Happy birthday to the blog, Happy birthday to the blog. Happy birthday, Rami Ungar the Writer! Happy birthday to the blog.
Hard to believe, but today this blog turns (un)lucky 13. And coincidentally, I turned 31 a couple of months ago. Or is that a coincidence? Yes, yes it is. But it’s a weird one.
Anyway, it’s amazing how far this blog has come. Especially considering how short-lived many blogs are, even popular ones. Those who write them don’t get the views they’d hope for, or they face burnout from keeping up demand. Either way, they decide to shut down their blogs, leaving the blogs themselves to disappear from the internet.
And I’ve said it before, but I could have become one of those people. During the first few years of blogging, while I was still in college, my blog barely got one or two views a day, if at all. Growth was slow, and interaction didn’t happen that often. Honestly, a few times I wondered if I should keep blogging, as it didn’t seem to be helping my writing career at all. And helping my writing career was why I created this blog to start with.
However, maybe I like a challenge, or maybe I’m just stubborn. Either way, I kept at it. And all these years later, I’ve written over 2,100 posts and usually gain over two thousand views a month. Sometimes I even get three-thousand, or close to it. And while growth has been slower in recent years, I have over 1,450 followers subscribed to the blog. Many of these followers have been with me for years, and I consider quite a few of them as friends.
And, whenever I let you guys know that I’m working on a story or I’m getting something published, several of you let me know how excited you are and how you can’t wait to read it. (Or in the case of those published in audio format, listen to them.)
So, at this point in the post, I want to say thank you, my Followers of Fear. Thank you for all the support you’ve given me through these thirteen years. All the views, likes, comments, subscriptions, and even buying, reading and reviewing my books, give me energy and keep me going even in my lowest points (which are few and far between, but which still happen). I hope you’ll continue to support me through this coming year. Here’s hoping this year, I’m able to start writing full-time. Or, if not, I’m able to see the path to this start to form in front of me.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to work today and then open up a bottle of wine to celebrate (and because it’s Friday). I hope you’ll have a drink with me, wherever you are. If you would like to check out my books, I’ll include a link below. Just remember to leave a review after you’ve read the book so I know what you thought.
And until next time, good night, Shabbat Shalom, and pleasant nightmares.
Well, WordPress is acting weird for me. For some reason I can’t access stats or most other things, and I can’t even contact WP support! Anybody else experiencing this problem? I had to go through some serious hoops just to get this blog post written, let alone published.
Anyway, enough complaining, because I have amazing news! Late last year, after The Great Editing, I wrote the first new story in what felt like forever. “White Leaves” was about the events that occurred in an apartment complex one misty Halloween morning. It was an unusual story, even for me, because it was under three-thousand words for the first draft and was written in the second person. But I was excited about it and was eager to share it with my critique group for feedback.
Well, I submitted the story to the group. And edited the story with their feedback. And, after quite a few submissions and rejections, I’m pleased to announce that “White Leaves” is being published and narrated on the Tales to Terrify podcast!
If this particular publisher sounds familiar to you, it should: Tales to Terrify published and narrated my novelette “The Dedication of the High Priestess” back in 2022. (Click here to listen to that particular episode.) I loved what they did with that story, which I feel is among my best work, and I was eager to have them do it again. And, as luck would have it, “White Leaves” made them “wickedly happy,” as their acceptance email said. So, we’re collaborating again!
Now, it’s not decided when the story will appear on the podcast. They get a lot of good stories and only are able to fit one to two each episode. It could be quite the wait. However, I know that when it’s time, it’ll be great! And I’ll be sure to update you all when it happens.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ve got the Columbus Book Festival tomorrow, so I’m going to try to go to bed early tonight and be at full energy tomorrow. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and I hope you’re having as wonderful a time as I am!
Some of you may remember prior to COVID a rather unusual novel called A Cosmology of Monsters, about a family in the business of haunted attractions and the entities that seem to haunt them through the generations (see my review here). You may also remember my interview with the author, Shaun Hamill (which you can read here). Well, Shaun’s got a new novel called The Dissonance coming out soon, and I got him to sit down with me to discuss the new book and what went into writing it.
So, without further ado, let’s do an interview!
Rami Ungar: Welcome back to the blog, Shaun. Can you tell us what you’ve been up to in the past five years since Cosmology came out?
Shaun Hamill: Like everyone else, I’ve had a crazy few years! I’ve moved from Alabama to Texas (and then moved three more times to different living situations in the last 3 years). I haven’t written as much as I would have liked, but I managed to write The Dissonance, and I have just turned in another novel I can’t talk about yet.
RU: Tell us about The Dissonance. What’s it about, and what inspired it?
SH: The Dissonance is a dark fantasy novel (with a dash of horror), about a type of magic that feeds on negative emotions: pain, depression, and the like. The only people who can use it are usually “broken” in some way—traumatized or mentally ill or the like. The story focuses on a group of friends who discover this power as teenagers, and how it shapes their lives in good and bad ways. It was inspired during COVID, when I couldn’t see any of my friends in person. I missed them terribly, so I wrote a novel about friendship.
RU: Can you tell us a bit more about the novel’s themes and influences?
SH; As previously mentioned, friendship is a huge theme of The Dissonance. So is trauma, and pain, and regret. It was influenced mainly by Susanna Clarke’s Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell and Lev Grossman’s The Magicians. Some reviewers are also comparing the novel to IT (it deals with a group of friends and has a split timeline between their adolescent and adult lives), so that’s in the mix, too!
RU: Nothing wrong about being compared to IT, especially when it’s favorable. So, do you think your writing style has changed at all since Cosmology?
SH: I’m not sure. When I started The Dissonance, I set out to write a more accessible book, with characters who were a little easier to love and root for. I also wanted there to be more action and excitement. Whether that means a change in style? I couldn’t say. Maybe I’ve gotten a little less pretentious? I’ll be curious to see what readers of Cosmology think.
RU: I’ll be sure to let you know. Now, I’ve noticed based on Cosmology and on the description for The Dissonance, but you seem to have a thing for cosmic horror. Can you tell us your thoughts on cosmic horror and what about it you like?
SH: Yeah, I’m a cosmic horror nerd for sure. I think it stems from growing up religious (although I’m not a believer anymore). I was always fascinated by the awe and wonder that came with believing in something bigger than myself, and when I discovered cosmic horror (relatively late, in my early 30s), I found something more in tune with my personal feelings about the universe: a dark wonder, and the sense that reality is bigger and more complex and strange than any of us can ever comprehend. The best we can hope for in this life is a peek behind the curtain. Weird fiction is all about that curtain.
RU: It also seems this book will be delving quite a bit into witchcraft and the occult. Do you have experience with magic and witchcraft, or did you do a bunch of research and then make up the rest?
SH: I have an ex who practiced a bit of witchcraft. I’ve partaken in a couple of rituals (which I found as boring as church), and have spent my fair share of time in wiccan shops, browsing books of spells and baskets full of crystals and whatnot. In The Dissonance I employ a little bit of that knowledge, but mostly stick to made-up stuff, where I get to make the rules. My novel doesn’t discount the idea that pagan beliefs are valid, but it doesn’t engage with them much, either.
RU: Changing gears a bit, in our last interview, you mentioned at one point cutting down Cosmology from 250,000 words to about 100,00. Did you have to do something similar with The Dissonance?
The cover for The Dissonance.
SH: Actually, it’s the opposite! I worked hard to turn in a draft of The Dissonance at about 100,000 words. When my editor bought the book, she encouraged me to open up the world and story, and we ended up adding almost 50,000 words to the novel. Just like the cuts were appropriate for Cosmology, I think the additions ended up helping The Dissonance. The early drafts of the novel were very fast-paced—a little too fast. We needed to slow down (just a little) and give the characters time to breathe and feel between the action beats. We needed to show them having fun in addition to getting into trouble. The resulting novel is almost 50% longer than Cosmology but I have yet to hear anyone complain about the word count, so I think we got it right!
RU: Before we wrap up, are you working on anything new and spooky right now? And do you have any exciting future plans?
SH: I just turned in my third novel (which I can’t really talk about yet). It’s definitely on the spooky end of the spectrum. I’m also in talks for a fourth book (which I also can’t talk about), and have given my agent outlines for two possible other novels. So I’m going to be quite busy for the next few years! Hopefully I’ll be publishing more than once every half-decade from now on.
RU: Final question: what are some horror stories you’ve read recently that you’ve enjoyed?
SH: I loved Rachel Harrison’s latest novel, Black Sheep, and Clay McCloud Chapman’s What Kind of Mother. I’m really excited for Gabino Iglesias’s House of Bone and Rain. I haven’t been reading as much horror recently (because of the fantasy edge of The Dissonance, that’s been most of my reading), but I need to get back into it!
RU: I hope you do! It’s an amazing genre, after all. And thank you again for joining us once more.
If you’re interested in checking out The Dissonance, it comes out July 23, 2024 and is available for preorder from most retailers. And if you want to follow Shaun Hamill, you can follow him using the links listed below.
I hope you’re as excited as I am to read this book, my Followers of Fear. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
I swear, I didn’t set out to have so many anniversaries between May and July. Most of it is coincidence.
Anyway, as you can see from the title and the above graphic, my novel Rose is marking five years since release next week on Thursday, June 20, 2024. The novel follows a young woman named Rose Taggert who wakes up with no memories of the last two years. She soon turns into a plant/human hybrid, setting off a chain of events that not only threaten her life, but those she loves. It’s a strange, Kafkaesque fantasy-horror novel, and it’s my most popular work to date.
And in honor of this momentous occasion, the book will be on sale from June 20 – June 27. Whether you prefer paperback, ebook or audiobook, Rose will be available for a great, low price. So if you like the sound of the story, stop by your favorite retailer next week and pick up a copy!
Also, in the meantime, if you’re interested, my novel Snake is celebrating its ten-year anniversary. This one is a slasher, and follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken and Friday the 13th got smashed into a novel together. The sale for Snake is going through Monday, June 17, so why not grab a copy? I’ll leave the links below.
And if you read either book, or any of my books, I hope you’ll leave me a review once you have. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run (not to mention other readers).
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be back very soon with more news very soon. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Pop the champagne, play the music, and dress up like your favorite slasher villain! It’s the ten-year anniversary of the release of Snake, my slasher horror novel!
For those of you who are unaware, Snake follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken and Friday the 13th got smooshed together into a novel. It’s a very visceral, deeply violent novel (as well as my longest), and I had a lot of fun writing it. (Yes, I’m aware that makes me potentially very messed up. I don’t care.)
Anyway, in honor of the ten-year release anniversary, I’m putting the book on sale from the majority of retailers (but especially Amazon). So, if you want to check out the novel, now is a good time to grab a copy of the ebook or the paperback. You can grab your copy at a special price until the 17th.
And if you like what you read, please leave me a review. Not only do I love reader feedback, but it helps me out as a writer in the long run, and it helps other readers decide whether or not to check out the book.
Anyway, that’s all for now. Head on over to the retailer of your choice and grab yourself a copy of Snake. And until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
That’s right, it’s another sale! This is what happens when four out of my books came out during the same three month period!
So, if you’re unaware, Snake is the oldest of my published novels (as well as the longest at around 500 pages). The story follows a serial killer hunting mobsters in New York City. Think John Wick, Taken, and Friday the 13th got smooshed together into a novel.* And on June 10, 2024, this novel will turn ten years old.
Which, if you don’t have your calendar nearby, is a week from today.
And in honor of the occasion, Snake will be on sale from Amazon (and a few other places as well). If you would like to check out the story and for a great price, you can do so between June 10 and June 17! I’ll be sure to include links.
And if you like what you read, please leave a review for me to find. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run as well.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until the sale next week, good night, pleasant nightmares, and–hold on, is that a masked killer right behind you? RUN!
*Fun fact: John Wick came out four months after this novel did. However, I was unaware of John Wick until maybe around 2015 or 2016, and I didn’t see any of the films until the third one was already on home media. I was really surprised by the similarities between the two works, but weird shit like that happens all the time (check out Ronald Malfi’s The Night Parade and then see which famous video game came out the same year to see what I mean). Now I use it to get people interested in the book. And you know what? It works!
Raise a glass in celebration! Unless it’s before five or you have some other good reason to not be drinking alcohol right now, then instead lift a Diet Coke or glass of orange juice or coffee or something.
So, as I said last week, my Victorian Gothic horror novel The Pure World Comes came out two years ago today. The novel follows Shirley Dobbins, a maid who thinks she’s getting the job of a lifetime when she’s offered a position at the manor of the Baronet Hunting. However, strange things are happening at the manor, known as the Hunting Lodge. Things that terrify and bring back things from Shirley’s past that she would rather forget. In addition, the baronet is researching some very strange science and Shirley gets wrapped up in it. All this will have an explosive conclusion that will threaten not only Shirley’s life, but those she loves as well.
It’s kind of like Frankenstein and Crimson Peak had a baby together. With an appearance by Jack the Ripper for some added terror.
Anyway, to celebrate the two year anniversary of The Pure World Comes releasing, I’m doing a sale! From today, May 10, through May 17, the book will be on sale in multiple formats from multiple retailers. Even the audio book will be on sale from select stores (I can only do sales on the audio book from Spotify, B&N, Apple and Chirp)!
This is a great opportunity to check out the book if you’re interested, so why not do so? I’ll leave links below so you can purchase from the retailer of your choice. And if you do, and you end up reading the book, I hope you’ll leave me a review letting me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me grow as a writer as well.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to this book as much as I am looking forward to you reading it. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
If you have read and have a copy of Rose, one of my other novels, please take a photo of yourself with the copy and send it to me with a single word to describe the book. I’m gathering photos for a project in honor of Rose‘s own anniversary next month, so if you can contribute one, it would make my day.
Next week is ParaPsyCon! If you’re in or around Mansfield, OH on May 17-19, please stop by the Ohio State Reformatory for the biggest convention of ghost hunters, psychics, and more around. I’ll be there selling books and doing Tarot readings, and I would love to see you there. You can find out more details here.
That’s really all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
I did say I would get a post out between last Friday and this Friday that wasn’t about The Pure World Comes, didn’t I?
So, as I’ve mentioned before, my novel Rose is coming up on its five-year release anniversary. And I’m doing something a bit different to celebrate the momentous anniversary. Specifically, I’m trying to put together a video of people with their copies of Rose, along with one word they would use to describe the book. To do this, I need photos of people with their copies of Rose giving me that one word they would use.
So, I’m asking all my Followers of Fear to help me with this project. If you have a copy of Rose, paperback or ebook, please take a photo of yourself with your book and send it to me with one word you would use to describe the book. You can send your photo and your adjective of choice to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com. If you do, I’ll put it in the video.
Now, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. It’s not as if I can force you, after all. However, I need as many photos as possible to make this video longer than half a minute. So, if you can, please take that photo and send it to me along with one word to describe the book. And please send it along by May 31st. That should give you plenty of time, so please send your picture along.
Thank you, and I cannot wait to see what you send me. I’m very excited to be marking this anniversary and to be putting together this video for the anniversary. If all works out, it should be fun.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
If you haven’t read Rose yet but would like to check it out, the links are listed below. If you end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review so I know what you thought. As well as send me a photo and an adjective, but no pressure. Thanks, and happy reading!
I did say in a previous post that I would be doing something to celebrate all these big book anniversaries in the near future, didn’t I?
So, as you’ve heard, my novel The Pure World Comes was published as a paperback and ebook nearly two years ago. The Pure World Comes (or TPWC for short) is my Gothic horror novel and love letter to Victorian England and the horror stories released back then. It follows a maid named Shirley Dobbins who gets a job working for a mad scientist. Think Frankenstein and Crimson Peak had a baby together, is how I describe it, and that’s not a bad description. I mean, it’s got a crumbling old house, a mad scientist, a young woman getting into a situation where there’s more than meets the eye, and even an appearance by Jack the Ripper.
If that’s not Victorian Gothic horror, I don’t know what is!
Anyway, since it’ll be two years since the release, I’m going to do a special promotional sale for the book. Starting on May 10th, when the book came out, and through May 17th, The Pure World Comes will be sold at a discount on ebook and paperback. In addition, the audio book will be on sale from some retailers (I can only do sales from so many platforms in that format). So if you’re looking to get a copy at a lower price, this would be the opportunity to do it!
And if you get a copy and read it, I hope you’ll leave me a review so I know what you thought. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me develop as a writer.
So, in one week, my Followers of Fear, get ready! We will be enjoying the company of a maid and her employer, the latter of whom is researching new frontiers in fringe sciences, and the consequences of those actions. It shall be quite the thrilling pastime, believe me.
One more thing, my Followers of Fear: right after the last event post, I found out I was accepted back for the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo in Marietta, Ohio! This year, it’ll be occurring on September 28th, 2024 from 11 AM – 5 PM at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Marietta. There will be ghost hunters, psychics and Tarot readers, and horror creators like me. I’ll be selling books and doing Tarot readers, so please stop by if you’re in the area. I would love to see you.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope to have something not-related to the sale between now and the 10th, so hopefully I’ll come up with something by then. Until next time, good night (or good morning) and pleasant nightmares!
So, it’s been more than a week since my last post. And I have some things I wanted to talk to you about. Problem is, none of them are enough for a blog post on their own, so I’m doing an updates post. Because let’s face it, those have worked before! Anyway, here’s what I’ve been up to lately:
I’m Writing about a 3D Printer from Hell
You know how after the Great Editing, all I wanted to do was work on some new stories and not edit for a while? Well, I’ve been doing just that, and have so far written one short story, one novelette, and two novellas. Only the short story has been edited and is being shopped around, while the rest are waiting on their second drafts.
The current project is what I hope will be a novella about a 3D printer from Hell. Most likely, it’s going to end up a novel and I’ll be like, “Rami, what did you do?” But if it ends up being that long, so be it. I’m going to care more about the quality of the words instead of the quantity of the word count (though that is important).
Anywho, right now this project, which doesn’t have a title yet, is still early in the first draft. I’m trying to work on it every opportunity I get, and I hope to get further along before too much time passes. After that, I plan on working on a few more (hopefully much shorter) tales. And after that? Well, I think I’ll go through editing all these stories and then finding some of them homes.
Ongoing projects
So, before you ask: yes, I am still planning on getting back to my mummy novel Crawler. It’s just that I wanted to work on a bunch of other stuff and not commit to another huge project for a while. Granted, that might have blown up in my face, with the 3D printer story possibly going the same route as The Pure World Comes (God, I was so naive to think that would be a novelette). But I still plan to get back to it before the end of the year and finish the first draft.
In the meantime, I’m also putting together two new collections. Yes, you read that right: two new collections. All I can say about them is that one will be made up entirely of novellas, and the other will be made up entirely of novelettes. How many in each, and which stories will be in it, I’ll let you know when the projects are a lot further along. But let me be clear: I am working on these, and will update you when it’s appropriate to do so.
Finally, I’ve also started research on a new essay. Won’t say what it is yet, but it’s going to be horror focused, and it’s also going to revolve around one of my favorite things. Like everything else, I’ll keep you updated on any developments.
Important anniversaries are coming up!
So, I realized yesterday that three of my books have anniversaries coming up and these are going to be important ones. First, The Pure World Comes will be celebrating its second anniversary since being released in paperback and ebook on May 10, 2024. Feels like it’s been out a lot longer, but yeah, I counted to be sure. Two years.
Then, Snake will celebrate ten years since release on June 10, 2024. Yeah, the big one-oh. Kind of snuck up on me, didn’t it?
And finally, on June 20, 2024, Rose will celebrate five year since it was first released. I know, I know. Hard to believe, right? It amazes me too that that book came out just before the pandemic!
With all these anniversaries, I’ll be doing something to celebrate each, so be sure to stick around. And if you haven’t read those books…well, if you need some reading material right now, go check those three out. They’re scary and awesome, if I do say so myself. You can check them out using my Book Links and Excerpts page, which is linked to the button below.
Well, I’ve been busy with HWA Ohio stuff. As a chapter, we’re really growing and getting noticed in all the right ways, so as Chapter Coordinator, I’ve been busy with that and making sure we all get more exposure and readers. With any luck, some of us may even be able to take our careers to brand new heights.
Also got some events I’ll be going to soon, which I am looking forward to (see my last post about those). Hope you’re looking forward to and maybe stopping by some of those as well.
I’ve been putting up a lot of stuff on my YouTube channel, including some writing advice videos I’m proud of. Definitely check those out and consider subscribing to my channel.
And…that’s about it. I mean, I could talk about work stuff, or the fact that it’s Passover, but I don’t feel like it. Also, it’s getting late, and I have to go into the office tomorrow, so might as well stop here.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares. I hope whatever you’re doing, it’s working out well for you.
Rami Ungar The Writer 