Posts Tagged ‘Hannah’

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.

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Apple Books
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Wook

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Three Months Since Release

Posted: December 23, 2023 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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As my publisher said to me earlier this week, “They grow up so fast.”

It’s been exactly three months since my latest book and latest collection, Hannah and Other Stories, was released (and the anniversary even falls on a Saturday!). If you’re unaware, the collection contains seven tales that feature ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. It’s the product of a lot of hard work over two years between me and my publisher.

And in the three months since I’ve released it, I’ve been hard at work to ensure it reaches as many readers as possible. Just the other day, I was on a podcast talking about it (should be out next week, I’ll post a link to my social media when it comes out). It hasn’t been easy getting people to read it, partly due to the fact that the book’s still currently available only in ebook, and partly due to the plethora of other writers out there with millions of other books out there. And I’m my own marketing team, so it’s all on me to get people interested.

Still, there have been results. I’ve gotten some reviews and those who’ve read the book have been mostly positive. Just check out this review my friend Allen Huntsman, AKA Death Ground Reviews, left on his YouTube channel about Hannah.

Some things he didn’t care for, but mostly good. And I have to agree: if you want to see if my work is right for you, this book might be a good start. Especially if you enjoy carnivorous horses.

And representation. I try to represent plenty of different kinds of characters and from what I hear, the results have been well received. Then again, when you write about communities you’re familiar with because you’re part of them, it’s probably going to turn out better.

Anyway, it’s been hard work, and I’m hoping that all this work will lead to good things for Hannah. Hopefully a paperback and maybe even an audio book. Maybe someone will figure out whom the character of Hannah is based on. Yes, the character of Hannah is based on a real person. If you guess who it is, I will name a character after you and you will not be dissatisfied with the results.

And if you are at all interested in reading the collection, I’ll leave links below. Like I said, it’s currently only available in ebook, but hopefully a paperback and maybe even an audio book aren’t too far away, so supporting the ebook is a good way to help. And if you decide to read the ebook, I hope you’ll leave a review letting me, and other readers, know what you think.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got a big day ahead of me. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and if I don’t catch you before Monday, a Merry Christmas to all who celebrate.

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Hannah and Other Stories: All the Excerpt Videos

Posted: October 10, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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If you weren’t aware, I have a YouTube channel (which you can find here). And over the past several weeks and months, I’ve been uploading videos of me reading from Hannah and Other Stories. And as of earlier this week, I’ve uploaded videos from each story in the collection. And since everyone here doesn’t subscribe to my YouTube channel (a crying shame, I know), I thought I would post all those videos here on the blog for you to see. In the order they were uploaded, too.

First, we have “What Errour Awoke,” which is probably my favorite story to read from:

I know the angle for this one was weird. First video trying to be atmospheric and all that. We had improvement with the next video, which was directly from “Hannah:”

And with the “Queen Alice” video, I got special stands for my candles. They rock!

After that, I went with “The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah,” which is the closest to extreme horror Hannah gets.

And then we get to the carnivorous horses. You know, “Fuseli’s Horses?” That’s a popular story in the collection.

Then we have The Red Bursts.

And finally, we have “Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” which has a similar camera angle as the first video. Totally not intentional, but in a weird way, it was kind of like going full circle.

Well, I hope you enjoyed those. I know they’re not much, but I do these videos so that you may possibly show interest in the collection. And in that spirit, I’ll be posting links below. If you’re interested, please check out Hannah and Other Stories and let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and doing so helps other readers decide whether to check out the book.

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

Also, if you could subscribe to my YouTube channel, I would appreciate it. The stuff I post isn’t like the top YouTubers, but often they’re stuff I love or want to share it. And occasionally I even get ghosts on camera! So check it out.

And if you could, I’m trying to up my rank in the Face of Horror contest, so if you could vote for me, I would appreciate it. Who knows? I may even win. Thanks!

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I swear, I’ll do some non-Hannah or Face of Horror posts in the near future. Hopefully, you all aren’t annoyed with all this promotional stuff. 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!

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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!

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Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: August 25, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Well, we’re back again, folks. #FirstLineFriday is back, just as promised. And this time, the story we’ll be quoting from tends to get…curiouser and curiouser.

So, if you weren’t here last week, #FirstLineFriday is a tag I’m bringing back in honor of the upcoming release of Hannah and Other Stories. Last week, I did the opening lines from Hannah (you can check out that post here), so it only makes sense to do the next story in the collection.

But first, the rules of #FirstLineFriday:

  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).

And today, the story from Hannah and Other Stories will be Queen Alice, AKA the story that crosses Alice in Wonderland with Slender Man. Enjoy:

In the WIDI studios on State Street in the heart of downtown Columbus, Joshua Blumfield patiently sat as the make-up artist brushed an eyelash from his cheek. She then put her brush on the vanity.

Not the most terrifying beginning…but then, Alice in Wonderland‘s opening was pretty quiet in and of itself.

Anyway, what did you think of the opening of Queen Alice? Is this Blumfield a reporter? And what’s he reporting about? For the first question, let’s talk in the comments below, and for the latter two, you’ll have to read Hannah and Other Stories, which you can preorder using the below buttons. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.

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

And if you would like to try this tag as well, by all means please copy the rules above and try the tag yourself for next week.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back next week for the next story in Hannah and Other Stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Only One Month Till Release!!!

Posted: August 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Run for your lives! Light a magic candle! Pray to the Great Old Ones to be left alone! Hannah and Other Stories releases in just one month!

As you’re probably aware, Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories which is releasing on September 23rd, 2023. This collection contains seven original tales, featuring tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. My publisher, BSC Publishing Group, and I have been working on this book for two years, so we’re very excited for people to read it. Hell, I’m kind of hoping it becomes one of the most talked about books for the Halloween season this year.

At the very least, I want to get the book in paperback. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if it does well, it’ll get a paperback. Maybe even an audio book.

With that in mind, we’re also doing everything we can to get people interested in the book and in maybe preordering a copy. On my end, I’ve been posting YouTube videos where I read sections from the book. A couple of the videos I’ve done are below.

Not bad, right? I tried to create an atmosphere to go with the stories, and I plan to do the stories I haven’t covered before it releases.

And BSC has been doing some amazing excerpts as well, only they’ve been posting these beautiful graphics that they do in-house! I absolutely love them. Here’s some of the most recent.

Pretty awesome, right? And you can see all the excerpts BSC has made on Hannah‘s personal page on this blog.

Anyway, I’m super excited for people to read it. These stories are all beloved to me in each their own way. What Errour Awoke is a story that not only allowed me to tap into my love of cosmic horror, but helped me to deal with world events that were causing me anxiety at the time of writing. Hannah and Queen Alice were both fun to write, with the former being inspired by a ghost story that’s always fascinated me, and the latter being an interesting mashup of Alice in Wonderland with Slender Man. The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah was a story where I experimented with extreme horror and splatterpunk that I hadn’t done before, while Poor, Unfortunate Souls made for a heartfelt story of acceptance and hardship in the midst of the Paris catacombs. The Red Bursts gave me an unexpected story of finding faith in dark situations, and Fuseli’s Horses allowed me to have fun with a new monster while also playing with some teenage drama.

I can’t wait to see what people think when they read them.

And if any of this has made you want to read Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll include the links to preorder it below. That’s right, “links.” As of this past weekend, Hannah and Other Stories is available to preorder from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers, including a few international ones. I’ll include links for all the shops below, and I’ll be sure to update future posts as BSC lets me more stores are carrying the book.

And if you like what you read this September, please be sure to leave a review online somewhere. 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’ll be sure to post more updates as we get closer to the release date. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Site
Kobo
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#FirstLineFriday

Posted: August 18, 2023 in short story, Writing
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It’s time I brought back something I haven’t done for a very, very long time. And I’m doing it for every story in Hannah.

So, for those of you unaware, for a while, it was a thing for authors to post the first line of a story that was either being written or about to be published on social media or blogs. And we called it #FirstLineFriday, hashtag included. I was a big fan, and did it regularly for a few years, though I made it only a special occasion thing around 2021.

Well, it’s now 2023 and I have a new collection of short stories out in…36 days! Wow, time flies. Anyway, with Hannah and Other Stories releasing soon, I thought it would be fun to bring back this tag and post the first line or two from each story in the collection leading up to its release. And hey, it might get some of you interested in reading the book, right?

Anyway, here are the rules of #FirstLineFriday for those who aren’t initiated:

  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).

Sounds simple enough, right? And I already have the first two rules taken care of, so let’s do #3. Obviously, this set of lines comes straight from Hannah itself:

The Penton Incident, as I call it, began as many of our ghost hunts did.

But how do their ghost hunts start? How do they start?! I guess you’ll have to read Hannah and Other Stories to find out. And if you want to read Hannah, you can preorder a copy using the below button. Also, what do you think of the opening? Does it make you curious? Let me know in the comments below.

Preorder Hannah and Other Stories

Also, you should try the #FirstLineFriday tag. Just copy and paste the rules, then follow them with a story of your own. Of course, if you prefer to be tagged, then consider yourself tagged. Now go and make a blog post.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll have the first couple of lines for Queen Alice next week. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Two Months Till Release!!!

Posted: July 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Did you know that we’re only a hundred days away from Halloween? It’s true. And I can’t think of any way to celebrate the opening of spooky season than preordering what will surely be one of the best horror releases of 2023.

Okay, terrible opening aside, it is both 100 days away from Halloween and two months till the release of Hannah and Other Stories. For those of you who don’t know (I’m sure there are a few of you out there), Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories. It’s being released on September 23rd by BSC Publishing Group and features tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things.

And I am so excited for people to read these stories. The seven stories are all plenty fun and strange and unique, which is what I love. The title story, “Hannah,” is about a pair of ghost hunters who get more than they bargain for when they investigate a haunted school. The one that follows it, “Queen Alice,” combines Alice in Wonderland with Slenderman, which I’m sure would intrigue many of you. The story “What Errour Awoke” combines classic English literature, cosmic horror and some of the biggest events of the past few years into an epic tale of magic and horror. “Fuseli’s Horses” contains those carnivorous horses I mentioned, and come on! Don’t you want to know how that works?

Plus, half of the stories contain LGBT characters and “What Errour Awoke” deals with a lot of the conspiracy bullshit we’ve been dealing with these past few years, so I’m sure someone’s going to try to get it banned from a library or school at some point. I’m sure more people will want to read it just for that.

But back on track. I’m so excited for people to read these stories, and I’m doing all I can to get people interested in preordering copies. It hasn’t been easy (see my recent post on marketing), but I feel I’m making headway. For example, I’ve posted some videos on my YouTube channel, and they’ve gotten some attention. Below are some of the ones I think really help with the sell.

If you watched all those videos, or even just one, thank you. That helps immensely.

I’m also releasing tons of excerpts, some of which are below. And I’m appearing on podcasts soon. Plus, with the eARC almost ready, that will mean I can do a lot that will surely heighten Hannah‘s profile, not the least of which will be the eARC readers, some of whom are very well known in horror, may help spread the good word about it.

Hopefully by September 23rd, there will be plenty of buzz for Hannah.

In the meantime, I’ll leave a button down below. If you click it, you’ll be taken to the preorder page for Hannah. I hope you do and you decide to preorder a copy. Every copy helps immensely. And I know it’s only going to be in ebook at first, but if Hannah does well, a paperback version isn’t out of the question. Maybe even an audio book.

So if you’re at all interested, preorder a copy. And be sure to talk about Hannah on your social media. The more people talking about Hannah, the likelier it is to be ordered and read and reviewed. All that will help this book be as successful as possible.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I look forward to Hannah‘s release and what you think of it. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and–look out! There’s a carnivorous horse behind you!

Click to preorder Hannah and Other Stories

EXCERPTS FROM HANNAH AND OTHER STORIES

Hannah and Other Stories: More Excerpts With Graphics

Posted: June 29, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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So a few weeks back, I posted some excerpts for Hannah and Other Stories that my publisher and I had created. These excerpts each had beautiful backgrounds and graphics to match each story, and I was really proud of each and every one of them (even though I only made three). And at the end of that post, I promised to post the other graphics as soon as they were available.

I should have said as soon as there were more of them and I had the time, which is what happened. But oh well. All the excerpts are out on my other social media, so let’s post them all here.

For a refresher, here are the ones from the last post. These first two are from BSC Publishing Group and are from “The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah” and “Fuseli’s Horses.”

Then we had one from “Queen Alice,” which I made. If you can’t tell, Alice in Wonderland is a big influence on this particular story.

And now for the new stuff. Here’s two more from me. One is another from “Fuseli’s Horses,” while the other is from “Hannah.”

Pretty neat, right? I wanted to use some atmospheric quotes and combine them with matching images. I’m happy to say, I think I succeeded.

Now, check out these excerpts from BSC Publishing Group. I swear, Peyton, my editor, went all out on these and they’re amazing. First, we have “The Red Bursts,” with the most scenic background.

Then we have the inciting incident, “What Errour Awoke,” which combines classic English poetry with cosmic horror and contemporary events.

I wonder what he’s screaming about? Well, I know, but I’ll never tell. Next, we have another from “Hannah” which introduces the main characters, Dominic Holmes and Diesel Berkowitz. They’re ghost hunters with their own ghost hunting show. Maybe you’ll want to check it out?

After that, we have an excerpt from “Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” which takes place in the Paris catacombs. Finally get to publish a story with that beautiful and terrifying location as the setting.

Did that make you feel claustrophobic? I’m hoping it did.

Finally, we have another one from “Queen Alice,” which BSC dropped yesterday. Don’t be fooled by the sweet prose or unassuming background, however. This tale is as dark as a pool of water on a moonless night.

So there you have it. Ten excerpts, seven by BSC Publishing Group and three by me. And who knows? Maybe more excerpts will drop between now and September 23rd. Maybe even other types of content. I already put a video about “Queen Alice” on my YouTube channel (you can check it out here), and I will probably add more videos (so subscribe there as well). Whatever there is, I’ll be share it with you, no matter the platform.

And, of course, you can preorder Hannah and Other Stories here if these excerpts have intrigued you at all. Right now, it’s only available as an ebook, but if it does well in preorders, sales and reviews, we may see a paperback and even an audio book version in the near future. That’s even more incentive to preorder a copy, if you ask me.

And if you want one more excerpt, you can click here for that. It’s a digital copy of the chapbook I’ve been giving away at events. It’s quite popular.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back soon. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares. I’m off to do some reading before bed.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” The Preorder Link is Live!!!

Posted: June 1, 2023 in Progress Report, short story, Writing
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It’s alive! It’s ALIVE!

Specifically, the link to preorder Hannah and Other Stories is live now. As you know, Hannah and Other Stories is my new collection of short stories, and it’s releasing September 23rd, 2023. The collection contains stories of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. And as of this morning, you can preorder it using the link below.

At the moment, you can only preorder it as an ebook. However, if preorders, sales and reviews are good, we may be able to expand into paperbacks and maybe even an audiobook! So please, if you’re at all interested, click on the link below and order a copy ahead of time! And in the meantime, I’ll do my best to make you want to read the book!

PREORDER LINK FOR HANNAH AND OTHER STORIES

Speaking of doing my best, check this out: BSC Publishing Group, the publisher releasing Hannah, came up with all these marketing materials to help promote the book at events. You can see some photos of them below:

A chapbook containing excerpts from the stories “Hannah” and “Queen Alice.”
Pretty sweet bookmark.
Bookplates! You can paste them to the inside cover of your books, making them collectible (especially if I sign them).
Stickers and little photo cutouts of the cover!
A big poster with a description of the book! Now that’s something to catch the eye.

Pretty sweet, right? I never had this sort of support from a publisher before, so it’s a nice change of pace. And BSC does this for all their writers, so that’s pretty awesome for us. My favorites are the chapbooks and the poster. Not only are they well made, but I think they’ll especially draw the readers in. And now that the link is live, we can slap a QR code somewhere on that poster so people can preorder with their phones.

Anyway, I hope you didn’t mind me showing off the cool marketing materials and trying to entice you to preorder a copy of Hannah and Other Stories. Still, I hope you’ll check out the book and even consider preordering a copy. And if you do order a copy and read it, I hope you’ll review it after the release. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and reviews help other readers as well.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m happy to report that while I’m not at one-hundred percent yet, I’m feeling much better than I have been. I might even do some writing this weekend. Maybe it’s all the self-care I’ve been doing lately. It makes such a big difference.

Anyway, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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