Author. Menace. Bulldog concierge.

August Quinn writes funny, filthy‑smart stories about identity, queerness, and becoming. After marriage, grief, and a long internal war with shame, he chose loud honesty—and the words followed. He lives for late bloomers, messy second chances, and dogs in hoodies.

My Story

I’m August Zachary Quinn III—but let’s get this straight: don’t call me August, don’t call me Zachary, and if you spell Zach with a K, we’re done here. Around here, I answer to Zach.

Who I Am

I’m an author, storyteller, and unapologetic chronicler of queer midlife and all the messy detours it takes to get here. My work straddles memoir and fiction like a gymnast in glitter—always true, sometimes exaggerated, and never afraid to mix humor, heat, and heartbreak in the same breath. I write the stories so many of us lived but never dared to say out loud: closeted adolescence, chaotic hookups, Catholic guilt, and the long road from shame to honesty.

The Books & The House

Under the pen name August Quinn, I’ve published more than two dozen books across memoir (Unmasked, Zack, Not Kelly, The Rest of Me), queer romance (The Unapologetics series - 6 books), and midlife reinvention (The Living at 50 series - 4 books). The throughline is always the same: a voice that refuses silence, even when it cracks—or laughs inappropriately at its own trauma.

And now? We’re independent. August Quinn Books has stepped into its full indie era—an unapologetic publishing house with four imprints, each carrying its own bite, bark, and boldness:

Our Imprints

Unapologetic Books – The flagship line. Queer romance, memoir, essays, and cultural commentary that bite back. Books with teeth, tenderness, and zero disclaimers.

Bulldog Books by AQ – Pet-forward, humor-heavy titles led by Roxi the Bulldog and Xena the CEO of Feelings. Expect life lessons, midlife reinvention guides, and canine-approved wisdom.

Grace Without Apology by AQ – Faith + LGBTQIA+ titles for anyone who knows divine love doesn’t come with disclaimers. Radical welcome, fierce theology, unapologetic grace.

Alpha Wisdom by AQ – Self-help with a bite, inspired by Xena’s quiet strength and wolfish wisdom. Tough love without toxic positivity.

The Backstory

I grew up in New Jersey, the son of a blue-collar truck driver and a Catholic mother who could run a parish like it was the Pentagon. By day, I played high school football. By night, I rehearsed queer longings in silence, sneaking glances where I could. Summers at the Shore were a cocktail of freedom and trouble, and by nineteen, I’d perfected the art of hiding in plain sight—performing as a ladies’ man while secretly carrying a truth I wouldn’t name until years later.

I came out at 26—finally saying what had always been there. But life isn’t a straight line (pun intended). At 34, I married a woman I loved deeply, and grief reshaped everything when she passed.

At 48, I found love again—this time with a man, my partner, my chaos co-pilot, and the one who taught me home isn’t always a place; sometimes it’s a person.

That timeline—messy, nonlinear, brutally human—is what fuels my writing and my advocacy for late bloomers. If my story says anything, it’s this: it’s never too late to step into who you really are.

Beyond the Page

When I’m not writing, I wear a few other hats (and sometimes Crocs):

Senior Product Manager (yes, I can talk systems and plot twists in the same meeting)
Presbyterian Deacon (queer, chaotic, and still somehow respectable on Sundays)
Civic Board Member & Volunteer (historic preservation, veteran support, LGBTQ advocacy—you name it, I’ve been guilt-tripped into chairing it)
Political Powerbrand - (three decades of strategy, messaging, and sharp elbows in the political arena—proof that I can spin chaos into influence)

And then there are my dogs: Roxi, the bulldog chaos agent with a legal team on retainer, and Xena, the shepherd mix who stares into your soul like a therapist with receipts. They’re not just pets; they’re co-stars, Greek chorus, and living proof that no story is complete without pawprints.

Fun Facts (a.k.a. Receipts of Chaos)

My ADHD turns nutrition labels into beach reads.
Nostalgia wrecks me. Umbros, Baywatch, Power Rangers? I’ll cry every time.
I color-code to-do lists, then ignore half of them.
Travel is my love language—half work, half mischief, always with my partner and chaos co-pilot.

The Invitation

Today, I live loudly—and finally, honestly. My books are an open door: come laugh, cry, cringe, and maybe recognize yourself in the wreckage. Just remember—silence is not safety, and survival deserves a punchline.