Whilst wandering the 'net" as I am wont to do on occassion, I discovered that most of Crystal's Storysite seems to be back in operation... mostly. The old chat rooms are not functioning, and some of the other features aren't working, but the stories, the author chats, the author reviews, comments and hit counts are back and accessible.
I attended in 2009 and it was a life changing event for me.
The Con had relocated from Atlanta Ga. to Ft. Lauderdale, but apparently there were some lawsuits that have ended the Con that had been a fixture for Trans folks for 26 years!
It seems, as the years go by, that the real message of this time of the year has faded to overstuffing oneself on turkey, or whatever passes for the holiday meal and vegging out in front of the TV or computer, engaging in whatever non-activity one prefers.
To me, the true meaning of this holiday, that of being grateful for what one has received in life, has faded into self indulgence and solitude from the scary world outside one's "safe place." In this post, I shall attempt to re-affirm what is truly important to me in my life.
because some unthinking fool has given them grief has made me very angry! I've spent years here at Top Shelf and, while not every writer is one I read, their work is nontheless important to them and their fans. Writing is a way to deal with the anxiety and even pain that comes with being Transgender and being able to get those anxieties out in writing helps each and every writer to deal with those pains and anxieties.
that Grover and Understanding Spouse have arrived safely in Utah and are recovering from a trip fraught with danger. U.S. starts her new job Tuesday and Grover will be back in the groove writing as soon as they get settled into their new domicile.
They got waylaid by snow in Denver over Friday and part of Saturday and, being from much warmer climes, they didn't want to risk life and limb trying to navigate the icy roads. I can't say I blame them.
Anyway, alls well that ends well and I can breathe again, knowing that my family of the heart is safe at home.
No. I'm not a Nigerian prince looking to get financial help in regaining my kingdom... but I'm going into begging mode.
Not for myself, but for a dear friend and his mate. Grover and "Understanding Spouse" have run into a situation they are not able to handle. What with Grover's bout with heart surgery and continuing migraine attacks, they have run out of financial resources they desperately need right now.
I just clicked the link Tigger provided and it appears that Amazon has taken the author's page down. Looks like the reviews and phone calls had the correct effect. Hope that story thief gets what's coming to her. Great job everyone. We caught another thief!!
I know you withdrew from the active community long ago and I understand your reasons. I've tried emailing you, but they keep getting bounced back to me. Tigger tried as well with the same result. PLEASE contact me here at Top Shelf and let me know that you are okay?
It was truly a dark and stormy night tonite. Earlier today, we rushed our beloved pekenese to the vet. She was having trouble breathing...the dog, not the vet. The vet said that it was a heart problem, which is...we found out, a common problem among pekes. He gave us some pills to help with Sugar's breathing and water retention and we brought her home.
Erin and crew need bucks to keep the doors open! It can't be any more clear than that. So c'mon everyone. Break into the piggy banks and help keep Top Shelf where it belongs. On top of the 'net and the best TG fiction site out there anywhere!
It's been quite a long time since anyone has heard anything from you and we're all concerned about you. Are you still out there and doing okay? I've called twice and just gotten your message service.
to many of you, but it's a first for me. I've never been able to cross my legs while seated, the way women can. Yesterday, while watching television, I casually crossed my legs...knee over knee!!!!! It took a few seconds for the information to reach what I laughingly call a brain, but when it did I laughed and called to the the attention of my housemate who was watching tv with me. She looked at me and smiled.
Lewis Hamilton wins the Brit Grand Prix for the third year in a row. There's a Brit in the finals at Wimbledon and a Brit in the lead at The Tour De France. Well done and congratulations from the Colonies.
The story is sitting in neverland, the last chapter published way back in late 2015. I hope nothing bad has happened to Fakeminsk and that this hiatus is merely real life getting in the way of a great story.
I want to personally thank all those who responded to my challenge to donate to help keep the site online. I also want to again thank those who donate regularly. The donations you all sent, helped take some of the pressure off Erin, Piper et all.
Again,There are several ways to donate. You can send a check or money order to the address on the front page.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Janglewood LLC
602 Higgins Ave
Suite 1 #283
Brielle, NJ 08730
USA
Every month, Erin has to beg for money to help TopShelf running and she shouldn't have to. If each one of us sent ONE SINGLE DOLLAR, ONE TIME, it would keep the site solvent for several months.
I know that are several who regularly contribute to keep the site up, and they are to be thanked greatly, but Erin has gone deep into debt to make up what it costs to run it and that's not right. She and the others who administer the site donate their time and energy without pay, hoping to keep it going.
In the latest episode of MASKS a male becomes female but gains super powers as a result. It's a common theme in our genre, that of becoming female, but would it be better to become female and gain "super powers" or remain/become male(for those who are truly male) and not become super?
I'm sure that the majority of US would prefer the former, but I'm also sure that there are a lot of men, or trans-men who might prefer the latter, or become the latter.
I am feeling happy, euphoric if you will. Why? Because I'm watching television and the 50th Anniversary concert of THE BEACH BOYS!
Whenever I hear those great voices and great songs, I feel young again. I grew up listening to The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and countless others from the 60s and my memory slips back in time to a more innocent time when I wasn't so conflicted and frightened about what our world has become, when I hear The Boys.
So. Memorial Weekend is upon us once again. Funny how that happens about this time every year. Celebrating my 8th B'day (8 years post-transition) and remembering the monumental few days surounding this date 8 years ago.
this... want, this NEED to help others, and why oh why does is hurt me SO much when I can't? Sometimes I just ache for wanting to help someone and know that there isn't a damned thing I can do to truly help them!
This is, I'm afraid, gonna be a long one, so if you don't wanna read it all the way through, it's okay with me. There's just some things that have been building up in me for a long time and I finally had to acknowlege them last night so I could maybe find a way to deal with them in a rational way. If you're not interested in my life or the state of what I laughingly refer to as a mind... read no farther.
With the recent interest in my Home That Love Built universe, I am re-issuing an open invitation to any writer who would like to try their hand at adding to the wonderful stories already posted in it. There have been many stories written so far in the universe and I'd love to add more. There are some very talented writers who were not members here when I first opened THTLB universe and I'd be pleased and proud to add them to the roster as well as inviting writers who have already made their wonderful additions to THTLB.
I've written several stories. Some better than others, some worse. It's always been pretty easy for me to write. Just sit down at the keyboard and try to keep up with what my brain/muse are feeding to my fingers.
When writing a story or whatever, when one is done with the task, take some time and read it out loud back to yourself. I think it helps find errors that otherwise would have been missed, and helps eliminate misunderstandings of some phrases, sentences or words.
It helps with spelling, syntax, and punctuation as well. One big thing. Even though you might THINK you know the meaning or spelling of a word... if there is the slightest doubt, LOOK IT UP! There are dictionaries everywhere, even on the internet. GOOGLE IT!
The series is fully written and complete up chapter 17... however, I neglected to let Stickmaker know about not posting more than one story part per day or so, so the multiple posts today are my fault, not his. Since I was the one who asked him to post here, it was my responsibility to let him know of the unwritten rules here. Mea Culpa.
I don't know how many of you are familiar with Stickmaker, but he is a superb writer with a huge body of work. He generally posts his stuff as emails to the Yahoo group, I think.
His main story, MASKS is an immense work, involving very large groups of characters, supers, of course. If you're a fan of these kinds of stories, I urge you to go and read. You won't be disappointed. Of course, his main character(s) is(are) TG.
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
