Week four. And this time, the story we quote from is the one that tends to get people’s attention the most. Fuseli’s Horses, the one about the carnivorous horses.
To recap, here are the rules to #FirstLineFriday, which I revived just for the release of Hannah and Other Stories:
Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).
So, ready for a preview of one of the bloodiest stories in Hannah and Other Stories? Here we go:
“So, you’re getting a bunch of new horses and a cousin?” Matt asked, leaning on the fence posts that divided his family’s property from Pam’s family’s. He was tall for fourteen, with an athletic build hidden under a T-shirt and jeans, and a mop of sweat-slicked dark hair on top of his head.
Are these new horses the carnivorous ones? And what will happen with the cousin? You’ll have to read Hannah and Other Stories to find out. And if you do, please leave a review online so I know what you thought.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. We got three more stories to go, so I’ll see you next week. If you would like to do the tag yourself, I hereby tag you. Just copy and paste the rules on your own blog and I look forward to seeing what you post.
Couple of things before I sign off, Followers of Fear. First off, as you know, I’m taking part in the Face of Horror contest. And thanks to your votes, I’m staying in the Top 10. However, that could easily slip, so I’m asking you to keep voting for me each and every day while I’m still part of the contest. If you do, I’ll be able to advance through the rounds and maybe even get to the finals. So, if you’d like to vote, you can use the link below.
Secondly, tomorrow starts Mystics and Marvels. If you happen to be in Hilliard, Ohio this weekend, please stop by the Franklin County Fairgrounds and stop by the HWA Ohio booth. I’ll be there with my fellow Ohio writers selling and signing books. I hope to see you there.
Until next time (or the next blog post), my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Well, I’ve got an updated list of events and goings-on for the year, so you know the drill. I got to tell you about them in case you can attend!
So, later this week, on Thursday, August 10 at 8 PM, I’ll be on the Galactic Terrors show. This is an online show/podcast run by members James Chambers and Carol Gyzander of the HWA NY chapter. They have authors join them, read from their upcoming or recently published works and answer reader questions. In addition to me, we’ll be joined by authors Lara Frater and Teel James Glenn. I’m looking forward to hearing what sort of stories they read aloud! And if you are too, you can join us live for August’s show via Facebook or YouTube. I’ll include the link for Facebook in the button below.
Then, in September, I’ll be joining HWA Ohio at the Mystics & Marvels Oddities Fair! This will take place on September 9 and 10 at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. Me and my fellow HWA Ohio authors will be there to sell books and hopefully have a good time. If you can come by, please do! We had a lot of fun last year, so I expect the same thing this year. You can find out more on their website using the button below.
After that, we hit October, and we’ve got something special going on that month. After all, it is Halloween season, so it would be weird if we didn’t do something. And this year, HWA Ohio is teaming up with the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio for a Halloween Flash Fiction Night! We’ll be giving advice on short story writing before we do write some flash fiction pieces (stories under a thousand words, if you didn’t know). This event takes place Monday, October 30th, at 7-8 PM. If you want to join us, please register on the website. You can do so using the button below.
And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. We’ve got a few more things on the horizon, to be sure, but until those are finalized, I’ll leave them for a future blog post. In the meantime, if you’re unable to come to any of these events but want to continue to support me, you can check out any of my books using the links listed below. And if you end up reading one, I hope you’ll leave me a review so I and others know what you thought.
BTW, I highly recommend Hannah and Other Stories. It’s not just the new one, but it’s got a lot of great stories in it for you to enjoy.
Anyway, until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
It’s that time again. I have a lot going on, so I thought I would list it now right now. Besides, it’s a good excuse to slip in some reminders about things.
So, without further ado, here’s what’s going on in my crazy life. Enjoy!
Hannah and Other Stories As you are no doubt aware, my new collection Hannah and Other Stories is on its way. It contains tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things, and it’ll be out on September 23rd, while currently available for preorder.
Before we get there, however, there’s a bit more work to do. BSC Publishing Group will be sending me the notes for the last draft any day now, at which point I will quickly edit it. We will then send out the eARCs to the ARC readers, who will hopefully read it and provide some helpful blurbs and reviews that will make people want to read Hannah more.
In addition, I’m doing everything I can to make sure this book is successful. I’ve already been booked for a couple of podcasts and shows, some of which I will list below, and I’ll likely be scheduled for more once the eARC is ready. I’m also posting short videos on my YouTube channel about the inspiration behind some of the stories in Hannah, as well as a candlelit reading of an excerpt from one of the stories. I plan to post more videos and excerpts as time allows.
With any luck, these and more avenues I’m pursuing will allow Hannah and Other Stories to be successful once it’s released. It would be amazing if that were to happen.
Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder a copy of Hannah, you can do so here. And you can read an excerpt here. I hope you check them out, because it’s a fucking great collection. Not something horror fans will want to miss.
The Quiet Game: Five Tales to Chill Your Bones As I’ve said before, The Quiet Game, my first collection and first published book, will pass its ten-year release anniversary next Monday, July 17th, 2023. Obviously, I plan to do a blog post and a YouTube video, as well as other social media posts, to mark the occasion. I’m even doing a giveaway: if you preorder a copy of Hannah and email me letting me know you did before Friday the 14th, you could win a signed copy of The Quiet Game.
My email is ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. I’ll hopefully announce the winner on the 17th. I hope you all take a chance to enter.
Short Fiction I’ve some good news on this front. I recently wrote a weird fiction short story that I think has potential. And very soon, I’ll be writing a grimdark story for an anthology. I was actually invited to submit a story to this anthology, so I’m very excited to start on the story. And once it’s done, I plan to have it edited and submitted as soon as possible. Same with the weird fiction story.
After that, I have a bunch of short stories, novelettes, and novellas to work on. I want to finish rewriting the ending of “They Sleep Within the Rock,” AKA the story where I put neo-Nazis through hell. I also have to edit “It Changes You,” AKA the Backrooms story before shopping it around, and rewrite/heavily edit “The Underground Kings” and “Forever Young,” two short stories I think have a bunch of potential.
All of them, I feel, have a chance of being published somewhere. And after they’re worked on…
Crawler For those of you who are unaware, Crawler is a mummy novel I started writing last year. I got about seven or eight chapters in, but then stuff with Hannah started to heat up, and I had to put it on the back burner. And then I took it off the burner and onto a trivet. I’d like to get it back on the stove again by the end of the year. It may not be the biggest new thing in horror, but I would like to get it done.
Fingers crossed that happens.
Upcoming Events Here are some of the things I’ve got going on in the near future that I think you may be interested in. Hell, maybe you’ll have an opportunity to stop by for some of them:
This coming weekend, Saturday, July 15 and Sunday, July 16, I’ll be joining HWA Ohio at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus. It’s an amazing festival to support local authors, organizations and groups. If any of you are in Columbus this weekend, please feel free to stop by. There’s entertainment for all ages, and I would love to see you.
The weekend afterwards, on July 22 and July 23, I’ll be at the Dayton Convention Center in Dayton, OH for the Gem City Comic Con. I’ll be selling books and reading Tarot cards there, so please stop by if you can. I believe if you go to their website, you should still be able to get tickets.
On August 10, I’ll be joining some members of the New York HWA chapter for their podcast, Galactic Terrors. It’ll be broadcast live on Facebook and YouTube before becoming available as a podcast. I’ll be reading from Hannah and maybe answering some questions from those listening in. Further details, such as links and who else will be on the show, will be provided as we get closer. I’ll be sure to post those details as soon as we get them, so hopefully you can attend.
On September 9 and 10, I’ll be with HWA Ohio at Mystics & Marvels at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. At this event last year, HWA Ohio really cleaned up, and I almost sold out! I’m looking forward to returning this year, and I hope more people come by. Including you!
And there will be more events as time goes on, especially with Hannah releasing in September. I’ll be sure to let you know about them as soon as they’re confirmed!
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If anything else comes up, or there’s something I really want to talk about, I’ll be sure to let you know on this or any of my other platforms (which now includes the Threads app as rami_ungar_writer). Until then, however, good night and pleasant nightmares!
It’s that time again. I have a bunch of events coming up, including a few new ones, so I’m listing them here and now.
First, I’ll be doing a reading at Stokercon this Friday! The reading will occur at 11:00 AM in the Brighton I Room in the hotel. I’ll be joined by Barbara Cottrell, Jeremiah Cook, and Gabino Iglesias, whom you may know from his Stoker-nominated novel The Devil Takes You Home, and we’ll each take turns reading from our work. My reading will be from one of the stories in Hannah and Other Stories, “What Errour Awoke.” Expect it to get very weird!
In addition, later that day at 5 PM, there will be a mass author signing that I’ll be participating in. This is exactly what it sounds like: lot of authors, lot of books to buy and get signed. Or you can bring your own and get them signed. Either way, show up in the Admiral Room this Friday at 5 and get ready to pick up some awesome books! Check the Stokercon website for more details.
Moving onto next month, HWA Ohio will be participating in the Columbus Book Festival on July 15th and 16th! It’ll be held at the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s main branch in downtown Columbus, and will have authors and organizations from around Columbus and Ohio. We’ll be selling books and meeting readers and having speeches and all sorts of other activities for readers of all ages. Be sure to stop by! You can check the website for more details.
Not too long afterwards, I’ll be at Gem City Comic-Con in Dayton, Ohio on July 22nd and 23rd. This will be a fun event for pop culture lovers of all ages, and feature comic book artists, authors, and so much more. If you can, stop by the Dayton Convention Center on those dates and say hi! I would love to see you. You can find out more on the website.
And then finally, HWA Ohio will be back for Mystics & Marvels on September 9th and 10th, 2023! We had such an amazing time last year and our members did so well, so we’re back again. Stop by the Franklin County Fairgrounds that weekend if you can and say hi. We would love to see you. And, as always, you can find out more on the website here.
And there will likely be more events in the future. I’ve already expressed an interest in returning to some and making my debut at others. Hopefully vendor applications will release soon and I can take part. I’ll be sure to let you all know as those pop up.
In the meantime, if any of you are unable to pop by these events but still want to support me, you can pick up copies of any of my books using the links below. And if you enjoy them, please leave a review online for me so I know what you think.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. Even if it is morning when this post is going out.
I wanted to post something before Halloween, but there wasn’t any one particular topic I was passionate enough to write an entire blog post about. So instead, I thought I’d do an update post, because there’s a lot going on right now and you should know about it. How much is going on? Well, let’s take a look and find out.
Crawler and Toyland
So, for my mummy novel with the tentative name of Crawler, I’m making steady progress in it. I’m currently writing Chapter Seven and think I could get to Chapter Eight by the end of the week. Hell, I might finish it by the end of the week, if life is kind! (It’s usually not, but one can hope, right?). After that, I’ll take another break to work on shorter works (more on that below), and then get straight to Chapters 9-12. It may take longer than usual, but I will get this novel done eventually.
As for Toyland, I hope to do another draft of it before sending it out to publishers. I feel that this Gothic novel of a boarding school under attack by a ghost obsessed with a children’s novel has a lot of potential and I want people to read it. However, I want to get Hannah and Other Stories out of the way before I tackle that novel again (there’s a good reason why Hannah needs to be done first, but I can’t tell you that just yet). So hope Hannah gets released soon.
Hannah and Other Stories
Speaking of Hannah, BSC Publishing and I are looking to get that out sometime in 2023. Currently, the publisher is starting its winter vacation a month early in November rather than December, so I’m getting a little break from Hannah to work on more of my other projects. However, once we hit January, it’ll be a furious pace to wrap up the edits on the book and get it ready for publication. I can’t wait to share with you this terrifying collection of short stories featuring ghosts, budding serial killers, and meat-eating horses, among other things, so keep an eye out for news after the new year.
Other Shorter Works
As many of you know, I have one more short story, “The Dedication of the High Priestess,” scheduled to come out before the end of the year. Literally: Tales to Terrify, the podcast that will be reading the story aloud on their show, said it will come out before the end of the year. And with 61 days left, there’s only so much year left, so I should be getting news on that any day now. When I get that news, I will let you know.
I will also, of course, let you know the moment I hear of any other stories of mine getting published.
In the meantime, I plan to do some writing and editing on some other stories over November and December, once I finish Chapter Eight of Crawler. For one thing, I plan to finally edit They Sleep Within the Rock, the novella I wrote last winter where I terrorize neo-Nazis. I have no idea why I put it off for so long, but I have and I want to give it some edits so I can maybe find it a home. I also want to write some more novelettes and novellas that I’ve been feeling passionate about working on for some time. A lot of these stories center around common themes, so I think I would not only enjoy writing them, but maybe putting them into a collection.
I may also write a short story involving bugs, but I’m not sure if I want to. Yeah, there’s an anthology I could submit it to, but I prefer to write stories that I feel I would enjoy writing rather than what I think would get accepted or make some money for me. We’ll see how I feel after I finish those chapters of Crawler.
Anything Else?
Quite a bit, actually. Let’s talk about it.
Events: This coming Saturday, I’ll be operating a booth at the Columbus Witches’ Ball. This is an awesome event featuring plenty of paranormal enthusiasts, psychics and mediums, authors, and so much more. Plus, plenty of dancing and ritual (or so I’m told). I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readings there, so I hope you can stop by. The event is November 5th, 2022 from 6 PM – 11 PM at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. I’m not sure you can get tickets at the door, but I know you can buy them from Eventbrite by following this link. In addition, I’m already signed up for events in 2023! I’ll be making reappearances at Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo (which will be in May this year and in a bigger venue) and at ParaPsyCon. I’ve also put down a deposit for another booth at Mystics & Marvels and am waiting for confirmation on a few other events, so I’ll keep you posted as those come up. And, of course, I’ll be at StokerCon in Pennsylvania in June, so if any of you are planning to be there, I really hope I get to see you and give you a great big hug (if you feel comfortable with it).
I saw Dracula the ballet yesterday. As you probably know by now, I’m a huge ballet fan, and I’ve long held that ballet can be a great venue to tell horror stories. I got to see that in action yesterday when my local company BalletMet performed Dracula, which was as amazing and as horrifying as I could have hoped. It was scary, really delved into the themes of Victorian terror regarding sexuality and anything considered aberrant through its choreography, and even managed to surprise me at times, especially with the conclusion. If I ever get a chance to see it again, I will. And, of course, if there are any other horror ballets, I would love to see those too. Hell, I have a few ideas for ballets that are both horror and otherwise, so if any companies would like to collaborate, email me. Let’s work together! I’m easy to get along with, and I don’t cost an arm and a leg, so why not?
New YouTube video. I’m going to try to post a new video to YouTube tomorrow before my Halloween festivities really get underway (having a friend over for pizza, drinks and scary movies. I can’t wait!). If I can’t, I’ll get it out as soon as possible. In the meantime, please check out and consider subscribing to my YouTube channel while you wait. You can also check out my other social media by clicking on the widgets on the right.
So looking forward to putting this bad boy out on the stoop tomorrow.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. As usual with these sorts of posts, I’ll post links to my published works down below in case you want to support me that way or if you’re just looking for something spooky to read. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and one day till Halloween! Get ready to hop around a bonfire in costume with terrifying creatures from the other side!
Well, I have to start this post off with some bad news: I will not be at the Ohio Author Spotlight Event being held by the Pickerington Public Library in Pickerington, Ohio. I’ll get into why in a bit. Stick around, because you’ll want to read on, even if you don’t live anywhere near Ohio.
The good news is, the Bexley Public Library will be hosting another Night of Horror with me and my fellow members of the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association, or HWA Ohio. We’ll be doing readings and selling books at the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio on Monday, October 3rd from 7-8 PM. The featured authors’ list is still being finalized, but I’ll be there, you can count on that.
And on October 15th, I’ll be at the Licking County Public Library for their Local Author Festival. The fair will be from 10:30 AM to 2 PM at the Licking County Public Library in Newark, Ohio. This year, the library is doing quite a bit to draw in bigger crowds than last year, so hopefully plenty of people show up.
If any of you are in Ohio during those dates, please stop by to say hello. I would be happy to see you, provided you’re not a murderous stalker or just any form of stalker, and I would gladly sign a book for you. And if any other events pop up, I will let you know.
And while this is not an event, you all know that I’m competing in the Face of Horror contest. The first round of the contest ends Friday, September 15th, at which point the Top 20 of each group will move onto the next round. I don’t expect to win, though I would love to meet Kane Hodder and have a walk-on role in an indie horror movie, among other things. But I would like to make it to the next round, and I need your help to do that. Every day, you get one free vote, so please cast your votes using the link below. Or you can buy extra votes (portion of proceeds goes to charity).
Whatever you choose, thank you for your support these past several days. Because you keep coming back and casting your votes, I’ve been able to stay in the rankings in my group and might just make it to the next round. I hope you’ll continue to support me as I work hard and try to make the most of this opportunity for my writing career. Who knows? I may even win.
Finally, why am I not going to the Pickerington Public Library this weekend? Well, that’s because Mystics and Marvels this past weekend was a huge success! I sold all but two copies of The Pure World Comes, which is more than I’ve ever sold at any other event, and earned more than at any other convention I’ve been to. My fellow authors at the HWA Ohio table also sold plenty of books, which definitely made all the work this past weekend worth it. We’ve already put a deposit down on a booth for next year, and we’re planning on bringing more authors with us next year so we all can reach even more readers.
This and other recent events make me think that, even though I’m so busy lately that I often don’t have time to write, that I’m on the path I’m meant to be on right now. It’s like the universe or God or whatever is moving me towards some new chapter of my writing career, and I can’t wait to see what unfolds in that chapter. Maybe more writing time? One can only hope.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll end this by posting photos from Mystics and Marvels. I’ll probably be back soon, so keep an eye out. And in the meantime, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 47 days till Halloween!
From left to right: Matt Betts, me, Sarah Hans, and Anton Cancre
This is my new author photo.
Definitely one of the most elaborate costumes I saw at the fair, if not the most elaborate: the Skull Bear!
No joke, that is a genuine wolf! Not a dark furred German Shepherd, a real wolf!
A medium made this portrait for me using pastels. Apparently he’s one of my spirit guides, and an English soldier from the Battle of Agincourt who might be my ancestor.
Another great costume, but it was difficult to communicate with this person due to the mask.
You would not believe what it took to get that photo taken.
You’re probably wondering what this is about. Well, a little while ago I heard about a contest for horror fans called the Face of Horror. What’s it about? Well, various horror fans and creators sign up to show that they are the greatest horror fans there are. The Face of Horror, if you will. And over the coming days, you’ll be able to vote for the candidate of your choice.
Guess who signed up as a contestant?
That’s right, me. I mean, can you blame me? And what happens if I actually win? Well, I’ll earn $13,000; get to stay in Buffalo Bill’s house from Silence in the Lambs for two nights (apparently it’s a real place in Pennsylvania); a walk-on role in the next movie of the director running the contest, Jim Vendiola; and a photo shoot with Kane Hodder, the only actor to play Jason Voorhees more than once, let alone four times, in Rue Morgue magazine! And all I need is your votes.
Now, I know you guys don’t owe me a thing and there’s no reason for any of you to help me. However, even if I don’t win, this could be a good opportunity for me. By participating, I might get even just a little bit of exposure, which may help me find some new readers. And if I end up winning, this could be a huge boost to my career! I could end up meeting all sorts of new people and followers through this contest.
Plus, you would have my gratitude in helping me move forward through the contest and hopefully furthering my career.
So, how do you vote? Click on the highlighted link below, and it’ll take you to my profile. You can cast one free vote per day during the contest, and can purchase additional votes (a portion of proceeds from purchased votes going to the Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation, which funds pediatric cancer research and financial assistance for families of patients). All you need is a Facebook account and/or a valid credit/debit card (especially if you intend to purchase more votes).
Anyway, this post being out means that the contest has begun, and the first round will go until September 15th. That’s at least ten chances for each person to vote. I hope you’ll consider voting and helping me out with moving onto the next round. Who knows? You may end up helping me further my dreams by leaps and bounds just with your support.
One more thing: I’ll be at the Mystics and Marvels fair on Saturday and Sunday, September 10th and 11th, from 11 AM – 6 PM, at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio. This is a really cool convention with Tarot readers and fortune tellers, stones and crystals sellers, and, of course, authors. I’ll be at the chapter for the Ohio chapter of the Horror Writers Association, HWA Ohio, so stop by if you can. You can check out more information at the website here.
And on Saturday, September 17th, the Pickerington Public Library is holding an Author Spotlight Event for Ohio authors at their location in Pickerington, Ohio from 10 AM – 2 PM. I will be signing and selling books at a spooktacular table, so I hope you’ll stop by and say hello.
And if you can’t make it to either event but would still like to support me (in addition to voting, of course), you can always check out one of my books and let me know what you think when you read it. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback and it helps me in the long run. I’ll include links below.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll check in again soon. So until next time, happy voting and pleasant nightmares!
You know, I’m only just realizing I forgot to give you guys a reminder about the Ohio Author Book Fair? I posted about it on Facebook and Twitter, but completely blanked on doing it here. Or was there just never a good opportunity? Whatever, I’m overdue for an update on what events I’ll be attending as an author and vendor later this year.
First, I’ll be at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia on Saturday, August 13th for the West Virginia Penitentiary Paracon. This will be the second haunted prison I’ll have the pleasure visiting and selling at, so I’m looking forward to going on a tour and then doing Tarot readings and meeting new readers! I wonder if I’ll meet another Avenger lookalike (still half-convinced that was Chris Hemsworth I saw at ParaPsyCon). And if you’re in the area, please stop by. You can buy tickets from the prison’s website here.
The following month, I’ll be joining fellow members of HWA Ohio for a group table at Mystics and Marvels on September 10th and 11th, 2022. This is a cool convention of Tarot readers, fortune tellers, entertainers, musicians, and, of course, authors. We’ll be located at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio, and we’ll be dressed in vintage clothing, so come by just to see that! You can find out more on their website.
And that’s all for now. Three are a few others in the works, but until they’ve gone from “in the works” to “official,” I’ll hold off on announcing them. And in order to avoid annoying you all, I’ll only post reminders for each event right before it occurs, rather than constantly doing so leading up to each event. Anyway, hope you can come to one of them! I would love to sign a copy of one of my books for you.*
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope to have some good news later this week, so keep an eye out for a new post one of these days. Now, if anyone needs me, I’ll be working out and editing (not at the same time, though). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
*And if you can’t but still want to support me, my work is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. Please make sure to check them out and let me, as well as your fellow readers, know what you think!
Rami Ungar The Writer 