#Mark Allan Gunnells

[dzgrizzle]

Over on Bluesky, horror writer Mark Allan Gunnells posted: Reading books with diverse characters as a child didn't make me queer. However, those books did teach me there is nothing shameful about being who I am. And therein lies the problem a lot of conservatives have. They want their queer children to grow up feeling ashamed. My reply: I grew up in a very fundamentalist church and culture. Reading a book in which gay people were presented as normal was a lifesaver for me. At age 12, for the very first time in my life, I realized maybe I wasn't going to hell. For me that book was The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold.

[theremightbecupcakespodcast]

Book Review: Liminal Spaces edited by Kevin Lucia

Book Review: Liminal Spaces edited by Kevin Lucia

Notes from The StoryGraph: Plot- or character-driven? PlotStrong character development? It’s complicatedLoveable characters? NoDiverse cast of characters? YesFlaws of characters a main focus? Yes Short story anthology–authors: Kevin Lucia, Gwendolyn Kiste, Kelli Owen, Michael Wehunt, Todd Keisling, Kristi DeMeester, Richard Thomas, Bob Ford, Joshua Palmatier, Chad Lutzke, Anthony J. Rapino,…

[clarounette]

Blog post 11/16/23

Wow it’s been a while since my last blog post. Mostly because I don’t sign up for as many books as I did before. And I’m trying, slowly, to catch up with my reviews. For now, I mostly try to post for my ARCs and ALCs on time. Which isn’t always possible–for instance, I’m about to start A temporary memory by Marie Johnston, while it releases today… But I’ve signed up for two ARCs in the past few…

[monique-snyman]

What's New Wednesday #36: Lest I Forget

What’s New Wednesday #36: Lest I Forget

Hey-hey-hey! It’s What’s New Wednesday time again and, lest I forget, I thought it best to get everything written down before my baby brain turns everything into mush for the umpteenth week in a row. Yes, I’ve been forgetting a lot of things lately. I don’t mean to forget. Honest. I even have a little notebook to help me remember, but half the time I forget where I put the damn thing. Not today,…

[thehorrortree]

Epeolatry Book Review: When it Rains by Mark Allan Gunnells

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[michaelpatrickhicks]

Review: Dog Days O' Summer by James Newman & Mark Allan Gunnells

My rating: 3 of 5 stars I flat-out loved James Newman's Odd Man Out and enjoyed Mark Allan Gunnells' #MakeHalloweenScaryAgain, a novella printed in 2017's anthology Halloween Carnival Volume 1, enough that immediately after finishing each of these respective works, I went and bought a bunch of both men's other titles. When I learned they were co-writing a novella together, and a werewolf story at that!, I was overjoyed. But, before I go any further I'm going to preface the rest of this review with a big, ol SPOILER WARNING. I have some contentions with the story, particularly its resolution, that require discussing in ways that I can't quite get around or be as oblique as I would like. It may be information you'd rather not know, in which case I'd say skip out on reading any further until after you've read this novella. Feel free to come back later, though! OK? Let's proceed. Dog Days O' Summer is certainly well-written, but ultimately a serviceable mid-90s coming of age story about a group of teens facing the inexplicable. It's a classic, well-mined set-up, but it lacks any real suspense or surprises. We know right from the get-go this is a werewolf book, and anybody who has read or watched at least one of these types of story previously will be screaming at these young boys to just figure it out already. When Jason, our 14-year-old first-person narrator, finally gloms onto what's really happening here, we breath a sigh of relief that, finally, at least one of these kids has caught up with us. Granted, Jason is relaying to us a story of past events from some point in his future, with all the build-up and foreshadowing that entails, and it's occasionally clunky given we already know more than Jason presumes of us. This is the type of book where it's more about the journey towards discovery for these boys, until their finally forced to accept the ultimate truth and contend with it. Although Dog Days O' Summer doesn't offer up anything new, it mostly gets by on the easy likability of its characters (except for Jason's Bible-thumping parents; they're the sort of gospel music 24/7, Ten Commandments throw rug, holier-than-thou Christians that wander through the story looking to me like a werewolf buffet on feet), the smooth, easy reading prose, and the occasional bit of titillation from some particularly gnarly and graphically described murders. After the boys discover the killer's journal, Newman and Gunnells offer up a healthy number of diary entries charting one man's descent into madness, initially trying to deny what is happening to him before finally embracing his newfound powers with bloodcurdling effect. I did greatly appreciate the authors challenging typical werewolf conventions though - there's no full moon and no silver bullets, for instance (although we get a few too many knowing winks and cutesy nods at werewolves in pop culture along the way). Instead, Newman and Gunnells explore some deeper, older mythological roots of werewolf lore related to star system Sirius, or Dog Star as it's more colloquially known. Although they get points for creativity here, I was rather disappointed by the appearance of a last-page trope that has quickly become overdone in horror circles - the "make of it what you will" ending. While it doesn't exactly come out of nowhere given Jason's well-established interests and his narration recalling the deeds of decades past, I'm growing rather tired of endings that call into question the validity of all that came before in lieu of aiming for a satisfactory finale. Dog Days O' Summer came pretty close to ending on a highly interesting note, but the authors undermined it with a few extra paragraphs that attempt to spin Jason's story into metafictional realms. I'm sure there's a segment of readers out there that will appreciate it, but frankly I'm bored, and more than a little irked, with these type of bait-and-switch gotcha! twists that attempt to upend the entire narrative at the last minute. Dog Days O' Summer is a short, unchallenging read that hits a few more high notes than it does low. It's more of a slim comfort read than an essential addition to werewolf legend - not that there's anything wrong with that - but I was hoping for something a bit more substantial from the pairing of Newman and Gunnells given the all-too brief sampling I've had of their individual works. It's not as great and ambitious as I had hoped for, but despite it not meeting my perhaps much too high expectations, Dog Days O' Summer isn't so bad I need a hair of the dog to recover. [Note: I received an advance copy of this title from the publisher, Unnerving.] View all my reviews

[admesser]

#74 - Mark Allan Gunnells

#74 – Mark Allan Gunnells

#74 – Mark Allan Gunnells- Mark Allan Gunnells loves to tell stories. He has since he was a kid, penning one-page tales that were Twilight Zone knockoffs. He likes to think he has gotten a little better since then. He loves reader feedback, and above all he loves telling stories. He lives in Greer, SC, with his husband Craig A. Metcalf.

http://theadammessershow.com/74-mark-allan-gunnells-part…

[caffeinated-bibliophile]

Book Review: Halloween Carnival: Volume 1

Book Review: Halloween Carnival: Volume 1

cover; links to goodreads Genres: horror; holidays>Halloween Why I read it: I love horror, I love short stories, and I really love Halloween, so I requested it on Net Galley and was approved for an eARC. Who I’d recommend it to: Anyone interested in the above things I mentioned.  My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3.5 stars)   Goodreads | Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble Nook | Kobo | iBooks | Google Play Books…

[weirdletter]

Shallow Waters Vol.1: A Flash Fiction Anthology, edited by Joe Mynhardt, Crystal Lake Publishing, 2019. Cover art by Ben Baldwin, info: crystallakepub.com.

Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried. With twenty-two dark tales diving beneath the surface of loss, love, and life. Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by the award-winning Crystal Lake Publishing. Every month a new challenge is posted online, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page, where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the most popular of our finalists. Volume one includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of love lost, death, 2nd chances, the monsters within, and the beauty beneath it all.

Contents: Introduction by Joe Mynhardt “Closure on a Bed of Nails” by Chad Lutzke “Fast Car” by Tracy Fahey “Tears of Buddy” by Patrick R. McDonough “Puzzle Pieces” by Armand Rosamilia “Pretty Like Butterflies” by Tim Waggoner “S1:E7” by Robert Ford “Pain is Your Teacher” by Michael Harris Cohen “Memory Lane” by Red Lagoe “The Silence of the Sirens” by Loren Rhoads “It’s Me Not You” by Jonathan Winn “Sisters of Loss” by Mark Allan Gunnells “Talisman” by Jezzy Wolfe “The Melting of Your Gods” by Mercedes M. Yardley “Charms” by Dino Parenti “Not Your Average Monster” by Kenneth W. Cain “Where the Children Run in Darkness” by Guy Medley “Tunnels” by Tom Over (winner) “The Truth about Dani” by Joe Mercer “Baby Savannah” by M.J. Sydney “Rats Scratched in the Linen Cupboard” by Dani Brown “Raining” by John Boden “The Death Experience” by L.A. Story

[scifiandscary]

Splish, Slash, Takin' a Bloodbath by Mark Allan Gunnels #BookReview

Splish, Slash, Takin' a Bloodbath by Mark Allan Gunnels #BookReview #slasherhorror #horror #books

Title: Splish, Slash, Takin’ a Bloodbath | Authors: Mark Allan Gunnels, Renee Miller and Eddie Generous | Publisher: Unnerving Magazine | Pub. Date: 03/06/2018 | Pages: 161 | Genre: Slasher Horror | Language: English | Triggers: Rape, incest | Rating: 2 out of 5 | Source: Received from the publisher for review consideration

Splish, Slash, Takin’ a Bloodbath

Eighteen gruesome, blood-dripping,…

[brianjamesfreeman]

AVAILABLE NOW! Halloween Carnival: Volume One featuring stories by Robert McCammon, Kevin Lucia, John R. Little, Lisa Morton, and Mark Allan Gunnells!

AVAILABLE NOW! Halloween Carnival: Volume One featuring stories by Robert McCammon, Kevin Lucia, John R. Little, Lisa Morton, and Mark Allan Gunnells!

Halloween Carnival: Volume One has been published and is now available for immediate download! Featuring stories by Robert McCammon, Kevin Lucia, John R. Little, Lisa Morton, and Mark Allan Gunnells! Amazon.com • Amazon.ca • Amazon.co.uk • Barnes & Noble • Apple iBookstore • Kobo  

[aphoticrealm]

Episode 004 - Mark Allan Gunnels

[simulacrumofreverie]

We're 9 days away from the end of the preorder period for issue 5! In terms of quality and variety, we think this may be one of our best issues yet!

Pre-order your copy today as a standard package or a deluxe that contains a new enamal pin and 3 stickers! Your support is invaluable to us so consider preordering your copy!

http://thedarkcornerzine.limitedrun.com/products/679257-issue-5-pre-order

We have 10 new stories and 4 new entries in our artist gallery!

Authors

Benjamin DeHaan

Benji Osias

Chris Pluska

Elena Boshevska

Gabrielle Zurlo

Gloria Bueno

Kit Gower

Marc Coignard

Mark Allan Gunnells

Robin Flowers

Artists

Michael Aul

J.M. Blanchet

Heidi Foland

Pietro Rotelli

The pre-order period ends October 31st! Please consider preordering either version as we use this money to offset production costs and helps us to gauge interest!

Sticker designs by @blackcoffiend

@sarahannsweeney, and @the_strangeforest

Pin design by @the_strangeforest

Plushie design by @dashofnekoneko

Store link is in our bio!

#horrordesigns #horrorzine #sciencefiction #scififiction #scifizine #zines #pins #horrorwriters #artistsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #preordersnowopen #thedarkcornerzine #thekeepercomes #supportsmallbusiness #supportislife #supportlocal #supportartists #supportsmallpress

[horrorsociety]

An Audio Reading of Mark Allan Gunnells' Cabin at the Top of the World Read More Here: https://www.horrorsociety.com/2019/12/23/an-audio-reading-of-mark-allan-gunnells-cabin-at-the-top-of-the-world/

[thehorrortree]

Book Review: Before He Wakes by Mark Allan Gunnells

BEFORE HE WAKES BY MARK ALLAN GUNNELLS  Review by Leeroy Cross James  Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase something through the links in this article we may receive a small commission or referral fee. This happens without any additional cost to you. Synopsis: Before I entered Mark Allan Gunnells’s latest thriller, I examined the cover design. At first, I thought the…

[michaelpatrickhicks]

Review: Halloween Carnival Volume 1 [Edited by Brian James Freeman]

My rating: 4 of 5 stars If you're looking for some Halloween goodness to get you in the spirit, volume one of Halloween Carnival is a pretty good place to start. Edited by Brian James Freeman, this one's a strong anthology overall, with more hits than misses, and I enjoyed four out of the five stories within. Aside from McCammon, I hadn't read any of the other authors involved, and I'm planning on checking out more work from the bulk of them. On that score, too, this anthology is a pretty big win for me. Since there's only five stories collected here, let's break it down! STRANGE CANDY by Robert McCammon Our first stop in this Carnival and pretty a wonderful opening at that. Here, readers are confronted with the eternal dilemma: What do you do when you find a strange, unwrapped hand-shaped piece of sugar-coated candy at the bottom of your Halloween loot bag? EAT IT! Obviously. I was expecting something macabre and ghoulish, but McCammon travels another route entirely. The tenderness at the heart of this story surprised me. It's pretty rare that I come across a Halloween Feel Good story, and this one certainly worked well (although it felt a bit too repetitive given the shortness of the story, but I'm OK giving it a pass all things considered). 4/5 stars. THE RAGE OF ACHILLES by Kevin Lucia I haven’t read Kevin Lucia before, but after THE RAGE OF ACHILLES I’m gonna have to dive into his catalog of works. It's also another heavy emotional hitter, but one that's on the opposite end of the spectrum after McCammon's story. This was a wonderfully tragic story about a father’s loss and a priest's commitment to his church's worshipers. I gotta say, this one was really well done! 5/5 stars. DEMON AIR by John R. Little It's here that Halloween Carnival hits a jolting, disruptive bit of turbulence. This one was just flat-out lame, with too many coincidental things crammed into so brief a story. A demonic airplane ride (!) should not be this boring. Cool premise, but goddamnit, the author just didn't know what to do with it, how to execute it, how to end it, nothing. There's no cohesiveness, the pacing was crap, and it feels like the author figured out he had no clue what to do with the story and abruptly ended it. The only saving grace to DEMON AIR was its brevity. 1/5 stars. LA HACIENDA DE LOS MUERTOS by Lisa Morton Unlike DEMON AIR, Lisa Morton's LA HACIENDA DE LOS MUERTOS good and truly worked for me. A washed up American actor heads down to Mexico to co-star in a horror film and finds himself stuck in a real-life horror adventure. This one's set in the 1950s, and I could pretty easily imagine this as a classic black-and-white horror film with plenty of deep shadows. I dug it. 4/5 stars. #MAKEHALLOWEENSCARYAGAIN by Mark Allan Gunnells This one's a novella and comprises 50% of Halloween Carnival's page count. Thankfully it's time well spent! Like Morton's story, this one gave me a strong cinematic vibe with it's focus on a modern-day slasher story. After a fledgling horror writer makes a Facebook post with an off-the-cuff hashtag, #MakeHalloweenScaryAgain, he finds out his post has gone viral in a wholly unanticipated way. This was fun story, and although I had the killer pegged pretty early on this didn't dampen my enjoyment and I had a good time watching everything unravel. 4/5 stars. Now on to Volume Two! [Note: I received an advanced copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley.] View all my reviews