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Free book

Starting Christmas and running until the 29th, God Bless the Child will be free on Amazon for the kindle. I still believe that this is one of the most powerful TG stories ever and would appreciate if you downloaded it, if for nothing else but to show your support and appreciation for my continuing to post stories on Big Closet. You don't need to own a kindle to buy the free book, there are free readers available for android and the PC.

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Sadness this Christmas. RIP Wren

It is with deep sadness and regret that I have to inform the Big Closet community that we lost another one of our members. I have just been informed that Wren Phoenix has passed away. I know she had been sick for quite some time with heart problems, but was eager to get back into the swing of things.

You will be missed, my friend.

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Plea for Reviews, Please!

Now that many of you have new Kindles and Nooks, ereaders, tablets, and other goodies, please support your BCTS authors. Tanya Allan, Nancy Cole, K.T. Leone, and others have very fine ebooks available. Some have been on BCTS but others are great stories only available in the ebook edition.

By support, I mean review. Give stars (lots of 'em!). If you enjoyed the writing, let the author and the world know; it'll take two minutes and we'll all be grateful for your response. Amazon has an arcane algorithm for tracking books and every four-and-five star review helps the author.

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First part of "The Christmas Ivy Bloomed" now up

Good afternoon (at least in my time zone) and Happy Holidays.

I probably just did the bravest thing I've done in years, just by clicking on the "submit story" button. There were times in the writing of this I was literally trembling in fear. One's first story is probably the hardest, as no one knows you, or what to expect. And you, the author, have no way of knowing what the reaction is going to be.

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God bless us, everyone

On this day, after we've spent too much money, too much time rushing to get everything done on time and start the day getting dinner ready, after spending the previous day baking, I'd like to reflect on the reason we've gone to all this trouble. Click the link for one of my favorite Christmas cartoons.

May the joy of Christmas follow you and yours through the whole year in 2013.

God bless us everyone!

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My favorite TG Christmas story...

Christopher Leeson's Noel isn't exactly a traditional Christmas story. And yet, in many ways, it is the perfect Christmas story, being about redemption. It's also one of the stories that convinced me that the net was a wonderful place to discover and display actual well-written fiction and so led almost directly to the founding of BigCloset as a site for displaying and discovering TG fiction.

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I NEED HELP! please?

So, astonishment of astonishments, my Son now talks to me and has opened a "Dropbox" account, and wants me to put my picies in it so that the rest of the family can see me, and I asked him if he really wanted to do that, and he said that he had seen me on his visit last summer and not found me repulsive, so I should put my photos on Dropbox. GASP !

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Wishing you a wonderful day tomorrow

       
Do you remember me? I sat upon your knee. I wrote to you with childhood fantasies.

Well, I'm all grown-up now. Can you still help somehow? I'm not a child, but my heart still can dream.

So here's my lifelong wish - my grown-up christmas list: not for myself but for a world in need.

No more lives torn apart, and wars would never start, and time would heal all hearts, and everyone would have a friend, and right would always win, and love would never end.

This is my grown-up christmas list. This is my only lifelong wish. This is my grown-up christmas list.

          - "My Grown-Up Christmas List," as performed by Michael Buble'

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And now, a holiday greeting from me

On this, the eve before the big day, I felt it good to remind others of my religion, Chocolatarian. Remember, this religion can smoothly blend in with other chewy religions. Sometimes it provides us with a tasteful blend of guilt and joy, other times it ends up like that chocolate....you know the stuff. The stuff you give to five year olds because it tastes so nasty. This religion blends with them all. Even ones with caramel and coconut. On this, the eve of the day of the fat chocolate giving man, we must all remember to be good to each other.

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! & Thank you to everyone

I just want to wish everyone a very merry Christmas, and also take a second to thank you all for reading and commenting or leaving me kudos to say you liked what I wrote. I also hope that you all have a wonderful time this festive season and enjoy the new stories I have my wonderful friend and editor SamanthaK proof and post in the new year.

Hugs and Love

SaraUK

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Merry Christmas - four years later!

First, let me just say a very happy holiday season to everyone! I know it's been quite awhile since I've posted. It's been a rough year for me, between finishing up dental surgery, dealing with a cyber-stalker, and most recently the CT school tragedy. But I'm not posting this to complain about the bad.

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Tennessee Titans fans & Early Merry Christmas Greetings

Um,

if you are a Titans fan DON'T watch the TV.

The current score with aprox 4+ miinutes to go is 55 to ZERO. And Green Bay has the 55.

GB han't had that many points since 1983.

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looking for a story, again

can't recall much, other then it's a boy, who wants to be a girl but as the story progresses, it is found out that he had been born intersexed and at 1 or 2 the family decided he should be a boy. and his sister knew of him as a girl and the father leaves, but comes back in the end

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Christmas Shopping is Done

Well the holiday rush is upon us and as usual, it's been a bit hectic fitting in all that needs to be done. But the gift shopping is all done. We finished it up yesterday. One of the things that needed to be fit in was practice for the Christmas concert that my wife will be singing in. That and she needed a new outfit to wear for the concert. The dress code called for Red and/or black.

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Had the family over for Christmas dinner last night

Well, last night, we had our Christmas dinner, and it was wonderful. There was a moment, when my daughter was on one side of me, my mom on the other, my brother and sister behind, and the dog in front, and I realized just how blessed I am, that here I was, literally surrounded by love, even in the midst of my transition which gives my family fits.

Once upon a time, I created a character named Fluke and described her as "the luckiest woman alive" but I think that title really belongs to me instead.

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My Christmas Present from Daniel Ford

Daniel is the artist on the webcomics I work on, Quillian and Sam Valentine. He's also a sculptor of some skill. He did these beautiful little figurines of the characters Alistair and Zook from the strip I write and draw myself, Alistair2Zook. Click on the image to go to the (partial) online archive of the strip.

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The cry rings out "a quick and dirty edit is needed!"

I need two things desperately for my Winter story contest entry, a quick edit and critique, and formatting help, as i have severely bent the board in the past...
Pleaase?
Diana

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"Identity Death" and why it is a forbidden "criticism" on BC

Simply put, because it is bogus. It's exactly like criticizing a story for having a sex change in it. "Fresh Start" stories appeal to some people but not to all, so it is appropriate to decide that if a story has an theme or element that you do not enjoy, then you weren't the target audience for the story.

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Rebecca Anderson's Wild Horses

We have an enormous body of talent with all of the author's here at BCTS. A few days ago, I discovered further proof of this talent when I found this wonderful story by Rebecca Anderson: http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/title-page/4718/wild-horses-re...

I do not normally make blog posts, preferring to give kudos and the occasional comment; but after reading Wild Horses, I cannot remain silent.

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Grover's Christmas Stories

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas for everyone who wants it! This is just a friendly note letting everyone know I'm still more or less active, but like so many having a bit of trouble. Personal issues along with yet another computer going belly up on me has sapped my creative energies. Fortunately I managed to save most of my work, I think/hope!, but the odds of me finishing either one of the two Christmas Contest stories I'm working on are getting rather long.

I will try, but no promises.

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One day, I will get used to being seen as a woman

One of these days, I'm going to get used to being seen as a woman. But, today, it still gave me a little thrill when I got referred to by a complete stranger as "she" even though I was in a pretty shapeless coat, pants, and hadn't shaved.

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SPOILER - Change of Orders Psychologist Commentary

I am writing this because of the large number of comments and private messages I've received concerning the actions and beliefs of the Navy Psychologist in my story, A Change of Orders. If you haven't read the story, and intend to do so, you might want to come back to this later as some of the discussion will give away a significant piece of the challenges laid out for the hero(ine) in the plot. Okay?

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Bad news for Christmas

My daughter hasn't been well for weeks, when the symptoms began to include muscle weakness and coordination problems my ex and I decided to speed up the referral to a consultant by going privately. My fears were confirmed when she received confident diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. We're still awaiting a confirmation by MRI and lumbar puncture.

So Christmas is a bit of an irrelevance this year.

Angharad.

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Greater Strength in Small Animals, Fae, Pixies, etc.

For your holiday pleasure or need for nerdiness: This relates to a recent story, but also any story with small or shrinking beings/characters. This is just biophysics, no magic used!   The first part was written for something else.

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Writing Update or lack thereof

Since a few people have asked, just wanted to drop a quick update. I started a new project at work that has to be completed before Dec 31, right. That's not a lot of time, suffice to say my life has been work, eat then sleep and then back to work.

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Jake goes for help will be delayed

Just letting the few people who are reading "Jake goes for help" that it will be delayed for a bit. Stuck on Chapter 4, and a Jaci/Dottie story popped into my head, and I have to try and finish the story that came out of my last flashback and I have about 6 other ideas trying to get their time too.

Feast or famine when it comes to my muse ....

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My Comments.

I'm trying finish Antifreeze for the contest. I've had several delays last week and a power failure so I'm behind and need to catch up so I might be unable to comment on all the wonderful things being said. Just know any comment made between now and then are HUGELY appreciated.
*Great Big Hugs All!*
Bailey

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What happens when you return something to Costco

I turn 52 next month. Today the wife and I went to Costco and bought some items including Snapper. When we got home, my wife opened the snapper and immediately said it was no good because it smelled bad. So after less than 10 minutes at home I head back to the store.

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Today Is The 7th Birthday Of My Legal Womanhood

Today I am celebrating my 7th Birthday as a legal woman. I remember that day well. I got up that morning and felt like a weight had been lifted. I dressed in my red skirtsuit heels, hose, blonde wig and did my makeup and then drove to the courthouse for my name change hearing. Standing there hearing the bailiff call me by my male name, knowing how I looked, was a little nerve wracking. The best look I got was from our family attorney who was there representing another client. It was priceless!

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More ideas, more stories

I happened to look through the notes I have stored on my computer, and came across some ideas I'd like to work on in future, but I'm kind of stuck as to how these stories should resolve themselves. Some are pretty thought-provoking and I'd have to be careful how I ended them. I fear that for some of them, a downbeat ending might be required, which likely would not go over well here. Some thoughts about where I might go with these ideas would be appreciated.

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In response to my responders of my previous blog

Thank you to everyone who commented on my previous blog. I feel a bit more enlightened now, but there are some misunderstandings which I must clear up for all our sakes, and some more material for discussion. Here goes...

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Saw the psychologist today

Well, I just got home from seeing the psychologist about doing the day program in the new year, and it went well. For now, the plan is that I would join the groups on my days off, and we'll go from there.

Baby steps, baby steps ....

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There's stupidity and there's downright evil.

It seems those lovely people, the Taliban, have murdered three polio vaccination workers in Pakistan, who were running innoculation programmes. How these stupid morons can behave so wickedly to people who are trying to save their lives and those of their children, completely defeats me.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/dec/18/polio-vaccinatio...

On a separate note, there will be no Bike tonight, too tired and dealing with a family problem, probably be back tomorrow.

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FYI

Just to let you all know, I am still working on the next Kit and Kin. I am tinkering with it but going is slow. Part of the reason is that another story mugged me and is beating me terribly about the head and shoulders. Terpsi is clearly enjoying the idea of writing a love story about Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley that starts with a torture scene. It's not my fault. Terpsi is a freak.

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In defence of good men, transgendered or not

Today I spoke up on the lack of recognition of FtMs within this community. In response I was told that my concerns were silly, and I also witnessed a rather sexist remark. I found this to be insulting and hurtful, both personally AND impersonally.

I believed that this community was intended as a place for ALL people with some form of gender dysphoria.
Today I see one that caters exclusively to MtFs, and permits sexist remarks towards men.

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Comment Etiquette

Story comments, in case anyone wondered, are for commentary on the story and the writing thereof. They are not for speculation on whether the author had the right to post the story, or for guesses about the writer's political opinions, mental states or educational status. Nor are they for inflammatory comments about current social climates or current affairs. Note the qualifier there, inflammatory.

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The long road

Hi folks,

Well everything has been sorted out as well as it can be and I am now settling in after moving to the other side of the country. I am now getting organized and settled in my apartment in Montreal and trying to get an internet connection and such sorted out here. What does this mean for all of you? Well now I have some more time to relax and write and I am almost finished the next chapters of both Bloodlines and Trial and Heiress.

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Had a nice conversation at work last night

Had a nice conversation at work last night. Was talking to a woman who knows a bit of my history and mentioned struggling with finding guys attractive, and gave as an example one of the receivers at work who passed me the day before in a tight white t shirt and me doing a double take, and then freaking out about it.

She giggled, and said a guy dressed like that is asking to be looked at, and that got me giggling, and I felt much better about the whole thing.

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To revise and extend, or not to revise

I've been watching comments from people over the years on stories, and some of the comments are accurately pointing out deficiencies in stories - either things that were implied but not obviously so, or things that could have been added for more description. As an example, I did revise "Customer Service" to add fix for Alison, and it was well received. After posting Dear Jenny, I had to do a small revision to Cousin Trouble to get it to sync up with the story line.

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Where do I hide?

A sad thing for me, just an hour or or two before the shooting started in CT, an 18 year old high school senior was arrested in my home town for plotting to trap the other students in the school auditorium and start shooting them, as many as he could. This was in the town I grew up in, the school I attended! He was caught because he was trying to get a couple of other teens to assist him, and at least one of them took his plan to the school officials. He also planned to set bombs at the entrances so he could blow up the police as they tried to enter the school.

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The Underappreciated

After some sage advice from someone on the site, I've decided I'm going to try writing the whole story or in this case, the rest of the story before I post any new chapters. So depending on how long that takes, it might be a while before there's a new chapter of it up here. I'm not saying there isn't going to be any new stories from me in a while, I might throw up a Non-Underappreciated One shot here and there...maybe a Christmas story as well. I did a lot of soul searching the other day after writing my last blog and decided that my Ego is a Big Jerk and I'm NOT listening to him anymore :)

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