Yeah, I’m going to be extra annoying with this stuff for the foreseeable future. But hey, can you blame me? With a new book on the way, I have to do everything in my power to get people interested.
And that’s what these quote graphics are about. When Hannah and Other Stories was coming out the first time, these helped advertise the book far and wide. Obviously, I’m repeating this with Walpurgis, creating graphics for each story and releasing them three days a week on my social media.
Below are the latest round, which I’ve been releasing over the past three weeks. I hope they capture your attention.
I hope you enjoyed reading these. With these quotes, I made the fonts bigger so they were easier to read. With any luck, that will make reading them easier for people with vision issues.
If you’re at all interested in reading the previous quote graphics, you can check them out on Walpurgis‘s page on this website. And if you would like to check out the book itself, I’ll leave links below. It comes out on May 1st and is full of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism. Below is the blurb I’m using for the back cover.
What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Until next time (which hopefully won’t be another promotional post), good night and pleasant nightmares.
Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century saint who fought witches and whose feast day has inspired plenty of imaginations and plenty of fear.
You may have heard of Walpurgis Night, or a similar name, and wondered what it is, why it gives you such a chill, and how the heck you pronounce that name? With this blog post, I hope to answer a few of those questions.
First, the name. It’s pronounced “Wall-per-giss,” with the hard “g” sound, like “Garfield.” Important to get that out of the way first and foremost.
Second, what is this day? Simply put, it’s the feast day of Saint Walpurga (her name is also pronounced with a hard “g”), an eighth-century saint who was renowned for defeating pests, rabies, and witchcraft. Walpurgis Night, also known as Walpurgisnacht, Saint Walpurgis Eve, May Day, and Witches Night, is celebrated on her feast day, which begins on the evening of April 30th and continues through May 1st.
Celebrations for Walpurgis Night may include bonfires, doing various activities to ward off witches, and visiting Saint Walpurga’s tomb in Eichstatt.
Oh, and that part about witches? Yeah, Walpurgis Night is also believed in many places to be a night when witches meet for their semiannual sabbats. This is why it’s also known as Witches Night. Why? No idea, but I like to think witches either set their celebration day on Walpurga’s night in an act of defiance, or the Church put her feast day on the same date as when witches gather in hopes of weakening and fighting back against them.
And while its prevalence has fluctuated and changed over the years, Walpurgis Night’s influence has remained. It’s no coincidence that the Church of Satan was founded on Walpurgis Night 1966, and the very-separate Satanic Temple considers this day a solemn day to mourn the loss of witches, both real and accused, to superstition. In the movie Fantasia, the final sequence, Night on Bald Mountain, is explicitly stated to take place on Walpurgis Night, and in the anime Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Walpurgisnacht is the name of the most powerful witch in the show’s universe.
And now, the holiday is the inspiration for my latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis, which I planned from the beginning to release around the end of April/early May. When I remembered a certain holiday occurred right around that timeframe…well, you can see why I did what I did.
And now we’re two months away from the release of Symphony for Walpurgis. This is my newest collection, containing stories of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and even a Jewish exorcism. If you’re interested, you can click on the links below to preorder or, if you click on the Goodreads page, read Walpurgis‘s first couple of reviews. Yes, there’s already a few reviews. Isn’t that awesome?
And if you do end up preordering the book and reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.
And with that explanation, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you found this explanation helpful and are now interested in reading Symphony for Walpurgis. I, meanwhile, will do everything in the next two months to get more people interested in reading it. So, until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and happy countdown to Walpurgis Night/Witches Night. I hope you’ll celebrate with me when the time comes.
Good evening, humans. I hope you’re doing well. If you’re like me, you’re avoiding the Super Bowl (now if it was the Superb Owl, I would tune in). And I thought I would take this opportunity to share with you some updates on Symphony for Walpurgis, seeing as a lot has happened since I last posted about it. Which was…just six days ago? Damn, it has been a crazy week!
Anyway, for those of you who don’t know, Symphony for Walpurgis is my upcoming book, a collection of novelettes, some of which were previously published and others which weren’t. The book is set to come out on May 1st, 2025, meaning less than three months from now. I’m doing my utmost to get as many people as possible reading it once it releases. In fact, I’m hoping to sell 500 copies and get fifty positive reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads in the first year!
Anyway, let’s get into these updates, shall we?
Walpurgis has two reviews now!
It’s crazy to think, but Symphony for Walpurgis already has two reviews on Goodreads. And even better, both are five-star reviews! Both came from advanced readers and Followers of Fear, but they’re willing to criticize me if necessary. The most recent review, written by Louise Conway, starts with this:
Bravo! This might just be Rami Ungar’s best work yet. Offering tales of unearthly retribution, dark mysteries, vampires re-imagined and blood curdling entities, Symphony is a gloriously ghoulish anthology with something for almost every kind of horror fan.
“Best work yet.” I’m flattered. Of course, I aim to put out more and more work as time goes on, and to improve as well.
Anyway, this is good progress on my goal for fifty positive Goodreads reviews. I hope more of the advanced readers let people know what they think of the book, and that leads to plenty more readers when the book comes out. In the meantime, if you would like to read the full reviews, you can click below to check them out.
One of the most exciting moments for a published author is when the first batch of author copies comes in. That includes self-published books, and I felt that excitement this weekend when my author copies for Walpurgis came in. I designed the cover myself after a lot of trial and error, as well as the book’s back cover and interior. It was nice to see it had turned out so well!
And, being the kind of guy who likes to share every achievement, no matter how small, I filmed an unboxing video. Here it is, in all its cheesiness and beauty. Enjoy!
Hopefully, this is the first of many author copy deliveries. Like I said, five hundred sold copies in the first year, and most of those will likely come from live events. And I plan to find many homes for many copies.
The Book Trailer is Live!
Like with my last collection, Hannah and Other Stories, I sought to create a gripping book trailer for Walpurgis. This time, I wanted to have one out before the release date (that should have happened with Hannah as well, but life had other plans). And with a couple of hours of work this afternoon, I created what I think is an awesome book trailer for a collection of horror. Check it out.
Not bad, right? It’s nothing special, but I think it’s decent and conveys the horror of this collection well. If it gets even one or two people to read Walpurgis, I’ll be happy.
By the by, if you enjoyed these videos, please consider liking/commenting/subscribing. You know, all that usual YouTube shtick. You can find my channel here.
Book Quotes
One thing I learned from Hannah and Other Stories was how helpful releasing quotes from your book can be. Especially when you pair the quotes with interesting and relevant graphics. So, this time around, I’m creating graphics with quotes on them, and releasing them three times a week. Here are the first batch of quotes graphics, one from each story. Hope you find them exciting and interesting. They were fun to make.
I’ll post the next nine in a single post once they’ve been published on my social media. In the meantime, you can find each graphic as they’re uploaded on Walpurgis‘s page on this blog.
Final Word
Anyway, that’s all to say right now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll try not to overwhelm you with Walpurgis-related posts, though I do have to do my necessary advertising for it as we approach May 1st. And in the meantime, if you would like to preorder a copy of Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. More stores and formats will be made available as we get closer, so keep checking back if you don’t see a store or format you prefer.
And if you like what you read, my Followers of Fear, then please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Oh, happy day! It’s still only three months away, but Symphony for Walpurgis has its first review! And holy crap, it’s a five-star review! Everybody start dancing!
No surprise, this review, which I discovered on Goodreads yesterday, comes from an ARC reader. And not just any ARC reader, but from Priscilla Bettis, who is not just a fellow author, but has been a Follower of Fear for several years now. Since…I want to say before Rose came out? Anyway, she got the ARC of Walpurgis the other day and apparently got through it in a week before leaving a review.
Don’t be fooled, though: just because she’s a longtime Follower of Fear, doesn’t mean Priscilla isn’t willing to criticize a story when she dislikes it or finds something problematic. I should know, she’s beta read a few of my stories. So the fact that she gave Walpurgis five stars means she must’ve really liked it.
Here’s some of what she wrote:
Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of novelettes, all horror. There are themes of money-power-arrogance (I should just say “corruption), abuse of nature and one another, grief, and (my favorite) insects.
Dragon bats … not a story title, but a thing. One of the best creatures Rami’s ever created. You’ll find them in “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand.”
In “Blood and Paper Skin,” Grey, a college-aged man, and a group of his friends run into deadly trouble when out to buy drugs. It’s scary and tense, and Ungar makes it easy to like Grey and cheer him on. But there are twists. Other characters besides Grey come to the forefront. This is the twisty-ist story in the collection, great fun!
“The House on Lafayette Square” is a Jewish demon-exorcism story with freaky-scary descriptions. The story takes a left turn somewhere, so instead of everything being tied up in a neat bow, I was left DISTURBED at the end, maybe because I am a mother IRL. (Kudos to Ungar for that.)
Wow. I disturbed her. For a horror writer, that’s a serious compliment. Especially from someone who’s a big fan of horror.
And that’s only half the review! You should see the rest of it. In fact, I hope you do. Because I’m aiming to amass fifty (hopefully positive) reviews on Amazon and on Goodreads in the first year alone, so this is a good start! So, if Priscilla’s review gets you even a little bit interested in reading the book, then I hope you read the rest and then go preorder the book.
Here’s the back cover blurb for the book, which is out May 1st:
What’s the difference between humans and monsters? Is there a fine line, or is it more gray and blurred? Rami Ungar, author of Rose and Hannah and Other Stories, explores this question in his latest collection, Symphony for Walpurgis. From legendary cryptids to malevolent spirits and from Ohio in the 1950s to modern-day California, readers will be treated to nine terrifying stories of the weird and macabre. So settle down and be prepared. For you have bought your ticket to Symphony for Walpurgis.
I’ll leave links below in case you want to check the book out. And if, after the book is released, you read it and like it (or don’t), I hope you’ll leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers out in the end.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be sure to check in with you guys when I have updates on Walpurgis or on anything else going on in my life and/or in my writing career. So, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Oh happy day! Not only is Symphony for Walpurgis is now available on Apple Books (see my last post), but I just got my first acceptance of the year today! God, if only I had ice cream and beer on hand, I would be partying right now!
Maybe I’ll get some when I go to see Peter Pan’s Neverland Nightmare tomorrow…
Anyway, I’m sure you’re all curious to know what’s been accepted for publication. Well, it’s an essay, and it’s going to appear in Trollbreath Magazine, a speculative fiction magazine that publishes a wide variety of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction. They’re rather new, but they already seem to be doing well, and I’m excited to be able to help set the tone for the non-fiction pieces they publish in the future.
You can learn more about, get back issues of, and support Trollbreath Magazine by visiting their website here.
As for the essay they’re publishing, it’s “Being in the Fallout: Options to Take When Your Heroes Reveal a Dark Side.” Inspired by the allegations against Neil Gaiman last year (and which I make reference to in the essay), I look at some of the paths fans can take when their idols turn out to have really disgusting views or have committed horrible acts. The Gaiman allegations really upset me in particular, and wondering how I should treat him and his work in the wake of that inspired me to write the essay.
So, between now and March 1st, when Trollbreath’s spring issue comes out, we’ll edit the essay to make sure it’s up to snuff. I’m looking forward to the creative process and to seeing it in the final product.
You know, despite current events being a total shit show, things have been going mostly well for me. Especially in the writing department! I’ve been making strides in both writing new stories and getting Symphony for Walpurgis in people’s hands. Plus, one of the sensitivity readers for The Shape of Evil has been sending me updates every now and then, and from what they said, they like it so far.
And now this. My first acceptance of the year! All within the first two weeks of 2025. What’s going to happen with the other 50? Actually, don’t tell me. I want to find out for myself. Still, it makes me think that if I keep working hard, things will keep working out for me this year. Who knows? By this time next year, I could be on my way to writing full time.
But in the meantime, I would like to thank Trollbreath Magazine for accepting my essay for publication, and I want to thank my critique group for giving me feedback on my essay. I literally couldn’t have done it without any of you.
Now, if anyone needs me, I’ll be reading before heading to bed. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Hello, my Followers of Fear. Once again, I have news regarding my upcoming book, “Symphony for Walpurgis.” For those of you who are not familiar, the book contains nine novelettes featuring tales of cryptids, malevolent spirits, and a Jewish exorcism, among other things, and will release May 1st, 2025.
Previously, the book was only available for preorder from Amazon and Kobo. But now, it’s available from Apple Books! So, if you prefer to read on an Apple device, you are now hooked up. I will include links to all the stores below. Currently, the book is only available as an ebook, but paperbacks will be available on release day from Amazon, and they will be available to preorder from Barnes & Noble once I can get those links up. (Waiting for my vendor’s license to be approved.)
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’ll be sure to let you know if there’s any updates on this awesome book. If you end up preordering the book, I hope you’ll read it and leave me a review on whatever site you bought it from. Reviews not only help me, but other readers as well.
Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
As many of you know, I read Tarot cards. In fact, I try to do one reading a day, with rare breaks (such as being out of town or just a very busy day). They offer great advice and are possibly capable of forecasting the future. Earlier this week, I asked the cards, “What do I need to know this year for my writing?” This is the result I got using a five card spread.
Now, for those of you who don’t read Tarot, here’s what the cards say: while there’s a potential I’ll face disappointment along the way, if I work hard, my efforts will lead to successful gains, ultimately leading to smooth sailing for the year. The reading also mentioned previous financial successes I’ve had (in 2024, I had a small but not insignificant profit on my writing business, which was welcome), further cementing the cards’ accuracy.
This reading really lit a fire under me, because it wasn’t a prediction. It was a reminder: that only if you put in an effort and work past any rejections, will you have the possibility of things working out for you. And that’s honestly true of trying to be a writer in general. You do face a ton of obstacles, and every writer will face rejection. Even the biggest names have gotten rejected numerous names (Stephen King famously impaled his rejection letters on a railroad spike). But by continuing to give it your all, you can achieve extraordinary things.
I’ve seen this play out in real life just in the days since I did that reading. Instead of waiting for good things to come to me, I’ve gone out to make my own luck, and it’s led to results. I’ve had a few new preorders of my next book, Symphony for Walpurgis (more on that later), added a whole lot to the story I’m working on, got accepted for the Big Ohio Book Con just a little while after applying for it, and just yesterday, I found two sensitivity readers from the trans community who can give me feedback on The Shape of Evil.
Effort pays off.
So, I’ll keep putting in that effort. So that Symphony for Walpurgis and, when it’s ready to be re-released, Hannah and Other Stories, are successful when they’re available. So that The Shape of Evil lands an agent or a publisher. So that all the events I attend are successful. So that any other stories I write and edit this year can find homes as well. And, at the end of 2025, I’ll be that much closer to being able to write full time.
And if you’re reading this, you put in that effort, too. We’re not competition, after all. Authors support other authors. And yes, you will feel frustration. You will suffer rejection and disappointment. But if you push past all that, you can achieve amazing things. Like having several books out and a dedicated fanbase with a fun nickname (whazzup, Followers of Fear?).
Who knows? Maybe if you keep going, things will be smooth sailing for you, too. I know I’m going to work hard so that can be the case for me. And I can’t wait to see what pans out.
Speaking of Symphony for Walpurgis, this new collection of mine contains cryptids, malevolent spirits, and a Jewish exorcism, among other things. It’s releasing May 1st, and it’s already available to preorder as an ebook from Amazon and Kobo, with paperback versions and more stores to be added later on. If you’re at all interested, why not preorder a copy? All you have to do is click the links below, and you’ll have bought your ticket for the Symphony.
Happy New Year, my Followers of Fear! I hope 2025 is treating you well so far. For me, it’s not so bad. Sure, there’s been heavy snow these past couple of days, but I’m indoors and don’t mind it so much.
Anyway, I’m pleased to announce that my latest book is now available for preorder. And what is that book, you’re asking? Why, it’s a new collection called Symphony for Walpurgis!
Not a bad cover, right? I designed it myself based on one of the stories in the collection.
Speaking of which, the collection is made up of nine novelettes, four of which have already been published. Those are “Blood and Paper Skin,” about a group of older teens who end up locked up in someone’s private basement; “Disillusionment and Trauma Sometimes Go Hand-in-Hand,” which features my famous monsters, the dragon bats; “Cressida,” about a mermaid who bears a mysterious resemblance to a girl who supposedly died years before; and “Natural Predators,” about a new pandemic with startling implications for the fate of humanity.
The five other stories will be “The House on Lafayette Square,” an exorcism story with a Jewish twist to it (yay for more Jewish horror!); “Mother of Spiders,” about one town’s dirty secret and the woman who comes to collect her dues; “Famous,” about a wannabe starlet who will do anything to achieve the fame she deserves; “The Little Goddess of Horror,” about a rather famous and unusual actress; and “The Parasite Man,” about a powerful lawyer whose family comes under attack from a relentless spirit.
I’m so looking forward to you all reading this book. I’ve scheduled it to come out on Thursday, May 1st, 2025, the actual date of Walpurgisnacht (think Halloween in spring for witches, if you’re unfamiliar). Currently, it’s only available to preorder as an ebook from Amazon and Kobo. And for some reason, Amazon doesn’t allow preorders for paperbacks published through their platform (yeah, I think it’s stupid, too). But I’m working on getting it available to preorder through Barnes & Noble and Apple Books, and B&N actually allows preorders for paperback books. So, sit tight. As soon as that’s ready, I’ll let you know.
And in the meantime, if you would like to preorder a copy from the stores where it’s currently available, I’ll leave links below. I hope you’ll check it out. And when it releases this May and you read it, I hope you’ll leave reviews online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me out in the long run.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m being allowed to work from home tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean I can slack off. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Rami Ungar The Writer 