Well, I did it. I entered two of my stories in the Heinlein Short Story Contest.

I have always wanted to write a FTM tale. Shotgun's Secret is my first attempt. It is based in part on an actual person, a woman who passed as a man and rode shotgun on a stagecoach line. Nobody suspected her true sex, and she passed as a man until her death.

Why an alternate reality? Why not?
It all started with a readers comment sent to me by Shelly shalimar. She read "The Girl Who Touched the Stars" and apparently enjoyed it, and sent me the comment to let me know. Now I get nervous whenever I Include a "real" character in my work, but Shelly was one of the residents of The Neighborhood and deserved a place in the tale.

We need to have at least one weepy sentimental holiday story. My sister sent me this and I thought I would pass it on. Have a Kleenex handy!!

Always believe in MIRACLES!!

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your sister?"

"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very sick," he said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.

"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much, Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added softly.

Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.

"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but ..." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the photograph ... my granddaughter .. well, you see ... she has leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there any way, Santa ... any possible way that you could come see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is to see Santa."

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do.

Sorry I haven't gotten anything new posted lately. I have about four stories in different degrees of completion in my file, plus a bunch of ideas for new stuff. Just to complicate things, I have been informed that my position will probably terminate by the end of October, so now I'm doing the job hunt thing. (It could have been worse. About 30 folks were shown the door yesterday. At least I still have a job while I look.)

Now that Erin has graciously awarded my creation a universe of its own, I thought I might post the rules for writing MIBD stories, just in case anybody would like to try their hand at it. Please feel free to add to the body of MIBD stories. Just do me a favor and e-mail me a copy before you post it. Thanks ever so much!