Posts Tagged ‘publishing’

Why It Took Me So Long to Write a Good Exorcism Story

Posted: November 24, 2023 in Reflections, Writing
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Years ago, when I was interning in Germany, I tried writing an exorcism story. And over the years, most recently 2019, I would try again and again to write this particular exorcism story, which would go by titles like “Summer of the Devil,” “Stuck in the Horror House,” and “Oppression.” I never finished the story. I don’t think I ever got further than five thousand words through it.

The story would have been about four friends breaking into a haunted attraction during the off-season and one of them intentionally summoning a demon for kicks, only for every one of them to get possessed and chaos to ensue. Looking back on it now, I feel it’s pretty paint by the numbers as far as possession and exorcism stories go. More like one of those B-movie summer popcorn munchers that rely way too much on jumpscares and CGI to be scary to veteran horror fans.

However, earlier this month, I started a new exorcism story. This one, titled “The House on Lafayette Square,” featured a totally new scenario and characters, and I ended up finishing it late Wednesday night at about 9,400 words. And after I’d finished it, I came to realize what factors were limiting me from writing the previous exorcism story, or any others for that matter.

Those factors were conventionality and emotional investment.

You guys know me well by now. I don’t march to the beat of anyone else’s drum but my own, and that’s especially true when it comes to the stories I write. I mean, I’ve written about plant/human hybrids (Rose), Mafia-hunting serial killers (Snake), and carnivorous horses and strange gods (Hannah and Other Stories), among other things. Not what you would call run of the mill, even for horror.

And like I said, the story I was trying to write back in 2015-2019 was much more conventional. It confirmed for me something I’ve suspected for a while now: if I consider the story too run-of-the-mill, or if it gets away from what I consider a Rami Ungar-style story (like starting in one genre but becoming too close to another), I just won’t be able to write it. No matter how much I like the idea.

As for emotional investment, let me explain something: “Lafayette Square” is a Jewish exorcism story. That already brought in some emotional investment, as there’s still not a lot of Jewish horror out there and I liked the idea of adding to the catalog with something not usually explored in our stories. However, since the Israel-Hamas conflict began last month, it’s brought about a lot of stress and dark feelings, both for myself and the Jewish community. Thusly, “Lafayette Square” became a story for me to work through my emotions regarding the conflict.

Who knew it would take emotional investment as well as a new angle to finally get me to write an exorcism story?
Photo by Luca Nardone on Pexels.com

In other words, writing it became a cathartic exercise. Or maybe a cathartic exorcism is a better way to put it.

So yeah, having a strong emotional reason to write this story, as well as it feeling like something new and exciting and definitely something I would write, really helped me get through this exorcism story. That’ll be good to know with future stories, whether they’re about exorcism or not.

As for whether or not we’ll see “The House on Lafayette Square” out in print anytime soon, we’ll have to wait and see. I already have someone taking a look at the story and giving me feedback, so hopefully after I get their notes and make some edits, I can find it a home. Still, I think it’s got a chance. And if it does come out, I can’t wait to see how people respond to it.

For now though, I have a new story to research and start working on. And I have a feeling I’m not going to have any trouble writing it.

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

One last thing, my Followers of Fear: did you know it used to be a tradition during the holiday season to tell scary stories? I think it’s a damn shame this tradition has faded so much. And with the holiday season now upon us, why not revive it? Go out and get yourself or a horror fan you know a new scary story for the holiday season!

And if you’re at all interested, maybe consider checking out some of my work. As I said above, I have plenty of work out there that’s both unique and scary. If that’s your thing, check out my Book Links and Excerpts page. And if you or a friend end up reading some of my work, be sure to leave a review so I and other readers know what you thought.

Happy reading, Followers of Fear!

Book Links and Excerpts

Cracked Skull Press is Shutting Down

Posted: November 16, 2023 in Living and Life, short story
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Many of you know that some of my fellow Ohio horror writers and I published an anthology of Ohio horror stories last year. The book, That Which Cannot Be Undone, was published through Cracked Skull Press, a small press three of my friends and I created specifically for this project. We got the book out last October, and everybody really liked it.

Of course, after you publish your first book, whether you’re an author or a small press, everyone wants to know what you’re going to do next. And after a lot of discussion, my friends and I, not without some reluctance, decided to shutter Cracked Skull Press.

Like I said, we do this somewhat reluctantly, and it wasn’t an easy decision to make. But running a press is a lot of work. It’s basically a full-time job in and of itself, and we all already have full-time jobs in addition to writing on the side. You have to deal with distribution and quality control, taxes, responding to customers, etc. And the amount of work needed to do a second project, even if we really wanted to do one, was just too much for us to try again.

So, we’re shutting down Cracked Skull Press, with our final day being December 15th. Just one month from now. And on that day, That Which Cannot Be Undone will go out of print. Perhaps forever.

Honestly, I’m a little bummed about this. I would have liked to see this company continue onward. But I couldn’t run it alone, and we all have other stuff in our lives that require our attention. Hell, look at how many stories I’m working on as well as all the other stuff in my life, and you’ll see what I mean.

Still, I’m not coming away from this with just extra copies of TWCBU. My friends and I learned a lot from this experience of running a press and creating an anthology, and we had some fun times along the way. And hopefully we’ll be able to collaborate on other projects in the future, or at least meet up every now and again as writers and as friends.

Anyway, I wanted to get this out before too much time passed. The news is already out on Cracked Skull Press’s social media, so I’m putting it out on mine. If any of you would like to get a copy of TWCBU, I’ll post a link below. It’ll only be available till December 15th, so grab your copy now while you still have a chance. It’s a great anthology, filled with stories by Ohio horror authors (including myself), all set in Ohio and revolving around the theme that which cannot be undone. You’ll love it, and it might make a great gift for the holidays as well.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll probably have more to say this weekend. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

That Which Cannot Be Undone

“Car Chasers” is Now Available for Free

Posted: November 10, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Good morning, my Followers of Fear. As promised, I’m making one of my short stories available for free. And the first story I publish is “Car Chasers,” which came out in 2019 in The Binge-Watching Cure II from Claren Books.

If you’re unfamiliar with this story, it focuses on street races that take place in the woods around a small town. During these races, ghosts chase the cars around. And you do not want to be around if these spooks manage to get close to your car. Think of it like the Fast and Furious movies deciding to go in the direction of a ghost story.*

Anyway, now it’s available for you to read, and with a kickass cover to boot. Later on, I’ll make it available on my Book Links and Excerpts page, in case anyone wants to read it there. And if you do end up reading it, I hope you’ll let me know what you think. I had a fun time writing this story and I still think of it very fondly (to the point that I direct movie adaptations in my head).

And if you like what you read, consider checking out my other stories. I have plenty available, from ones about plant/human hybrids, to mobster-hunting serial killers, to ancient gods, and more. Just click on the button below the story to head to my Book Links and Excerpts Page, and see if anything strikes your fancy.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and watch out for ghosts that will chase after your vehicle.

Oh, and be sure to keep an eye on this website for the announcement of when “Cressida” comes out. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.

*Fun fact, I first started watching those films as research for this story. And let’s face it, those films couldn’t get any more ridiculous if they went the route of horror or the supernatural, could they? I mean, that just seems like a natural direction to go at some point. I know the next one’s supposed to be the last, but you’ll forgive me if I have my suspicions.

car-chasersDownload
Book Links and Excerpts

I’ll Be Releasing Free Short Stories to My Website Soon

Posted: November 5, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Hey, Followers of Fear. So, there’s something I’ve been meaning to do for a while now, but I’ve really only been able to think about it recently. And that’s that I’ll be releasing some of my stories for free here on this blog/website.

Why am I doing this? Well, some of my fellow authors have short works available for free through their websites, and it brings in a lot of new readers. Seeing as I’m always on the lookout for new readers, as well as new ways to bring them in, I thought I would get in on it too. I don’t know if it’ll be effective, but I think with enough fanfare and mentions at the many events I do, some people are bound to check it out.

Who knows? They might become ardent Followers of Fear and gobble up all my work. I would be happy if that happened.

As to which short stories I’ll be releasing, I will be releasing three over the next several months that have already been previously published. There are a few reasons I chose to release previously published stories, rather than any new stuff. One is because I know they’ve already passed the test of being good enough to publish, so it makes sense to use them. I also want to expose them to new readers, and finally I think they make the best representatives of what you can expect from my work if you should decide to pursue more of my stories.

And, if the previously published stuff does well, it will make more sense for me to publish new stuff here as well.

So which stories will be coming out? First will be “Car Chasers,” which is like a spooky Fast & Furious movie. It will be followed by “Cressida,” a mermaid horror story that I’m particularly proud of. And finally, I’ll be releasing “Natural Predators,” a pandemic horror story taking place at a summer camp.

As I said, depending on how they do, I may release more on this website.

And when will the first story be released? Why, this Friday! That’s right, “Car Chasers” will be coming out on Friday through this website. It has a whole new cover and is ready to go. I cannot wait for you to read it and let me know what you think.

So, keep your eye on this website and on your inbox, because we got an epic ghost story coming in a few days. It’ll be spookily good fun.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I have to watch a scary movie before bed. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Happy Hellidays has been Released!!!

Posted: October 31, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Get on your costumes! Bust out the creepy music! Prepare a parade of terrifying proportions to go through every neighborhood and distribute candy and frights it’s Halloween, the greatest day of the year!

And with that, I have a treat and a fright, all wrapped together, for all of you. Some of you may remember that a short story I wrote earlier this year, “The Wild Hunt,” was accepted for publication in a holiday horror anthology. The story follows two sisters who encounter the mythical Wild Hunt one Christmas Eve and what happens afterwards.

And yes, a Jew wrote a Christmas horror film. Talk about a variation on a theme, considering my tribe has written some of your favorite Christmas carols.

Anyway, the anthology, Happy Hellidays, was released today by Hellbound Books and is now available for purchase. And wow, what a cover! I mean, look at that thing! It’s terrifying. And no, that’s not the Ghostface from the Scream movies. The design of the masks from the movies is based on a general design that is open to use, including in horror anthology covers. Trust me, there are court cases on this.

But back on topic. I was proud of “The Wild Hunt,” but I did not think I would find a home for it with so much good Christmas horror out there, let alone that I would find a home for it in the same year I wrote the story. I’m so thankful to Hellbound Books, who were a delight to work with and whom I would work with again. And I cannot wait for people to read “The Wild Hunt” and tell me what they think.

That being said, there are plenty of great stories in the book. I read a few of them, and they were quite scary and creative. You should check them out and give them a read, and then tell all your friends to give the anthology a read. I’ll give you a link to check it out below.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to work on new stories and then watch scary movies while wearing a costume or two. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and Happy Halloween!

Happy Hellidays

My First New Story in a While

Posted: October 29, 2023 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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I actually wanted to write this post days ago, but you know how life gets. It gets crazy, and my life has been especially crazy lately. Still, it was nice that last week, on Wednesday, I started a new short story. And on Thursday, I finished that story. It’s been my first new work in…God, I don’t know how long.

So yeah, it’s safe to say The Great Editing has ended. However, because of that crazy life I mentioned above, I wasn’t able to start writing for several days after my last editing project. When I did, when I started working on that story, it was such a release! Like something that had been building up inside of my brain and in my fingers was released in the course of eleven-hundred words. And the next night, I wrote the rest of the story in one glorious sitting. Again, there was that sense of relief and release. Like, after so many months of editing and promotion, telling a new story that had been rattling around in my head for months was exactly what the doctor ordered.

So, how is the new story? Well, as the writer, it’s hard to tell. “White Leaves” involves the strange events occurring in an apartment complex on a chilly Halloween morning (hey, that’s coming up!). It’s also told in the second person, which is something I’ve only done once before. (If you’ve read The Quiet Game, you probably remember the story.) The reason why I did is because I read a horror story recently that was told in the second person, and it was awesome. When I formulated “White Leaves,” the idea of telling the story in the same method as that other story just seemed to make sense.

And, somehow, it’s under three thousand words, which is a surprise for me. Normally my short stories are at least seven-thousand words. I even said on my social media, “Who am I and what have I done with my normal writing style?”

Anyway, it’s weird and fun and I think my critique group is going to get a kick out of it. Perhaps, with their feedback and a bit of a polish, I’ll even be able to find a home for it that will enjoy the strange tale and what I’ve included. That would be nice.

As for my next story, I already have the idea and I’ve done the research necessary. It’ll be a Jewish horror story, so hopefully it becomes a great addition to that growing catalog. I’ll keep you guys updated on it, especially if the story gets published.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve had a long day and I’m going into the office tomorrow, so I better wrap up my night. Especially if I want to watch a scary movie. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

One last thing, my Followers of Fear: tomorrow night, at the Bexley Public Library in Bexley, Ohio, me and my fellow Ohio horror writers will be doing a flash fiction writing workshop. If you can come by, please RSVP and show up. We’ll have a good time, we’ll write scary stories, and you’ll see my new author costume in person. Trust me, it’s awesome.

Until next time, another good night and more pleasant nightmares to you.

Halloween Flash Fiction Workshop with HWA Ohio

“Hannah and Other Stories:” One Month Since Release

Posted: October 23, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Has it really been a whole month? Surprisingly, yes it has. Hannah and Other Stories was released on September 23rd, 2023 and it is now October 23rd, 2023. That’s a month.

And what a month it’s been.

As many of you know, Hannah and Other Stories is my new short story collection, containing seven original tales of ghosts in haunted schools, creepypasta characters taking on lives of their own, carnivorous horses, pandemics, occult magic and cosmic monsters, budding serial killers, and so many more. It is quite the collection, and I’m so proud that it’s finally out and being read by people.

I’m actually filled with a warm feeling just thinking about it. This collection is the result of over two years of work. Most of that work was between the publisher and me just to make sure that the book was up to snuff when it released. I mean, carnivorous horses is a great idea, but you need to make sure it’s done well so that the story sticks in people’s heads.

And if the reviews are anything to go by, the stories are sticking in people’s heads. Here is what people are saying:

One of the most important things authors forget is the character’s depth and motivations. This is not the case with this book. The different stories in this novel builds out characters and scenes extremely well and as a reader I actually cared about them.

It starts off with a wonderful story and keeps moving a real page turner.

Great Job Rami

David Musser, author of The Devil’s Well

Horror anthologies are my favourite kind of horror novel, and for sheer imagination alone Hannah is one of the best I’ve ever read. The level of creativity in each story is seriously impressive; I never knew what was coming next while reading them…Overall this collection of horror tales gets 4.5 from me. Reading it was a blast from start to finish. Highly recommend!

Louise Conway, Goodreads

Ungar is not a new writer and has been publishing books and stories for over a decade. This book is yet another solid collection in an already impressive stable of work. Hannah and Other Stories is a really solid collection of horror stories that span the gamut from cozy and comforting to gory and disturbing. It’s a shorter collection, too, and very quick to read. After you have read this book, you will wonder why you didn’t own it already, and will most likely want to read everything Ungar has written. This is strongly recommended for any read of horror fiction. 

Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance magazine

Pretty good reviews, right? And there are hopefully more on the way. I’m working hard to make that happen, to make people want to read the book and even leave their thoughts on whatever website they bought it from. If they do that, then maybe a paperback version will come out (currently only available in ebook), and then maybe even an audio version.

I wonder how those carnivorous horses will come across in audio? Or maybe some of those eldritch monstrosities? That would be something to hear.

Anyway, if you’re at all interested, I’ll leave links for Hannah down below. Like I said, it’s currently only available in ebook, but if it does well, a paperback and an audio version aren’t outside the realms of possibility. So, if it’s not too much trouble, please leave a review once you’ve read the book so others know what you thought and may even consider getting a copy themselves.

Who knows? Maybe by the time we reach the two month anniversary, I’ll be able to make some announcements that will get everyone excited. (Though given that the second-month mark will be both Thanksgiving in the United States and the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who‘s premiere, I may need to post something a day or two early.)

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you have a good Monday and a good week. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

Review: “Midnight Masquerade” by Greg Chapman

Posted: October 1, 2023 in Review, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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You might recognize Greg Chapman’s name, as he was responsible for the amazing cover for That Which Cannot Be Undone. But in addition to creating horror art and horror covers, he also writes as well. And Midnight Masquerade is his latest book, a collection of short stories with many of them taking place on or around Halloween. I received an eARC from him and gave it a read back during the summer. And with it coming out on Halloween proper, I thought I would release a review now, at the beginning of October.

So, what did I think?

Well, like most anthologies and collections, there were stories I enjoyed and others I didn’t. Of the ones I enjoyed, they were really good. The novella at the beginning of the collection, “The Last Night of October,” is a tragic tale of a man dealing with both grief and fear of mortality, wrapped up in what might be a revenge story. The stories “Octoberville” and “Vaudeville” were also good, though I thought the latter’s ending wrapped up a bit too nicely and left one or two questions.

However, a few of the stories felt like they entered a bit too abruptly, such as “Left on October Lane” and the titular story, “Midnight Masquerade.” Honestly, I would have liked to see the concept in the latter explored in a longer story, but it ended just too quickly. And the story “Happy Daze” felt like it was partly inspired by 2019’s Joker but didn’t go far enough with the concept of a party clown on a bad day. If any of these stories or a few others were maybe fleshed out a bit more, I might have enjoyed them more.

As the collection stands, Midnight Masquerade by Greg Chapman is decent reading for spooky season. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’ll give it a 3. It comes out on Halloween day, so if you enter November still craving that Halloween horror buzz, this collection might fill the need. Head to your favorite retailer to preorder a copy.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to summon armies of terrifying beings for a month-long party. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares! Only 30 days till Halloween, so get fucking excited!

Hannah and Other Stories: One Week Since Release!!!

Posted: September 30, 2023 in Progress Report, Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Heya Followers of Fear. Can you believe it’s been a week since Hannah and Other Stories was released? I’m having trouble with it, simply because I had such a wild week, so it feels longer than seven days. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that seven days have passed since Hannah came out.

Now, if you’re new here, Hannah and Other Stories is my new book, a collection of seven short stories. Among those stories are tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. It took over two years of work to get it ready for publication, and was finally released last week on the 23rd.

Since it released, I’ve heard from quite a few Followers of Fear that they’ve either bought the book and have started reading it, or they’re planning on getting it soon. Not only that, but I even got a really nice review! Joshua Gage, a reviewer for Cemetery Dance magazine’s website, posted this review on their site. Here’s a quote from the review that I really liked:

Hannah and Other Stories is a really solid collection of horror stories that span the gamut from cozy and comforting to gory and disturbing…After you have read this book, you will wonder why you didn’t own it already, and will most likely want to read everything Ungar has written.

Wow! Now that’s a compliment. And I would love it if more people read all my work.

Mr. Gage also put out this nice tweet to help with spreading the word:

Those flesh-eating horses are quite popular. I wonder if they’ll become the best-known part of the collection?

Anyway, at the time I’m writing it, Mr. Gage’s reviews are the only review, but I’m sure more will come in time. And when they do, I’ll be sure to let you know.

Trust me, I will. You can’t get me to shut up about this book.

Anyway, if you’re looking for something good to read this Halloween, you can’t go wrong with Hannah. I’ll include links below so you can check it out. And if you read it, I hope you’ll leave a review online. After all, I love reader feedback, positive or negative. And your reviews help other readers whether or not to check out the book.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to going into October like I am. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

#FirstLineFriday

Posted: September 29, 2023 in Scary Stuff, short story, Writing
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Good Friday, Followers of Fear. Hannah and Other Stories has been out for six days, and is hopefully scaring the pants off plenty of readers. In the meantime, I’m finishing off this revival of #FirstLineFriday with the last story in Hannah: Poor, Unfortunate Souls.

So, for those of you who are unfamiliar, #FirstLineFriday is a tag I used to do all the time and which I decided to bring back for the release of Hannah. For the past six weeks, I’ve been posting the openings of each story, one by one, for this tag. And now, I’m down to the final story.

But first, the rules. For a #FirstLineFriday post, you must:

  1. Create a post on your blog titled #FirstLineFriday, hashtag and all.
  2. Explain the rules like I’m doing now.
  3. Post the first one or two lines of a potential story, a story-in-progress, or a completed/published story.
  4. Ask your readers for feedback and try to get them to try #FirstLineFriday on their own blogs (tagging is encouraged but not necessary).

Today’s story, besides being the last one in Hannah and Other Stories, takes us to the bowels of the Paris catacombs. Ladies, gentlemen, and non-binary classy citizens, I present to you the opening of Poor, Unfortunate Souls:

Over a rock and along her belly Ozma crawled, following Naomi and Baptiste, the tour guide, as they traveled through the dark. With every inch she traveled, she found a single thought repeating itself: When we get out of here, I swear I’m either going to strangle this girl, quit on the spot, or both!

Trust me, Ozma, it’s only going to get much, much worse.

If you would like to find out what happens, you can now buy a copy of Hannah and Other Stories using the link below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review online somewhere so I and other readers know what you think.

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Bertrand
Booktopia
BSC Publishing Square Store
Kobo
Wook

Also, if you would like to do this tag as well, consider yourself tagged. Just copy and paste the rules onto your own blog and then have fun with it! I look forward to seeing what you put out there.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. You can expect another blog post tomorrow, most likely. I bet you can guess on the subject as well. Until then, good night and pleasant nightmares!

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