Posts Tagged ‘living and life’

“Hannah and Other Stories:” One Week Till Re-Release!!!

Posted: September 16, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Time flies when you’re visiting horror museums and editing stories, doesn’t it?

So, we’re one week away from the re-release of Hannah and Other Stories. If you’re unaware, this is a collection of short stories that was originally published in 2023. The stories include tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and even carnivorous horses. The book went out of print at the end of 2024 when my contract with the publisher expired, but I’m re-releasing it a week from today, on Tuesday, September 23, 2025. Two years from the day it was originally released.

And in paperback, no less! Last time, it was only available in ebook (don’t ask). I’m excited to see it in paperback.

Not to mention, with a new cover and a fresh new edit on the story. It looks absolutely beautiful, both inside and out, and I can’t wait for people to read it. Perhaps, if enough people check out the new edition, both physical and digital, there can even be an audio version. You never know.

And if you’re looking for a good collection to read this spooky season, or you’re interested in supporting me, or both, guess what? Hannah and Other Stories will be out in one week, but it’s available for preorder. (Paperback is only available for preorder at Barnes & Noble, because Amazon is weird that way and Kobo and Apple Books is digital only.) So, if you’d like to preorder a copy, I’ll include links to the retailers below.

And if you end up reading it and liking it, I hope you’ll leave a review. Positive or negative, I leave reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers in the long run.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll see you next week, when the book comes out. May be having a sweet drink, too. But until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 45 days till Halloween. Is that one of the Thousand Young in my front yard? And yours too?

Believe me, that’s going to make more sense when you read the book.

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Trying to Find a Better Portrayal of Disability

Posted: September 12, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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It’s no secret that disability has had a troubled portrayal in our media. There’s inspiration porn in the news, which tries to make able-bodied people feel “inspired” to achieve their goals at the expense of making the disabled seem pitiful and hopeless. People with dwarfism are often equated with fantasy settings or fantastical elements. And, of course, there’s horror. Horror’s history with disability has been, to say the least, fraught.

Look, I love this genre. That’s obvious. But it’s no secret that, when the genre was coalescing, a lot of horror came from stereotypes of minorities, and the disabled were no exception. Most often, disability was used as a shorthand for sinister or evil. The original Phantom of the Opera was a manipulative groomer, and his later portrayals have added plenty of murder. From Psycho to Split, people with DID are often portrayed as dangerous and even magical. And most of the famous slashers have some form of disability! It’s not the focus of the characters, but it’s definitely there.

That being said, it hasn’t always been bad. The 1932 film Freaks was actually pretty progressive for its time, with many of its disabled characters getting humanizing portrayals. American Horror Story‘s fourth season, Freak Show, was heavily inspired and influenced this film. A Quiet Place and its sequels have been very disability-positive.

The problem is, sometimes even the positive portrayals are problematic. I still cringe over the characters of Duddits from Stephen King’s Dreamcatcher, and the autistic kid in 2018’s Predator somehow being an important factor in human (and Predator) evolution felt…well-intentioned but missed the mark. And just earlier this year, I read a recent book by an author I like which included a character with mental disabilities who was kind of psychic/magical, a secondary antagonist with a cleft palate, and a main antagonist with an eyepatch!

That’s why I’m glad that, as both the community and the genre evolves, more disabled writers join it and include disabled characters like themselves in their stories. I’m among those writers. The Shape of Evil‘s three main characters all have various disabilities, and in two short stories I wrote recently, the major characters all have disabilities as well. The stories themselves are still not published, but I’m working to get The Shape of Evil out there, and the other two stories will hopefully find homes soon after I edit them.

And as those stories, as well as other stories by disabled writers, get published, perhaps there will be ripple effects. The fiction we consume can have a noticeable effect on our perception of the world. Perhaps with portrayals that are just not more positive, but also realistic, we can make the world a nicer place for the disabled.

And given that 1 in 5 people have or will get a disability, but most of the US is still not accessible and laws aren’t always disabled-friendly, that would be nice.

“Hannah and Other Stories:” Two Weeks Till Re-Release!!!

Posted: September 9, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Hello, my Followers of Fear. Are you annoyed with me yet? No? Good. Because we got another two weeks till release, and then all the milestones after the release.

Or, to be more specific, re-release.

If you weren’t aware, I had a collection that came out in September 23, 2023 called Hannah and Other Stories. It contained seven original stories, including stories of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. It went out of print at the end of 2024 when my contract with the publisher ended, but now it’s coming out again. With a new cover and an edit to fix any issues that were left over from the last draft. With some elements added back in that were taken out from the original publication, such as sex and cosmic horror monsters.

And it’s coming out on September 23, 2025. Two years after the original release date and two weeks from the time you are (presumably) reading this. And the first batch of author copies arrived last week, with more on the way. They’ll be going to libraries, certain lucky readers, and events where I’ll be selling books.

The first batch of author copies. They came out beautifully!

And I cannot wait for people to read it. Not only was I very proud of this anthology, but this is the first time it’ll be available in paperback (it’s a long story, don’t ask). And if it does well enough, an audio version might not be too farfetched.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a spooky collection to read this fall, or if you want to support me, or both, you can preorder a copy of Hannah using the links down below. (Paperback copies are only available for preorder through Barnes & Noble because Amazon is weird that way.) Like I said, they’ll be out in two weeks, so it won’t be a long wait.

And if you end up reading the book, I hope you’ll leave a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 52 days till Halloween. If you’re not preparing for the monsters eager to feed on you, what are you doing with your life?

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“Hannah and Other Stories:” The Paperbacks Arrived!!!

Posted: September 4, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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You sick of this book yet? You’re not? Good! Glad to hear it! Now, let’s get on to the meat of this post.

So yesterday, the first batch of author copies for Hannah and Other Stories arrived. These are my personal copies which I can order at a discount and which I can use at events, give away, or just keep. Whatever I feel like. In this case, the first batch of copies include what will be my personal copy, a couple going to a few people who, for one reason or another, I need to send them to, and the rest will go to libraries.

And, of course, I had to do an unboxing video of getting the copies and put it on YouTube. I mean, how could I not?!

If you didn’t watch the video, let me sum it up this way: the author copies came out beautifully! The cover looks amazing, and the interior just looks amazing. I’m just so happy with how they turned out. So happy, in fact, I hugged my personal copy, the copy I picked up, after I finished the video.

As many of you know, this is the second time this book has been released. It was first released by BSC Publishing Group in 2023, but a paperback edition wasn’t produced due to BSC’s policies at the time. After the rights reverted to me, I knew I was going to produce a paperback. And now, in just 19 days, on the two-year anniversary of the original release, the book will finally be available in paperback.

I hope many readers who couldn’t the first time around enjoy the book.

Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder a copy of this terrifying collection full of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, I’ll include links below. (Just be aware that the paperback edition will only be available to preorder through Barnes & Noble, because Amazon is weird that way.) As I said, the book will be out on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025, so it’s only a matter of time.

And if you get a copy and end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and doing so helps both me and other readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I will have another Hannah post out soon, and I hope to have something else out at some point in the coming week. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 57 days till Halloween. And I’m only getting scarier and weirder as time goes on.

All of the author copies in the first batch. Aren’t they beautiful?
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“Hannah and Other Stories:” Three Weeks Till Re-Release!!!

Posted: September 2, 2025 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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I did warn you that I would be getting annoying about this as we got closer.

So, if you haven’t heard by now, I have a collection, Hannah and Other Stories, is being re-released in three weeks, on September 23, 2025. It was originally published on that same date in September 2023 by BSC Publishing Group. After my contract with BSC Publishing Group ended and the book went out of print, I decided to re-release it at the two-year anniversary of its original publication. New edit, new cover, but still the same seven amazing stories of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses.

I’m happy to say that people are showing interest in the new edition. I was even asked to send a signed copy to a reader down in Florida, which is pretty cool. And I’m excited for people to read the new copy. I feel like this version is the closest to my original vision with this collection. Not only that, but it will be in paperback, something that didn’t happen the first time around (long story, don’t ask).

And who knows? If enough people get copies and leave reviews, an audio book isn’t out of the realm of possibility. I would love to see that happen.

Of course, we have three weeks to get through first. And if you’re at all interested in ordering a copy before it comes out, you can order one using the links below. (Paperback, by the way, is only available to preorder through Barnes & Noble). After all, it’s only three weeks away.

And, if you end up reading the book, I hope you’ll leave a review letting me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader reviews, and they help me and other readers in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be posting again soon. Maybe even before the two-week mark. Until then, however, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 59 days till Halloween. Is that a carnivorous horse behind you? It looks hungry!

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A Year of Being Diabetic

Posted: August 28, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections
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I do this as necessary. It’s not fun, but it’s necessary. Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

That title is misleading. Today is actually the one-year anniversary of when I was diagnosed as diabetic. But saying all that isn’t as catchy, so I went with what we have.

So, for those of you who may not have been around last year or may not remember, last year I was diagnosed as having diabetes. Apparently, it runs in both sides of my family. And for the first thirty-one years of my life, I was fine. Well, I didn’t have diabetes; I had other problems. But then some time last summer, I started to rapidly lose weight, even though I wasn’t doing anything differently. I got blood tested, and went about my day. The next morning, my doctor’s office called and told me to get to the emergency room. I had diabetes and my blood sugar was extremely high.

I spent the rest of the day in the ER with a headache, starving myself so my blood sugar could come down. Not my favorite day of last year by a long shot. A few days later, I got my first round of supplies, including medications, and started working on adjusting my lifestyle with a combination of diet, exercise, insulin, and a few other things besides.

A year later, I’ve adjusted. I don’t think I went through the five stages of grief, but I’m definitely at acceptance. And I was definitely a little bummed after I got the diagnosis, though I wouldn’t call it depression. But yeah, I’ve adjusted. For a while, I couldn’t look at something full of sugar without hissing like a cornered cat. Now, I’m able to indulge in the occasional sugary treat, so long as I’m careful. I know the patterns my blood sugar tends to take during the course of a normal day. I’m eating better, and working out more. I know what foods to avoid or limit. I’ve even been able to travel, such as for StokerCon. (Though when I’m finally able to go abroad…that could be challenging.)

That being said, it still sucks. I can’t eat ice cream when the urge hits me. Like I said, when I travel, I have to make special arrangements so my medication and everything else stay functional. Eating out was already a challenge because I keep kosher, but now I got to keep an eye out to make sure there’s nothing that’s not going to put my blood sugar over the edge. Try eating at a multiday convention where most of the food is either out of a food truck or what you’d find at a stadium snack bar!

And this condition still finds ways to surprise me. Just in the past six months, I’ve learned about “dawn phenomena” and “diabetic hypoglycemia.” Fun!

Still, I’ve adjusted. And I’ll keep adjusting. I’ve got way too much living to do. Too many things I want to do with my life (even if the economy and my bank account keep me from doing some of them right this moment). And I have no intention of letting a disease get in the way of that.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Putting this out on my blog helps me get my thoughts on this weird occasion out. Not sure I’m going to celebrate it, but I may mark it with sugar free chocolate pudding and sugar free whipped cream tonight after dinner. Sweet, but not going to put my health in danger.

I may have a beer, though. Hey, what’s life without some fun?

Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 64 days till Halloween. Are you enjoying all the pumpkin spice you can get your hands on?

Events in 2025

Posted: August 24, 2025 in Living and Life, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Guess what? I have some new events I’ll be attending in the coming months! And, as is my sacred duty, I will tell you about them in case you’re in a position to attend any of them.

First, I’ll be at CryptidCon in Chardon, OH, on October 11, 2025! This new convention is going to be part of the Ohio Viking Festival, and will include authors, cryptozoologists, and more among all the Vikings and axe throwing and strong mead. The festival, and thus CryptidCon, will be from 12 PM – 6 PM, and I’ll be doing Tarot readings and signing books. You can find out more here.

Then, the Columbus Metropolitan Library is hosting HWA Ohio for Scary Saturday again! It will be taking place on October 25, 2025 from 12 PM – 3:30 PM at the Main Library in downtown Columbus. This year, we’ll be having a panel with our members, doing readings, and playing a game of Monster Mash (basically, we have lively debates about which famous monsters would win in a head-to-head fight). In-between activities, we’ll be selling books and feasting on Halloween candy. You can find out more here.

Right afterward, the Book Loft in Columbus will be hosting several of our authors on October 28th, 2025 at 6 PM. We’ll be at the Book Loft itself, which is a famous, historic bookstore in a 19th century building that twists and turns every which way. I won’t be doing readings or anything, but I will be there, probably in costume, hanging out and having a good time. You can find more info here.

Finally, we have the Columbus Witches Ball at the Ohio Brewing Company on November 1st, 2025 from 1 PM – 11 PM. In between dancing, rituals, and yes, pub food, I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings. If my last trip there in 2022 is anything to go by, I’m going to have one heck of a good time. You can find out more and grab tickets here.

Except that’s not all! I’ve got events already set up for 2026!

And I am going to tell you what they are.

First, I’ll be heading back to Akronomicon on February 7th, 2026 at the Emidio & Sons Banquet Center in Akron, OH. I had such a fun time at this horror convention last year, that I am coming back next year. And they got some cool guests last year, so I’m excited to see what the guest list for next year is! I’ll have more details as we get closer.

And afterwards, I’ll be at StokerCon again! This time, it’s going to be back in Pittsburgh at the Westin Hotel on June 4-7. This is an amazing event, where horror creators of all stripes get together to talk horror, network, collaborate, and have a scary good time. You can still get tickets here.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be sure to put out reminders for all these events right before they happen, and I’ll let you know if there are any more I get signed up for.

In the meantime, spooky season is coming up. If you’re looking for something to read for it, or you’d like to support me, or both, you can always check out my books. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan (including some free stuff). I’ll include a link to my Books page below.

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and they help me and your fellow readers in the long run.

Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 68 days till Halloween.

Rami Ungar’s Books

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

Posted: August 23, 2025 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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It’s hard to believe we’re already at the tail end of August, but here we are. And with that, we’re at the one month mark till the release of my collection, Hannah and Other Stories.

Wait, did I say “release?” I meant “re-release.” And yes, I plan to get a lot more annoying with it as we get closer and closer.

So, if you’re unfamiliar, Hannah and Other Stories is a collection of mine that was originally released through BSC Publishing Group in September 2023. It contains seven original tales from yours truly, including tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses. Unfortunately, the book went out of print once my contract with BSC ended and we decided to go our separate ways. Unfortunate, but sometimes these things happen.

In any case, I’m now in the process of re-releasing the book. Not only that, but I’ve done another round of edits to improve the stories and ensure it’s as close to my vision as possible. And I added that awesome new cover you see at the top of the blog post!

I’m really excited to release this book again (and on the two-year anniversary of its original release)! I always liked this book, and when it was out the first time around, people who got copies really seemed to enjoy it. And with a paperback edition this time (don’t ask), I’m sure more people will read it and enjoy it this time around.

Who knows? We may even be able to justify producing an audio version in the future.

In the meantime, if you’re interested in preordering a copy of Hannah, I’ll leave links below. (If you want to preorder the paperback copy, it’s only available through Barnes & Noble). As I said, it comes out on September 23rd, so the book will be here before we know it. And if you end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave me a review letting me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers out in the long run.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I look forward to joining you when the book comes out next month. In the meantime, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 69 days till Halloween.

Nice.

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Updates on What I’m Doing

Posted: August 7, 2025 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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Usually, when I do these update posts, they have a sort of format, with specific sections devoted to specific items or topics. But this time, I’m doing things a little differently. Why? Well, it just feels right to do so.

Plus, it’s not like I’m overflowing with news. I just want to update you guys on a couple of items.

So, as you may already know, I’ve been doing a ton of editing lately. A Great Editing, so to speak. I’ve already edited two novellas, and I just finished editing another draft of The Shape of Evil, AKA the 3D Printer from Hell story. Yeah, I hear you. “What? You did another edit of that novel? Why didn’t you tell us sooner? That’s kind of your thing!”

Well, it was on the suggestion of one of the agents I pitched the book to at StokerCon. They got back to me last month and encouraged me to make some changes, including aging up the characters a bit, before they read the rest of the book. After some discussion and consideration, I agreed, and I’ve spent the past month doing those edits. The result is a fourth draft of The Shape of Evil, which I think is even stronger than the last one. And I’m looking forward to sending this draft to that particular agent very, very soon.

By the way, that new draft? I finished it yesterday. I took a day off from work for a mental health day and spent most of it just working on the draft. Finished the final 100 pages or so in a couple of hours.

Now, what’s next? Well, I think I’ll take a break from editing and work on some new short stories. I’ve already started doing research for one of them, and I already have all the research materials I need for the other one. After that, I have a short story, an essay on ballet and horror, and two more novellas that need to be edited. After that, I think I’ll focus on newer work while also trying to find homes for the already edited stuff.

Or I’ll edit the stories I plan to write and try to find them homes, too. Man, it’s so hard trying to strike a balance between writing new stuff and editing the completed stuff! Especially when you’re working a full time job and keeping up with all of life’s demands, like I am.

But hey, I’ll make it work somehow. I usually do.

So yeah, if this was too long to read: lots going on, lots of editing, and some new work on the way as well. But what else is new?

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have research to get to if I want to get these stories out. Man, just actively researching them and figuring out the names of the characters has me so excited! I’m looking forward to seeing how these stories turn out once I write them.

And speaking of excited, Followers of Fear, we’re 85 days away from Halloween. Have you decided what you’re going to be reading this spooky season? If you’re still looking for the write book, or you want to support me (or both), I have plenty of stories available, including some free ones. Not to mention a wide variety, too! So, if you’re at all interested, click on the link below and check out my bibliography. You might find your new favorite Halloween read among the catalog.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear. Good night and pleasant nightmares.

Rami Ungar’s Books

Rami Ungar the Writer’s 14th Bloggaversary!!!

Posted: August 2, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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Photo by Taryn Elliott on Pexels.com

Happy Birthday to the blog,
Happy Birthday to the blog.
Happy Birthday to Rami Ungar the Writer!
Happy Birthday to the blog.

I did warn you that I would have a new blog post out sooner than you might expect. Still, pretty incredible, isn’t it? That today is the fourteen year anniversary of when I set up this blog?

I think I say this every year, but it’s kind of incredible that I’m still blogging all these years later. I started writing this blog at the library near my mom’s house the month before I started college, hoping that, as I entered the world as an adult, I could build an audience for when I started publishing. I was just a young, naive, newly-minted adult back then, no idea where my life was going beyond starting school and working towards my dreams.

Now look at me. I’m a man in my thirties, with a job and my own condo and books to my name. Still no idea where my life is going at times, but I’ve already accomplished some dreams and I think I’m getting closer to making some more come true.

And this blog’s been through it with me the whole journey. There were times, especially early on when getting only a view or two per day was considered a good day, where I thought about giving up on the blog. But I persevered. I kept posting, especially when I had good news or stories to share. And before long, people found it. Some of them even became my friends. Some of them read my work. And many of them are still following me, all these years later.

So, thank you, Followers of Fear. Whether you only just started following me a few weeks ago, or you’ve been here since the beginning, or anywhere in-between, you have kept me going through thick and thin. Through good times and tough times, through celebrations and failures, and through times of fast growth and times of slow growth. It’s fair to say that, without you guys, neither me as a person, nor me as a writer, would be where I am today.

Here’s hoping when I write this post in a year from now, I have plenty of developments to celebrate, and plenty more people here to celebrate with.

In the meantime, my Followers of Fear, if you want to celebrate with me, if you want to support me, or if you’re just looking for a good scary story or two to read this spooky season, I’ll include the link to my book page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan (including some free stuff). So, go ahead and take a look. You might find your next favorite read.

And if you do end up reading something of mine, please consider giving it a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and your fellow readers in the long run.

That’s all for now. I’m off to a meadery to celebrate. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 90 days to Halloween!

Ooh! I think I felt a chill in the air!

Rami Ungar’s Books
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