I still gotta work on the first round of edits, but here's another interesting section from before I see what the editor has to say. Naveed and Ocean are talking in the ConSuite as Suvi grabs Ocean a plate of munchies.
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"Aromantic, huh?" Naveed restarted the conversation.

"I'm glad to have found the term in the asexual community." Ocean chuckled. "Not to say that I'm asexual, just that I don't experience romantic feelings at all really, or at least not like our culture says." Ze smirked. "Our culture can mean so many different things when talking to an immigrant. If you don't mind the question, do you think of yourself as Iranian, American, or Iranian-American?"

"I kinda swim between the three." Naveed popped a piece of watermelon into his mouth. After swallowing, he continued, "I was only six when we immigrated. Sometimes I feel so Iranian based on how too many people react to me, but then I remember how I disappointed my family, not being the perfect Muslim girl." He sighed. "Not that religion is or should be proof of one's culture. So yeah, I'm sure you can guess that I'm not close to my family; I was thrown out as a sick sixteen year old who they had simply given up on."

"You make me want to take you home."

Naveed brushed his fingers over his chair's wheels. "To meet your parents?" he joked.

"Well my mom, but nothing much at my home looks close to norms." Quick save.

"That sounds nice, if people are free to be themselves."

"Completely."

So I debated what to share today; I was talking with someone on my author who appreciated some behind-the-novel thought processes I shared with my "Mommy's Diary Begins" post- where I wrote a diary entry as Mara, the "Mommy" of my book "A Master and a Mommy." When I listed my current WIPs, she commented about how diverse they are. I was thinking to share some lines from one of my WIPs (I have two from Vala's Story-verse), but I decided on "Backward Dating," which is hopefully going to be published by Cuil Press in June.

Now because of the six line limit, I unfortunately only get to introduce you to two of my main characters; I'll introduce the third character next weekend.
...

Various conversations began and ended as people bonded over feeling not quite included, although no more worse than usual.

Mid-way through the line, a Persian man using a wheelchair smiled at a Greek beauty of indeterminate gender.

With jade green eyes glowing affectionately in a heart-shaped face the color of caramel candies, the beauty said, "Hi. I'm Ocean and my pronouns are ze and hir. And you are?"

"Naveed. My pronouns are he and him."

So if you want to enjoy other wonderful queer, QUILTBAG, LGBT, LGBTQIA+ (goodness, so many possibilities for the letter soup :D ) check out the Rainbow Snippets public Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RainbowSnippets/

So I sent "Backward Dating" to one BR- I still need to touch bases with the wheelchair user who offered to read. I amused myself by creating chapter and giving them names, but not trying for any sort of average word count in them; this is after all my book and if I'm not writing for a more mainstream press, would you expect something mainstream from me? :D That leads me to the announcement of Cuil Press- currently in the creation phase. Cuil Fiction- a term coined by Michon Neal and explained by hir here in a video (and make sure to turn up your volume to hear Michon; ze is quiet)- intersectional, inclusive, mind expanding (those are just some words that come to my mind when I think of Cuil Fiction). This will go through the special to Cuil Press step of "sensitivity editing"- Michon explains the process ze does here. We're hoping this book will be ready for publication by July.

I debated what sort of snippet to share this week, after all I have a polyamorous-v in this story. Arguing that it's more than a matter of semantics, but of identity, having three people engaging in a specific form of non-monogamy has me considering all sorts of things- even "the word menage is getting on my nerves." But I finally decided to go with a snippet of Ocean being a little bit dommy with Naveed on the day they meet.

---
Naveed pressed his hands against his wheelchair's armrests.

So much pain. I wish I could give him something to smile about. "So I'm the hinge?" Ocean grinned at Naveed.

"It would seem with Suvi being monogamous." Naveed sighed. "Sorry, I'm trying to be less prickly. The only reason I got to come here this year was winning my badge from a website. I'm not even sure where I'm sleeping tonight."

"Maybe you could sleep with me, I mean, in my room?" Ocean suggested.

"I would like that, yes."

Ocean sucked hir bottom lip between hir teeth, hir goatee tickling hir tongue. "Have you, I mean, I find you so attractive."

"Me?" Naveed chuckled. "Here I was thinking what a beauty you are." Leaning forward, he placed a delicate hand on Ocean's knee. "I haven't had any surgeries, if that's what you stopped yourself from asking. Even if I could afford it, it's hard to convince a doctor that gender confirming surgeries are worth the risk when you have fibromyalgia."

Ocean nodded. "I... um... managed to escape any of the surgeries that too often people born with intersex traits are subjected to. Even if I don't look very binary."

Naveed laid his hand on top of Ocean's hand, the reddish brown skin startling even against Ocean's light tan skin.

His touch feels so good. "Do you still want to stay with me?" Ocean swallowed hard, not having meant to get so serious so fast.

"Of course. Our bodies and brains are complex, right?" Naveed smiled. "Here comes Suvi with a plate for one of us."

So after interesting people with my non-normative characters in the hoped-for-July publishing "Backward Dating" last week, I'm going to continue on to chapter 2, where I dip into one of my characters' POVs for the first time this book- in this case, Suvi's. Good news on the book- it's over 70K words.
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"So to the Consuite for a snack before the Firefly panel?" Suvi chewed on her bottom lip. Why am I so nervous? "Ocean, you never said about the rest of your day."

"Firefly panel too." Ocean coughed. "Um, Naveed, could I please push your chair to the Consuite?"

"I would love it if you would," Naveed replied.

Ocean took hold of the handles on Naveed's chair and started them down the hallway. "Are you dating?"

Suvi giggled. "And which one of us would you be asking?"

"Um, both of you?" Ocean chuckled. "I swear, I'm aromantic and not usually putting my foot in my mouth so often. I've been celibate since becoming a widow three years ago."

"Somehow I feel like you could put a Tumblr SJW to shame. I'm sorry for your loss." Suvi reached out as if she wanted to touch hir arm, but pulled her hand back to her side.

"Thanks." Ocean offered hir hand to Suvi and smiled when she took it; ze squeezed her hand a moment before returning to pushing Naveed's chair with both hands.

Naveed craned his neck to look back at them. His gaze shyly lowered to Ocean's chin, he said, "I'm sorry too. No one should have to be alone if they don't want it."

Suvi took a sip from a water bottle. "Single and not even looking. Being bisexual and monogamous adds so many unfortunate levels to dating for me."

"Sadly. So much fear for what is non-normative or simply different from one's experience. I know I watch plenty of people shudder just trying to understand what I am, as it's never who I am."

"I hope Naveed and I have done better at the who," Suvi offered.

Ocean nodded. "So my list, as you mentioned some of your identities. I am a person with intersex traits and my gender is intergender. I am pansexual and polyamorous."

"Polyamorous?" Naveed questioned.

"Non-monogamous?" Ocean responded.

"I understand that one. Other than being able to say I'm transgender, I'm not sure what I would say. I'm certainly not dating as who would want to date a crip."

"Aw, it doesn't sound as if you use that in the sort of reclaimed slur sort of way," Suvi murmured.

"I would date you," Ocean broke into the moment. "And you too, Suvi."

I'm so glad that Meredith O'Reilly got WIP It Up Wednesday going again. I'd debated what to share with you all- I have several projects going as usual. Back in October, my laptop died and while my Master was able to buy me a new laptop, I haven't checked yet when the last time I backed up "Laura Learns" (Kink Challenge 2), but I'm hoping that once I finish "Backward Dating" that I can get going with LL again.

So a little explanation- this WIP "Backward Dating" is the level of "experimental" that many of you expect from me. This is not a simple "woman and man date and fall in love" story. I'm going to start with a piece from chapter 1- for I'm trying to carve this story into chapters- that I've attempted to write in 3rd person omniscient- I'm not starting into the 3 MCs' perspectives until chapter 2.

                                                                          ----
The line for the unisex bathroom moved at a snail's pace; the organizers of the science fiction convention hadn't quite thought out their desire to be inclusive of people whose gendered experience rested outside the binary. Various conversations began and ended as people bonded over feeling not quite included, although no more worse than usual.

Mid-way through the line, a Persian man using a wheelchair smiled at a Greek beauty of indeterminate gender.

With jade green eyes glowing affectionately in a heart-shaped face the color of caramel candies, the beauty said, "Hi. I'm Ocean and my pronouns are ze and hir. And you are?"

"Naveed. My pronouns are he and him." He sighed and patted his black sweat pant-covered legs with a slender, deep red hand. "I'm so glad I lucked into this wheelchair at the Salvation Army. I would never be able to last through these lines without it."

"They really needed to put in some more of these unisex bathrooms, especially in accessible places." Ocean frowned. "I'm guessing you don't know about the other unisex bathroom I've found that's down a few stairs over by the Consuite."

"No, but thanks. I'm actually not paralyzed so if I'm up to it, I'll have a second option."

A diminutive woman with slick, long blond braids and a swishing, satiny red dress turned to face them. Bright blue eyes moved over them with excitement. "Weren't you just both in the 'diversity in science fiction' panel?"

"Yes," Naveed and Ocean said together.

She giggled. "I don't know why I'm waiting in this line, silly cisgender me. My name is Suvi and yes, my pronouns are she and her. Would you both like to go back to my room, use that bathroom, and then catch a bite in the Consuite?"