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 Hannahand 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.
You know, last year’s first story I finished in March? I know I was knee-deep in edits at the time, but still, I’m glad I could get this one finished in January!
So, as you can tell, I just finished my first story of 2024. The story, called “Hooty Boy,” (yes, that’s the title I’m going with) is about a young man with an extraordinary relationship with owls, and a girl he meets who’s interested in him. I described it online as a story about two strange owls courting, and that’s not too far off. The first draft is 23,304 words longs, making it a novella.
And you know what? I expect it to be even longer once it’s gone through a few edits. I feel like I could flesh it out a bit more, expand some scenes and perhaps give a minor character a bigger role like I originally planned.
But for now, I’m just happy to get the first draft done. As I said in one of my previous posts, I’ve been owl-obsessed for quite a while now, and I’ve known for just as long that I wanted to write a story around those birds. They’re so powerful and deadly, with sharp talons and beaks and wings that make no sound as they fly. Yet they’re also so sweet to their mates and young, and look so peaceful when they’re sleeping. Why wouldn’t I want to put them in a story?
And when I finally had the idea, I was excited to write the story. But then I finally got around to write it, and so many reasons cropped up to keep me from finishing it as fast as I wanted to. Hence why I spent most of today getting it done. Otherwise, it might never be done.
Well, it’s done now. And I think it has some potential, which I will attempt to bring out in subsequent drafts. Hopefully I can make it darker than it is now. There’s one scene that’s really dark, and I would like to see that darkness spread to the rest of the story. Or most of it, anyway.
For now, though, I’m hitting the hay. After all, it’s well past midnight. And after a day or two to recharge my creative juices, I’ll start a new story. I already know what sort of story I’m going to write. And I have a feeling it’s going to be a fairy–I mean, a fairly fun story.
And after that and maybe a few other projects, I’ll edit “Hooty Boy” and a few other stories, too. Hopefully then we’ll see them in print somewhere.
In the meantime, if you can’t wait, head to my Book Links and Excerpts page. You’ll find all my work there, including some free stories, that will surely entertain you or the horror fan in your life. And if you read them, I hope you’ll let me know what you think with a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Well, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I can hear my bed calling to me, telling me to get some sleep before the Ohio chapter of HWA meets tomorrow. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
As I promised last week, my mermaid horror story “Cressida” is now available for download as a free story.
If you’re not aware, “Cressida” was previously published back in 2021. The story follows a young man who is invited to his uncle’s beach house to visit him and his cousin. The thing is, the cousin committed suicide several years ago, and the young man witnessed her death himself. So, what’s going on at the beach house?
Obviously, you’ll have to read “it “Cressida” to find out.
And if you like “Cressida,” please check out the other free story available through this site, “Car Chasers,” which is like a Fast & Furious movie meets a ghost story. And if you like that, maybe you can check out all my other books. There are plenty of great stories available, and I include all the links so you can get them from the retailer of your choice. I’ll include a link below so you can browse and find one that speaks to you.
And if you like what you read, I hope you’ll leave a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback and it helps me out in the long run. Not to mention other readers find it helpful when deciding to check out a book.
One last thing, my Followers of Fear: this coming Friday, I’ll be at ConFusion in Novi, Michigan at the Sheraton Novi. From Friday, January 19 through Sunday, January 21, I’ll be selling books, doing Tarot readings, sitting on panels, and even doing a reading and book signing (God, I hope those are well attended)! If you would like to join me, check out the convention’s website here. You might still be able to join us.
I did say back in November that I would be publishing free short stories through this website. And after the success “Car Chasers” had, I’m releasing another story in just one week. Which story, you may ask? My mermaid horror story “Cressida.” That’s which one.
I’m really proud of “Cressida.” It follows a young man who gets called to his uncle’s vacation home, the latter saying he and the young man’s cousin are waiting to see him. The problem is, that very same cousin died several years prior at that same vacation house!
And if you’re wondering “Where does the mermaid come in?” Well, you’ll have to wait till “Cressida” releases in exactly one week. That’s right, it’s coming out on January 14, 2024. You’ll be able to read it on this blog or download it to the device of your choice.
In the meantime, you can still read “Car Chasers,” which is like a Fast & Furious movie meets a ghost story. I’ll leave it below if you’d like to read it. And if you like that, you can find my other works on my Book Links and Excerpts page. There will be further links to all my works there. If you end up reading any of those stories, I’ll hope you’ll leave me a review so that I know what you thought.
That’s all for my now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you have a good week, and until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear. I wasn’t going to do this sort of post, let alone on New Year’s Day. After all, I went over a lot of this stuff in my “Looking Back at 2023, Looking Forward to 2024” post. But plenty of my writer friends were posting their 2023 accomplishments and their 2024 goals on social media, so I thought, “Why shouldn’t I? And why should I limit myself to however many characters?”
Thus, I’m writing a full blog post.
So, with all that said, let’s get into my writing goals and how I plan to keep busy on the writing front.
FINISH THE SHORT WORKS I STARTED
After the Great Editing ended last year, I went through my list of ideas and chose seven story ideas I thought would be fun to work on (and hopefully had a chance of getting published). I’ve already finished two stories: a surprisingly short weird horror story called “White Leaves,” and a Jewish exorcism story called “The House on Lafayette Square.” And at the moment, I’m working on a story about owls under the temporary title “Strigiformes.”
With this particular goal, I aim to finish “Strigiformes” by Martin Luther King Day, and then get the other four stories done by around May. Don’t know if I will, but God knows I’m going to try. I’m already at the halfway point of “Strigiformes,” so assuming nothing messes with my life between now and the 15th, I should be off to a good start.
FINISH CRAWLER
My big project for 2024, assuming nothing else pops up, is to finally return to my mummy novel Crawler and finish it. Hopefully after I finish these last four and a half short works, and around May-ish. I want to go over what’s already been written, then get around to finishing the first draft.
Don’t know if it’ll get published at some point, but I definitely want it to be at least finished. I hate the feeling of it being left undone when I feel it has great potential.
GROW MY AUDIENCE
This one should be pretty self-explanatory. I love my Followers of Fear and how ardent you all can be, but I am a writer. We love having people enjoying our work. So, I’m trying to build my audience and the number of people who I can claim to be Followers of Fear.
Part of this will be done by selling books at events, which are great places to meet new readers, and another part will be some slight changes to how I do things on social media.* With a bit of luck, the right interactions, and sympathetic algorithms, maybe more people will come to love and look forward to my stories when they release.
*BTW, I’ve left Twitter due to Elon Musk going full anti-Semite and have moved to Threads and BlueSky. So, if you want to follow me there, click on the links.
GET SOME ACCEPTANCES
Again, this is also self-explanatory. While I do self-publish some of my work, I still like to get publishers to release some of my stories. There are benefits to going indie and going through a publisher. And all that being said, I hope to have some presses accept my stories and help me polish them up to their most beautiful before letting them out into the world.
And I may self-publish some stuff, as well. If the circumstances are right.
HAVE A GOOD 2024 FISCALLY
Writing is a passion and a calling, but it is also a job and a business. That’s especially true during tax time. And while this past year, I had the most income from writing ever, I also had a lot of expenses. Not enough to overtake my income, but still, a lot. For 2024, I hope to have fewer expenses. Or that my income far outpaces my expenses. It’s something I’ll be working on throughout the year, so hopefully it goes well.
MAYBE ANOTHER COLLECTION?
Yeah, putting together and editing Hannah was difficult at times, but it was gratifying, too. And I’m thinking of maybe putting together another collection. If I do, what stories will be in it, what it’ll be called, if there will be a theme, and if I self-publish it or not, we’ll see. This part of the future, at least, is still up in the air.
MAYBE AN ADAPTATION?
I know, I know. Getting any of my stories adapted into any medium is a long shot. Still, some things happened in 2023 that give me hope that it could happen. (And if you’re lucky, you’ll hear about what later this year.) So, I’m putting it on this list as a goal.
GET THAT MUCH CLOSER TO WRITING FULL-TIME
This is my overall goal for 2024. Granted, this is my overall goal every year. But I feel like I made significant progress this year towards this goal in 2023, and I feel like 2024 will take me even further. I want to get to the point where I can actually see a path to eventually being able to write full-time. Where it stops being just a dream and starts to morph into a reality.
If the majority of these go these goals go well, then maybe, just maybe, I’ll end 2024 with goals towards making dreams reality in 2025. And wouldn’t that be glorious?
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope 2024 treats us all very well (though honestly, I feel like roaring at the year to intimidate it instead of hoping it’s nice to us is a better move). Thank you for all the support you guys showed me in 2023. I hope you continue to do so in 2024. And one way to do that is to read my books and leave reviews, and/or follow my social media. I’ll leave buttons that’ll take you to where you can find both.
If you haven’t noticed, the year is ending soon. And there are some things I’ve been wanting to talk or share with you (especially if you’re not on my other social media) before the year ends. The problem is, I didn’t think any of them on their own were worth putting out a blog post for. However, then I had a thought: why not just combine all the random topics into one big post?
As you can see from the presence of this post, I went through on that dangerous idea, so let’s get to it and talk about random topics.
SWORDS
Every little boy dreams of having a sword at some point in their life. To slay the dragon, to fight the evil king, to reap the souls of the good and the damned as the Carnival of the Judges goes into full swing in the city center–oh wait, that last one is just me. But the point stands. And recently, I was able to make that dream come true.
Pretty cool, huh? A friend of mine is downsizing for a move, and he posted on Facebook to see if anyone wanted them. The price was too good, so I bought them. They arrived way earlier than expected, and so I got them hung up in my office on Christmas Eve. According to my friend, he bought them in Spain when he was there as a teenager many years ago. The top sword is an arming sword, and the bottom is a side sword.
Both are awesome, and either one would make an excellent deterrent for burglars and stalkers.
Anyway, my inner child is now very happy. And I promise my friend that I’d take good care of them, so that’s what I’ll do. I look forward to many years with them on my wall.
BANNER
Back in 2021, when I attended my first ParaPsyCon, my dad and stepmom stopped by to see how I was doing, and while there, they noticed another horror author who had a vertical banner behind his booth broadcasting what he wrote. My dad asked me, “Think you’ll get one of those?” I responded, “Someday.”
Someday is today. Thanks to the grant I got earlier this year, I was able to pay for some new author photos, which I then used to design a banner (this was after lots of concept testing that I did in one of my Facebook groups). I then bought the banner and the frame for it. I absolutely love it. And I have a feeling it’s going to help me find and connect with more readers at the events I’ll be attending in 2024. Including ParaPsyCon.
HOW TO BUILD A WRITING HABIT
I wanted to try something different with my YouTube channel, maybe see if doing so would help me to connect with more readers, writers, and horror fans. At the same time, I’ve been wanting to talk about the habits of building a writing habit for some time now. Like a TED talk or at a convention, if anyone would actually let me speak at one of those (given that it’s me, you understand the caution).
So, I thought I would combine the two and put out a video on YouTube talking about building a writing habit. It’s something I hadn’t tried before and I thought people might find it helpful. Who knows? Maybe it’ll help me connect with more writers, readers and horror fans. At the very least, it’s had more views than other videos I’ve posted, so I guess that’s a good sign. Maybe I’ll try a video like this again when I have the chance/inspiration.
But tell me, do you think this is a good video? Did what I discuss make sense or seem helpful? Any feedback you have would be helpful, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment.
OWLS ARE AWESOME
You probably didn’t see this one coming, did you?
For quite some time, I’ve been obsessed with owls. It started when I found this YouTube channel where a nature artist/filmmaker films the daily activities of the owls and other animals living around his British country home. Watching these owls sleep, raise their broods, and occasionally get into scrapes with each other made me fall in love with and then go down a rabbit hole of learning about owls.
And it’s not hard to see why. They fly with wings that don’t produce any noise, they pick up sounds and sights we’re wholly ignorant of (especially at night), and they can be the most loving partners and parents among birds you’ll ever see. No kidding, watch some of that YouTube channel’s videos. It’ll melt your heart and make you believe in love again. All this in these tiny, compact bodies with sharp beaks and talons that can take out both prey and predators. And which predate on each other if the circumstances are right (or wrong).
It’s kind of no wonder I’m obsessed now and want an owl to live near me. For now though, I’ll settle for writing about them. With any luck, I’ll have a great owl-themed story done some time next month. And who knows? If it gets published, you might become obsessed, too. Wouldn’t that be a hoot?
TALKING WITH MY OLD HEADMASTER
Not too long ago, my dad sent me an article from the Jerusalem Post. Someone I used to go to school with had had an article published in the Post, detailing how he, a reservist in Israel fighting in the current war in Gaza, left the battlefield to be at the birth of his son in Jerusalem. It was incredibly beautiful to read, and all I wanted to do was to give his dad, who used to be the headmaster at the school we attended, my sincere congratulations.
Earlier this week, I actually managed to talk with my headmaster. It was a blast from the past, to say the least. I don’t think I’ve seen this guy since I was eighteen. I used to stop by his office to tell him dumb jokes and even phone pranked him a couple of times (don’t worry, he thought it was hysterical as long as he wasn’t in a meeting). And yet we laughed and talked like not even a day had passed since I graduated. I found out how his family is doing (they’re all in Israel right now for the new grandchild) and he found out what I’m doing and how my family is.
I hope he and his family continue to do well and that his son stays safe. These are scary times, but talking with him reminded me that we can still find reasons to smile in the worst of times. At least, that’s how I see it.
GREETING 2024
I don’t know what your New Year’s plans are, but I know what mine are: order pizza, open a bottle of wine, and watch some movies. And when the stroke of midnight occurs, I’m not going to welcome 2024. I’m going to roar at it. Let it know that whatever it throws at me, I won’t let it bog me down or ruin me. Instead, I’ll fight on and give it something to reckon with. Maybe 2024 will be so intimidated, it’ll give me a great year out of fear.
Sounds silly, I know, but so are a lot of traditions and beliefs I could name. And with an election year just around the corner, we’ll need all the luck we could use.
So, if you like, roar with me at midnight on December 31st. We’ll show 2024 who’s boss.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. As I said, I wanted to get this all out before the end of the year. If you made it to the end of the post, thanks for reading. And if I don’t catch you before December 31st at 11:59 PM, I wish you all a Happy New Year and pleasant nightmares.
Iseult Murphy has been a friend and Follower of Fear since Rose came out, and I have always enjoyed not just hearing what she thought of my stories, but having conversations with her through blog comments, social media and email. But Iseult is not just a friend or a Follower of Fear. She’s a fellow horror author, and she recently put out a new novella, Gone But Not Forgotten. It sounded interesting and I’m very into authors supporting other authors, so I got a copy.
For someone who has Halloween every day in my soul, this was a good choice.
Taking place on Halloween in Ireland, Gone But Not Forgotten follows widow Mere as she goes to visit her friend and neighbor Bill, a widower who lost his wife Donna about a year ago. Bill has been having a rather rough go of it, as he’s seeing Donna everywhere. As it turns out, Mere can see her, too. And Donna’s not resting peacefully.
What I liked most about Gone But Not Forgotten was that it did not go in the direction I expected. When you’ve been reading horror as long as I have, you get good at guessing plot developments. But I did not see the development that occurred midway through the novella, and which really changed my outlook of the story. I won’t say what it was, because spoilers, but it was worth the read.
I also liked Mere as a protagonist. She’s sweet and a bit naive for her age, but I found her quite endearing as a person and was rooting for her throughout the story.
If there was one thing I would have liked more, I thought there could have been a bit more danger and violence to the story. Things were a bit too calm for my tastes. As it is, the levels of violence and threat put things more in line with cozy horror, which I’m sure many would enjoy. But it just wasn’t enough for me.
On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m going to give Gone But Not Forgotten by Iseult Murphy a 4.5. If you’re looking to feel that Halloween spirit at any time of year, this is a good novella to go with. Have some brack bread and an amaretto sour and pick up a copy today.*
*Irish barmbrack, or just brack, is a type of bread eaten in Ireland around Halloween. People would often put little things like rings or toys in it to tell fortunes. It features in the story, as do amaretto sours, which Mere drinks during the story.
And next Halloween, I’m definitely going to attempt to make a barmbrack bread. The amaretto sour, I’m not so sure. I already have a favorite cocktail.
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.
Praise the King in Yellow, because Solar Press Books has released its first anthology of horror, The Solar Press Horror Anthology Volume I. As you are probably aware, this book contains my story “The Dedication of the High Priestess.” I’m so excited, because this is both my first paid reprint and this particular story’s first time in print! (It was previously published on the Tales to Terrify podcast.)
I also consider “Dedication” some of my best work. The story follows a young ballerina who believes she’s getting the opportunity of a lifetime to model for a famous artist, only to find herself on the path to a dark destiny. Kind of a twist on the coming-of-age story if you think about it.
But besides “Dedication,” there are sixteen other scary tales in the anthology worth checking out. One of them is even written by a friend of mine, Ann Heyward. We’re both Ohio horror writers and we’re both thrilled to be part of the same anthology. I’m looking forward to her reading my story and me reading hers.
Anyway, if you want to check it out, or if you want to get a copy as a gift for someone (it is the holiday season, after all), you can order them using the links below. One site is for readers in the UK and Europe, the other is for those of us in the US of A. And if you like what you read, leave a review or spread the word via social media. Not only do we love the feedback, but it lets other readers know that the book is worth checking out.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, happy reading, and pleasant nightmares.
So, a couple of things happened recently, and I thought I would put out a quick post so that you know. Not sure you’ll actually be interested, but I thought I’d let you know anyway.
First off, I have a new event I’ll be vending at. I found out about it, submitted an application, and was confirmed for it yesterday, all in the span of a few hours. The event is called ShamROCK, and is being held by the Magical Druid, the same store that sponsored the Columbus Witches Ball I attended back in 2022. This will be a spring variant, meant to welcome spring in with Irish music and ritual and a cash bar. Sounds like fun, no? Anyway, it takes place on Saturday, March 16th, 2023 from 3 PM – 11 PM at the Courtyard by Marriott West Columbus in Columbus, OH. You can buy tickets using this link.
So, for a quick recap, here are the events I’ll be attending in 2024 as of December 9, 2023:
ConFusion SF in Novi, MI. Taking place at the Novi Sheraton from January 19-21, 2024. More information on the website here.
ShamROCK in Columbus, OH. Taking place at the Courtyard by Marriott West Columbus on March 16, 2024. Tickets can be bought here.
ParaPsyCon in Mansfield, OH. Taking place at the Ohio State Reformatory on May 17-19, 2024. More information can be found here.
Indie Author Book Expo in Terre Haute, IN. Taking place at the Terre Haute Convention Center on August 10, 2024. You can find out about Indie Author Book Expo here.
Wow, my schedule is getting pretty busy. And I’m waiting to hear back on a few more, so we could see a longer post in the future.
On another note, I had an article published yesterday in Space and Time Magazine. Yep, that Space and Time Magazine. The article is called “From Mushrooms to Writers’ Minds: How Alice in Wonderland Continues to Metamorphose in Our Imagination.” As you can tell from the title, it explores Alice in Wonderland. Specifically, why we keep using and reinterpreting Alice in Wonderland in our fiction.
And yes, I mention “Queen Alice” in the article. How could I not?
Anyway, if you would like to check it out, the article is in Space and Time Fall/Winter #145. You can buy a copy from Amazon, which you can check out here. I would love to hear what you think. I’m proud of the article.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything comes up in the near future, I will let you know. Until next time, good night, read plenty of horror (not necessarily mine, though I appreciate it when you do), pleasant nightmares, and Happy 3rd Night of Hanukkah!
Rami Ungar The Writer 