So, I can tell you now, there won’t be many tickles from Glory, mostly because there’s a lot more fact-checking and ‘did I fuck up?’ checking and just ‘Do you give a crap about this character?’ checking. You see, I’m pushing myself a little on this. My editor asked for a sarcastic, genderfluid angel story. And, God help me, I cannot resist a challenge. I’m like those cats chasing the laser pointer and she knows it.

“See the shiny pretty? Go get it!” And off I bounce.

Pavlov’s author.

Anyway, here’s a peek of my angel, having a day that is more girl than boy.

Glory twisted in front of the mirror in her room in the Hall of Angels in Waiting, imagining what her wings would be like when she finally earned them. Would they be long and slender and white, or shorter and golden, more like her hair today? Would the feathers be long and narrow, or short and wide? And did these robes make her butt look curvy? Or just big?

Grace stuck his dark head in the door. “Glory! You’re wanted.”

“I’m always wanted, by so many people.” Glory looked over her shoulder and smiled mischievously at the other angel. “Who shall I grace with my presence today?”

Grace rolled his eyes. “There’s a job for you. Downside.”

“Wonderful. I was getting bored pushing paper. One more paper cut and I was going to go postal on someone.”

I wanted to do it with genderneutral pronouns, but the consensus seems to be that the vast majority of readers would find that jarring and be pulled out of the story. Maybe someday, we can do a poll.

What do you think of that, internet?