Is it just me, or is time moving so fast, it’s kind of crazy?
Anyway, as you’re likely well aware at this point, Symphony for Walpurgis is only three weeks away from being released! And if you’re not aware, Symphony for Walpurgis is my latest book, a collection of nine novelettes with a range of stories focusing on cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism! And it will be releasing in exactly three weeks from today, on May 1st, 2025, AKA Walpurgis Night 2025 (for what Walpurgis Night is, click here).
To say the least, I’m really excited for this book to come out. Not only do I feel that the novelette-length story isn’t given enough love by publishers and readers (7,500-17,500 words, if you didn’t know), but I feel that these stories, some of which have been previously published and some of which are original, represent some of my best work and I’m looking forward to hearing what people think. Will they enjoy “The House on Lafayette Square,” which is my story about the Jewish exorcism? Or will people find “Mother of Spiders” and “The Parasite Man,” which both involve some literally skin-crawling imagery, terrifying?
Luckily, some of my advanced readers have already posted their reviews online, so I already have some idea on how people might feel about the book (one described the imagery in a couple of stories as disturbing, and another said it was a very imaginative book, which I appreciated). But, like every author working to get their stories into readers hands, I want more people to read my work and give me their thoughts.
And I hope those thoughts are pretty universal in agreeing that the stories are scary and that they like what they read.
I hope people read passages like this, and get chills up their spines.
Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a scary collection, if I’ve somehow persuaded you to check out Symphony, or you’d like to support me, I’ll leave links below the collection’s book trailer. You can read the reviews I’ve already gotten on Goodreads, or you can preorder a copy of the ebook. And don’t worry, more stores and a paperback edition will be available as we get closer to the release date.
And, after release day, if you like what you read, I would appreciate it if you would leave a review anywhere just letting people know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run. Not to mention, it helps other readers out as well.
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Thank you for your support all this time and as we get closer to the release of Symphony for Walpurgis. I look forward to sharing this new book with you and hearing what you think. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
You may have heard of BlueSky as an alternative to Twitter. What you may have not heard is that there’s a weekly event on BlueSky for horror writers called “Horror Writers Chat.” It started on Twitter and then moved to BlueSky after Twitter became a hellscape. Every week, authors gather to discuss horror, writing and their work posed by Matt Mason and Eryn McConnell. We answer questions, and even get to share links to our works.
I’ve been doing it for quite some time, and it’s become one of the highlights of my week. In fact, some weeks, I really need it.
During the past couple of months, life has been extremely rough. Yeah, there have been reasons to smile, but there’s also been a ton of stuff that just wears down my soul. Work, for one thing, has been absolutely insane since January, to the point where I come home a lot of days very exhausted. And with all the time I need after work to get ready for the next day, as well as get some sleep, my writing time has been cut down drastically.
Which sucks, because writing is one of my ways of de-stressing, as well as how I move forward this career I’m so devoted to.
In addition, recently I was in an accident. Don’t worry, I’m fine, but my car was totaled by the other driver. Thankfully, the other driver’s insurance company agreed to pay all the costs, but this whole experience has been very stressful.
In Tarot, the Ten of Wands represents being overburdened and weary. Matches me some days in so many ways.
Add in all the horrible things happening on the national and world stage (*cough* fascist wave sweeping America *cough*), and it’s enough that even with frequent therapy sessions and all the usual de-stressing methods aren’t enough!
That’s why I’m thankful for all the communities I happen to be a part of. They’re a soothing balm upon my soul.
Obviously, there’s the horror writing communities on social media, that’s been helpful. But there’s also been the horror and horror writing friends and communities I’ve formed IRL. These past few months, I’ve had a few opportunities to see and hang out with my colleagues, which is always a treat. In fact, we’re getting together near the end of April, and I’m super excited about that, as it’s going to be a big meeting and we’ll get to play board games while discussing cannibalism together.
And it’s not just the socializing, either. It’s the professional help. As many of you know, I’m hoping to pitch my novel The Shape of Evil to agents at StokerCon this summer. I was recently discussing this with another member of HWA, and he gave me some critical advice to keep in mind if I hoped to pitch and find someone willing to represent me. One of those pieces was to research each person taking pitches thoroughly to see if they were a good fit for me.
A few weeks later, when the agents and editors taking pitches were announced, I did my research, and reached out to authors who had worked with them, as my friend advised me. Some of these authors have become good friends of mine, so I was able to get some amazing feedback from them and make my choices about whom to pitch to from there.
Community saves me, in more ways than one.
And it’s not just the horror communities that have been helping me. My Jewish community, my family and friends community, and even my work community. Yeah, as tough as work has been, I’m surrounded by a team of people who know what we’re going through and are willing to help me when I ask for it. Not to mention, if we deal with a difficult customer (that happens, sadly), my leadership don’t mind going to bat for us. And when my car got hit, my workmates were among the most concerned about me.
So, despite all the hardships, I’m really happy to have all these people around me in the same situation. We’ve already gotten together once for some much-needed R&R, and have plans for the near future as well.
And guess what? The Followers of Fear community is a wonderful community, too. While engagement and growth changes over time, many of you still take the time to read every post, and provide helpful comments as well. Some of you even read my books and provide reviews, and one or two even created fan art of my work, which was a big honor! In addition, many of you have become dear friends of mine.
All that keeps me going, and holds the doubts that threaten my writing career at bay like no wall can.
So yeah, life’s been hard lately, and therapy and anime and writing can only do so much. But then, there are the people around me who give me encouragement and listen when I vent, or who go to see shows and movies or to grab dinner and drinks with me, or the ones without whom I would not be where I am today. They give me a much needed boost when I need it.
With that in mind, thank you, Followers of Fear. As I said, life’s been a chaotic rollercoaster lately, but you being there makes it somewhat more manageable. So, never forget: I am endlessly grateful for you.
Also, if you would like to take part in “Horror Writers Chat” on BlueSky, make an account and follow Matt Mason (username @chaoticauthor.online) and Eryn McConnell (@erynmcconnell.bsky.social). They switch off hosting every other week, so following both is a good idea. The actual event happens every Wednesday at 2 PM EST, with four questions posted every twenty minutes or so. You quote-post your answers from the post with the original question, and like and repost the ones you like from other participants. And don’t forget to use the hashtag #HorrorWritersChat.
I’m at the point in my marketing plan where I get super annoying with reminders that I have a book coming out. But hey, can you blame me? If it gets one more person to read the book, then it’ll have been worth it.
So, if you’ve been living under a rock, I have a new book coming out on Thursday, May 1st, 2025. The book is a new collection called Symphony for Walpurgis. What’s Walpurgis, you ask? You can find out here. But back to the collection. This is a collection of nine novelettes, four previously published and five original, that I’ve gathered together because there’s just not enough publishers of novelettes out there these days. So, if you can’t find homes for them, make a home for them yourself and show the world how awesome they are!
At least, that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish, along with letting people read some amazing stories.
Here’s the back cover blurb for the collection:
What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.
Sweet, right? And get this: the collection already has some reviews on it! Yeah, a couple of advanced readers posted their thoughts on Goodreads, and they really liked the collection. So much, in fact, they each gave it five stars! Considering that the book is not even out yet, that’s a really good sign of things to come!
And I really hope good things will come with this collection. I like sharing my stories with people, and I’ve noticed that short story collections tend to be very popular, especially at events. Maybe that’s because you’re getting several digestible stories in one package, rather than one gigantic story in a single package. If that’s the case, perhaps the release of this book will not only be well-received with readers, but will help me get closer to writing full time (that’s the dream, after all).
Careful, folks. There’s a lot of these beasties in one of the stories!
Besides, what horror fan could resist a collection featuring tales of several college-age kids waking up in a strange jail (“Blood and Paper Skin”); a teenage girl becoming an unwitting accomplice in a revenge plot using occult means (“Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand”); a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square,” and yes, Jews have exorcisms on occasion); a town filled with spiders and sordid history which is quickly catching up with the residents (“Mother of Spiders”); a Las Vegas performer who will do anything to make her mark on the world (“Famous”); an interview revolving around an unusual actress (“The Little Goddess of Horror”); a family under threat by multiple parasites (“The Parasite Man”); a young man who discovers a mermaid in his uncle’s basement (“Cressida”); and a campsite becoming ground zero for a new pandemic (“Natural Predators”)?
I couldn’t , that’s for sure.
And if you can’t, either, I’ll include links for the book, including its Goodreads page. Right now, it’s only available in ebook from a few stores, but more stores and a paperback edition will be available soon, so keep an eye out for that announcement.
And if you like what you read, please leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.
Thank you for your support, my Followers of Fear, and I look forward to sharing with you Symphony for Walpurgis. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Don’t tell anyone I said this, but I can be a real idiot sometimes.
So, back in December, I posted about my plans for 2025 in terms of what I want to accomplish with my writing (you can read that post here). What I didn’t mention was that I had no plans to write anything longer than a novelette. I’d edit the novellas and novels I’d already written, like The Shape of Evil and the four I hope to shop around when I’ve finished editing them. But I wouldn’t work on anything longer. Just short stories and novelettes until those stories were finished and edited and published. And only after I’d gotten back to my mummy novel, Crawler, and finished the first draft of that.
(For those of you who are unaware, the Horror Writers Association defines a short story as 1,000-7,500 words, a novelette as 7,500-17,500, a novella as 17,500-40,000, and a novel is 40,000 words and up.)
So, with my plan in place, I started on a witchy Halloween story that I thought would be maybe a long novelette at most.
And that story ended up going up to 20,000 words! And it’s not even done!
Now, by that point, I had been working on the story since before New Year’s, and I was so frustrated by how busy my life has been, so I completely forgot about my promise to myself and just forged on ahead for a while. But then I found myself just hesitating, not wanting to get further when I knew it could take me another month or two, given my current life.
That was when I remembered my promise to myself. And I slapped myself in the head for not keeping it!
So, the witchy Halloween story is now on hold until I’ve finished Crawler. In the meantime, I’m going to work on something I know will be shorter.* After that, the sensitivity readers should both be done with The Shape of Evil (one’s already sent me their notes), so I’ll probably give that one more round of edits.
After that? Probably another guaranteed short story. We’ll see.
But for now, I should head to bed. I’ve got the Akron Book Fest tomorrow, and I’ll need all the energy I can get.
After I get back home, however, I’ve got a great scary story idea to look forward to writing. And did I mention the story was inspired by Hamilton?
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
*Then again, I thought the witchy Halloween story would be short. So who knows?!
I’ve been meaning to write and post this all Saturday. But I slept in way later than I meant to, and then my day got busy, and…oh wait, it’s Sunday? Shit. Well, might as well get to the good news, then.
So, you might remember back in January, I got my first acceptance of the year, a non-fiction article about how people move on after learning their favorite celebrities have monstrous sides. That article, “Being in the Fallout: Options to Take When Your Heroes Reveal a Dark Side,” was released on March 1st by Trollbreath Magazine. Which, at the time this blog post came out, was yesterday!
I’m really proud of this article. A few times of year, we find out a celebrity we love is evil or has some really dark stuff in their history, and it’s not always easy to move on or even to figure out how to react. This article goes over the most common methods, while also incorporating some well-known examples of problematic or even horrible celebrities.
If you’re at all interested, please consider giving the article a read. Like I said, I’m quite proud of it and would love to hear your thoughts on it. Plus, reading it, or even purchasing a copy of the magazine, would help Trollbreath immensely in the long run. I’ll leave a link below.
I would like to thank Trollbreath for publishing my article and being my first publication of 2025. Especially with this article. It really means a lot to me. And I would like to thank my critique group, who helped me get this article into shape prior to submitting it. As I tell people, writing is a solitary act, but getting that writing into print takes multiple hands.
Now, before I go, my Followers of Fear, there’s some more news/reminders I want to share:
First, I have another non-fiction article coming out later this year. Not sure exactly when, but it might be sometime in summer. I’m really looking forward to it, as it’s going to be from a well-known horror publication. I can’t wait for you to read it.
This Saturday, March 8th, I will be at the Akron Book Fest at the Akron Downtown Library in Akron, Ohio. I’ll be there representing HWA Ohio, so I won’t be selling books or doing Tarot readings, but I’ll be happy to talk to you about the books our members put out and how awesome horror is. So if you’re in the area, please stop by!
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll probably have something out again very soon, so keep an eye out for it. But until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century saint who fought witches and whose feast day has inspired plenty of imaginations and plenty of fear.
You may have heard of Walpurgis Night, or a similar name, and wondered what it is, why it gives you such a chill, and how the heck you pronounce that name? With this blog post, I hope to answer a few of those questions.
First, the name. It’s pronounced “Wall-per-giss,” with the hard “g” sound, like “Garfield.” Important to get that out of the way first and foremost.
Second, what is this day? Simply put, it’s the feast day of Saint Walpurga (her name is also pronounced with a hard “g”), an eighth-century saint who was renowned for defeating pests, rabies, and witchcraft. Walpurgis Night, also known as Walpurgisnacht, Saint Walpurgis Eve, May Day, and Witches Night, is celebrated on her feast day, which begins on the evening of April 30th and continues through May 1st.
Celebrations for Walpurgis Night may include bonfires, doing various activities to ward off witches, and visiting Saint Walpurga’s tomb in Eichstatt.
Oh, and that part about witches? Yeah, Walpurgis Night is also believed in many places to be a night when witches meet for their semiannual sabbats. This is why it’s also known as Witches Night. Why? No idea, but I like to think witches either set their celebration day on Walpurga’s night in an act of defiance, or the Church put her feast day on the same date as when witches gather in hopes of weakening and fighting back against them.
And while its prevalence has fluctuated and changed over the years, Walpurgis Night’s influence has remained. It’s no coincidence that the Church of Satan was founded on Walpurgis Night 1966, and the very-separate Satanic Temple considers this day a solemn day to mourn the loss of witches, both real and accused, to superstition. In the movie Fantasia, the final sequence, Night on Bald Mountain, is explicitly stated to take place on Walpurgis Night, and in the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Walpurgisnacht is the name of the most powerful witch in the show’s universe.
And now, the holiday is the inspiration for my latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis, which I planned from the beginning to release around the end of April/early May. When I remembered a certain holiday occurred right around that timeframe…well, you can see why I did what I did.
And now we’re two months away from the release of Symphony for Walpurgis. This is my newest collection, containing stories of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism. If you’re interested, you can click on the links below to preorder or, if you click on the Goodreads page, read Walpurgis‘s first couple of reviews. Yes, there’s already a few reviews. Isn’t that awesome?
And if you do end up preordering the book and reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.
And with that explanation, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you found this explanation helpful and are now interested in reading Symphony for Walpurgis. I, meanwhile, will do everything in the next two months to get more people interested in reading it. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and happy countdown to Walpurgis Night/Witches Night. I hope you’ll celebrate with me when the time comes.
I’m lucky enough that I rarely get writer’s block. Occasionally I have a bad night where I can’t get the words on the page, but actually being unable to write? Thanks to a combination of lots of inspiration and lots of motivation, no. In fact, I think I can count the number of times I’ve gotten writer’s block on one hand.
And recently, that number increased by one.
I’ve mentioned before that I’m working on a witchy Halloween story that is the most Halloween thing I’ve ever written. And I’ve been enjoying working on it. However, last week, I noticed that the words weren’t coming like they should be. I was having problems getting the words down, and it was increasing slowly but surely with every writing session.
No doubt about it, writer’s block was settling in.
Thankfully, I have a method that always helps me get over writer’s block.
Now, if you look around the Internet long enough, you’ll find hundreds of different methods for getting over writer’s block. They range from finding a different time or place to write, or doing freewriting and brainstorming, to therapy and mindfulness meditation. I’ve got nothing against those other methods. If one of them works for you, good for you. This is just the one that works for me. And if you as a writer find it helpful, then great.
So what do I do? Well, I edit. Sort of. I go back to the beginning of the story and go over the material I’ve written. Try to see where the writer’s block started and why. Is it a problem with the plot? Is it a mental issue? By going through the story, I hope to find out and find a solution.
And that’s what I did. And it worked. Without getting into too many details, I realized that it was a mental issue regarding whether or not I was crossing a certain line. A line that I wasn’t sure I wanted to cross in a story. It had nothing to do with the story itself, just me worrying about something. And, as I went through the story, looked at what I’d written, where I wanted the story to go, and other writers who had written similar subject matter, I realized I was worrying about nothing. I’d just made up a problem in my head for some dumb reason.
Anyway, now that the non-issue is resolved, I’m able to get back to writing this witchy story. Will it be any good? Hard to say. I like to think it has potential. For now, though, I’m just aiming to finish the first draft and have fun along the way.
And if writer’s block pops up on this or any other story in the future, I’ll know how to deal with it before it gives me too much trouble.
Do you ever deal with writer’s block? Do you have a favorite method to get over it? What is it?
One more thing, my Followers of Fear: I’ll be at Akronomicon in Akron, Ohio on Saturday, February 1st, 2025 at the Emidio & Sons Expo Center. It looks to be a fun little horror con, and I’ll be there selling books and doing Tarot readings. If you want to stop by, you can purchase tickets off the convention’s Facebook page.
And if you can’t stop by, if you want to support me, or you’re just looking for a good story that’s preferably of the scary variety, you can check out any of my books. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and Jewish exorcisms, I’ve got something scary and weird for every horror fan. I even have some free stuff and an Arthurian short story, so why not check it out on my books page?
And if you like what you read, please leave a review online somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
One of the locations in today’s posts. It’s got quite the history. As do all the locations.
It’s no secret that I love visiting haunted locations, and have visited quite a few of the ones on the previous lists. I’ve even experienced some freaky and frightening stuff in those locations! And as time goes on, I’ve learned of many more locations, which means I not only want to visit them, but I want to list them here. Either to inspire my fellow horror fans and writers, just to spread the knowledge of my fellow ghost hunters, or to scare those who are freaked out by the very idea of a place with real ghosts in it (you know who you are).
So, without further ado, here are ten haunted locations I want to visit before I become a ghost.
Chateau d’Amboise, Loire Valley, France Ah France! So beautiful. So cultured. So historical. And so full of blood and death, it’s no surprise there are ghosts all over the place. The Chateau d’Amboise, a massive estate in the Loire Valley, is no exception. It’s a beautiful and immense castle that was a favorite of the royal family for years. However, it also has its fair share of darkness. In addition to a failed rebellion that occurred there, a man named Jacques de Breze murdered his wife, Charlotte, and her lover, Breze’s stepbrother (awkward!). Charlotte’s said to wander and wail through the halls in a green dress, giving her the nickname “the green lady.”
Other ghosts include King Charles VIII, who died while hitting his head on a lintel in 1498, and Leonardo da Vinci, who is supposed to be buried there. Hmm…maybe I should start brushing up on my French.
Manhattan Well, Soho, New York City In 1799, the body of Guilelma “Elma” Sands was found dead in the Manhattan Well in what is today Soho in Manhattan. An architect who had been courting her, Levi Weeks, was accused of the murder, but thanks in part to representation by Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, he was acquitted (this even gets a mention in the song “Non-Stop” from Hamilton). Meanwhile, the well was built itself over and resided under homes and shops.
Today, the well can be found in the basement of a Soho clothing store, where it has since become something of a minor tourist attraction. However, after dark, it’s said that the spirit of Elma Sands still haunts the well, crying over her murder by Weeks and attempting to get out of the well. And I now have another reason to visit New York City.
Thurber House, Columbus, OH I was at this local Columbus writing center and arts organization back around Halloween, and before doing a reading and selling some books, I did a tour of the old house, which was the home of local writer and humorist James Thurber. Apparently, this house is said to still be inhabited by the spirits of Thurber and his family.
And it’s available for rent for the night! So, hopefully, someday soon, I can join some friends to ghost hunt in the place one of these days. I mean, a writer who ghost hunts hunting in the house of a local writer who’s now a ghost? What’s not to love?
Also, the house is where I took this spooky photo.
Even for Halloween decor, this was inspired. Hats off to the folks running Thurber House!
Boleskine House, Loch Ness, Scotland Have you ever heard of Aleister Crowley? If you haven’t, he was a early 20th-century magician who dabbled in a lot of occult practices. He owned Boleskine House for fourteen years. While he was there, he supposedly engaged in a ritual he never finished, and which, according to some, caused demons to remain on the property.
In the years since, there’s been a number of tragedies in the house, including a suicide and two fires. Plus, former residents, including a man who worked for rocker Jimmy Page while the latter owned the house, have experienced numerous strange and terrifying phenomena. It’s set to open up again this year after lots of restoration due to the second fire. I wonder if they’ll let people rent the place for ghost hunts? If they do, I want to sign up.
Abbey of Thelema, Cefalu, Sicily Boleskine House wasn’t Aleister Crowley’s only notorious home. In 1920, he bought a small cottage in Italy, where he planned to start a magic school and preach his Thelema religion. He stayed there for three years, leaving once Mussolini’s government forced them out. The house has since fallen into ruins, but it’s said that if you step inside, spirits from the strange rituals Crowley and his followers performed there might say hi.
You know, I hear Italy is beautiful this time of year. Anyone want to come with me?
Hampton Court Palace, London, England Ah, England! Such history! Such culture! Such haunted locations! Hampton Court Palace used to be one of the favorite residences of the Royal Family. Today’s it’s a museum that’s open to the public, but that doesn’t mean the royals moved out. In fact, some are said to hang around. Two of Henry VIII’s wives are said to haunt the palace: Jane Seymour, who died of complications of childbirth, and Catherine Seymour, who was executed for having multiple affairs.
In addition to the queens, a woman named Sybil Penn may be haunting the palace. Known as the Grey Lady, she nursed Elizabeth I through smallpox, caught it after the future queen recovered, and died. I wonder if I could run into all three ghosts and play songs from the musical SIX to the queens. That would be fun.
Plenty of ghosts hiding here. I want to visit and find them!
The White House, Washington DC I don’t need to go into the history of this place. You know it, who lives there and what they do there. But did you know it’s haunted? Abraham Lincoln, as well as one of his sons, Thomas Jefferson, Dolly Madison and Abigail Adams, and several other famous former presidents are said to haunt the White House.
Obviously, it would be extremely difficult to even get into the White House just for a tour. It would be even harder to get permission to ghost hunt there, if not impossible. And I would not want to do it with the incoming administration. But it would still be cool if I could. If I could see what’s haunting the White House.
St. Michan’s Church, Dublin, Ireland Not a traditionally haunted location, but it is spooky nonetheless. This Church of Ireland church dates back to the 17th century (though a church has been on the site since the 11th century), and has something unique about it: in its basement, there are numerous mummified remains which have survived centuries, desecration and even a fire.
I wonder if there’s anything freaky associated with those mummies?
The Dauphine Orleans Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana The Dauphine Orleans Hotel has a storied history. At one point, it was one of the most notorious brothels in New Orleans, especially its onsite bar, May Baily’s Place. It was also a place where numerous Civil War soldiers would hang out, which explains why numerous spirits of Confederate soldiers and prostitutes continue to haunt the property.
Maybe I should stay there the next time I’m down there.
The Haunted Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana Or I can stay here. Located on Ursulines’ Ave, this hotel is considered one of the oldest hotels in the French Quarter, and prides itself on being the most haunted. In fact, the website says the hotel has been haunted since 1918, when the serial killer the Axeman went on a murder spree through the city.
I’m interested to see if the hotel is all hype. Or if it’s really is the most haunted hotel in New Orleans.
Have you been to any of these locations? Have you experienced anything? Do you have any suggestions for where I should investigate someday? Let me know in the comments below.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to dream of spooky things and write them into stories. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Oh happy day! Not only is Symphony for Walpurgis is now available on Apple Books (see my last post), but I just got my first acceptance of the year today! God, if only I had ice cream and beer on hand, I would be partying right now!
Maybe I’ll get some when I go to see Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare tomorrow…
Anyway, I’m sure you’re all curious to know what’s been accepted for publication. Well, it’s an essay, and it’s going to appear in Trollbreath Magazine, a speculative fiction magazine that publishes a wide variety of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. They’re rather new, but they already seem to be doing well, and I’m excited to be able to help set the tone for the non-fiction pieces they publish in the future.
You can learn more about, get back issues of, and support Trollbreath Magazine by visiting their website here.
As for the essay they’re publishing, it’s “Being in the Fallout: Options to Take When Your Heroes Reveal a Dark Side.” Inspired by the allegations against Neil Gaiman last year (and which I make reference to in the essay), I look at some of the paths fans can take when their idols turn out to have really disgusting views or have committed horrible acts. The Gaiman allegations really upset me in particular, and wondering how I should treat him and his work in the wake of that inspired me to write the essay.
So, between now and March 1st, when Trollbreath’s spring issue comes out, we’ll edit the essay to make sure it’s up to snuff. I’m looking forward to the creative process and to seeing it in the final product.
You know, despite current events being a total shit show, things have been going mostly well for me. Especially in the writing department! I’ve been making strides in both writing new stories and getting Symphony for Walpurgis in people’s hands. Plus, one of the sensitivity readers for The Shape of Evil has been sending me updates every now and then, and from what they said, they like it so far.
And now this. My first acceptance of the year! All within the first two weeks of 2025. What’s going to happen with the other 50? Actually, don’t tell me. I want to find out for myself. Still, it makes me think that if I keep working hard, things will keep working out for me this year. Who knows? By this time next year, I could be on my way to writing full time.
But in the meantime, I would like to thank Trollbreath Magazine for accepting my essay for publication, and I want to thank my critique group for giving me feedback on my essay. I literally couldn’t have done it without any of you.
Now, if anyone needs me, I’ll be reading before heading to bed. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
As many of you know, I read Tarot cards. In fact, I try to do one reading a day, with rare breaks (such as being out of town or just a very busy day). They offer great advice and are possibly capable of forecasting the future. Earlier this week, I asked the cards, “What do I need to know this year for my writing?” This is the result I got using a five card spread.
Now, for those of you who don’t read Tarot, here’s what the cards say: while there’s a potential I’ll face disappointment along the way, if I work hard, my efforts will lead to successful gains, ultimately leading to smooth sailing for the year. The reading also mentioned previous financial successes I’ve had (in 2024, I had a small but not insignificant profit on my writing business, which was welcome), further cementing the cards’ accuracy.
This reading really lit a fire under me, because it wasn’t a prediction. It was a reminder: that only if you put in an effort and work past any rejections, will you have the possibility of things working out for you. And that’s honestly true of trying to be a writer in general. You do face a ton of obstacles, and every writer will face rejection. Even the biggest names have gotten rejected numerous names (Stephen King famously impaled his rejection letters on a railroad spike). But by continuing to give it your all, you can achieve extraordinary things.
I’ve seen this play out in real life just in the days since I did that reading. Instead of waiting for good things to come to me, I’ve gone out to make my own luck, and it’s led to results. I’ve had a few new preorders of my next book, Symphony for Walpurgis (more on that later), added a whole lot to the story I’m working on, got accepted for the Big Ohio Book Con just a little while after applying for it, and just yesterday, I found two sensitivity readers from the trans community who can give me feedback on The Shape of Evil.
Effort pays off.
So, I’ll keep putting in that effort. So that Symphony for Walpurgis and, when it’s ready to be re-released, Hannah and Other Stories, are successful when they’re available. So that The Shape of Evil lands an agent or a publisher. So that all the events I attend are successful. So that any other stories I write and edit this year can find homes as well. And, at the end of 2025, I’ll be that much closer to being able to write full time.
And if you’re reading this, you put in that effort, too. We’re not competition, after all. Authors support other authors. And yes, you will feel frustration. You will suffer rejection and disappointment. But if you push past all that, you can achieve amazing things. Like having several books out and a dedicated fanbase with a fun nickname (whazzup, Followers of Fear?).
Who knows? Maybe if you keep going, things will be smooth sailing for you, too. I know I’m going to work hard so that can be the case for me. And I can’t wait to see what pans out.
Speaking of Symphony for Walpurgis, this new collection of mine contains cryptids, malevolent spirits, and a Jewish exorcism, among other things. It’s releasing May 1st, and it’s already available to preorder as an ebook from Amazon and Kobo, with paperback versions and more stores to be added later on. If you’re at all interested, why not preorder a copy? All you have to do is click the links below, and you’ll have bought your ticket for the Symphony.
Rami Ungar The Writer 