Amanda McNeil (she/her)
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mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Amanda McNeil (she/her)
@mcneilauthor.bsky.social
890 followers 390 following 590 posts
Author.
Fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, closed-door romance, horror).
Nonfiction as Amanda Nevius (book reviews, discussion guides, fashion).
Vintage-inspired notebook designer.
Queer. Sober.
Married.
linktr.ee/opinionsofawolf
Posts Replies Media Videos
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
I just got my FIRST EVER poetry acceptance!!!
This has been a goal of mine for literal years.
Never give up.
Screenshot of text reading, "Congratulations! This message confirms the acceptance of your submission"
October 28, 2025 at 11:13 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
When I read, I’m a million different people…
…and they all wrote meticulously detailed diaries at the most traumatic parts of their lives.

Yes, I thrifted some of my old Dear America faves. ✨📚
✋🏻 Raise your hand if these books traumatized you and you still devoured every single one.
The spines of 4 Dear America books: So Far From Home The Diary of Mary Driscoll, an Irish Mill The Great Railroad Race, The Diary of Libby West One Eye Laughing the Other Weeping, The Diary of Julie Weiss Color Me Dark, The Diary of Nellie Lee Love
August 19, 2025 at 6:46 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
If you like:
🛶 Kayak rentals gone wrong
😈 Spooky humor with a sharp edge
🌆 Urban fantasy Boston settings
…then you’ll love this episode.

It’s paranormal mischief, but also a peek into the Tova Gallagher world ahead of my upcoming novel Fractured Felicity.
A cartoon drawing of a book with three kayaks splashing, a river, a man, and a demon. The words "this wasn't in the lesson plan" are written below it.
August 12, 2025 at 8:44 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
I thought I was writing an empowering main character.
But after I got sober, I realized I wasn’t.
So I rewrote the whole book.
Now it’s not just about saving yourself from zombies. It’s about saving yourself from addiction too.
#BookSky 📚💙 #zombienovel #recoveryreads
A white woman with frizzy brown hair wearing a green, white, and black dress holds a book up to the camera. The cover is visible, and it reads Waiting for Daybreak in white font. There is a silhouette of a cat and a woman on the cover, along with some blood splatter.
July 30, 2025 at 8:29 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
I’ve noticed something interesting while reading thrillers lately…
Both of the last two I read created reading graphs like this 👇 (Generated using Bookly) #BookSky 💙📚
A line chart that shows dates on the x and reading time on the y. It goes up gradually then sharply dips then sharply goes up.
July 21, 2025 at 11:28 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
A real milestone moment this Pride Month:
My book Bloemetje was included in a public library’s Pride display. 🏳️‍🌈

#BookSky 💙📚 #IndieAuthor #QueerBooks #LibraryLove
A picture of a colorful display of books labeled Pride! with hands making a heart in rainbow. A white hand holds up a copy of the book Bloemetje in front of the display of books.
June 28, 2025 at 2:44 AM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
The detail. The care. The living systems she saw and painted—centuries ahead of her time.
They told her she had to use "lesser materials" that wouldn’t last. But here we are.
A watercolor painting of a plant covered in a caterpillar, bugs, and a snake with a moth behind it.
June 9, 2025 at 3:13 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Happy Easter from me and my daffodils that I planted last fall. Looking pretty spiffy for their first spring!
A row of yellow daffodils in a flower bed on a sunny day in front of a turquoise house.
April 20, 2025 at 7:25 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Some stories change your life, even if they never top the charts.
Bloemetje is a book of my heart—written for queer kids, queer families, and anyone who needed to be told: You were always meant to bloom.
#BookSky 📚💙
Find Bloemetje here: opinionsofawolf.com/publications...
A book cover. A field of tulips with the silhouette of a small girl standing in it gazing up at the sky. The sky is clearly that of another planet as it has three planets or moons visible within it. There is a fiery sunset in the distance. The title of the book is Bloemetje, and it is written by Amanda McNeil.
April 17, 2025 at 4:14 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Thank you! One miniature girl leads her human and fairy people to decolonize Venus in this speculative, queer-inclusive space fantasy reimagining of Thumbelina. opinionsofawolf.com/publications... Plus a portion of proceeds are donated to the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness
A book cover. A field of tulips with the silhouette of a small girl standing in it gazing up at the sky. The sky is clearly that of another planet as it has three planets or moons visible within it. There is a fiery sunset in the distance. The title of the book is Bloemetje, and it is written by Amanda McNeil.
April 11, 2025 at 5:34 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
For #TransDayOfVisibility 🏳️‍⚧️ I'd love to gift to a person under the trans umbrella 1 PDF or EPUB of my book Bloemetje—a Thumbelina retelling featuring a prominent nonbinary parent. No need to verify anything. Just DM or comment to claim. First come, first served! 💐✨

#BookSky 📚💙 #QueerBooks #SpecFic
A book cover. A field of tulips with the silhouette of a small girl standing in it gazing up at the sky. The sky is clearly that of another planet as it has three planets or moons visible within it. There is a fiery sunset in the distance. The title of the book is Bloemetje, and it is written by Amanda McNeil.
March 31, 2025 at 11:23 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Some books linger long after the last page.
Here are 3 quotes from Undrowned by Alexis Pauline Gumbs that stopped me in my tracks.

Starting with love as risk 🌊
"She goes out to feed and returns, finding her loved one by sound, by smell, by promise… That’s the risk of love."

#BookSky 📚💙
A white hand holds an ereader with the cover of Undrowned on it in front of a table covered in seedlings and crystals. Text overlaid says, "What if we listened to the ocean...and each other?" then "Quotes from Undrowned by Alexis Pauline Gumbs"
March 28, 2025 at 5:03 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
This duck was my friend. His name was Big Boye. He was a cross between a domestic duck and a mallard.

A drabble all about him (plus some literary history) drops TOMORROW at noon ET in the first episode of my new podcast!

Listen: opinionsofawolf.com/acutely-aman...

#PodcastLaunch #AnimalStories
A very large mallard duck stands on the mossy bank of a pond. His orange feet are in stark contrast to the green moss.
March 24, 2025 at 9:01 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Some books sweep you away, others make you think. Bloemetje does both. 🌱✨ A speculative, literary Thumbelina reimagining, this novelette explores decolonization, identity, and belonging—on Venus.

For readers who love stories that linger.

🔗 opinionsofawolf.com/publications...

#BookSky 📚💙
A book cover with tulips in a row and the silhouette of a girl standing in them. There are mountains in the distance and a sky that is clearly not what you see from earth overhead. There are three planets visible. the title Bloemetje is in a script font.
March 10, 2025 at 3:26 AM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
✨ Proof that indie books are officially in their Pretty Girl Era! ✨

Shoutout to South Carolina Nights & Beryl Blue, Time Cop for their gorgeous covers! And yes, I’m shouting myself out for the 2nd edition of Waiting for Daybreak.

What’s an indie book cover you love?

#BookSky 📚💙
Image of a book cover drawn in cartoon style. Three Black musicians are playing on the street. There's a saxophone player and an accordion player with a female singer in front of a microphone. The book is called South Carolina Nights by E.S. McMillan. Image of a book cover. It is drawn in cartoon style. A white woman in 1940s clothing walks away from what appears to be searchlights. Planes fly overhead. The book is Beryl Blue, Time Cop by Janet Raye Stevens. Image of a book cover. A silhouette of a woman and a cat looking at a bright sunrise. There is some blood splatter on the cover. The book is Waiting for Daybreak by Amanda McNeil.
February 25, 2025 at 6:38 AM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
Step 1: Download my closed-door paranormal romance—featuring demons, angels & a werewolf—FREE! (til tomorrow) 📖✨ mybook.to/EcstaticEvil

Step 2: Sign up for a FREE ARC of the sequel in exchange for an honest review! 🐺🔥 forms.gle/UJs4e4WrGx3s...

#BookSky 📚💙 #ParanormalRomance #IndieBooks #FreeEbook
Image of a blue book cover. A line drawing of a woman standing back to back with herself is in white. In gray is a scale with the silhouette of a yellow angel and a red demon on each side. The title "Ecstatic Evil" is in script.
January 30, 2025 at 9:34 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
📢 Ecstatic Evil hit #8 in Two-Hour Sci-Fi & Fantasy Short Reads overnight! 🎉

Still FREE through January—dive into Tova’s Boston, packed with demons, nephilim, and a werewolf love interest.

🔥 Don’t miss out—grab your copy now! → mybook.to/EcstaticEvil

#BookSky 📚💙 #ParanormalRomance #FreeEbook
A screenshot of Best Sellers Rank. #666 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store) #8 in Two-Hour Science Fiction & Fantasy Short Reads #38 in Two-Hour Romance Short Reads #44 in Romantic Fantasy (Kindle Store)
January 29, 2025 at 3:22 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
🕊️ From a Soviet gulag to the world stage, Irina Ratushinskaya’s poetry soars like sparrows through barbed wire. Her resilience shines in No, I’m Not Afraid, which I read for a challenge to explore a book published the year I was born. 🌍

Have you read her work? Let’s talk! 💬

#BookSky 📚💙
A poem excerpt against a concrete wall backdrop. The poem is by Irina Ratushinskaya. It is called "The Sparrows of Butyrki." It reads: You can't entice a sparrow - Kindness and talents are no use He won't tap At the city double-glazing. In order to understand birds You have to be a convict. And if you share your bread - It means your time is done.
January 14, 2025 at 12:46 AM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
DM or comment for a review copy of my closed-door paranormal romance Ecstatic Evil featuring:

Reverse grumpy/sunshine, half-demon FMC, 🌕 werewolf MMC, and supernatural conflict with heart.

It's sweet! No language, violence off-screen.

#BookSky 📚💙 #ParanormalRomance #IndieAuthor #WerewolfRomance
Image of a digital book cover. The silhouette of the same woman's face back-to-back in gray lines against a blue cover. There is a justice scale in the front that is evenly balanced with an angel on one side and a devil on the other. The title "Ecstatic Evil" is in script font.
January 12, 2025 at 7:14 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
📚 My TBR pile: towering, chaotic, and definitely out of control.
🗣️ "You could just stop getting new books."
🤨 What an odd thing to say.

Some questions shouldn’t even be asked. 😂

#BookSky 📚💙 #TBRPile #BookishHumor #ReadersLife #BookCommunity
A white woman holds a paperback book in front of a bookshelf. She's making a crossed face. The text what an odd thing to say appears over her.
January 8, 2025 at 5:36 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
✨ Indie bookstore tradition! 📚 During our trip to Saline, MI, we visited Fine Print Bookshop and left with a haul.

Local gem discovery? Monsters of the Midwest & Ghostly Tales of Michigan! 👻

👉 Do you visit indie bookstores when you travel?

#BookSky 📚💙 #IndieBookstore #BookLovers #TravelAndBooks
A picture of a white hand holding a book in front of a pile of other books. The book the hand is holding is Monsters of the Midwest. There's a line drawing of an unidentifiable monster on the cover.
January 6, 2025 at 4:55 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
As a queer author, I wrote Bloemetje as a vintage fairy tale-style story centering queer families. 🏳️‍🌈 Rooted in justice and decolonization, it’s a tale of love, loss, and found family—all set on Venus.

Grab your copy: mybook.to/bloemetje

#BookSky 📚💙 #SpaceFantasy #QueerBooks #IndieAuthor
A white woman holds up one hand in the stop gesture. She's wearing an orange and navy blue striped sweater. The text appears over her "WAIT! Don't swipe past if you're an LGBTQIA+ or ally reader who supports decolonization!"
January 3, 2025 at 10:43 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
✨ 2024 Best Sellers! ✨
📚 Bloemetje – Space fantasy & decolonization.
📝 Purple Pansies Notebook (in store)
📖 One Last Stop book club guide
🌸 Trio of Fairies Notebook (online)

👉 Find them all at opinionsofawolf.com

#BookSky 📚💙 #BestSellers #IndieAuthor #QueerBooks #SpaceFantasy
Image is labeled 2024 Best Sellers. Under Fiction Book is the cover of the book Bloemetje by Amanda McNeil. It features a field of tulips against a sky that clearly is not Earth's. Under the label Notebook it shows a purple notebook with a vintage seed packet image. It says this notebook is at the Melody Maker. Under KoFi Product it has an image that says One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston Reading Group / Book Club Discussion Guide. Under the second Notebook label it has a vintage style notebook with three fairies on it. It says this was the top seller online. The bottom line reads "Head to opinonsofawolf.com - you'll find links to all four int eh sidebar. Happy browsing!"
January 2, 2025 at 12:39 AM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
🎉 Last month, I tackled MetroGameO (a write-a-bunch-of-words-in-November event with the MetroWest Writer's Guild). We were assigned to teams and...somehow...I won the Bright Spirit Award for mine! 😱✨

I’m so honored and grateful! #BookSky
📚💙

Check out the Guild here: metrowestwriters.org
Screenshot of an email reading: Hello Amanda! Thank you again for participating in our MetroGameO this November. As a recipient of the Bright Spirit award for Team Great Pumpkin Orange, you receive a free scoop of ice cream at JP Licks and a $20 off coupon for the Guild's store. You can use this on a Guild class Guild swag. It expires on December 31st 2025.
December 11, 2024 at 11:04 PM
mcneilauthor.bsky.social
✨ "Bloemetje"—a speculative retelling of Thumbelina set in space, with queer characters and a decolonization theme. 🌿🚀
🌸 "A thought-provoking retelling."
A portion of proceeds supports the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness. 💚
mybook.to/bloemetje
#LGBTQBooks #SciFiBooks #QueerLit
A white hand holds a book in front of a collection of plants in front of an orange wall. The book is titled "Bloemetje" and the cover shows a scene with a sky with three planets in it, a field of tulips, and the silhouette of a girl looking up at the sky. Across the top of the image, it says "A journey of decolonization, self-discovery, and love in a queer-inclusive, speculative reimagining of Thumbelina." In the bottom-right it shows 5 stars then says "A cute and strong fairy that will melt your heart."
December 6, 2024 at 4:10 AM