Posts Tagged ‘Tarot’

The Balancing Act Between the Author and the Publisher

Posted: April 21, 2023 in Reflections, Writing
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In Tarot, the Two of Cups represents reconciliation and balance in a relationship. It’s a card I thought often of during these past few days while figuring things out with BSC.

The relationship between an author and a publisher is a collaboration. The author creates a work, and the publisher helps them get the work cleaned up enough to be published. Together, they release the book into the world and put in the work to make sure the book gets to as many readers as possible. That’s all known.

But, as I said above, the relationship between the author and their publisher is also a relationship. And a relationship is often about give and take, compromise, and balance.

I was reminded of this fact recently during a two-hour Zoom meeting with my editor at BSC Publishing Group. BSC, as you probably know by now, is releasing my new collection, Hannah and Other Stories, later this year. Part of the reason why I wanted to release this collection with a publisher is that I knew these stories would need help reaching their full potential, so I wanted a publisher with experience that could help me reach that potential. Plus, the people working for BSC know the industry well and are enthusiastic about helping their authors reach as wide an audience as possible.

This particular meeting was a content meeting. Simply put, we were looking over the individual stories and seeing what in the story’s content could be fixed in the next draft. This way, we could continue to improve the stories by identifying any story issues and maybe cutting out anything that would be too controversial or souldn’t help the stories. And my editor had plenty of suggestions for the stories, some of which I’d already hit upon. Most I didn’t have an issue with. They either made sense from the get-go or they made sense after a bit of explaining.

A few things that came up, I was glad to receive. I mean, if you haven’t already noticed, I’m a white male. And, try as I do, I don’t always see things from outside that perspective. It’s good that my editor and others at BSC are women and can see outside that perspective. They pointed out more than a few things I didn’t realize might come off as problematic. And now that I know, I can change and learn from these examples so (hopefully) I don’t make that mistake in the future.

Other suggestions, however…I had more than a bit of hesitation.

Look, I’m normally an amenable guy. I like getting along with people and I’m usually good with going along with someone else’s suggestion if it’s not a big deal. But without getting into details (spoilers, you know), some of the suggestions my editors made just didn’t sit right with me. And I pushed back, which resulted in a lot of emailing back and forth.

And that’s something you have to keep in mind when you work with publishers. While they do want to help you get your book out there and even further your career, they do have their own ideas, goals and needs. And sometimes, all that with conflict with your vision in some way or another. That’s not a bad thing, it’s just the way things are. And ultimately, the best you can hope for is either coming to an understanding, or a compromise.

Otherwise, the relationship between author and publisher could dissolve and the book go unpublished, or the relationship between author and publisher is extremely unbalanced and the two parties, as well as the resulting book, suffers.

Ultimately, BSC and I were able to talk it out, come to a few agreements, and reach a compromise. And now we have a direction for the next draft of this book. Soon, I’ll get the notes on the second draft from them, and we’ll go from there. What happens next…well, we’ll see. At the very least, we’re still able to get along and still committed to getting this book out. And that’s what’s important.

Updates on 2022 Events

Posted: June 14, 2022 in Living and Life
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You know, I’m only just realizing I forgot to give you guys a reminder about the Ohio Author Book Fair? I posted about it on Facebook and Twitter, but completely blanked on doing it here. Or was there just never a good opportunity? Whatever, I’m overdue for an update on what events I’ll be attending as an author and vendor later this year.

First, I’ll be at the West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia on Saturday, August 13th for the West Virginia Penitentiary Paracon. This will be the second haunted prison I’ll have the pleasure visiting and selling at, so I’m looking forward to going on a tour and then doing Tarot readings and meeting new readers! I wonder if I’ll meet another Avenger lookalike (still half-convinced that was Chris Hemsworth I saw at ParaPsyCon). And if you’re in the area, please stop by. You can buy tickets from the prison’s website here.

The following month, I’ll be joining fellow members of HWA Ohio for a group table at Mystics and Marvels on September 10th and 11th, 2022. This is a cool convention of Tarot readers, fortune tellers, entertainers, musicians, and, of course, authors. We’ll be located at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio, and we’ll be dressed in vintage clothing, so come by just to see that! You can find out more on their website.

And that’s all for now. Three are a few others in the works, but until they’ve gone from “in the works” to “official,” I’ll hold off on announcing them. And in order to avoid annoying you all, I’ll only post reminders for each event right before it occurs, rather than constantly doing so leading up to each event. Anyway, hope you can come to one of them! I would love to sign a copy of one of my books for you.*

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope to have some good news later this week, so keep an eye out for a new post one of these days. Now, if anyone needs me, I’ll be working out and editing (not at the same time, though). Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

*And if you can’t but still want to support me, my work is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers. Please make sure to check them out and let me, as well as your fellow readers, know what you think!

May 2022 Will Be a Month of Transformation

Posted: April 30, 2022 in Living and Life, Reflections
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As you are probably aware, I read Tarot. And in some of my recent readings, especially concerning the month of May, cards have been coming up relating to new cycles in life. Wheel of Fortune, Death, those kinds of cards. And after today’s reading, I had a bit of a revelation: tomorrow is May 1st. And it’s not just going to be a new month, but a month full of changes. And I don’t just mean the weather.*

First, there’s stuff at work. We’re getting ready to go back to the office soon now that the pandemic seems to be winding down (though cases of COVID are rising again in certain areas, including in Ohio, so who knows?). And though my particular section will be going in later and staggering days we’re in the office, and a lot still has to be finalized, it’s still a change after two years working from home.

Then there’s stuff in the writing career. As you all know, The Pure World Comes will release in paperback and ebook on the tenth, so I’m busy promoting the hell out of that. In fact, I think this time TPWC is going to appear on more blogs, websites, and podcasts than Rose did when it came out, so hopefully that, and the fact that I’ll be at ParaPsyCon selling copies at the end of the month, will lead to plenty of people reading and reviewing it.

Funnily enough, both Rose and TWPC involve transformation, so I guess it makes sense for the latter to come out in a month of change and transformation. Hopefully the transformations I deal with won’t be as dramatic or life-threatening. I wouldn’t mind if that transformation leads to the new book doing well.

There are a few other changes I know are happening, though they’re not big enough that I feel like talking about them here. But there might be other big changes on the horizon. I’m actually looking to move out of my current place, so for all I know, I might find where I’ll be living where my rent is up. Though with both the housing and the rental market in a crazy state, I may end up in this place for another year.** Whatever the case, this coming month could be a month where things change dramatically with that search.

Are other changes in my life around the corner? I don’t know. Nearly anything’s possible. I wouldn’t mind if I lost the weight I gained this past month (thanks Passover and home-searching stress!). Well, whatever the case, I’ll try to roll with whatever happens and adjust as necessary. Though if the Tarot cards are anything to go by, it’ll be a good month.

This is from my personal deck and from today’s reading. The center card, the Present card, is The Magician. It represents mastery and having all you need within you. The one on the left, the Past card, is the World. It represents triumph and success, happiness and achievement. Opposite is the Future card, which is The Emperor. It means authority and ambition, as well as achievement and even financial stability. Up top in the Cause position is The Knight of Swords, which represents swift and chaotic movement, or a serious-minded young man (I’m going with the latter this time around). And on bottom, in the Potential space, is The Knight of Pentacles, which represents eventual good news and/or a reliable young man.

The question I asked the cards was, “What do I need to know for the month of May?” Based on the answer, I think May will be a month of good transformations. I hope, anyway.

*Which, let’s face it, this is Ohio. Our weather is notorious for changing at a moment’s notice. In fact, it often does. We joke about it a lot.

**God, I could write a whole post about the state of the market and how mad I am at it. But I won’t, because it’s not that kind of blog.

BTW, Followers of Fear. The Pure World Comes is available for preorder on Amazon! Yeah, they basically lied to me when they said it wouldn’t be. So now, if you would prefer to purchase from there, you can use the link below. And if you decide to read it, let me know what you think. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback and it helps me as a writer, as well as help other readers decide to read the story.

Hope you enjoy the last couple of hours of April, my Followers of Fear. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.

The Pure World Comes: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Kobo

“That Which Cannot Be Undone:” One Week Left in the Campaign!!!

Posted: January 20, 2022 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Scary Stuff, Writing
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I know I said I’m trying to cut back on this self-promoting stuff, but you have to admit this is a good enough reason to post.

So, as you all probably know by now, some writer friends of mine and I formed a publishing press, Cracked Skull Press, and are doing a Kickstarter campaign for our first anthology, “That Which Cannot Be Undone.” Every story within the anthology will be set in Ohio, written by Ohio horror writers, and center around the theme “that which cannot be undone.” If we make our funding goal, we plan to release it in October.

And guess what? As of today, seven days before the end of the campaign, we’re just $999 away from making our funding goal! I know! You cannot imagine how excited we are by reaching this milestone.

Of course, we need your help to reach the finish line, so we would be honored if you would pledge your support to the anthology. Folks who do will be listed in the Donors section at the end of the book, but you can also get an electronic and print copy of the anthology sent free of charge; signed copies of books by the contributing authors; amazing swag, including Ohio horror-themed Tarot cards (you’ll plotz when you see who’s on the Death and Devil cards); and for our highest pledges, you could come to our release party with a plus one! You can use the link here to contribute: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/crackedskullproject1/that-which-cannot-be-undone-an-ohio-horror-anthology

And if you’ve already pledged and want to pledge more, you can use the “manage pledge” feature on Kickstarter to increase your pledge. Just saying.

Anyway, thank you all for pledging and sharing the Kickstarter campaign. Working on this anthology has been such a journey and we’re so glad to see that it looks like we might reach our funding goal. And we at Cracked Skull Press know we wouldn’t get this far without you. We can’t wait to show you your support and faith was well worth it.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I just wanted to log on and let you all know where the campaign stands. You’ll hear from me again about this on the results of the campaign. In the meantime, one more thing I want to mention:

A week from this Saturday, January 29th, 2022, I’ll be at the Lafayette Hotel in Marietta, Ohio for the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo. It’s a convention full of ghost hunters, psychics, paranormal enthusiasts, and one or two authors like me, which you know is going to be fun! I’ll be there signing books and doing Tarot readings, so I hope to see you there!

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, pleasant nightmares!

This, I Manifest

Posted: November 18, 2021 in Living and Life, Progress Report, Writing
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When I was in New Orleans a couple weeks ago, there was this voodoo shop on Bourbon Street I visited almost every night I was there. I did buy from that shop, but I also just liked looking around. There were so many cool things there: statues and masks, clothes, books, Tarot cards, candles, voodoo dolls, incense, and so much more! I’d have taken a photo if it were allowed. And one of the nights while I was there, I got a Tarot reading from one of their resident psychics/readers.

The reader, Eshu, had me follow him into the back room and pick out thirteen Tarot cards from a Thoth Tarot deck while I closed my eyes. I did so, picking out cards by trying to feel a tingling or heat or magnetic pull in my fingertips. And after I picked out my thirteen, he started reading what the cards had to say.

I can’t remember all that he said, because sadly the human memory doesn’t work like a video camera (what I wouldn’t do for it to do so when I want to), but I remember some specifics. For one thing, he said that I had a power within me, that he sensed that from when I stepped into the room, and that it was manifesting out in the real world. He also noted that this power came from darkness within, but it wasn’t evil or bad, and that it was leading to big things for me. Prominent cards, if I remember right, were the Fool and the Magician.

Could Hannah and Other Stories be evidence of something manifesting?

To me, in the moment, this made sense, and it still does. My writing career is going extremely well these days, and writing is a form of magic or power, as the Magician evidences. And if it’s not manifesting right now, with the many stories I’ve released this past year and the acceptance of Hannah and Other Stories for publication, I don’t know what is! That also plays into the Fool card, which represents a great opportunity or chance.

And what is horror writing if not taking a darkness that isn’t necessarily evil and manifesting it in the real world?

Don’t answer that, it was rhetorical.

In the two weeks or so since I got back from the Big Easy, a lot’s been going on. I’ve been editing a story for one anthology, the crowdfunding campaign for That Which Cannot Be Undone is about to launch and people are really showing interest (click here to learn more about that), I’ll likely be meeting with an editor soon from BSC Publishing Group to discuss Hannah, I’m on track to put out a paperback, ebook, and maybe even an audio book of The Pure World Comes, I was interviewed by the Columbus Jewish News (click here to read that article), and I may have had an idea for something I can release in the first half of 2022.

That last one came to me yesterday when I realized a short story I finished earlier this week had some similarities to another story I wrote this year. And I thought, Wouldn’t it be interesting if they were released together? I thought of a third story that might go well with them. and now this idea for a mini-collection of novelettes has sprung up. So who knows? Depending on a couple of things, I might be putting out three novelettes together.

So maybe I’m manifesting that power born of darkness within me, and maybe it’ll lead me to new heights in my writing career. Which, for a guy who tells people he’s an eldritch entity from another dimension, that’s something I’m happy with. Or the exact opposite could happen. I don’t know. I love using the cards, but I still have to remind myself they might just be fairy tales and hokum.

Still, with things going the way they are, with Hannah and That Which Cannot Be Undone and maybe even this novelette collection, I want to believe that Eshu’s cards were onto something. And that the Nine of Swords I’ve pulled from my readings these past two days, which represents anxiety, despair, and a sense of oppression, symbolizes what I’m putting into my readers rather than something I’m going to feel in the near future. We’ll see what happens.

Get these and other books this holiday season. And make sure to let the authors know what you think.

And while we wait to see what happens, you looking for something to read or for your horror-loving cousin? Then I have the books for you! Yes, I’m advertising my books. But you gotta do what you gotta do. Anyway, I’ve got a ton of stories available right now in paperback, ebook and even audio book, as well as stories in some great anthologies. You can check out the fantasy-horror novel Rose; the serial killer thriller Snake; my first collection, The Quiet Game; or the anthologies Into the Deep, The Nightmare Collective Part II, Dark Nature and The Jewish Book of Horror. I’ll leave links below.

And if you like what you read, leave a review online somewhere. That way I’ll know what you think and so will other readers.

That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m off to conjure new nightmares so I can keep manifesting that power from within. Until next time, pleasant nightmares!

The Quiet Game: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo.

Snake: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Smashwords, and Kobo

Rose: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Audible, B&N

The Jewish Book of Horror: Amazon, B&N

Dark Nature: Amazon

Nightmare Collective Part 2: Amazon

Into the Deep: Amazon

Glad I’m Taking a Second Look

Posted: July 27, 2021 in Living and Life, Reflections, Writing
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I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been shopping around a collection of original short stories and not been having much success. After the last rejection, I decided that I might as well take another look and do another round of editing, in case that had anything to do with it. There are nine stories in the collection, and I thought I’d give at least four or five a good run through. Now though, I’m planning on giving all but two (those that have been edited to death already) another pass.

I didn’t think what I would find would be so bad. Most of these stories were written in the past five or six years, so they should be fine. Right? Right?!

*Sigh*

I looked at the first story. I was horrified that it wasn’t as I remembered it. There were several mistakes that I needed to fix. Not just grammar/spelling/punctuation. but just plot issues that I should’ve fixed or excised in earlier drafts. And if the other stories are like this, I’m not surprised I kept getting rejected!

Well, can’t change the past. I’m taking another look at these stories now, that’s what’s important. I’m already over halfway through the first story, and it’s shown remarkable improvement. If I see similar improvement in the other stories, then…well, I can’t really say what’ll happen then, let alone if the collection will be published.

I even asked my Tarot cards if the collection would find a publisher after all the edits. When I pulled the future card, I got The Moon, which represents uncertainty. Which says it all, really. The writing and publishing game is full of uncertainty. You never know if you’ll find a home for your story when you send it out. Let alone collections!

Still, we play the game, because we love what we do. And I’ll continue working on these stories in the hope that I can improve them enough that someone will want to publish them in a collection.

Or, if things are going well for me, I have the cash to spend, and I think they’re edited enough, I could self-publish. It’d be quite a bit of work all on my own, for certain, but it would likely be worth it. I hope.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I’m going to try to finish up one story tonight, then perform a surgery on a ghost, then start editing the next story. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares!

One more reminder: in honor of my ten-year blogging anniversary on Monday, I’m having an Ask Me Anything, or AMA, to celebrate. All readers are encouraged to participate, and one lucky person will receive a prize! Just send an email to ramiungar@ramiungarthewriter.com before tomorrow night, July 28th, 2021 at 11:59 PM EST. I look forward to reading your questions!

And no, I won’t be sending the winner a dragon bat. Not even a baby one. I’m sorry, but the adults are ferocious, the babies need too much care to be separated from their parent, and the laws regarding transporting them are too much a pain in the ass to deal with. Sorry, but thems the breaks.

Review: “Lovesickness” by Junji Ito

Posted: June 14, 2021 in Review, Scary Stuff
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I always look forward to a Junji Ito collection. Whether I like it or not, I know I’m in for an experience. One with great artwork and a weird but most likely intriguing story. And Lovesickness is no exception.

The bulk of this collection is the titular six-chapter saga, taking place in a town under a perpetual fog. In this town, there’s a popular fortune-telling tradition where you wait at an intersection and ask the first passerby to tell their fortune. However, this tradition has bad memories for a young middle schooler who is returning to town for the first time in nearly a decade. And his own trauma is exacerbated by events in the town. A mysterious young man in black is giving fortune-seeking girls prophecies of doom, driving them to suicide. This leads to a series of events that will affect everyone in the town, and destroy more than a few lives in the process.

Except for maybe the last chapter, this story is pretty solid. The backgrounds are often pretty dark, except when the fog is particularly thick, which lends it this creepy atmosphere al a Silent Hill. And the protagonist is pretty believable as a young man with serious PTSD. While the antagonist is always drawn with this sort of mist-like smudging, which lends him this otherworldly aura. Add in some creepy ghost imagery that would make most zombie graphic novels ashamed, plenty of downward spirals into madness, and it’s one hell of a horror story.

The other highlights of the collection are the short stories The Mansion of Phantom Pain and The Rib Woman. Both of them have very weird and interesting concepts, though the latter pulls its concept off a lot better.

On the other hand, two of the related stories in the collection, which follow a strange family of siblings, aren’t that good. I think it might have been Ito’s attempt at a new horror-comedy series, but I couldn’t get into it. Like The Addams Family without the charm.

And there’s a story in the back called “Memories of Real Poop,” which I think is a vignette from Ito’s childhood. Anyway, it’s a weird addition to the collection and kind of stupid. Don’t know why Ito spent his time drawing it unless he needed to pad out a collection or two.

And as I said, the last chapter of the titular story didn’t sit well with me. Honestly, it felt tacked on just to give a bit more resolution to the story.

Still, it’s a good collection. On a scale of 1 to 5, I’m giving Lovesickness by Junji Ito a 3.8 out of 5. Most of the stories are rather scary and worth a read. Just be sure not to read the main story on a foggy night. You don’t know what you’ll see when you look up from the book and out the window.

Just a quick note, my Followers of Fear: Indie Author Book Expo Aurora, or IABE Aurora, has been moved from August 7th, 2021 to September 11th, 2021. As far as I know, this is the last date change. All other details, such as taking place at the Prisco Community Center in Aurora, Illinois. Hope that doesn’t impact anyone’s travel plans. Anyway, I hope to see you there. At the very least, you’ll get a much better fortune from my Tarot cards than you would from the fortune telling method in Lovesickness.

Anyway, you can find out more about the convention here.

Until next time, pleasant nightmares!

Dealing with the Coming Winter

Posted: November 1, 2020 in Living and Life, Reflections
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I’ve mentioned it before on this blog, but I do Tarot. And last week, I did a reading to get an idea of what my November would look like. Things were looking bright, but then the Potential card came up as the Nine of Swords, which is one of the worst cards to come up during a reading. To put it simply, it represents oppression, or a sense of anxiety and despair.

The Nine of Swords from both my Tarot decks. As you can see, they both illustrate someone under a great strain or a dark attachment.

Since it came up as the Potential card, it refers what could “possibly” be, depending on circumstances, so I thought of different things that could cause what the Nine of Swords portends. At first, I thought it could be post-election anxiety (that’s a potential) or the anxiety that comes from having to get a story up to scratch after an acceptance (I’m feeling hopeful for my chances). But then something occurred to me. It’s November. It’s going to get even darker and colder.

And many people come down with Seasonal Affective Disorder in the winter.

And then there’s what I’ve been Pandemic Isolation Syndrome (copyright pending). You don’t need me to tell you what the symptoms have been. Likely, you’ve felt them or know someone who has over the past year. That’s been a problem since March, but with winter, the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 cases, and SAD too, it’s possible it’ll be a really rough winter for many.

Whether or not you believe Tarot actually works (I maintain that I’m on the fence), it’s obvious this would be something that could be a potential problem.

But it doesn’t have to be. While this winter will surely be difficult, there are ways we can mitigate the mental/emotional damage it can cause. I even talked to the guy at my workplace whose job is to counsel people going through tough times on ways to keep my spirits up.

One is to focus on things you can control. We often focus on things we have little or no control over: the election, the pandemic, social isolation, etc. While it’s difficult, try and do the opposite. Cut back on the news and social media. Think about the things you can control, like diet and exercise, what you do around your house, and the evil entities you can raise through dark sorcery. Then do those things. Show how you can control them.

Hell, maybe do those home renovation projects you’re always putting off. That’ll get your mind off the blues.

Second is to make a list of what you enjoy. What movies and TV shows do you enjoy watching? Do you like to drive? To dance? Are there books you’ve always wanted to read but never had the time? Do you cavort with demons and have a grand old time of it? Write it all down, and then do them. It may seem difficult on harder days, but if you buckle down, it can lift your mood.

Personally, I plan on writing, exercising, cooking, reading, binging shows and movies, and raising an army of monsters to march down Main Street on Krampus Night this December. Should be fun.

A good full-spectrum bulb can be a blessing during the winter. Photo by LED Supermarket on Pexels.com

And finally, you can always grab a full-spectrum lamp. During the winter, we don’t get enough sunlight to produce Vitamin D, and even when we go outside on sunny days, we’re so bundled up, we barely benefit. A full-spectrum lamp can produce all those light rays we need, and you only need to sit under/near it for two hours a day. I plan on buying one for the winter, so it should be helpful.

While there’s no way to predict what will happen this winter or how it will affect us (I’m predicting a meteor shower causing multiple explosions al a Tunguska, Russia), we can find ways to keep our spirits up and smiles on our faces. If we put them into practice, we can arrive in summer that much stronger.

What are your tips for getting through winter and the pandemic? Do you think you’ll try any of the above? Let’s discuss.

Announcing Some Events for 2021

Posted: September 20, 2020 in Living and Life, Writing
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My table at the Indie Author Book Expo in Des Moines this past year. I’m hoping to have wonderful experiences at the events I’ll be attending this coming year as well.

I know it’s early. We still have three months and nine days left of 2020. I also know that, with COVID-19, any planned event is subject to change or cancellation. And there’s no telling when this pandemic will end. But I want to be optimistic and hope things work out before these events happen.

Plus, I’ve already talked about one of these events on most of my other social media in order to help get more vendors there. And if you want to get this stuff on people’s calendars, you gotta get the word out as early as possible. Before they put weddings and bar mitzvahs and other conventions on their calendars.

What was I talking about? Oh right. So, I’m signed up to be a vendor or author at a couple of conventions and book fairs next year. And I’m letting you know about them in case you’d be interested in them or going to them.

First, there’s Paranormal and Psychic Convention 2021, or ParaPsyCon 2021. This is an annual event at the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH. You know, the haunted former prison where they filmed the Shawshank Redemption. The one I’ve been to twice and filmed some of my best haunted footage at. It’s from May 22nd-23rd, 2021,* and all it takes to get in is admission to the convention is to pay for admission to the prison. You can find out more on their website here.

Fun fact: I was actually supposed to be at this convention earlier this year. But we were in the early days of the pandemic, and the convention organizers were wise to cancel it. They then offered to put me on the vendor list for 2021, and I accepted. I’m hopeful that by then, things will be a bit safer and we can go to the convention in peace.

Then the month after, I’ll be at an event hosted by Indie Author Book Expo, or IABE, the very same group who hosted the expo I went to in Des Moines back in July. However, this time, I’ll be at IABE Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. It’ll be held on June 19th, 2021 at the Quarry Chi on E. 75th street. Not sure what the parking situation is, or if this location has been used as a film set, or if it’s haunted. But hey, doesn’t mean it won’t be a good time. You can find out more about it, as well as the other events IABE will be holding next year, on their website here.

I’ll be at both events, selling books,** doing Tarot readings, meeting readers, writers and others alike, and just trying to have a good time. So, if you’re able to come to either, please do. I’d be happy to see you.

And if I sign up for any other events, I’ll be sure to let you know well in advance that I’m attending. Don’t know if there will be. Some won’t happen unless the pandemic gets better. Others won’t let you sign up unless you’ve had a book published within a certain time period, so my attendance will depend on what occurs over the next year or so. We’ll see what happens.

Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If any of you are able to make these events, I hope I’ll see you then. Until next time, stay safe and pleasant nightmares.

*Same weekend as StokerCon, I know, but I already had this on the calendar. What are you going to do?

**And some other things. I’ve had a few ideas on other items I can sell alongside my books. And I’ll probably think of a few more before the first convention.

“The Ghost of the Mourning Museum:” First Draft Finished

Posted: August 20, 2020 in Novelette, Scary Stuff, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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Ad for Black Peter Robinson’s Mourning Warehouse, and the image that inspired this story.

Wow, what a mouthful of a title. And what a story! I have a good feeling about this one.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start with the point of this post: just a few minutes ago, I finished a new novelette. Titled “The Ghost of the Mourning Museum,” the story follows a man on vacation in the UK who visits the Museum of British Mourning.* While there, he encounters a little girl who says she’s the daughter of a mourning warehouse owner who died in the 19th century. As it turns out, the museum is haunted by that girl’s ghost, and seeing her is said to herald your death.

So yeah, if you read my post on the cult of Victorian mourning rituals, you can see how that might fit into this story. In fact, quite a few of my interests made their way into this story. Tarot, for instance; I was struggling at a certain point in the outlining stage of what should happen to my protagonist, so I just gave him a Tarot reading. I then pulled out my own deck, and used that to perform the reading for my character. What the cards gave me ended up propelling the story forward in just the right way.

And because I’d been to Britain on a study abroad trip years ago, I got to include a little bit of my experience in the story. Not much, but a little.

So, what’s next for this story? Well, at 10,535 words, publications are going to be very selective with what they’re willing to accept. That being said, I think this story has potential, so I’m going to find a few beta readers to give me feedback. Once I have that feedback, I’ll use it to spruce up this story. And then, once that’s done…who knows? At the very least, I’d like to get it out there and see if anyone else enjoys the story.

For now though, I’m drinking some beer and retiring for the night. Goodnight, my Followers of Fear. I’m sure we’ll catch up at some point this weekend. But until then, stay safe, pleasant nightmares, and…holy crap! WordPress informs me I’m past a hundred thousand views on this blog! Everyone, thank you so much for continuing to read this blog and support my writing career. You can’t imagine what it means to me. I hope you’ll continue to support me as I work on getting more stories out there and reaching my full potential as a writer.

Until then, pleasant nightmares!

I know I said that already. I don’t care.

*For the record, there isn’t a real Museum of British Mourning. I just made it up for the sake of this story. However, if one does come into existence in the future, I hope the museum will give credit where credit is due and make me part of the museum’s operations in some way.

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