Posts Tagged ‘novel’

Events in 2025

Posted: April 23, 2025 in Living and Life, Writing
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It’s that time again. No, not the time to promote my work or to make bizarre faces. One of those will come later. No, it’s time to talk about the events I’ll be doing in the near future! As you know, I try to go to as many events as possible. It’s a great way to meet new readers, and once or twice, I even get a few readers who come with the hope of meeting me in-person. So, I occasionally post updates on which events I’ll be at, in case any of my Followers of Fear want to stop by and see me.

So, without further ado, let’s get talking about the events I’ll be attending over the next few months.

First, I’ll be at the Halfway to Halloween Expo at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, MI on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This is a huge gathering of horror fans, with food trucks, a hearse show, plenty of vendors, and even a haunted house attraction you can go through! I’ll be there selling books (including my new book, Symphony for Walpurgis) and doing Tarot readings, and you can buy tickets on the day of, so if you can stop by, please do. I would love to see you.

You can learn more by checking out the expo’s website here.

Fast forward to June, and I’ll be heading to Stamford, CT for StokerCon from June 12-15! If you’re unfamiliar, StokerCon is the premier convention for horror writers, hosted by the Horror Writers Association, and I’m going there this year to see all my horror-writing and horror-loving friends. And if all goes well, I’ll also be sitting on some panels and maybe even pitching The Shape of Evil to editors and agents. And if you want to come and hang out, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about StokerCon by checking out its website.

A couple of weekends later, I’ll be at the Big Ohio Book Con in Medina, OH on June 28-29. It’s a relatively new con sponsored by Black Cat Books & Oddities, but from what I hear, they had a big turnout their first year, and it looks to grow, so I’m looking forward to selling books and doing Tarot readings there. If you’re interested, please stop by. Obviously, I would love to see you.

You can learn more about the Big Ohio Book Con by checking out its website.

And last, but definitely not least, HWA Ohio will be having a booth at the Columbus Book Festival in downtown Columbus, OH on July 12-13! This is a humongous book festival, with over 40,000 guests streaming through the downtown library and Topiary Park last year. And with hundreds of authors, booths for nearly every imaginable interest, performances, food trucks, and so much more, you wouldn’t want to miss out on it this year. Plus, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers are holding a booth together, so you’re bound to find something there if you visit. So, why not stop by? All of us would love to see you.

You can find out more by visiting the festival’s website here.

And that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If there are any more events I’ll be at, I’ll be sure to let you know. And, of course, I’ll be sure to remind you prior to the events themselves. Any more than that, however, and I worry I’ll get annoying about it.

But if you’re unable to stop by any of them but you still want to support me, or you’re just looking for a good horror story, I’ll leave a link to my book page below. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and Jewish exorcisms, I have something for every horror fan, so be sure to check them out. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so I (and other readers) know what you think.

That’s all for now my Followers of Fear, but I’ll be back soon (you can probably guess why). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

Rami Ungar’s Books

“The Shape of Evil:” The Sensitivity Readers Sent Their Notes Back!!!

Posted: March 10, 2025 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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Pour the libations! Light the celebratory bonfires! Chant to the eldritch wonders that wait beyond our reality and offer them sacrifices! The sensitivity readers sent me their notes for The Shape of Evil! We are one step closer to my being able to pitch this baby at StokerCon in June!

Now, for those of you who don’t know, The Shape of Evil is a novel I wrote last year about a 3D Printer of Hell. I started it thinking it would be a long novelette or a short novella, but it ended up becoming a whole freaking novel of around 75,000 words. And as I got further along with it, the idea to pitch it to agents at StokerCon, which always has sessions for doing just that, came to me. So, for the past year, that’s what I’ve been working for.

And as part of that process, I had to find at least one sensitivity reader to look it over. You see, my protagonist is non-binary. And I, despite being bisexual, am only cisgender. So, I wanted to have someone who had firsthand experience look over my story and make sure I was being both respectful to the community and portrayed accurately.

As luck would have it, I managed to find two trans horror writers who agreed to look it over. And they both got through the second draft within days of each other, with the second one getting their feedback to me earlier today. This means I’m going to be ready to work on the third draft starting next month!

I’m incredibly thankful to my sensitivity readers for reading through the manuscript, finding issues and giving me their feedback, and doing so in such good time. I’ll do my best to incorporate their feedback and improve the manuscript. That way, when I pitch it to agents and editors, they’ll be that much more likely to want to help me find a home for it.

For now, though, I want to write a spooky short story inspired by Hamilton. Afterwards, I’ll start on the next draft.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I wanted to make sure you all knew that the next step in this book’s crazy journey is going to start soon, and I wanted to do it today, so I’m glad I got it done. Now, if you need me, I’m going to get ready to bed. Today I was totally drained, so I’ll need sleep if I’m going to get anything done tomorrow.

So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and be careful with your celebratory rituals tonight. Just Friday, I did one wrong, and my dad’s dog was turned into a cat. She turned back, but she’s still coughing up hairballs. Oops.

Getting Back on Track

Posted: March 7, 2025 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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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?!

Review: “The Reformatory” by Tananarive Due

Posted: March 4, 2025 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff
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Having read The Good House before, I knew I was in for a good time (see my review here). But I was not prepared for Tananarive Due’s latest novel. After starting it, I learned the book was based not only on the Dozier School for Boys, a reform school in Florida where numerous atrocities were committed against the kids there, but on a relative she had who died at the school. And even after learning that, I still wasn’t prepared for what was to come.

Set in Florida in 1950, The Reformatory follows twelve-year-old Robert Stevens (named after her relative) and his older sister, Gloria. After kicking a white boy who makes advances on Gloria, young Robert finds himself sent to the Gracetown School for Boys, a reform school where the boys are under threat by both the spirits haunting the campus after years of mysterious deaths, and the Warden Haddock, a terrifying personage with a sadistic streak. When Haddock learns Robert can see the ghosts on campus, he forces the kid to help him catch the spirits. Meanwhile, Gloria attempts to find a way to free her brother from the horrible reformatory, setting them both on a path that will change them forever.

Man, this book was a rough read! Due does not skimp on the human horror the characters face, whether that be the horrible things Robert faces at the reformatory at the hands of the adults and the other kids, or the racism Gloria faces trying to get her brother out of that place (not to mention the utterly disgusting advances Lyle McCormick makes on Gloria in the novel), it feels all too real. Not to mention kind of timely!

Speaking of feeling real, the worldbuilding is amazing! Gracetown, the location of the reformatory and most of the other events of the book, as well as the people in the book, feel extremely real. I noticed that with The Good House, but Due is great with character development, and setting can be as much a character as the characters! I also loved how Gracetown apparently has this reputation as a place where children are able to interact with spirits and lose the ability as they grow older. That’s a pretty cool idea, and Due uses it to flesh out the spirit world of Gracetown and the reformatory so well.

I think the one thing I didn’t like was that I feel we only scratched the surface of the Gracetown School for Boys. I know that might sound masochistic, considering what we saw was pretty horrific, but we only saw a fraction of the school grounds, of life at the school, and the sordid history there. And as much as that would’ve scarred my psyche, I would’ve like to see all that explored more.

Maybe an anthology based around the Gracetown School for Boys? They’re doing one for The Stand, after all. I can dream.

All in all, though, The Reformatory by Tananarive Due is a soul-shaking journey of abuse, racism, and the darkness of humankind that, at times, I had to take a break from, I was that shook. On a scale of 1 to 5, I give it a 4.5 out of 5. I feel like I get why this book was talked about so much when it came out last year, and I wish I’d read it sooner. And if you haven’t read it yet, you should go and read it, too.

Or listen to it. The audiobook is fantastic!

Review: “Witchcraft for Wayward Girls” by Grady Hendrix

Posted: February 6, 2025 in Novel, Review, Scary Stuff
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The photo I took the day I got my copy from the library. Can you tell I was excited?

We’re only five weeks into 2025, but I may have already found my favorite new book of the year. In fact, at times I got so deep into this book, I had dreams about it! You don’t know how special a treat that was for me.

Set in 1970, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls follows four girls sent to Wellwood House, a home for unwed mothers in Florida: Fern, a young high schooler who wants her old life back; Rose, a rebellious hippie with a bit of a mean streak and a bit of a nice streak; Zinnia, a young musician who plans to marry her baby’s father; and Holly, whose youth and silence hides a dark and terrible secret. Hidden away from the world like shameful secrets and repeatedly told that they are at fault for their condition and that the only good thing they can do now is give up their babies for adoption to a loving couple, the girls seek any way to take back a little control over their lives and bodies. When a mysterious librarian hands them a book that’s full of actual magic, they think they’ve found their solution. But when it comes to magic, everything comes at a price. And the price they have to pay may be bigger than any of them can pay.

So, if it wasn’t clear from the first paragraph, I freaking loved this book! For one thing, the horror is palpable from the first couple of chapters. Not from the witches, but from the people. Through Fern’s eyes, we see how everyone blames her, including herself, for getting pregnant outside of marriage, even though it takes two to tango. From what I’ve been told, that really was the attitude towards unwed mothers back then, and Hendrix does a great job bringing it to life throughout the story, as well as the callous cruelty the girls face as unwed mothers, even after they’ve given birth.

I also really liked the witches of the story. They’re not exactly old school wicked witches, but they’re not entirely good witches or granola-crunching Wiccans, either. They’re their own thing, a group of women with access to power and who are trying to ensure the continuation of their way of life and their freedom, and they’re willing to get their hands dirty to do so.

To list out all the colorful characters would keep us here too long, but some of my favorites included hippie Rose, who grew on me as the story went on and whose experiences midway through the book broke my heart; Hagar, the cantankerous cook at the Wellwood House, who does try to help the girls, if rather reluctantly; Zinnia, who has more sense than most of the other characters in the book; and Fern, who really does learn something from her experience.

All these elements come together into a fantastic story where I struggled to guess what would happen next and was surprised more than a few times by certain developments. It really was amazing.

Hendrix admits in the acknowledgments that he’s probably the last person to be writing a book where nearly every character is pregnant, but given how phenomenal of a job he did, I think we can forgive him. I can’t think of a single flaw in this story, it was just that good. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix a full 5. Grab a copy, put on an appropriately witchy playlist (I hope “Abracadabra” by Lady Gaga is on that playlist), and settle down for a read.

Trust me, this is one you don’t want to miss.

Putting in the Effort for Those Gains

Posted: January 11, 2025 in Reflections, Writing
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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.

Amazon
Kobo

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Why Writers Start Stories “In Media Res”

Posted: December 27, 2024 in Reflections, Writing
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The detective arrives at the crime scene and finds the body is nearly identical to another murder. A soldier is walking through a swamp, when they are warned by their sergeant that mines are buried underfoot. The bride leaves her groom at the altar, looking to find herself after years of being told what she should do with her life. The singer comes across Robert Johnson’s guitar, thought to be long lost, and finds there’s more than just history attached to it.

All of these could be the beginning of a story that starts in media res.

Latin for “in the middle of things,” a story that begins in media res is one that starts midway through the plot, rather than at the beginning. And believe it or not, a lot of stories start like this. Hell, you’re probably familiar with most of them. The Star Wars movies arguably all start in media res, as they all start when a conflict is well underway. The novel Gone Girl begins with the protagonist’s wife being discovered missing. Wicked, from novel to musical to movie adaptation (love those last two) always start with the Wicked Witch being a well known figure and with several events implied as having happened and being common knowledge.

That last example brings up something important: how do these stories start in the middle when there’s who knows how much backstory we’ve missed? Often, this is accomplished through dialogue, flashbacks, and exposition. Flashbacks are especially popular, with the majority of Wicked being flashbacks, and the Deadpool films using flashbacks to explain why the film starts off with Wade Wilson getting into some insane shit.

And in horror, in media res is also quite popular. From the classics like Dracula, Frankenstein and Jekyll & Hyde to modern entries like Firestarter and Nightmare on Elm Street. Many of my own stories also start this way: Rose begins with Rose Taggert waking up in a greenhouse with no memory of how she got there or of the past two years, “Queen Alice” begins with my main character Joshua Blumfield already giving his report on the urban legend, and “The Dedication of the High Priestess” begins with Annie Hummel going to a gallery after already serving as a model for three paintings.

Why do horror authors, as well as authors in other genres, begin their stories this way? Well, one thing is the immediate hook. Take Nightmare on Elm Street: it starts with Freddy crafting his claws and then chasing after a teenage girl, only to wake up right on time. We’re immediately left wondering what happened and why, and that keeps our interest.

This oil painting by friend and colleague Iseult Murphy is based on “The Dedication of the High Priestess.” The story is an excellent example of a story starting in media res.

It also makes for great suspense. Take Nightmare again: we’ve already witnessed what Freddy’s capable of in the first scene, and so we wonder what else he can do. Would that have happened if we started with Freddy’s first murders and then getting killed by the parents? That opening violence builds up our expectations and keeps us enthralled.

Finally, you manage to get through a lot of exposition writing this way. Take Gone Girl, for example. Gillian Flynn could have started the story with Nick and Amy meeting, getting married, and the fracturing of their relationship before Amy’s disappearance, but would that have been as fun? It’s more interesting and suspenseful to read about the disappearance and then see how their relationship developed.

Another great example would be my story “The Dedication of the High Priestess” (spoilers for a story that came out in 2022). As I said, that story starts with my protagonist Annie already having modeled for a famous artist. She then goes through the gallery, which then causes her to be caught up in the King in Yellow’s plot to come to Earth. I could have started with Annie taking ballet classes, being scouted for the painter’s new series, doing the modeling gigs, and then going to the gallery, but that would have taken a lot of time and pages, and a lot of effort to keep readers interested. Starting with the gallery showing, using dialogue and exposition to explain how we got to this start, and then getting straight to the horror was very effective.

So, there’s a lot of reasons to use in media res to start a story, no matter the genre. It won’t work with all stories (looking at you The Hogfather, Die Hard, and Kill Creek), but if it works with your story, and you can do all the backstory parts without any issue, I see no reason not to use it. After all, I use it all the time. And look at me now!

Thanks for reading, my Followers of Fear. I’m about to start a new story, and it starts so in media res, some readers might need to read the start again. I thought about starting it from earlier in the events of the story, what I would normally reserve for flashbacks or exposition, but it felt like it would take too long and take up too much of a word count. Thinking about it and weighing my options made me want to write this blog post.

And now, if you need me, I’ll be busy writing what may be the most Halloween-y story I’ve written to date. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

“The Shape of Evil:” The Second Draft is Finished!!!

Posted: December 24, 2024 in Novel, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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A temporary cover for The Shape of Evil. I think it captures the idea of the novel pretty well.

‘Twas the night before Christmas (and Hanukkah, coincidentally). And all the Haunted Condo, only the Rami was stirring. Because he’d finished the second draft of The Shape of Evil, AKA the 3D Printer from Hell story, and he’d only just gotten around to drinking the celebratory wine and writing the celebratory blog post.

Doesn’t rhyme, but I’m not much of a poet, so I think it’s okay.

So, as I said before, The Shape of Evil‘s second draft is now complete. And this novel, as I also said before, is about a 3D printer from Hell. I started writing it back in March, thinking it would be a novelette or short novella, and finished it as a novel back in August. Right around Thanksgiving, I began work on the second draft, and I finished it earlier today.

I would’ve celebrated right then and there, but at that point, I had to run an errand, then grab some takeout, and then do my usual routine of watching Die Hard on Christmas Eve. But now that that’s taken care of, it’s time to let you know and celebrate!

Overall, I saw a ton of improvement with the second draft. Not just with spelling/grammar/punctuation, but in finding plot holes and fixing issues I missed in the first draft. I also took out a lot of stuff that I thought worked for the first draft but, on the second go around, didn’t work. The final result was ten pages and around twenty-eight hundred words longer, at 283 pages (8.5 x 11 inch paper with 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced), and 75,300 words. That’s about two thousand words less than the first Harry Potter novel (no, I will never stop using that book as a good comparison, even if the author is now a TERF).

So, what’s next for The Shape of Evil? Well, I plan to find a beta reader who can also double as a sensitivity reader. As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, my main character is non-binary trans, and I’m cisgender, so I would like someone from the trans community to read the manuscript and give me feedback to ensure I’m respectful to the community. I already have a few people in mind, so hopefully one of them would be interested. And if not, I have a few other ways to find someone.

Whoever reads it, after I get their feedback, I’ll do another draft. And after that draft is done, I think I’ll be ready to pitch this novel to agents. Particularly anyone at StokerCon this coming summer.

In the meantime, I have a new short story I want to write, and I have a new collection to start the work of self-publishing. No, I am not slowing down. I’m brimming with too much drive and imagination, and am nowhere near burnout, so I’ll keep plowing on!

(That being said, I am planning on spending at least one day in the coming week or so just chilling on the couch in my pajamas and reading or watching anime. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, so no time like the present!)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll certainly be back soon with more news for you. Until then, good night, pleasant nightmares, and to all those who celebrate, Merry Christmas! May we all get visited by three spirits (whether we want them to come or not).

Updates on My Plans & My Stories

Posted: December 2, 2024 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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Well, we’re officially in December. 2024 ends in just 29 days. I would say thank God, but I’m not convinced 2025 will be much better. Still, gotta be optimistic. Gotta keep plugging along. Gotta keep making plans, writing stories, and making things in my mind into realities.

And that’s what I’m doing now. Making plans, writing stories, and making them into reality.

First, my Israel trip. That’s fast approaching. And assuming the ceasefire with Hezbollah holds and nothing else happens, I should still be able to go. It’s been nearly a decade and a half since I was last there, so I’m really hoping things calm down a bit and move towards resolution.

In the meantime, I’ve started on the second draft of The Shape of Evil, AKA the 3D printer from Hell story. In fact, I’m already a fourth of the way through the draft! I’m averaging a chapter every time a night, starting from the night before Thanksgiving. Considering that it took me six months to get through the first draft, moving through the book this fast is a dream come true! I might be done well before I fly out later this month.

I hope so, anyway. When I started thinking up this story, and I realized that my three main characters would each have a disability, with the lead being non-binary, I felt this story would be important. And after the events of last month, I feel like this book could be timely. No, it is timely. And I’m determined to get it in the best shape so that when I pitch in June, I can find a home for it sooner rather than later.

Me every evening, working on the next big thing.

And after the second draft is done? Well, whether I go on my trip or not, I have a plan. I’ll find a beta reader/sensitivity reader for The Shape of Evil, and then work on three goals: writing a bunch of new short stories; editing three novellas; and putting out a new collection in the spring. The first two, I’ll be switching on-and-off working on. First a new short story or novelette, then one of the novellas I worked on earlier this year. Then another short story, then another novella, and then…well you get the idea.

With any luck, I’ll be able to start shopping these novellas I’ve written as a collection at some point, while also have a bunch of shorter stories to submit to every publication I can find.

As for the new collection, I’ll start in January or February by announcing the title, revealing the cover and release date, and getting the marketing machine rolling. I’m honestly very excited for you to learn more about this collection. I have a very good feeling about it.

Looking forward to doing this next year!

And if all goes well…who knows? Maybe I’ll somehow find more time for writing and even–finally!–get back to writing my mummy novel, Crawler. Yeah, I know, I know. I keep saying I will, and then something puts it further down the To Do list. But I will get it done. You’ll see. I’m making it a goal.

In the meantime, if you would like to support me while I work on all these projects, or if you’re in the mood for something scary to read, or if you’re looking for a good gift for the horror fan in your life, why not consider getting one of my books? Not only would it be a great gift for yourself or for someone you know, but you’d be giving me a gift as well.

Besides, plant/human hybrids? Strange gods? Mafia hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses? I got something for every horror fan, including free stuff! So, why not check them out? I’ll leave a button for my Books page below. Look and see what calls to you.

Rami Ungar’s Books

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to at least try to start on the next chapter of The Shape of Evil (as I recall, this next one is rather long). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Looking Back at 2024, Looking Forward to 2025

Posted: November 25, 2024 in Living and Life, Reflections
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This feels appropriate for this year.

Every year, I do this post. Every year, you guys seem to like it. I imagine it’s because I make sure to get good graphics for it. Anyway, with only 36 days and a few hours left in 2024 (yeah, where did this year go?), it’s time for my annual assessment of the year and what I hope will happen in the coming year.

And let’s start by being honest: 2024 was a shitty year.

Yeah, I had hoped roaring at it like a tiger would make the year too scared to fuck with me, but I think it either got mad at me or my roar had no effect. Either way, this year sucked. The war in Ukraine continues on, with no sign of an end anytime soon; the war in the Middle East continues, and that’s not likely to end anytime soon soon, either; the 2024 presidential election ended in a way most people in the world feared it would; riots occurred in England in response to a stabbing in Southport; several countries experienced unrests, coups, and God only knows what else; hurricanes pounded the US and other nations mercilessly; prices have continued to rise on necessities like food, gas, and housing; and do I need to go on?

Overall, a rough year.

Granted, there were some nice things that happened this year. From July till earlier this month, I felt intense hope for the future of our nation thanks to a certain leader whom I hope we haven’t seen the last of. And the solar eclipse, as well as the northern lights being seen farther south than usual, was cool (I only saw one of those, but still cool). But all in all, it was a really shitty year.

On a personal level, yeah, 2024 was also quite shitty at times. The return to the office three days a week at my workplace had a ripple effect which caused my office’s workload to triple, leaving us stressed and struggling to stay on top of it. As a result, several times my performance suffered, which has had far-reaching consequences. I was unable to get Hannah and Other Stories into paperback, which was a major goal for me this year, and because of the economy and some other factors, I did not do as well at certain events as I expected. I was diagnosed with diabetes in August, which was a huge upset for me and has required me to make major adjustments to my lifestyle (don’t worry, I’m doing okay, but it still sucks); and it looks like my trip to Israel is in jeopardy because every airline is cancelling flights into the country due to the war (God forbid I get to visit my people’s homeland!).

Yeah, it’s been bad. I had to actually start attending therapy due to the huge amount of crap and stress I’ve been through this year. And I doubt I’m the only one.

Life was rough, but at least I got some good writing done this year.

Still, there were some highlights, and I try to focus on them:

I wrote some of the best stuff I’ve ever written this year, including a new novel, The Shape of Evil, which I plan to pitch at StokerCon next year; my first adaptation, a radio play of “Hannah” from Hannah and Other Stories, was released on Halloween (you can check that out here); my short story, “White Leaves” was released on the same day on the Tales to Terrify podcast (you can listen to that here); and despite underperforming at certain events, I did very well at others, and will probably make a profit this year instead of a loss.

Also, I started work on a new collection, and I plan to put it out in spring next year. More to come on that later.

Outside of writing, my health has improved thanks to all the changes I’ve made in my lifestyle; I’m still in a well-paying job that allows me to cover my expenses (and hopefully I’ll stay in the job or something similar until I’m able to write full time); I was able to do some traveling and even visited a few haunted locations; I had a couple of vacations over the year that were really restful and relaxing; my sister got married, and we got to do a little celebrating with her and the new in-laws; I got two new, really awesome tattoos; and I might still be able to travel to the Holy Land later this year.

So yeah, shit year, but I still have things to be thankful for (and right before Thanksgiving, too).

And what will happen in 2025? Well, like I said, I plan to release another collection and pitch The Shape of Evil to agents and editors at StokerCon (expect me to start editing later this week); hopefully I’ll get some more stories written and published, and maybe even (finally!) get back to writing my mummy novel Crawler; I’ll be seeing some amazing Broadway shows and a few ballets; hopefully I’ll get closer to writing full time; I plan to get another tattoo in the spring; and maybe I’ll do some more traveling. I do want to go back to Vegas or New Orleans again, if I can afford them, or even go abroad.

And I expect I’ll be resisting certain things from our incoming government, but sadly, life can’t be trouble free.

In any case, I hope 2025 comes with the resolution of certain world conflicts, and that any new troubles are mild compared to what they’ve been these past few years.

How was your 2024? And what are you hoping or expecting for 2025? Let’s discuss in the comments below.

One more thing, my Followers of Fear: as you know, the holiday season is upon us. And if you’re looking for some good horror to read, or you’re looking for a gift for that horror-loving friend in your life, why not try some of my books? From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan. I’ll leave a button below so you can check out my bibliography.

Book Links & Excerpts

And if you like what you read, please leave a review online so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps other readers, as well.

And until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

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