Mark Allan Gunnells

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About 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.
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Titles By Mark Allan Gunnells
Liminal Spaces is a quiet horror anthology from Cemetery Gates Media featuring stories from well-known dark fiction writers such as: Joanna Koch, Jessica McHugh, Mark Allan Gunnells, Anthony J. Rapino, Gwendolyn Kiste, Michael Wehunt, Bob Ford, Kelli Owen, Richard Thomas, Todd Keisling, Chad Lutzke, Kristi DeMeester, Joshua Palmatier, and Norman Prentiss.
“The word ‘liminal’ comes from the Latin root limen. It means ‘threshold.’ A liminal space is a ‘crossing over’ space–a space where you have left something behind, yet you are not fully in something else. It’s a transition space.
“This is my favorite kind of horror and speculative fiction. Fiction which takes place in that ‘crossing over’ space. Stories about characters who have–wittingly or unwittingly–crossed a threshold. Those who have left something behind, yet are not quite somewhere or something else. They are in-between, and are neither one thing, nor another. Classic anthologies like Shadows, edited by Charles L. Grant epitomize these kinds of stories, as did Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone, the work of Charles Beaumont and T. M Wright, Joyce Carol Oates, Shirley Jackson, and the ‘strange stories’ of Robert Aickman.”
-Kevin Lucia, Editor
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.
Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.
Volume one includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of love lost, death, 2nd chances, the monsters within, and the beauty beneath it all.
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
In this volume…
- Taunted by a cactus, a man copes with grief after the loss of his wife.
- Alondra DeCourval visits Franz Kafka’s grave to think about death.
- A lovestruck woman strives to connect with a man she’s convinced is The One.
- The perfect funeral for a child—all according to a Mother’s well-crafted plan. The exception is one small, unexpected development no one could have ever prepared for.
- A short meditation on the haunting nature of love and loss, and the aftermath of both.
- Victor’s sanity has been threaded together by the memory of his daughter’s voice, until now, when her laughter falls silent.
- An adrenaline junkie believes he can take on the ultimate challenge—coming back from the dead.
- Sisters share everything. The good...and the bad.
- Sometimes being a hoarder is dangerous...
- In our ever-changing world, what we view as a monster is constantly evolving…but at what cost?
- Buddy's heart aches for his family’s arrival.
- Bright colors may be beautiful, but sometimes they can be dangerous.
- Sometimes the darkness we harbor within is best left behind closed doors.
- Rats scratch in the children's ward.
- A surprise wedding present from daughter to father, built over a lifetime, reveals his true nature to all his guests.
Featuring award winning authors and Horror Writers Association members, The Devil’s Due offers enthralling horror stories of underhanded deals gone awry.
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The Resurrection and the Life - Jude Reid
"First do no harm."
They were supposed to be the words Alec Duffy would live his life by -- instead, there's a dead man at his feet and blood on his hands. It's going to take a miracle for Duffy to graduate with his life, his reputation and his future intact -- but in the depths of a hard Glasgow winter, miracles are thin on the ground.
Dante's Tenth - Bobby Nash
Dante, Arizona is not your average mining town. Those who came to this barren speck of desert struck it rich. Gold, silver, and other valuable minerals are there for the taking. This brings new blood to town as well as old blood. When a young reporter’s assistant becomes enamored of the daughter of a new arrival, he learns the terrifying truth behind the town. The townsfolk made a deal and payday is coming.
Identity Theft - Rachel Brune
A deal with a Fallen One is signed, sealed, and delivered in blood. Brent Whitehall, however, claims he never signed on the Devil’s line, and hires Hell’s private investigator to clear his name.
Here Comes Mr Herribone! - Tim Jeffreys
Jim Game and his partner, Tommy, work the comedy circuit without success until Tommy invents the character of Mr Herribone. With his sackcloth head, pratfalls, and song and dance routines, Mr Herribone is a hit. Soon Jim and Tommy are doing sold out gigs and TV shows. But did Tommy really invent Mr Herribone? Or did he strike a deal with someone, something, somewhere? And the price of that deal? Jim is about to find out.
Genevieve and the Owl - Mark Allan Gunnells
Once upon a time...a lovely young woman who dreamed of escaping the poverty and abuse of life with her step-father and step-brothers. Then she met a creature in the form of an owl that offered her three wishes. Could a strategic use of these wishes lead her to a happily ever after...or to destruction?
The Plan - Josh Vasquez
A detective surveys a grisly crime scene straight out of a horror movie and wonders: was this a random slaying or a long thought out revenge plan gone wrong?
Face It - Carol Gyzander
Connor's lost money, prestige and society connections due to his wife Amy's disfiguring disease. Shunned by the same friends that made them the "it couple," he ponders her request for help in ending it all. She says it's what she wants, right? Right?
Mary's Secret- Winfield Strock III
Who knows what the future brings? What would you do to ensure a favorable outcome? In the midst of the American Civil War, Mary found herself tempted to save her husband and her country through a deal with dark powers. She thought she knew the hidden price and was prepared to pay it, but the depths of evil plumb deeper than mortals can fathom.
Saddie's Choices - Ravyn Crescent
Time was up. That was the heart gripping feeling Saddie had grappled with many times in her life— a life that was going to be cut short. Ten years ago, she’d burned her bridges and signed Lucifer’s contract, giving her ten years of freedom and love. Now she has to fight his demonic collection agents or risk losing everything, including the love of her life.
And the clock is ticking.
The Devil You Know - Shane Nelson
When Paul Block’s best friends die in a tragic accident, he finds out that he is the guardian to their newborn daughter.
He was my friend. My mentor. I would even go so far as to say I loved him, as I looked up to Mr. Martinsen the same way I had looked up to my maternal grandfather, who died from a heart attack when I was ten.
He was the best teacher I ever had. I will never forget him, or the knowledge he imparted to me, as long as I live.
But on that summer evening just several weeks before I began my freshman year of high school, he gave my friends and me no choice. Things had gone too far. We had put it off for too long.
We knew Mr. Martinsen had to die.
Also featuring stories from such talents as Tim Meyer, Nicole Willson, Michael Harris Cohen, Mark Allan Gunnells, L. Marie Wood, R.J. Joseph, Catherine McCarthy, Mark Towse, LP Hernandez, Alex Ebenstein, Alex Woodroe, Michael Kelly, Kenneth W. Cain, and a poem from Shane Douglas Keene.
But it may be even more dangerous to stay inside.
Just after noon on a sunny spring day at Friedkin University, a layer of strange clouds smudges across the sky, and a mysterious rain begins to fall. This isn’t just a surprise spell of rain—this substance is slimy and gelatinous…and it’s not letting up any time soon.
The rain spreads across the country, the hemisphere, and the globe, with growing ripples of panic and paranoia gathering behind it. Is it a natural, undocumented phenomenon? A chemical weapon? Some kind of bacterial contagion? As fear turns theories into conspiracies and no clear answers are given, factions start to form between those who have been exposed to the rain and those who stayed dry. Who is safe? Who is marked? Who is dangerous, and who is not?
The rain keeps falling, and at Friedkin University, the sanctuary of the campus bookstore swiftly becomes a dangerous battlefield. Is it man versus nature? Or man versus man?
When it Rains is a perfect read for fans of Stephen King, Clive Barker, and Nick Cutter, or books like One Rainy Night by Richard Laymon, Bird Box by Josh Malerman, and Rain by Joe Hill, and even movies like Night of the Living Dead and The Thing.
Proudly represented by Crystal Lake Publishing—Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With 23 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.
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 (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as the most popular of our finalists. Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges (or gain access to our Still Water Bay series).
Volume five includes suspenseful stories of horror on the road, war, graveyards, Karma, and Halloween.
Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Driving On” by Guy Medley (winner)
“Dichotomy” by Jason Parent
“Babysitting for Writers” by Kevin David Anderson (winner)
“The Good Samaritan” by L.F. Falconer
“Of Debris and Duty” by John Boden
“The Visitors” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Twenty Reasons to Stay and One to Leave” by Richard Thomas
“The Knights of Cold Days” by Dave Jeffery
“Travel Bag” by Bryan Miller
“In the Desert, In the Night” by Pedro Iniguez
“Grievance” by Christine Lajewski
“Fuel for My Fire” by Linsey Knerl
“The Dead Lands” by Anthony D Redden
“Welcome to Gothmart” by David Bernard
“The Mascot” by Jennifer K Carstens (winner)
“Wasteland” by Sheldon Woodbury
“All’s Fair” by Michelle Mellon
“Stay Away” by Michael Patrick Hicks
“The Road Home” by Rand Eastwood
“Midnight Sun” by James Dorr
“The Wind Stakes Its Claim” by Kris Kinsella
“The Forest of Skin” by Esteban Vargas
“Second Chance” by Alex Ebenstein (winner)
In this volume…
- Traveling can be a mixed bag...especially when something in your travel bag starts moving.
- A woman journeys north for survival.
- Sometimes, working retail is not the worst part of your day.
- In the desert of New Mexico, ancient Navajo legends emerge, only to discover the cruelty of Man.
- An overachieving woman uses twisted methods to feed her need for turmoil.
- A trio of Halloween trick-or-treaters learn that sometimes things slip through.
- A cemetery caretaker with a secret gift, a dead body, and the hope of a second chance.
- Grief can change a person. Literally.
- Someone has a bone to pick with the Deacon.
- Sometimes what lies ahead is more frightening than what was left behind.
- Babysitting can be a tough gig, especially on Halloween
- A father and son venture out into the dead lands to search for the night creatures feasting on the corpses.
- In the distant future an ancient warrior and his ghost ship battle for the fate of the universe.
This is Writers on Writing – An Author’s Guide where your favorite authors share their ultimate secrets in becoming and being an author.
Learn the craft of writing from those who know it best.
This is Writers On Writing – An Author’s Guide Vol.2, where professional authors share their secrets in the ultimate guide to becoming – and being – an author.
In this volume you’ll find the following in-depth On Writing essays:
- The Infrastructure of the Gods: 11 Signposts for Going all the Way by Brian Hodge
- Embracing Your Inner Shitness by James Everington
- The Forgotten Art of Short Story by Mark Allan Gunnells
- Well, That Escalated Quickly: Adventures in Teaching Creative Writing by Lucy A. Snyder
- Submit (to psychology) for Acceptance by Daniel I. Russell
- Character Building: How Not to be a Stalker by Theresa Derwin
- Heroes and Villains by Paul Kane
- Do Your Worst by Jonathan Winn
Writers On Writing gives young authors the guidance they need, but also has advice for all authors, from the interested newbie to the seasoned veteran.
The Writers on Writing series carries on the proud tradition of Stephen King's On Writing.
Are you ready to unleash the author in you?
Proudly brought to you by Crystal Lake Publishing – Tales from the Darkest Depths.
Interview with one of the authors:
So what makes Writers on Writing so special?
Mark Allan Gunnells: When I was growing up as an aspiring writer, I would have given anything for this kind of advice from authors actually publishing. I think writers will find the essays interesting and helpful.
Tell us more about you essay in Writers on Writing.
Mark Allan Gunnells: I am passionate about short fiction, and was happy to provide an essay about how to create effective short stories, the unique pleasures of the form, and to encourage writers who enjoy short fiction not to be dissuaded from writing it.
Why should authors read Writers on Writing?
Mark Allan Gunnells: There's something for everyone. Many topics of writing and promotion and publishing from people who have experience with these things.
Do you have other non-fiction books authors should try out?
Mark Allan Gunnells: I have written non-fiction articles for Apex Magazine, and I have nonfiction essays on horror films in the books HORROR 101 and HIDDEN HORROR, both edited by Aaron Christensen.
Writers on Writing eBook categories:
- Authorship
- Publishing and Books
- Writing Reference
- Writing Skills
- Education & Reference
When two passionate lovers fall out, the results can be deadly.
“Berkley Simmons died … for five minutes.
Berkley woke up to find himself in the hospital. He discovered that his ex is dead after a failed murder/ suicide attempt. With nowhere else to go, Berkley must return to the apartment where it all happened. It doesn’t take long for Berkley to begin to suspect that his ex never left the apartment, and still wants him dead.”
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With 25 dark tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the pain between them.
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.
Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.
Volume two includes horror, thrillers, suspense, and stories of life after death, the supernatural, murder, and the beauty beneath it all.
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Night Swimming” by Michael O’Brien
“Hush Little Baby” by Matt Shaw
“The Vessel” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“The Southland” by Pedro Iniguez
“Biter of Dust” by Austin James (winner)
“Gently Used” by Jonah Buck
“Ollie Visits Grandma” by Mark Cassell
“The Water Tower Ghost” by Darryl Foster
“Standing Tall” by Kenneth W. Cain
“The Only Thing That Remains” by Jess Landry
“(Almost) Joined at The Hip” by Dan Weatherer
“Remy and the Elephant” by Linsey Knerl
“She Fluttered” by Andrew Garvey
“Just A Cup of Coffee” by Theresa Derwin
“Malignant” by Steve Thompson & Kenneth W. Cain
“Welcome to the Future” by Diana Grove
“Makes Three” by Michael Harris Cohen & Mark Allan Gunnells (winner)
“A Tea Party for the Dead” by Dani Brown & David Charlesworth
“A Game of Hide and Seek” by Joe X Young
“The Allotment” by Theresa Derwin
“Hourglass” by Chad Lutzke & John Boden
“The End of the War” by Joseph Mulak
“Long Distance Cull” by Tony Logan & Red Lagoe
“To Stop Further Slaughter” by Raymond Gates
“Baited” by Chad A. Clark
“Curtain Call” by Raven Dane (winner)
In this volume…
- A man is visited by his wife the night before her funeral.
- A tale of brotherly love turns sour.
- What happens when the ghosts of our past refuse to forget?
- A man contemplates the sacrifice he must make to stop a killer.
- When popping in to see a grandparent, don't always expect biscuits and tea.
- She rose from the dead, but by cheating death she must gamble again with life.
- A grieving mother preserves the memory of her son in a very curious manner.
- During an interrogation in the sweltering summer heat, a Los Angeles detective struggles as he loses his grasp between reality and madness.
- A bizarre black mold problem leads to the most extreme of solutions.
- Dawn comes for the dead locked in a forgotten room inside the Neon Dream.
- An ancient soul finds himself and his people threatened by an ever-growing hostile race.
Take a Deep Breath and Dive Beneath the Surface of Shallow Waters—Where Nothing Stays Buried.
With 20 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.
Shallow Waters is the official monthly flash fiction challenge hosted by Crystal Lake Publishing, with authors submitting via email. The best submissions are then posted on Crystal Lake’s Patreon page (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as the most popular of our finalists. Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges (or gain access to our Still Water Bay series). Check out the Shallow Waters series page here on Amazon, where you’ll find volume 1 for free.
Volume six includes stories of Karma, travel horror, forgotten elder gods, being home alone or in lockdown, and a non-themed challenge.
Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“The Offering” by Denver Grenell
“We All Scream” by A.J. Franks
“Whittling” by Michael Harris Cohen
“Fall to Frost” by Jonathan Winn
“Meadow for The Birdmen” by Guy Medley
“The Mottled Path” by Jennifer Carstens
“Gandaberunda” by Richard Thomas
“Nothing in There” by J. Brian Reed
“Anything for the Cause” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Father” by R. Leigh Hennig
“Rattled” by Madeline Mora-Summonte
“Judgment Call” by Erica Ruppert
“Molarthroat” by Jonathan Fortin
“Stupid Girl” by Michael Patrick Hicks
“Carmen’s a Bitch” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Hot Broth on a Cold Winter’s Night” by R.B. Wood
“Neighborhood Watch” by L.F. Falconer
“Tea for Two” by Amanda Hard
“The Man Who Fell from the Sky” by Esteban Vargas
“How Lovely Are Thy Branches” by Theresa Derwin
In this volume…
- In the dishonest quiet of a hanging moon, two strangers wrestle with the horrifying consequences of a ravenous war.
- Sometimes the gods hunger for more than a sit-down meal.
- What if your new ‘god’ could do anything he wanted? What if he no longer allowed Christmas?
- Death was supposed to find the old woman forced to walk the mottled path.
- A grandfather has mere minutes to prepare his granddaughter for the arrival of the Old Gods and ensure the survival of the human race.
- A newly single woman celebrates her divorce with an impromptu drive north, but the woods hold horrors worse than her failed marriage.
- Peter knows the President has to be stopped, but to what lengths will he go to accomplish this?
- She’d never let her boy starve twice.
- How many ways can evil enter your house?
- With help from her Stuffies, young Emmy organizes a tea party that guarantees to put her back in the family spotlight.
- Sometimes, what’s outside the box is scarier than what's hiding inside.
- Hear the song once, the cold sets in, he now lives underneath your skin.
Shallow Waters—where nothing stays buried.
With 21 Dark Fiction & Horror tales diving beneath the surface of life, death, and the mystery that lies beneath.
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 (an exclusive behind the scenes community of readers and authors), where patrons read daily entries and vote for the winner. What you’ll find in these Shallow Waters anthologies include the winners as well as the most popular of our finalists. Stay tuned for more volumes in this series, or find Crystal Lake Publishing on Patreon to enter or vote on future challenges.
Volume four includes suspenseful stories of death, Halloween, twisted love, karma, and travel horror.
Includes:
Introduction by Joe Mynhardt
“Turkish Delight On the Blue Line” by Shoshana Edwards
“VII” by Mark Allan Gunnells (winner)
“Unfinished Education” by Jonah Buck
“Odor Mortis” by Red Lagoe
“Hook-Hand Man’s Last Night on Lovers’ Lane” by Patrick Barb
“A Table Set for One” by Dani Brown (winner)
“Love Letters” by Richard Thomas
“Mixed Marriage” by David Bernard
“Starlight and Fairy Dust” by Chloé Harper Gold (winner)
“Meme” by Michael Patrick Hicks (winner)
“As the Crow Flies” by Kevin Lucia
“I Didn’t Know What Love Was” by Ben Lathrop
“The Talk” by Lori Michelle
“Devour” by Austin James
“Sanctuary” by David J. Rank
“That Which Makes Me Happiest” by L. F. Falconer
“Reversal of Fortune” by Sheri White
“Thelma Takes the Devil” by Linda J. Marshall (winner)
“In That Dress” by Anthony D Redden
“What You’d Do for Love” by Mark Allan Gunnells
“Sansara” by Oleg Hasanov
“Oppenheimer’s Door” by Alexander Zelenyj
In this volume…
- Russian horror comes out of the shadows
- A man, his dead wife, and a Great Emptiness…
- We often say we’d do anything for those we love...but do we mean it?
- As traffic to his killing grounds declines, a murderous figure from urban legend contemplates a change of scenery
- Come to the Crossroads. He’s waiting. So is she
- Friendships are fragile and rarely live up to expectation, as the kind elderly man with his lovely candies will soon learn
- Haunted by his daughter and promised a new one by his bride, Donnie can’t stop eating
- Some messes need to be left!
- A runaway witch won’t let her limited knowledge of hexes and spells deter her from her goals
- Karma’s a bitch when the latest internet craze leads to murder—or is it merely an elaborate hoax?
- What happens when desire becomes obsession?
- Meet-cute with a handsome single dad takes an unexpected turn
- They say love lost feels like death; love found can be so much worse
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