Hi everyone. Sorry that it's been so long since you last heard from me. I'm a fair bit behind the timeline I had initially posted for when I wanted Honeycomb Heart ready to share with y'all. The very quick version is that life things happened (negatively). Backers, there will be some more detail below. But the most important information is that I'm still working on the book, and it'll be a matter of when it's ready to send out, not if. The lesbian coming-of-age familiar-accompanied cross-country roadtrip is happening. Its arrival can be slowed, but it can't be stopped.

Hi all, I imagine you've all gotten a million of these emails recently, so I'll keep it short and sweet (fun fact: "Short and Sweet" was Honeycomb Heart's old name, back when it was just a short story). Thank you so much for being here with me!

As I continue to work on getting the book to a finished state, you can expect to see WIP and finalized mini prints, as well as updates as I hit editing/production milestones and send out surveys.

Thanks again for joining me, and I hope your December is off to an excellent start,

Madeleine

Hi all,

With just over a week left in the Bazaar, I wanted to shout out the campaigns who are steadily approaching their funding goals. Everyone who funds will be contributing to the anthology that people who back five or more projects receive for free, so the more of us hit our goals, the more content the anthology will include. In the Bazaar, we have...

(Not to be confused with Seven the Publishing Goblin, who's currently funding Tales From the Alley.)
Space Wizard is 90% of the way to their goal. It's incredibly hard for independent presses to operate sustainably. If you want to support a small business that champions marginalized authors, here's a great chance. Plus, books from their existing catalog of over 40 titles are available through add-ons!

Get fooled by fae, or explore the dark outcome of human greed. Or both! Why not both? Fairy Seasons is also 90% of the way to its goal. GULA has further to go, but part of its goal includes 20% of every pledge being donated to UNRWA, which provides support to Palestinian refugees.

You know that dreadful feeling when you finish a book and realize you need more, now? Finding a series with multiple books out already can help with that 😉

Prefer oral storytelling over reading? Need a book to entertain you while driving (without taking your eyes off the road?) The Book Bazaar includes multiple audiobooks. Both projects include their authors' previous work as add-ons, so you can catch up on the historical fiction urban fantasy Covenant of Blood before Blood Ties comes out, or check out Amara Lynn's collections of SFF writing.

And now, for the all-caps part of this update:

Y'all already know what familiars the main characters of Honeycomb Heart have. Here's a chance for you to do a little writing and tell me: what familiar would you have if you were a resident of Hex, and why is your answer the best?

Familiars are smarter and have more personality than regular members of their species; their natural lifespans are extended to that of a human's, and they tend to be a bit hardier too. So if you've always wanted to have a butterfly friend that follows you around and perches on your hair like a big beautiful hair clip, you don't have to worry about them only living like a couple weeks 😅

Growing up, red pandas were always my favorite animal at the zoo. My brain insists they're just like... funny cat/fox hybrids even though I know they're completely non-domesticated and probably want nothing to do with humans. There isn't (currently) a red panda familiar in Honeycomb Heart, but if I got to pick one for myself in real life, it would definitely be that or an otter. Otters sound more fun to play with, but the thought of having a smart and friendly red panda friend I could make little sunhats and booties for is certainly tempting.

Happy upcoming Turkey Day (or Ham Day, for those with good taste),
Madeleine
P.S. The transition into winter is hitting me a little rough this year. My sleep schedule has been, shall we say, unsustainable (but I am otherwise fine!) My apologies for being quiet for a bit. I'll be working on and posting colors, layouts, and WIPs for some of the mini prints later this week.

Thank you for joining me, everyone! We've passed the initial funding goal within just a few days of launching, which feels incredible. There are multiple stretch goals for this campaign, so let's see if we can unlock hardcover format and extra short stories!

In other news, I'll be joining some of the other Bazaarians on our Twitch in about an hour (3pm PST/6pm PST) for our first live writer's chat.

I'm also starting to think about the fourth mini print option... I've spent most of my life in the greater Seattle area, and my family visited the Seattle Aquarium throughout my childhood. I've started going there again more recently, and I'm feeling very inspired by the massive tank they have in their new building, the Ocean Pavilion. Could be a cute spot for two lesbians to go on a date!

P.S. If you want to make suggestions for flowers to appear in the mini print featuring Vivian's bees, you can comment on this or the previous update.

HI all,

Did you know that The Book Bazaar has a Twitch channel? Over the next three weeks, we'll have live writer's chats, discussions on editing, author readings, book trailers, and more! You can check out our schedule here. Amara Lynn, who is funding an audiobook release of their upcoming queer sci-fi romance Gems and Star Flowers, is hosting an author discussion today at 3pm PST, and we've got our first live author chat tomorrow, also at 3pm PST.

We're getting pretty dang close to the base funding goal, and we're past 30 backers, which means I've got some stitching to do over the next few weeks! I would love any suggestions y'all have for flowers to include in a mini print featuring Vivian's bees. They can be from any environment. The more variety, the better. Hex is a land formed of distinct environments and ecosystems all lovingly smushed together by a guardian spirit, so putting echeveria next to pansies next to orchids is 1000% on the table.

I've also started putting together playlists for my books! If you want to get in the Honeycomb Heart mood, here it is.
Spotify
YouTube

Happy Friday,
Madeleine