Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Off the top of my head, I can think of three authors I once loved who I discovered to be hateful, bigoted, or all around toxic, and I simply stopped reading them and turned my attention to other authors. It really is that simple. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026I encourage folks to read outside their comfort zone, outside their favorite authors and genres, because expanding your reading also expands your enjoyment. 022
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026For quite a while now I'm pretty much only been reading queer authors, and people say, "I couldn't limit myself to only one kind of writing." I'm not. Queer authors write across all genres and provide a wildly diverse set of options. 121
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 30/09/2026If a review complains a book is too slow that usually makes me want to read it. I love a sloooow burn. A real one, not merely waiting until chapter two to start blowing shit up. Give me a book where the main plot doesn't kick in till the halfway point after I've really gotten to know the characters. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026As a reader, sometimes it's interesting to look at reviews but honestly I put no real stock in them. I have loved too many books that had a negative response, and I have seen too many things that were initially panned become celebrated classics. I just read whatever looks interesting to me. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Anne Rice is my favorite author. I admire her passion and her eccentricity, her refusal to write anything other than what she wanted, ignoring the negative voices who wanted her writing to be less complex and more manageable. She is a great example of forging your own path. 011
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 25/09/2026It always baffled me when "fans" complained about Barker moving from horror to fantasy and begged for more horror then when he did deliver complained it wasn't horror enough for them. You're either a fan of authors or genres. For me, it's always authors and I'll follow them into any genre. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Was I once a big fan of Rowling? Yes. Of Gaiman? Yes. But once they revealed who they really were, I dropped that shit immediately. There's plenty of wonderful work out there. It's not so hard to simply turn away from the work of transhpobes and sexist power abusers, I'm sorry it just isn't. 011
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 20/09/2026I love watching interviews with other authors, read articles and books by other authors, but you should never feel compelled to do it the way anyone else does it, especially if they insist you have to do it the way they do it. Pick and choose and blaze your own trail. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I never intended for my first 3 @jms-books.com to all take place in the same fictional universe, but I love that it turned out that way. I really enjoyed living with these characters. 133
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 15/09/2026My romance novelette Coming of (Middle) Age was written to celebrate the sixteenth anniversary of @jms-books.com, a publisher that amplifies queer voices. They wanted something that captured the feel of those classic 80s teen movies and I tried hard to deliver. 133
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Advice for writers: Just keep writing. Just keep telling your stories. Strive to do your best and get better, but to increase your enjoyment of the process. Sales, reviews, recognition...all nice, but not the point or the goal. Just...keep...writing. 021
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I hate the advice that writers should cut anything that doesn't propel the plot. For me, it's those moments that give that story life, make it feel less artificial, give the sense the characters are real people and not just pawns on a chess board. Give me diversions, digressions, and side quests. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 06/09/2026The writing industry has its share of bullies who try to discourage you and make you give up. My proudest achievement is that I've never allowed them the power to make me give up. 021
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026I miss when fiction didn’t have to adhere so strictly to reality. When it was more about theme and emotion. I think of Bradbury. His time travel wasn’t remotely realistic but it didn’t matter because it was about what the stories had to say. I feel so much of modern literature has lost that freedom. 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Here's the thing. Those people who post things like, "Dear writers, if you do XY or Z when promoting your work, I'm never gonna buy your books"... They were never gonna buy your books anyway so fuck em! 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 30/08/2026Inspiration often comes when you can't find the stories you want. When I read the Stand anthology, I kept thinking that the collection could really use some queer rage. So I did a little fan fiction and wrote the story I felt was missing. archiveofourown.org/works/70760816archiveofourown.orgI Will Not Be Your Sacrificial F*ggot - MGAllan - The Stand - Stephen King, The Stand (TV 1994) [Archive of Our Own]An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 30/08/2026A writer should be their own biggest fan. If you aren't writing the exact kind of stuff you love reading then you need to rethink. 011
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 01/09/2026The more they try to silence queer voices, the louder we need to get. I'm so grateful to be working with @jms-books.com because they elevate and celebrate queer voices. 133
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 21/08/2026My @jms-books.com novel Last Night is a tribute to both my late mother and my wonderful husband. It was a privilege getting to care for her at the end of her life and I'm so grateful my husband was by my side. 185
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 19/08/2026If you've never been to Driftwood Beach, it's a place of haunting beauty. You can always experience it vicariously through my @jms-books.com short Christmas at Driftwood Beach. 153
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 09/08/2026The writing of my @jms-books.com novel Last Night was intense. I spent about three months turning my memories, pain, and love into fiction that helped me heal. I hope it does the same for readers. www.amazon.com/Last-Night-M...amazon.comLast NightLast Night - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 032
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 09/08/2026Just a reminder, JK Rowling is bigoted trash. 011
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 10/08/2026The writing of my @jms-books.com novelette Coming of (Middle) Age was pure joy. It flowed from me in a couple of weeks, and I got to use a fictional framework to tell the love story of me and my husband. www.amazon.com/Coming-Middl...amazon.comComing of (Middle) AgeComing of (Middle) Age - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 053
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 24/07/2026My 3 releases from @jms-books.com are all connected. Last Night, Coming of (Middle) Age, and Christmas at Driftwood Beach all center around gay couple Gem and Gregg. www.amazon.com/stores/MG-Al...amazon.comMG Allan: books, biography, latest updateFollow MG Allan and explore their bibliography from Amazon's MG Allan Author Page. 043
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Surprise! I have a new digital short out as part of the @jms-books.com Christmas in July! This one follows a gay couple creating new holiday traditions together. 143
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 20/07/2026I'm so happy to be working with a queer-centric publisher like @jms-books.com at this time then queer voices are so desperately needed. 153
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 19/07/2026www.amazon.com/Coming-Middl... 001
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 17/07/2026In my @jms-books.com romance Coming of (Middle) Age I created a fictional museum that recreates the sets of claim 80s coming of age movies, like the record store from Pretty in Pink and the library from the Breakfast Club. That was so much fun. www.amazon.com/Coming-Middl...amazon.comComing of (Middle) Age - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.Coming of (Middle) Age - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 012
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026My new @jms-books.com novelette Coming of (Middle) Age is dedicated to my husband. "For Craig. You are my love story." 132
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026RELEASE DAY!!!! Today my romance novelette Coming of (Middle) Age is out from @jms-books.com. I hope you'll check it out and help me spread the word. 132
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMG Allan @mg-allan.bsky.social · 15/07/2026It was important to me that my new @jms-books.com novelette Coming of (Middle) Age was a romance between two older men because often you don't see older men in M/M unless it's May/December and the character being older is fetishized. Call my book December/December. 😛 www.amazon.com/Coming-Middl...amazon.comComing of (Middle) Age - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.Coming of (Middle) Age - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 032
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 31/05/2026Looking forward to this interview where I'll get to chat about my novel Last Night and my late mother who inspired it. 022
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMarc Ruvolo @marcruvolo.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Check out this heart-wrenching new book from @markallangunnells.bsky.social! "Gem and his husband Gregg hold a steady vigil through the final hours of his mother Linda’s life. As the sun goes down and the clock slows, the two men navigate the profound exhaustion and tender intimacy of caregiving."amazon.comLast NightLast Night - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 021
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 06/05/2026Today is the release day for my new novel Last Night, written under my new pen name MG Allan. A personal story inspired by caring for my mother at the end of her life. Available through Amazon or direct from the publisher. www.amazon.com/Last-Night-M...amazon.comLast NightLast Night - Kindle edition by Allan, MG. Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. 054
Reposted by Mark Allan GunnellsMark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Now that I'm starting to sell work under my new pen name MG Allan, I'll be spending a lot more time over there than here. If you want to join me on that page, feel free: bsky.app/profile/mg-a...bsky.app 023
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 16/03/2026Now that I'm starting to sell work under my new pen name MG Allan, I'll be spending a lot more time over there than here. If you want to join me on that page, feel free: bsky.app/profile/mg-a...bsky.app 023
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 08/03/2026My writing has shifted from horror to more personal queer stories, and I'm now submitting work as MG Allan. I plan to publish my novel Last Night, inspired by caring for my dying mother, under this name. You can follow me on that page for updates. bsky.app/profile/mg-a...bsky.app 010
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 07/02/2026Notice how they always get even more racist during Black History Month. 021
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 07/02/2026Donald Trump is a racist, always has been. Anyone still supporting him is a racist too. 031
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 01/02/2026As a reader and thus a writer I hate when everything that happens in a book only feeds the plot. It feels too artificial and thus unbelievable. I need to feel like the characters have lives going on beyond the plot, that is what gives the story vibrancy. That's just my approach to it. 000
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 01/02/2026I've worked with Slashic and definitely recommend them. Queer owned and operated, which means they understand the need for loud queer voices being raised in the genre. 000
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 01/02/2026Don't be fooled, the complaint "I don't want politics in my books" is code for "I don't want to read books by queer people, poc, or women." A book about a secret agent fighting foreign powers isn't political to them but a queer book with a scene where someone encounters homophobia is too political. 042
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 31/01/2026Write what you love, write what brings you joy, write what thrills you. That way no matter what outside success you attain or don't attain, you are still successful because you have love, joy, and thrills. 010
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 30/01/2026I love a good title for my stories, and probably my favorite title I ever came up with is "I Will Not Be Your Sacrificial Faggot!" Sums up the queer rage we all need to tap into these days! archiveofourown.org/works/70760816archiveofourown.orgI Will Not Be Your Sacrificial F*ggot - MGAllan - The Stand - Stephen King [Archive of Our Own]An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works 010
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 29/01/2026My novel Imposter Syndrome is a haunted house novel, but it is also a novel of the COVID lockdown, artistic insecurity, familial trauma, the queer experience. A book never has to be just one thing. www.amazon.com/Imposter-Syn...amazon.comImposter SyndromeAmazon.com: Imposter Syndrome eBook : Gunnells, Mark Allan: Kindle Store 023
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 29/01/2026I wrote a bit of fanfiction set in the world of Stephen King's The Stand in order to express some of the queer outrage I feel at this moment in time. It has one of my favorite titles ever: "I Will Not Be Your Sacrificial Faggot!" archiveofourown.org/works/70760816archiveofourown.orgI Will Not Be Your Sacrificial F*ggot - MGAllan - The Stand - Stephen King [Archive of Our Own]An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works 000
Mark Allan Gunnells @markallangunnells.bsky.social · 28/01/2026Queer literature is so rich, reaches across every genre and orientation and gender identity, offering diversity and depth. No matter what you like to read, there is queer lit to fit that bill. That's why I'm a bit leery of readers who post about all the books they read and nothing queer shows up. 010