You sick of this book yet? You’re not? Good! Glad to hear it! Now, let’s get on to the meat of this post.
So yesterday, the first batch of author copies for Hannah and Other Stories arrived. These are my personal copies which I can order at a discount and which I can use at events, give away, or just keep. Whatever I feel like. In this case, the first batch of copies include what will be my personal copy, a couple going to a few people who, for one reason or another, I need to send them to, and the rest will go to libraries.
And, of course, I had to do an unboxing video of getting the copies and put it on YouTube. I mean, how could I not?!
If you didn’t watch the video, let me sum it up this way: the author copies came out beautifully! The cover looks amazing, and the interior just looks amazing. I’m just so happy with how they turned out. So happy, in fact, I hugged my personal copy, the copy I picked up, after I finished the video.
As many of you know, this is the second time this book has been released. It was first released by BSC Publishing Group in 2023, but a paperback edition wasn’t produced due to BSC’s policies at the time. After the rights reverted to me, I knew I was going to produce a paperback. And now, in just 19 days, on the two-year anniversary of the original release, the book will finally be available in paperback.
I hope many readers who couldn’t the first time around enjoy the book.
Speaking of which, if you would like to preorder a copy of this terrifying collection full of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, I’ll include links below. (Just be aware that the paperback edition will only be available to preorder through Barnes & Noble, because Amazon is weird that way.) As I said, the book will be out on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025, so it’s only a matter of time.
And if you get a copy and end up reading it, I hope you’ll leave a review online. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and doing so helps both me and other readers in the long run.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I will have another Hannah post out soon, and I hope to have something else out at some point in the coming week. Until next time, good night, pleasant nightmares, and 57 days till Halloween. And I’m only getting scarier and weirder as time goes on.
All of the author copies in the first batch. Aren’t they beautiful?
Well, I got another event on the horizon! And this one, both its timing and theme, shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me.
I attended the Columbus Witches Ball in November 2022, and had an amazing time. Hosted by the Magical Druid, one of the most prominent metaphysical shops in Columbus (we have a few), it’s an awesome gathering of witches, Wiccans, and neo-Pagans. There was a ritual (which I filmed for YouTube), some dancing, and, of course, plenty of people interested in books and Tarot readings. I did very well on sales, and also had a ton of fun.
I wanted to go back in 2023, but I had a conflict, and last year, I attended a different event held by the Magical Druid, so I decided not to go. But this year, I’m going back. And this year, it’ll be held at the Ohio Brewing Company at 421 East 2nd Avenue in downtown Columbus from 1 PM – 11 PM. Obviously, there will be food and drink (it is a brewery, after all), but also a guest lecturer, a ritual, and dancing. Plus, lots of vendors, including little old me. I’ll be there selling books and doing Tarot card readings, so if you’re in the area, please consider attending. I’ll include links to tickets below.
And don’t worry. I’ll be sure to post a reminder before the event. Just in case you forget. And I’ll let you all know if any new events pop up. Which, given Halloween is 94 days away, is likely to happen.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares!
Has it really been a week? It feels less like a week and more like a day. Surreal.
So, as many of you know by now, I released my sixth book and third collection, Symphony for Walpurgis, last Thursday, on the Feast of Saint Walpurga, when witches are supposedly at their most powerful. The book contains nine novelettes, with stories ranging from wannabe starlets encountering cryptids (“Famous”), malevolent spirits oppressing the family of a cruel and greedy lawyer (“The Parasite Man”), and even a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square”).
What many of you don’t know is that I got a tattoo and a Tarot reading to celebrate, and I think they’re both bringing me good luck.
Here’s the back cover summary of the book:
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.
Not bad. Other writers find writing summaries of their work exhausting, but I’ve never really struggled with that.
Anyway, in the first week, Symphony has done pretty decently for an author of my reach and the marketing I was able to do. I even put out a video of myself reading from the book’s introduction on my YouTube channel (you can watch that video here). And as a result, not only have I had some great sales across different platforms, but I’ve even received some reviews. And I’m happy to say, they’ve all been extremely positive.
Here’s what people are saying:
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.
Louise Conway, Goodreads
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… “Mother of Spiders” still haunts me. In fact, characters like Ingrid (the Mother in this story), Cressida (from another story), and the detestable Bardo (from yet another story) continue to haunt me even now, after I’m done reading…Overall, five scary, creepy, disturbing stars.
Priscilla Bettis, Amazon
Novellettes are a strange beast. Many publishers and readers find them difficult because they’re such an in-between style of writing. They’re too short to build real suspense, some readers will tell you. Others will insist that they’re too long, and that they’re just short stories that need more editing. However, as the novelette is Ungar’s chosen form, he’s done his best to prove naysayers wrong, and what a job he has done!
Joshua Gage, Cemetery Dance Online
It’s reviews like these, so full of gushing and love for the horrors I’ve created, that make me hope that the book will continue to find readers. And I’m going to work hard over the next year so that it happens. Who knows? I may end up getting five-hundred books sold this year, as well as fifty reviews on both Amazon and on Goodreads. I’ve got a few ideas on how to make that happen, so we’ll see if I can pull it off.
And if you would like to check out Symphony for Walpurgis, I’ll leave links below. Now that it’s out, it’s available in both paperback and ebook, so hopefully that won’t be a problem. And if you like what you read, please be sure to leave me a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers in the long run.
One more thing, my Followers of Fear: the day after tomorrow, May 10th, I’ll be at the Halfway to Halloween Expo in Ann Arbor, Michigan from 10 AM – 6 PM. This is an amazing convention of vendors, a haunted house, and more than I could list here! So, if you’re in the area, stop by the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds, where I’ll have books and Tarot readings available.
And if you’re not…well, I have plenty of books available online if you’d still like to support me or you’re into scary stories.
Time, for better or for worse, is moving along quite quickly. And that means we are a week closer to the release of my new collection, Symphony for Walpurgis!
For those of you who are unaware (though at this point, given how much I talk about it, I’d be surprised if you weren’t aware), Symphony for Walpurgis is a collection of nine novelettes I’m releasing on May 1st, 2025. The stories include tales of cryptids (“Famous”), malevolent spirits (“The Parasite Man”), and even a Jewish exorcism (“The House on Lafayette Square”). Yes, we Jews have exorcisms. Not often, but we do.
Here’s the blurb I wrote 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.
Neat, isn’t it? I think it gets the mood of the book across quite well.
Anyway, I’m very excited for this collection. Novelettes don’t have a lot of places you can submit to, and the ones you can often prefer shorter novelettes (for those who aren’t aware, a novelette is around 7,500-17,500 words). I tend to write stories in the novelette range, so I’m hoping if this book does well, more people will want to read and write stories in the novelette range, and maybe there will be more publishers for them.
At the very least, though, I would like this book to be successful. I really enjoyed working on these stories, about half of which have originally been published, and I want others to enjoy them. If I can, I would like to sell 500 copies within the first year. I’ll certainly work hard to make that happen.
Anyway, if you would like to check out Symphony, I’ll leave links below. It’s available to preorder now as an ebook, but there will be more formats and stores in time as time goes on. And there are even some early reviews, which you can find on Goodreads, also linked below.
And speaking of reviews, if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps me and other readers out in the long run.
Also be sure to check out the book trailer I made. Is it the most amazing book trailer ever designed? But does it include hints of what’s in the book and gets its mood down perfectly like the book blurb? I like to think so.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re as excited as I am for this new book. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
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.
The Anchorage Mansion looks so creepy in the dead of night, doesn’t it?
So, as many of you know, I was in Marietta, OH this weekend for the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo. And you probably also know that I not only freaking love Marietta, but that it’s filled with haunted buildings. And while I was in Marietta, I made sure to do some ghost hunting at two of my favorite places: the Lafayette Hotel, where I was staying, and the Anchorage Mansion, where Hidden Marietta does their main business.
And hoo boy, did I get some results!
Now, for those unaware, I tend to use dowsing rods quite a bit when I ghost hunt. These are copper, L-shaped rods that have copper cylinders around the handles. The idea is that the ghosts can manipulate the rods to answer yes-or-no questions or to point. And the cylinders around the handles keep the questioner from manipulating the rods.
My first session was in my hotel room, where I contacted the spirit of a former employee. And, given the answers I got, I felt kind of sad for her.
After that, I decided to try getting some responses in the hallway. Where, by the by, I got some amazing results with some friends about two years ago (see that post here). And this time around, I got results again!
Pretty awesome, huh? The most amazing thing is, when I played the video back, you could clearly hear that thumping noise! My audio clearly picked that up! Now, as to what caused it, or for my camera to go out of focus for a couple of minutes, I don’t know. Still, it was pretty cool! (Also, I met the husband of the couple at breakfast the next morning and got to fill him in on my results. I wonder if he’s a believer now?)
With my exploration of the third floor completed, I headed down to the basement. According to the guy at reception, there are nine spirits of children haunting the hotel, as well as several dogs and a cat. (He also thought he’d heard of a woman who used to work at the hotel dying in the last twenty years and a guest having a heart attack in the 1980s, though he wasn’t sure of the details and couldn’t remember where the employee who died used to work.) The most active and famous of these children is Thomas, whom I was told during my first stay at the Lafayette can be contacted from the basement.
So, to the basement I went! And Thomas reacted to my calls.
How spooky is that? At 5:48 and 8:42, you can clearly hear a snapping sound that likely isn’t the front door! And at 8:08, I could have sworn I heard a whisper coming from down the basement hallway!
Well, after that, I headed to the Anchorage Mansion, where I met my friend Jeff Ignatowski, and we were led on a tour of the Anchorage, hearing about its history and ghost stories. And let me tell you, there’s been some new stories. For instance, there’s apparently a nasty new spirit in the attic and tower that’s pretty territorial. It’s even forced Henrietta and Clarabelle, the two little girls who play up in the attic, out of the attic and to the second floor! The staff have been moving their toys down so they’re not constantly being harassed by this new, mean entity.
Now, after the tour, Jeff and I went to the servants quarters, which is on a sub-floor leading off the second floor. Here, another malevolent entity that has a problem with women is supposed to lurk. Here, we tried to contact said entity and get some answers.
Creepy, right? We didn’t get any answers, but it was interesting how some of those entities reminded me of the Donner Party. And I nearly hit my head on a barrier hanging from the ceiling. Was something leading me there, hoping I’d hurt myself?
Well, after that, we spent a bit of time in the room where Clarabelle and Henrietta’s room, or the room where their dolls, pictured below, are now. The dolls in the rocking chair are theirs, and were designed based on their feedback. Supposedly, you mess with the dolls, they’ll mess with you right back. One college student touched them, and then got slapped on the back. There was a child-sized handprint on his back, according to the stories.
After that, Jeff and I tried messing with some of the equipment to rent in the dining room, but it didn’t really work for us. And that ended the evening. Still, it was pretty cool. And I always enjoy coming to the Anchorage Mansion. Hell, I always love coming to Marietta! And I’m so glad it gave me some amazing experiences again.
Though my experiences with scary stuff didn’t end once I left Marietta. You see, after I left the convention, I stopped by a computer store in Columbus to pick up something. And while I was there, I found something that filled me with fright! You can see the video below!
3D printers! After writing an entire novel about an evil one, so many of them in one place filled me with fright! And I’m sure if the novel ever gets published, a gathering of them will scare plenty of people!
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. Remember, we’re 32 days away from Halloween, so if you’re still looking for something spooky to read this October, I’ve got plenty of stories to offer. Plant/human hybrids and strange gods, Mafia-hunting serial killers, and carnivorous horses! Just check out the button below and you’ll find all my published works, including some free stuff available for download.
And if you end up reading any of my work, please leave a review! Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps other readers find my work.
Also be sure to check out my YouTube channel. If you like it, you can subscribe and be the first to watch my videos when it uploads.
Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Pop the champagne! Run wild through the streets with hardly any clothes on! Propitiate the horror gods with sacrifices, lest you be eaten by monsters! Hannah and Other Stories is a year old today!
So, if you were unaware, Hannah and Other Stories is my second collection and my fifth book overall. The collection contains seven short stories, among which are tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. Yes, you read that right. Carnivorous horses! They’re horrifying and will get you when you least expect them!
Honestly, it’s hard to believe that this collection has been out a year. I started collecting the stories and then shopping them around to publishers in 2021, at the height of the pandemic. In October of that year, while I was on vacation, BSC Publishing Group told me they wanted to publish them and sent me a contract! Over the next year and a half, we worked to get the stories up to scratch, finally releasing them on September 23, 2023. And here we are today, at the one-year anniversary of the release!
And I’ve been doing a lot for this anniversary. In addition to the usual posting to social media, I created a book trailer, which you can watch below.
Pretty cool, huh? Personally, I think it’s my best work yet! And hopefully it conveys the terror within Hannah.
But this isn’t the only thing I’ve been doing for Hannah and Other Stories. I also did a radio interview recently that should air soon. Yes, you read that right as well. A real radio interview, for a show about artists and writers’ techniques and processes for creating their work called The Craft. I’ll post more details when I can, so you can listen to it live with me.
But more than that, I have a big announcement to make: the title story of the collection, Hannah, is going to be adapted into an audio play!
You see, the guy who produces The Craft, Doug Dangler, does a yearly show where short stories are adapted into audio plays for Halloween, and Hannah is going to be one of those stories! For those of you who don’t know, Hannah follows some ghost hunters who sneak into an abandoned school to ghost hunt, and find more than they expected. Anyway, the story will be adapted and acted out by local high school students, and I can’t wait to see what these kids are able to do. I’ll be sure to let you know when the show airs, but it should be around late October.
With all this going on, I hope this leads to a lot of people checking out Hannah and Other Stories, as well as leaving reviews. The reviews I’ve gotten so far have been rather positive. Take a look:
I just finished Hannah and Other Stories by Rami Ungar. This is a great little collection. Stories range from ghost hunting to the dangers of social media to diabolical new friends and Lovecraftian horrors and more. Had this on my TBR for a while and finally pulled the trigger to finish (the adhd is strong). Very fun collection and I would recommend it and am excited to see his future work. I give it a 4/5.
Dustin Allen, Amazon
This collection of seven stories had me hooked from the get-go. Each story has a little bit of everything: horror, occult, revenge, betrayal, ghosts, and so much more. Every story is solid and unique. Expertly crafted and well told. If you are a fan of horror anthologies, this is an absolute must-read. I’m still thinking about some of the stories. Good stuff. Check it out!
5 severed fingers out of 5
Yeti Reads and Reviews, Goodreads
There are horror stories set in houses across the street and in apartments next door. There are also horror stories set in exotic locations like the Catacombs of Paris. There are even horror stories set in imaginary worlds of cosmic horror and monstrous gods. And then there is Rami Ungar’s collection which manages to be all those things at once. This is what makes these stories so special: a combination of exotic and familiar; Ohioan farmlands and Romantic paintings; Lovecraftian gods and suburban ennui. The stories in this collection range from a traditional haunting with a strange twist at the end (“Hannah”) to a postapocalyptic small-town horror reminiscent of Stephen King’s Cell (“The Red Bursts”); from an unfortunate encounter on a Parisian rooftop (“The Autopsy Kid and Doctor Sarah””) to a rather more optimistic, though equally bizarre, Beauty-and-the-Beast meeting in the Catacombs (“Poor Unfortunate Souls”); from a creepypasta (“Queen Alice”) to a Renaissance poem coming to life on social media and in the Midwest (“What Errour Awoke”). My own favorite story is “Fuseli’s Horses,” which seamlessly blends the famous Romantic painting of The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli with the realities of farmwork and growing up in rural America. It is not the combination I would ever think of, but the story is flawlessly plotted and executed. The stories in this collection combine moments of visionary beauty and visceral horror, perfect for the genre’s afficionados. Rami Ungar is a writer to watch!
Elana, Goodreads
Along with the titular story, “Hannah”, this collection from the Master of Fear comprises 5 other short stories and a novelette.
There is a certain level of intense imagination, dread-filled atmosphere, and relatable characters that I’ve come to expect from Ungar’s short stories. The last three stories in this collection certainly delivered all these qualities and more.
This is an enjoyable anthology, with solid stories. At times, the political message in some of the stories detracted from the characters and plot. It worked best in “The Red Bursts”, where it layered seamlessly with other thematic elements without distracting from the story.
“Hannah and Other Stories” is a worthy addition to the bookshelves of the Followers of Fear.
Iseult Murphy, author of “Gone But Not Forgotten,” Amazon
Sorry, I couldn’t help but want to post some of these reviews. They’ve all been overwhelmingly positive! And if more people read the book and leave reviews, with any luck we’ll get a paperback edition soon. Yeah, BSC Publishing is waiting until we’ve reached a certain threshold in sales and reviews before giving the okay on a paperback. I’ve been working since well before the book came out for this, and I’m hopeful the first anniversary will bring it about.
Anyway, if you would like to read Hannah and Other Stories, I’ll post links below. And if you like what you read, please leave a review somewhere so that I, as well as other readers, know what you thought. Plus, reviews help me out so much in the long run.
Thank you, my Followers of Fear. I’m so grateful for all the support you give me everyday, and especially over the last year. I hope the next year brings plenty of amazing things for my career, as well as Hannah.
One more thing, Followers of Fear: I know I’ve already said this, but this Saturday, September 28th, is the Hidden Marietta Paranormal Expo! If you’re in or around Marietta, Ohio this weekend, stop by the Washington County Fairgrounds. There will be psychics, ghost hunters, and me, doing Tarot readings and selling books. More information can be found on the website here.
Hope to see you there. Until next time, good night (or morning) and pleasant nightmares, my Followers of Fear!
As many of you know, my last book was a collection called Hannah and Other Stories. The book contained seven stories, among which were tales of ghosts, budding serial killers, and carnivorous horses, among other things. The collection was released on September 23, 2023, which means at the time I’m writing this, the one-year release anniversary is only fifteen days away.
In honor of the upcoming anniversary, I created a book trailer for Hannah. One was actually supposed to be created last year before Hannah was released, but things didn’t work out, so it never happened. So, to help celebrate the anniversary, I created one myself using a combination of stock footage, the Canva design app, an editing program on my desktop, and YouTube-provided music. The result is below.
And thus, I present to you, the book trailer for Hannah and Other Stories.
What did you think? Did you like it? Can you believe that was all stock footage and some photos I created myself?
And if you liked that trailer and are curious about the book itself, I’ll leave links below. Right now, it’s only available in ebook, but if enough people show interest and read and review the book, a paperback will likely happen as well.
And speaking of reading and reviewing, be sure to leave a review if you end up reading Hannah. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it helps both me and other readers.
That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you’re looking forward to a spooktacular autumn like I am. Until next time, good night, happy reading, pleasant nightmares, and only 53 days till Halloween. Where is the year going?!
You know how, when people go down to Florida during spring or summer break, they have all these wild stories to tell? Odd mishaps, hilarious misadventures, fascinating tales of self-discovery? Yeah, I never had any of those. When I was growing up, the few times I visited Florida was with family. And when I got old enough to go on spring or summer trips, I worked and stayed home because I couldn’t afford the trips. And when I could afford them, I had other things that required my attention.
So, when I learned I was going to be attending a conference related to my day job in Florida with several of my coworkers, I hoped I’d get something I could call my wild Florida story.
Hoo-boy, did I get what I wished for! Because, as I’m sure many of you know, we had a hurricane last week. Hurricane Debby. And she caused the conference to be canceled…while some of us were already in the air.
Yeah, I’m not kidding. Me and about four other coworkers, including my boss, were up at the crack of dawn to get on the plane and head to Florida. And when we got off the plane, about half an hour later than expected due to the rainy weather, and then my coworker Charlotte tells us all, “Hey, I just got an email from Headquarters. The conference is canceled!”
Well, you can imagine how upset and confused we were about that. Here we are, already in Florida, and the reason we paid company money to get here is now up in smoke! In the end, we confirmed our hotel rooms hadn’t been canceled and made our way to the hotel. After that, it was decided that we would all just spend the week working from Florida and try to get home when we could. Worst case scenario, we’d go home on the days we were originally scheduled to.
So yeah, that was pretty wild. But it gets wilder. You see, the hotel we were staying at is attached to a mall (begin Googling now to figure out which one we stayed at). And in that mall, there’s a tattoo parlor. And I went into that tattoo parlor. And when I came out, I had….a tattoo!
A pick of my tattoo taken on my desk at home.
Yeah, bet you didn’t see that coming. Still, going to Florida and returning with a tattoo from a local shop does feel like something that would happen on a wild Florida trip. And I’m quite satisfied with the result. The two symbols are from two anime I’m quite fond of, with two bands around my wrist like a bracelet.
And don’t worry, my workplace is generally tolerant of tattoos, depending on the placement and what they’re depicting.
After all that, my week was generally calm. During the days, we would work from our hotel rooms, and I think we all got a ton done from our hotel rooms (I know I did). In the evenings, we mostly stuck around the hotel, since only one of us had a rental car and rideshares are expensive. However, we did go out on Wednesday to a buffet restaurant that served Mexican and Chinese food for some reason. That was fun.
We also spent some time in the mall, which once you ignore the pounding noise and ton of people, could be fun. My favorite part of the mall was the revolving sushi bar, where you were able to grab sushi from a conveyer belt. If you haven’t tried that, it is a blast! See if any are in your area! In addition, there was a bar that served frozen cocktails. Let’s just say I had more than one of those during the week (though always on my own time).
Of course, it wasn’t all finishing work assignments and spiked slushies. For one thing, I found six ants over the course of the week in areas they shouldn’t be (AKA indoors with me!). Those ants are no longer among the living, believe me. And on Thursday, I helped one of my coworkers, who was nervous about flying the next day, with some hypnosis. And she even let me film it and post it to YouTube, which you can watch below! (I recommend putting in your earbuds and turning the volume up for this video.)
After that, it was pretty quiet. I had my last night in Florida, and then I flew home.
So yeah, I got my wild Florida story. Maybe, at 31, I got it a bit later than other people do, but damn, was it fun and unpredictable and I got some souvenirs out of it (including the utterly creepy tee from the mall’s Hot Topic that I’m wearing below). Whether or I not get a story out of any of it, I don’t know (though the idea of a Florida trip gone wrong is fertile ground for a horror story).
Terrifying tee, isn’t it?
But now, I’m home, and I’m enjoying being here for a good, long while.
And maybe it’s just me, but I think things are going to work out for me over the coming weeks. Here’s hoping that actually happens.
And in the meantime, until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares, my Followers of Fear.
So yeah, it’s another anniversary! And this one’s very special. It’s the fifth anniversary of my novel Rose!
For those of you who don’t know, Rose was my first novel with a publisher and is my most popular book to date. The story follows a young woman who gets turned into a plant/human hybrid, which starts her on a desperate quest for survival. I first had the idea for the story in the middle of a science fiction literature class in college (yes, my school offered that course). I later wrote the story as my college thesis, and then edited it on and off through the years.
In 2018, I was introduced to the editor of Castrum Press through a friend, who agreed to publish Rose. Fifteen months and several drafts later, Rose was released and has been getting enthusiastic readers ever since. I even got some of my Followers of Fear to send me photos of them with the book for a special video I made. Check it out!
Not bad, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve edited anything like this, so I’m proud of the work I did. And thanks to everyone who contributed a photo and their thoughts about the book to the video. You don’t know how much that means to me.
And really, it means so much to me that so many people have been reading and enjoying Rose. Through the pandemic, and elections, and everything else we’ve dealt with over the past five years, Rose has continued to find readers who have taken the time to tell me how much they love the book. And with so many other great books out there for people to read, I find that frankly amazing.
Be sure to check out Rose this week! It’ll be a frightfully good time.
Anyway, if you’re at all interested in checking out Rose, guess what? In honor of the five-year anniversary, Rose is on sale from today through June 27th! So, whether you prefer paperbacks, ebooks, or audio books, you can grab a copy at a great price till next Thursday!
And if you like what you read, please leave a review. Positive or negative, I love reader feedback, and it not only helps me, but other readers in the long run.
Anyway, that’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. I hope you enjoy reading what will hopefully become your new favorite fantasy-horror novel. Until next time, good night and pleasant nightmares.
Rami Ungar The Writer 