needs, so I was able to donate. And if I can, I want to help further, so I’m spreading the word where I can.

And if you can’t help out monetarily, maybe consider sharing the campaign on your social media. The more people who know about this,  the more people will be likely to donate. And if you can help out monetarily, great! You’ll be helping out plenty of authors.

Whatever way you can help, please do. We’re all in this together. In fact, the whole point of all these measures is to make sure we all get through the crisis together. This would only be a continuation of the communal preservation we’re engaging in.

And if you can’t help out, that’s fine too. We all have things we can and can’t do, even now.

Well, that’s all for now, Followers of Fear. I’ll include the link for the fundraiser down below. Until next time, pleasant nightmares!

Gestalt Media Creators Relief Fund

*How they were able to work that deal, I don’t know, but I’m not going to complain when they’re able to get results.

Conversations with Jason Stokes

Posted: March 10, 2019 in Author Interciew, Novel, Reflections, Writing
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Author Jason Stokes in an adorable photo with one of his cats.

It’s been a while, but I have a new author interview to share with everyone. This one is with an author with an extraordinary story, both in terms of the novel he’s published and his own life experiences. Allow me to introduce Jason Stokes, author of the new novel Watcher.

Rami Ungar: Welcome to the show, Jason. Please tell us about yourself and about Watcher.

Jason Stokes: My name is Jason Stokes. I am a writer and artist currently living in the mountains of western North Carolina.

Watcher is about a young woman diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis who witnesses a horrific crime via hacked webcams. Due to her own lifestyle, she is forced to make a decision between preserving her own safety and seeking justice for a woman she’s never met. In the process she finds herself against the most powerful citizens in her city and untangling a web of corruption that involves nearly everyone she meets.

RU: You wrote Watcher while taking care of your life, who has MS, and who gave a lot of input on the story. Can you tell us what that was like?

JS: It felt like it was time for a character that had the same struggles I’ve seen her go through and exposed the way caretakers in chronically ill lives support those they care about. I wanted her to have a hero she could relate to. She was invaluable, answering questions about how she would handle specific situations, helping me walk in her shoes and uncovering things I had never thought of.

RU: Did the idea for the novel evolve out of your wife’s diagnosis? Or did it influence an already-existing idea?

JS: I had an idea but It was all wrong. It was overdone and I wasn’t feeling excited by it. When I asked myself, how would she (my wife) handle this? It started to come together. I saw a story that had more depth and stakes that were higher than your average mystery/suspense story. When she (the MC)  wakes up every morning she is already at a disadvantage and it doesn’t get any easier from there.

RU: You founded the company, Gestalt Media, that published Watcher. Why go that route?

JS: Ultimately I’m a control freak but I also want to have a role in bringing forward original projects. I wanted full control over my own work and knew the stigma of self-publishing but I also know several creators and I wanted to help bring their projects to fruition. I’m currently working with an artist/writer to publish a series of offbeat comics sometime this year.

RU: On Twitter, you spoke about how a local bookstore refused to carry Watcher. Can you tell us why and how that made you feel?

JS: The store in question refused to carry Watcher because the main character has MS but I (the author) do not. Their stance is not unique. It is a trend among publishers and retail stores to insist on own voices and to refuse books by those outside of the represented  community. I felt that as my wife’s caretaker for the last six years, I have lived this as much as anyone aside from her. I wrote it with extreme care and respect and sought her input through the entire process. The fact is, there are people whose stories deserve to be told that may not be able to for whatever reason put it into words. As authors it is our responsibility to interpret and share the world. We often take ourselves out of the equation. If it’s done with respect, care and attention to the group being represented that should be enough.

I don’t think the store itself is wrong for their viewpoint. It’s their choice but I disagree with the narrow lane it provides for future literature. As I’ve said, it’s a good intent with misguided execution.

RU: I know this is tough to ask, but how are you and your wife doing these days?

JS: As well as we can. It’s a brutal disease and every day is a little worse than the last but we stay in good spirits. She’s a fighter, a true inspiration and I’m proud to stand beside her on this journey. As long as research continues we have something to look forward to. Anything can happen.

The cover for “Watcher” by Jason Stokes.

RU: That’s good. Can you tell us what your writing process is like, if you have one?

JS: I subscribe heavily to the tenets of the Snowflake theory outlined by Randy Ingermanson. Generally I will come up with a character or a situation I find appealing. Something that isn’t often seen or a new angle. Then I’ll place it in a world and find a central scene, something that brings the story to life. From there I’ll build out starting with a two or three sentence synopsis, then a few paragraphs, then a list of scenes, until the whole things appears.

RU: Are you working on anything now or have any future plans as far as writing goes?

JS: Too many things! There’s never a shortage of ideas and projects begging for time. I have another novel coming in time for Halloween. Ghost Story is the beginning of a series involving a protagonist that can see the dead on a road trip to discover more about his exceptionally unusual past.

RU: What advice would you have for other writers, no matter their background or level of experience?

JS: I’m going to quote Chuck Wendig ‘Finish your sh*t.’ You have to finish. As scary as it is. As difficult as it can seem. The real journey begins when you write ‘the end.’

RU: And finally, if you were stuck on a desert island for a while and could only bring three books with you, which ones would you take?

JS: Well, I think it would be only prudent to include the Worst Case Scenario Survival Guide. Alternately the Boyscouts of America field book if it was available. Next I’d bring along Robinson Crusoe for obvious reasons and Jurassic Park because it is the single most entertaining novel I’ve ever read.

RU: Thank you for being on the show, Jason, and the best of luck to you and your wife, both with Watcher and in life.

If you would like to check out Watcher (I’ve already sent a request into my local library to order a couple copies), you can get it for Kindle and in paperback from Amazon. If you’re interested in more of Jason Stokes, check him out on Twitter. I highly recommend you consider doing both.

And if you would like to be interviewed for an upcoming or recent release, either check out my Interviews page or send an email to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com, and we’ll see if we can’t make some magic happen.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, pleasant nightmares!