She Was a Mayfly - novels don't get better than this
As promised to @wavesketcher-sq, these are pics of my binding of her wonderful novel "She Was a Mayfly". The story would deserve much better, but I wanted it to feel "personal" so I've done as much myself as I could (which is not good for the result). First and foremost, I wanted a physical copy I could put in my bookshelf and take out and read whenever I felt like it. I will be forever grateful for the chance to read it and how brilliant it was (and for the future times I will reread it too).
I also had the invaluable help of everybody in the Renegade Bindery Discord server (@renegadeguild).
To create this book, I had to improve my LaTeX typesetting skills (not learn LaTeX, for that I still have to give credit to @cinnonym and me wanting to preserve their tumblr ficlets, like this great one)… anyway I digress, I had to improve LaTeX, learn basic binding, source the right off-white paper from the UK, the right tools and thread from Germany, natural silk thread from Milan, buy a new printer, learn how to make bookcloth, find the right fabric, learn how to do paper marbling (badly), (not manage to) learn how to do suminagashi, build a DIY book press, learn how to sew endbands (badly), and more… I started in August.
I can only see two explanations, either the novel is truly amazing, or I am completely crazy. I tend to favor the first option (though they are not mutually exclusive).
I have a companion booklet in the making for Author's Notes and comments, and then I have so many ideas for stories I might bind…but so little time.
Anyway, I am so happy about this. Because this is really what I wanted, a hardcopy to browse and read, and "vandalize" underlining sentences and writing notes in. I am afraid I am a boring alphabetical order woman, so here it is in my English language fiction section, after Carlene Thompson.
Unfinished Business pt.III (ft. an angsty bamon argument)
“Back in the prison world, if I had kissed you… would you have kissed me back?”
Bonnie doesn’t look away from the changing screen. “No.”
“Well. That answered my question,” says Damon, not bothering to mask his offence.
Bonnie points the remote at the TV, shutting the colour to black. “You had a girlfriend. A girlfriend who loved you so damn much she had to erase her memories just to cope with your death—”
“Exactly, Bon! We were dead! We were trapped in eternal purgatory for all we knew. We could have been having sex like that,” he gestures vaguely upstairs, “every fucking day!”
“Why are you angry with me!?”
“I’m angry with everything!” It’s a shock to the system, this anger. But now he sees it, how it viciously begs for attention, and Bonnie is the only one he has left to listen. “I’m angry that my brother is dead when it should have been me! I’m angry that I tried to make things work with Elena when I should have been with you, and fine! Yes! I’m angry with you Bonnie. I’m angry that you just left! You left me, and all I got was a fucking postcard every couple months. Stupid, impersonal postcards! I didn’t care that you were in Paris, or London, or Naples — I wanted you home.”
Read the full chapter here (and leave a comment for pancakes 🥞)
It was lighter outside than he was used to upon waking, and the soldiers were already eating a meagre breakfast.
“Dúnedain!” called one with a salute. “Is it true you have an elf in that tent?”
The soldier to his left grinned with all his missing teeth. “Some men get all the fun.”
Irritation flashed across Aragorn’s face, though he couldn’t blame the men for making light of what they couldn’t understand. Legolas, stubbornly though he would deny it, was a fish out of water in a camp of human soldiers.
Aragorn marched on towards the General’s tent, eyes scanning for signs of the elegant elf among the bedraggled men. If Legolas willed it, he could become completely invisible to prying eyes, melting into the eaves of a tree like a leaf returning home. There were no trees in the barren land beyond the camp — only blood soaked mud and felled bodies.
Aragorn suppressed a shudder. He loathed No Man’s Land.
You can read Aragorn’s POV chapter here… Prepare for more Protective!Aragorn (oh, and please consider leaving a comment 🍃)
I’ve told you this a million times before but as you are quite literally THE fic writer who inspired me to write fic (and I’m still going like 9 years later lol), I AM JUST GIDDY FOR YOU. I recently bought you some coffees because I can’t pre-order your book easily in the UK (and I don’t like buying books from Amazon).
My own manuscript is currently being read by editors at a major publishing house too🙏 the likelihood of them taking it on is SLIM but there’s a little hope!! Basically, you deserve this so much and I really am so excited for your first published work.
love, wavesketcher
Thank you!!!! And I'm SO GLAD that you're still writing– both fic and original!! I hope you have lots of success with your manuscript– let me know if there's good news ahead!!
and if I wrote a sq fic set in London 1940, where Emma, a typist, falls hopelessly in love with, Regina, the wife of a politician
would anyone be interested 🫣
...
I had originally plotted an original novella for this idea, loosely based on my dad finding a BOOK OF POETRY written to his late mum (my gran) from her lesbian lover likeeee I cannot make this up... the gays abound in my family it seems (shout out to my great aunt who has been living with a woman for over 50 years) <333
“Anytime today would be great,” Damon hisses. “We’re kind of in a tense moment here.”
The Plight of Silas, Cuddles and the Bamon Shipper Squad (2020)
“Ahhh, the beach.” Beneath the shadow of a straw hat, Silas takes a long sip of his pina colada. “This is the life.”
Amaryllis (2019)
He’s started grocery shopping on Monday mornings.
I wonder why (I didn't see it there before?) (2019)
“Ass.”
cracking up that this is the first line of a fic that is actually a really emotional exploration of them navigating love
Stefan the Bamon Shipper (2019)
He noticed it first at the dinner table.
Something there (that wasn't there before?) (2019)
“You’re such an ass,” Bonnie groans.
First lines from my favourite one-shots/ficlets in 'Back To You':
Kryptonite (2019)
The warehouse doors are flung open with a curl of her wrist.
Stop All The Clocks (2019)
The church buzzes with colour: green hats, orange scarves, even a band.
Little Witch (2019)
“If you’re just going to stand there, I have more…pleasurable things to attend to.”
Forever (2019)
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this.
Easy (2020)
She’s never seen him like this.
Voicemail (2022)
Her back's against the wall; leather heels reaching up her thighs, black, like her nails and dress and the memory of him.
Close One (2024)
“It’s nice,” he says, looking around at the painted yellow cupboards, “Very you,” and all Bonnie can think is You’re in my kitchen.
Either (2025)
Blondie is especially persistent today. Damon is leaning against the dormitory doorjamb, watching Caroline thrust mini-dress upon mini-dress at Bonnie.
