After being recruited into a ship of vigilante pirates, street kid Maddy falls deeply in love with noble pirate Araevin, before one day disappearing without a trace. Years later they stumble into each other with new lives and new traumas, trying to fit lost puzzle pieces back into place. More info here.

Banner art by Grendel Menz.
This carrd was last updated April 1st, 2025.

About the book;

TLYGM has been in development since January 2021, with two completed drafts and a third (and final) in progress. For more accurate, up to date progress tracking, this spreadsheet is updated every writing session. After this draft will be two rounds of editing (from myself and another editor), then publishing! Yay! Release date is currently up in the air, but the estimated goal is ~2026.

TLYGM is adult fiction in the fantasy romance genre. There's plenty of cursing, as well as a bit of violence and sexual content. Both main characters are trans men, but themes of identity aren't delved into significantly. This book is about the characters, not the labels.

Grendel Menz, the artist who did the art shown on this site's home page, will be designing the book cover for TLYGM. Check out their portfolio (linked on the homepage) as their artwork is immensely impressive.

Proper newsletter setup is being put off until it becomes more of a broader demand; if you want [likely rare] email updates, submit your email address to this form and you'll be connected if/when those happen.

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About the author;

R.E. Brenner is a 23 year old avid writer living in coastal Maine (ironically not far from Stephen King's famous house) with their boyfriend and cat. The Life You Gave Me will be their debut novel, with several ideas for more in the future (including a TLYGM sequel). They published a short story on Vocal a few years ago, though it's nothing compared to the standard of writing they hold themself to in their novel.

The use of initials rather than a first name is a discreet way of preventing this book from falling into unwanted hands. Their first name isn't hard to find (and can be found through this website easily), but using initials for publishing should do the job.

Contact can be broached via email.

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