Every Friday, I meet a member of the British Fantasy Society and peer deep into their soul (or, at least, a form they filled out). This week we're in Hampshire with dark fantasy author and authenticity reader Han Noss, who started their journey being obsessed with Warrior Cats.

https://britishfantasysociety.org/meet-han-noss/

#fantasy #horror #darkfantasy #writers #writing #writingcommunity #queerwriters #nonbinary #nonbinarywriters #pride

" 🌈 Happy Non-Binary Parents Day! From navigating parenthood to challenging traditional norms, we're celebrating the unique experiences of non-binary folks who parent children. 💗 "

#NonBinaryParentDay #LGBTYouthLine #NonBinaryYouth #queer #nonbinary #queerscientists #nonbinaryphysicians #nonbinarywriters #postcolonial

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lgbt-youthline_nonbinaryparentday-lgbtyouthline-nonbinaryyouth-activity-7319721980692164608-OZ6v

Going to be on a panel about writing sapphic fiction as a trans and/or non-binary person, and trying to think up some questions for the moderator. Anyone got any ideas?

#TransWriters #SapphicFiction #NonbinaryWriters #trans #nonbinary

Starting soon! Other fun and free events going on all day.

#ScienceFiction #SciFiBooks #FantasyBooks #WomenWriters #NonbinaryWriters #AuthorEvent

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/holiday-extravaganza-tickets-748828435007

(A fairly spoilery moment in Milo's character development, but I feel like sharing it anyway. He's an Episcopal priest and a living saint according to all who know him, who falls in love with and tries to heal a traumatized, rough-around-the-edges ghost-whisperer, and accidentally uncovers his own trauma in the process. Here he's having a sort of flashback review of childhood family dinners growing up in a traditionalist Catholic household. It's worth noting that, to this day, Milo talks to God and hears God talk back. [This excerpt, I think, kind of works as a response to #PennedPossibilities 27—how does your MC self-soothe?])

They are screaming at each other again. I wish I could make them stop.

At least they are not screaming at me.

They hardly ever look at me at all.

Divine Mercy. The Lord looks at me always, from the painting on the kitchen wall, with his big, beautiful eyes. He is so quiet and kind. He listens. He never, ever screams.

Stay quiet. Don't draw their attention out of turn.

Stay kind, so they can’t bring themselves to hurt you.

When they speak to you, listen attentively. Eyes on them. Nod so they know you are a good boy and you are listening.

Eyes on them. Learn to notice the signs they are going to erupt. Submit. Appease. Make a joke. Disarm. Head off danger at the pass.

Getting tall…don’t stand too tall. Don’t give them a reason to fear you.

Stay their small, sweet, godly boy so they’ll never be angry at you.

Something wrong? Fix it. Hurry. Before they notice. You are smart and resourceful and can fix it before they notice.

You are getting older, wiser. Sometimes they listen now. Mediate. Support. Harmonize. Hold the moral high ground.

Keep the peace. Keep the peace. Keep the peace.

…And maybe, just maybe, if you are good enough and patient enough for long enough, and never ever ask anything for yourself, they will repent and heal and turn toward you and you will finally have a family.

You are strong. You can bear this burden.

...Too deprived. Too disappointed. Too little. Too much.

Surrender your desires to the Lord.

You are my beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. Your reward is in heaven and not of this world.

God is with me. Nothing hurts me anymore.

I can take on the pain of the world. I was born for it.

Milo wants nothing.

Milo needs nothing.

Milo is but a vessel of Divine Mercy.

Milo doesn’t exist.

#TakeOnMe

#writing #WritingCommunity #GayRomance #MMRomance #mm #mmr #nonbinary #NonbinaryWriters #NonbinaryRomance #QueerRomance #LGBTQromance #LGBTQbooks #LGBTQwriters #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #UrbanFantasy #AmWriting #cozy #plural #infj #hsp #ND #CPTSD #ReligiousTrauma #queer #WIP #romance #QueerJoy #mlm

(Reclusive ghost whisperer Seymour is crashing with his new colleague, recently ordained Episcopal priest and unconventional exorcist Milo, until the two of them can find a way to neutralize a demonic presence that's taken over Seymour's house. Despite Seymour's trademark misanthropy, an awkward little friendship is starting to bloom.)

I catch him looking at me again. Not at my eyes, for once. “Okay...do I, uh…have something on me or…?”

Milo’s eyes widen. “I’m so sorry, no…I keep looking at your hair.”

“My hair…?”

“I guess you could say I’m neurodivergent in some unspecified way and sometimes I become preoccupied with things.”

“…Like my hair?”

“It’s pretty. It’s very dark and shiny and I like the way the cut frames your face and kind of swoops over your eye and conforms to the shape of your head in the back.”

“Oh. Uh…thank you…?”

“I’m sorry if it makes you uncomfortable. I have to remind myself it’s unsettling for people if you stare at them. Because personally I never mind it. In fact I think it’s strange that most people seem afraid to look at each other. Anyway…I like your hair. But I’ll try harder not to stare at it.”

“It’s okay,” I hear myself saying.

He blinks. “…Is it?”

“I mean…it’s not a big deal or anything.”

“No, I know it’s weird. I was bad about it when I was younger and people really didn’t like it.”

“I don’t, uh…I don’t really mind.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah. It’s fine.”

We lapse into silence for a moment. He’s still stealing glances at me, but seems even shyer now, despite the permission—keeps looking away when our eyes meet.

“Do you…like having your hair brushed?” he asks out of the blue.

“Uh…I guess? Are you…you saying…you want to…?”

“I think it might get it out of my system. But I know that’s weird, so it’s completely okay if you’d rather I didn’t.”

“…You want to brush my hair.”

His fingers flutter against his knee. “I feel like it might resolve the fixation. But it’s totally okay if you don’t want me to. Actually, no—I’m sorry I asked. It puts you on the spot, doesn’t it? No, no—it’s okay.” He closes his eyes; lays his hand on his chest as it rises and falls in a soft, slow breath: “I can manage this myself…”

“Um…I guess you can brush it,” I hear myself say.

His eyes spring open, rounder than I’ve ever seen them. “Are you sure?”

“I mean…somebody’s gotta do it. If you don’t, I’ll just have to do it myself at some point.”

He giggles. “Um…okay. Thank you.”

“You’re…welcome?”

He pops up. “I have a really nice brush my hairstylist recommended. Let me go get it.”

#TakeOnMe

#writing #WritingCommunity #GayRomance #mm #mmr #nonbinary #NonbinaryWriters #NonbinaryRomance #QueerRomance #LGBTQromance #LGBTQbooks #LGBTQwriters #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #UrbanFantasy #AmWriting #cozy #plural #ND #CPTSD #queer #WIP #romance #QueerJoy #mlm