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back to normal after the ice

In a week we’ve gone from 70 degrees (21 C) to major freezing-rain damage and back. Roof remained watertight though the live oaks took a severe natural pruning; not their first and still likely long to outlive me. I must have imagined the cold dark house, since the governor swears on his Lone Star that our energy system is robust, but that’s back too.

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Kudos and Hits

People may know that I also post on another site, where I get a lot of reads but they have nothing like "kudos" to assess how people receive what I write. I only have comments to go on, and those are usually positive but sometimes not. Comments are no real guide.
I was recently drawn to look at "hits" and to try to understand why there is a variation. I would seem that kudos depends on hits so as a general rule I tell myself that over 5% kudos by hits is a pass mark. Significantly more than 5% shows true appreciation.

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NAMAKA... new book on Amazon Kindle, by Tanya Allan

My latest new book is just up on Amazon.
What's it all about?
You ask.....

Just as Covid-19 emerges, Captain Alec Grant (RN) received the news from the authorities in Hawaii that his daughter had been reported missing under strange circumstances. Sabrina Grant had been one of a small group of British university students on an archaeological trip to a remote island in the archipelago when she reportedly vanished whilst inside a cave,

There had been a camera set up outside the cave mouth, and she was clearly seen entering but never exiting.

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Lee and Darby are back

I did not see a post on this yet, so making a point to mention. If I simply missed the post, please ignore me, and I will apologize.

Last week, I was able to read the next instalment of the Lee and Darby sage by Daring Diane on Amazon. This whole series is phenomenal, and one I have reread multiple times. The only down side to having book thirteen released is that I am going to be eagerly looking for book fourteen.

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sometimes, you have to know when to pick your battles

So tomorrow morning, my mom is going out for breakfast with one of my uncles.

I've made the choice to not come with, because he apparently has a problem with trans people.

And as he is almost 90, and dying of cancer, I think I'll skip making a scene.

Sometimes, you got to know when to pick your battles - and when its best to withdraw

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Absent but not Gone

So.

Not gone. Just absent.

Had to take a few to get my head on straight. Then when I get back to reality after my break from all things digital? OMG!!!! I left my chapter notes and everything at my Dads!

I'm such an Idiot!!@!

I'll post a few of the chapters on my Patreon here for my fans who are not donating and as soon as I can get back to my fathers house I'll get the work I need to fill in the gaps and continue Mirror Changed and Summoned.

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Don't worry

Don't worry, nothing to be excited about. I am as surprised as anyone, perhaps more. I had a huge attack of very painful Lymphoma over the weekend that almost drove me to the Doctor. Saturday, I went to the Barber and got a buzz cut. I don't even recognize myself now. I'm wearing Cargo Pants and a man's T shirt.

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Busy, weary, strapped for time other than work

I should drop by more often, but life is doing its best to consume all available hours of the day.

Apologies for my long silence. I *am* healthy, and I haven't given up trying to write, but as noted - it's gonna be a while before anything new is posted.

My apologies, and best wishes in this new year for all. In particular my friends who are near and dear to my heart.

With Love

Nicole (Itinerant/"Hey You!")

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Apparent Issue with Cloudflare Not Playing Well With my Android Tablet & @Voice Aloud Reader

To use @Voice Aloud Reader on my Samsung tablet I move a copy of the file I want read to a @Voice Aloud folder. Since last night, rather than a copy of the file moving, I'm getting what appears to be a CloudFlare message appearing in the @Voice Aloud Reader folder. I'm using Chrome to view BCTS. (EDIT) I just installed Firefox on my tablet with the same results as Chrome.

The Title of the message shows up as:

Just a moment...

Text of the message follows:

bigclosetr.us

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Minor name change in VotV #71

Just a note to say I changed a name in the latest Voyage of the Visund: Count Corbrian to Count Korboro.

This is my own fault for losing a piece of paper with certain names on and then forgetting what I wrote. Julia would have jumped on that immediately.

There are rough rules governing name formats along the Great Valley... rules which change as one moves along. I forgot those rules. Also, technically, to be consistent a 'C' should never be used in a name of anything - but 'ch' is fine as it represents a different sound.

As always, there are exceptions :)

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Need more clothing description?

I'd been reading through comments on a few stories, and noticed a few of the commenters requested more detailed descriptions of what people were wearing. Most of the time, I only describe what someone is wearing, if it feels like it's important to the story. Now I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should be more descriptive about things like that. Does anyone have any thoughts about how much detail should go into describing what someone is wearing, how much detail would be needed, and when more details would be helpful in telling a story?

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Spare

I just finished reading Spare by Prince Harry.

As I’ve stated before on BC, I was a big fan of Meghan in Suits.

My impression of Prince Harry for years has been that he’s a spoiled, pampered fool.

After reading this book I can easily believe that Rupert Murdock and his ilk have shaped that opinion. It would seem that, at least in that regard, I’m no better than those who have allowed Fox News to convince them that hating trans people is a fulfillment of Biblical instructions.

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Regrets - We all have a few

I read an article by a "palliative care nurse" about the regrets people have when they die.

Many of them ring very true with me, and I'll guess many of you.

I Wish I’d Lived a Life True to Myself, Not the Life Others Expected of Me
We all know this one. Many of you are a lot braver than me and are true to yourself, however long it took

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had a bit of a breakdown last night

Okay so last night at about 2 AM, the building's fire alarm went off, and while this has happened several times since we move in, most of the time it turns out to be nothing.

Not this time.

We could actually smell smoke, and as the elevators were out of service mom and I carefully made our way down the stairs to the lobby.

By the time we got there, the firefighters had gotten out the fire, and were taking someone to the hospital, possibly due to smoke inhalation.

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Julia Phillips

I have not heard from Julia since 30th October. In her last email she said she was feeling fine and ready to get back to writing.

I only have email addresses (and BC) and have had no other contact from her. I am beginning to become concerned.

Does anyone else have any later information? We work closely together and, although I have continued posting chapters, her absence makes writing more difficult. She has edited and critiqued almost everything I have written since we first came into contact.

Penny

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The Light Between - Dramatis Personae

The Light Between

 

Considering the complexity of this saga, readers earlier requested a listing of characters. So here's an update for Book 5! Thanks all!

 

Warning!

If you have not read Books 1-4 (Into The Light, Light's Promise, Call of the Light, and Light and Shadow) then the list below will contain spoilers!!

 

The tale starts here: Into The Light. Hope you enjoy!

 

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Fabulous February is almost here

Free books for everyone!

I agree that the books probably will not suit everyone, but go to the website and check out the descriptions.

So why is it called Fabulous February?

Because R T Green is giving away more than they’ve ever done! And for longer. The two giveaways here will run from the 1st to the 28th February. Yes, you read that right... the whole month!

Giveaway one is for everyone...

A whopping SIX current books, for free.

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Pattison in a skirt?

This surfaced today, there are articles everywhere:

Pattison in a skirt

You may consider my link frivolous but its only one of many that DDG threw up.

I'm not sure that I like this trend. OK it may be comfortable for men to wear but it blurs the lines over something most of us didn't want blurred: we'd rather just be on the other side!

Penny

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Cheerleader 13: What more can a Cheerleader do?

Published on Amazon

What more can a Cheerleader do? The Thirteenth book in the Lee Corcoran Cheerleader series, covers the fall semester of his junior year of college at the University of Michigan. These books primarily follow Lee and his best friend Darby, a girl.

While the book is written to allow a reader to enjoy it without all of the history, if you want to understand all the characters and dynamics in their lives, reading the previous twelve books is the only way. Long-term threads and relationships tie the books together.

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Sam is showing signs of improvement

So we went out to help Sharon and Sam get some stuff done, and Sam was clearly doing better.

She took my mom's arm when they went into the grocery store, she laughed and smiled at one of my dad jokes, and she waved and used a kind of sign language to communicate.

I hope this improvement continues.

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Weekly women's get together.

I’m inviting you to my weekly Sunday Zoom meeting. Only trans women are invited. If you have an invite feel free to invite others I include a link to my local time standard so that you might match it up to yours, Some of the ladies in the past are from Great Britain and Germany. Most of them are writers who post stories on a Big Closet Top Shelf though that this is no way a requirement. I finally have a 100% working computer. Yay! I do not sure share my invite list because not everyone wants their name known in this meeting. If you would like to join send me a BCTS message.

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Finally

So, I took a big step, personal-wise, a few days ago and met with a therapist to discuss and hopefully unravel the convoluted mess that is me.

I had been to see a therapist a couple of times many, many moons ago, when I first started trying to figure out where I truly belonged on the gender spectrum (if anywhere). Unfortunately, that particular provider was the sort who was all about jumping into the deep end of the pool.

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Seen on a passing mastodon...

https://hachyderm.io/@digichelle/109713683812955714

Trans people deserve to be:
- Seen
- Respected
- Loved
- Housed
- Employed
- Protected (by the law and other people)

Trans people don’t deserve to be:
- Mocked
- Ridiculed
- Harassed
- Assaulted
- Killed
- Ignored by liberals and progressives
- Attacked by conservatives

Trans people are:
- Really fucking tired
- Please send pizza

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correction

In a post under Dorothy’s blog on struggling with anger I spoke of hate as the driver of the current
movement to undermine democracy. As I think about it, that isn’t really the case. The people I know
who talk of Christian values, of stopping the tide of illegals who are taking our good jobs
or just coming to take government benefits are good people. The ones who classify gay and
transgender people as deliberate evildoers are too. They donate to youth programs. They volunteer in their

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Potential Future Contests

POLL TIME!

Alright, so. My life is hopefully moving in a direction where I'll be able to spend a LOT more time hangin' out with folks here, like I used to. I'm super excited for that, and I'm excited for some of the opportunities that potentially opens up...

Like more contests!

I know it's been a long time since I've ran any, but honestly, I'd really like to start doing so again. They were always a really fun way to get writers posting, and more than a few of my favorite stories have come from them.

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Bait & Switch

Let me start by saying I understand authors putting their works up for sale on Kindle or Amazon or whereever. Everybody is hurting after the Covid pandemic. It's unfortunate that I just don't have the dosh to buy online due to my ongoing medical bills. I'm trying not to leave my relatives holding the bag with an estate in the red. I figure it's the least I can do.

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Horrible Anniversaries - a personal begging post

9 years ago today, I gave birth to a little girl. 8 years ago today, I signed the papers that made her forever legally not my daughter anymore. It's always such a rough day, week, month every year...

This year it was exponentially compounded by AT&T turning my phone service off, charging me $250 for said turn off, and demanding all past due amount before I can get it turned back on. It's a large chunk of cash they want, almost $900 after all their fees and the 3 months of service.

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Rain

You've probably all heard that it is raining A LOT in California. Fortunately, I'm not in an area hit by critical flooding and while there are mudslides in the local mountains, I haven't been affected by them either.

But last night, a leak in the bathroom ceiling caused a collapse of the ceiling tiles, with more damage this morning extending out into the hall. It's not that bad, and this has happened before, but that was caused by a leaky cooler on the roof.

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Has the site been hacked?

Sinemet: Can I Buy

Submitted by stubbornnessflush on Sun, 2023/01/15 - 3:47pm

Has the site been hacked? The "Enter Site" link takes you to http://newcenturyera.com/med/sinemet(link is external)
The "want to buy sinemet" link takes you to http://simplerx.top/sinemet(link is external)

Sinemet is a drug used to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's.

stubbornnessflush

Member for
1 week 2 days

What's up?

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Looking for a story.

Real life, high school. Protagonist is kid who is malnourished and abused by his drug user low life parents. They died, he is suddenly homeless, takes refuge in a bus that turns out to be a school bus, connects with football player on bus, and ends up moving in with him as girlfriend. Goes to same school. They help heal each other and the guys family, a type a lawyer and a stepmother. An identifying detail is the protagonist has nose bleeds a lot, turns out to be because of glass in her sinuses from when she was small, and is dad gave het a Xmas ball to eat.

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got a boost from a four-legged friend

Okay so the last couple of days I have really been struggling with depression and also having stomach issues, and it was getting to be a bit much.

Then today we went over to my aunt Terry's house, and met her new dog, a retriever mix named Rocky.

And he turned my day around.

gave lots of kisses, wanted to be petted often, just the thing I needed.

I am grateful for these moments.

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Gang stalking and no touch torture

How a psychopath is using the internet and social media to carry out gang stalking and no touch torture against creators, as well as supporting threats, harassment, trespassing and surveillance of creator families with children: https://youtu.be/brbT7flR1xU

Please share this video while it is available on YouTube with others to raise awareness and [if possible] catch the perpetrator.

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Dawn Natelle Passes On

"I am the niece of prolific writer Dawn Natelle who passed away earlier this week after suffering a stroke. Dawn wrote such stories as River, A Second Chance and The House among other stories that are incomplete. Dawn allows me to let any writer interested in completing any of her stories to do so as long as they attribute it. I may even attempt to do so myself. (See what I did, now you have to do it) Dawn apologizes for the long gap between stories.

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My Book Sales

All of this has been said before. But the site readership is constantly changing.

Some have suggested that BC is littered by offers to buy my books.

And, I would have to agree that efforts to sell my books are ubiquitous.

However, the sale of my books isn't making me rich. In fact, all of the revenue from the sales goes directly to BC. I don't get any of it.

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A Very Vivacious Vet Visit

So...if my issues with my ambitious editor Maxine weren't enough...

I'd just returned from the airport where, much to Maxine's chagrin, they wouldn't permit me to board the plane as her comfort human. Something about her papers not being in order. I calmed her down by telling her they're showing "Halloween Ends" on her flight. That didn't calm her down. Now I know why they call it "caterwauling."

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Happy New Year! Not so happy new bills! Hatbox needs funds.

It is the new year and the first in a bit where we haven't taken out a new loan to pay off last years bills. We're going to try not to do that this year; just try to get through month to month. But we do still have a couple of old loans to pay off and, of course, new bills. So it is necessary to post these appeals for help. All contributions are welcome and appreciated.


Many thanks!

Paypal contributions come straight to our accounts.

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What The F*** Is Going On Here?

Okay, so in the last week, I've been writing a crossover story called Swarms And Sisterhood, and I've been pretty disappointed at its lackluster reception. But now I've gotten a while slew of technical problems. First, this morning I saw that on my Author page, Chapter 06 was listed before Chapter 07, despite Chapter 06 being posted first. And I posted Chapter 09 just now, and it decided to post two of the same story/serial chapter. What the blazes is going on? Can someone try to help me figure out the problem?

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A Purr-fect Reboot

My editor has been working on her own projects (as long as it's on her own time, I don't mind). The latest one she showed me piqued my interest. She's always trying to come up with money-making ideas, that feline.

She thinks the time is right for a radical reboot of Star Trek. When I told her that - fat chance - Paramount owns the rights, she spit up a fur ball and told me she has a distant cousin who is Chat du Maison in Bob Bakish's household (the President & CEO). They use a lot her programming tips, my editor tells me.

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Expiration Date- Or how I Love Being a Radiation Mutant

"The time has come the walrus said" - OK it was the doctor who told me.

Looks like the expiration date on the bottom of my left foot is becoming visible.

I am diagnosed with kidney failure- singular.

The "fun" part of being a mutant is missing parts- and not knowing about it until you are getting in bad shape. I found I was born without a kidney and other internals are not connected where they should have been, or a few internal skeletal structure defects.

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A new last chapter of Sammi's story is up! pt4

A new last chapter of Sammi's story is up! pt4

In this part Sammi finally gets to Whateley and starts with joining into campus life...rocky at first.

From here I will add her into my story flow in the Whateley setting and beyond.

Now get to reading and tell me if you all like the the whole thing/idea!?

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In case anyone wondered, or had noticed I was not around

I'm still around, it has just been too miserable cold for someone with a non-functional thyroid to be able to do much. I'm pretty much recovered from covid, expect for lingering fatigue and lethargy, which doesn't help either. I haven't even had the energy to do any reading here, I spend my days playing mindless time-wasting computer games and watch reruns of my favorite TV shows. Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, but it isn't any fun to be in my skin. Thanks for reading my maudlin self-pity. Maybe the good Lord will let me not wake up tomorrow morning.

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A question for our Parisian French speaking readers

Hi,

I have a female character from France who has an unusual ability, once she's met someone she can track them wherever they go. She has the French equivalent nickname Bloodhound because of that. I've looked up bloodhound and got a really rough translation, 'du sang le limier'. I'm pretty sure that's not going to be accurate.

Now I'm not stuck on the name Bloodhound, if there is something that would be more appropriate for France's culture, but mean essentially the same thing I'll happily go with that.

Would someone be kind enough to give me a hand with this?

Taxonomy upgrade extras: 

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Santas's Secret Transfic Stash Vol. 3

I have a 4200-word short story, "A Post-Scarcity Christmas," in the new ebook bundle Santa's Secret Transfic Stash Vol. 3. The bundle has twenty-one stories totaling over 180,000 words. My story is available in epub and pdf format for $2, but buying the bundle for $8 would be a lot more fiction for your money.

Here is an excerpt from my story:

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40 years on...

I hope everyone's New Year has gotten off to a good start.

Amidst the disturbing signs of political and cultural antagonism against transgender persons, the strains of "Auld Lang Syne" made me recall my reassuring feeling upon first listening to this song by everyone's favorite alt-rock band, The Replacements:

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A new chapter of Sammi's story is up!

New Sammi's story is up and this

the Drow twins(my Shadowsblade twins) do a TV interview and when asked 'what is the most dangerous place they'd never go?'
"a US waffle house!"

https://twitter.com/RealLyndaCarter/status/16084983740465397...

see the tweets below Carter's for the viral video

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Drafted! Omg!

It's drafted! Book five, The Light Between, is finally drafted!

If I had more energy, I'd go run about like a lunatic yelling, "Eeeeeee!"

Other than one lunch and errands run on Wednesday, this whole week Monday until now morning to night was dedicated to finishing it before the New Year hit. Omg! Made it! With one day to spare!! I couldn't sleep at all last night due to brain being stuck in high gear on all the details and planning out the final set of scenes completed today. So I may be somewhat loopy at the moment. :)

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Just a reminder

We are still having our weekly zoom meetings at 4:00 PM CMT if anyone who hasn't got the word is interested in trying one.

I’m inviting you to my weekly Zoom meeting. Only trans women are invited. If you have an invite feel free to invite others I include a link to my local time standard so that you might match it up to yours, Some of the ladies in the past are from Great Britain and Germany. Most of them are writers who post stories on a Big Closet Top Shelf though that this is no way a requirement.

https://www.time.gov/

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I haven't abandoned my stories .

Sorry I haven't been producing any chapters right now.

We've had a lot of cold, snowy weather in Eastern Washington lately. As a result, my thumb with an old bullet would has been aggravated as well as my back, keeping me from doing much on a computer or a piano.

I hate arthritis!

I promise the moment I can type proficiently again, I will be doing so.

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Stress and grace

So going into yesterday I was looking at having a ton of "to do" things on my schedule until the end of the year, and I was getting kind of stressed about it.

Then life added another item to the list.

One of the tires on my car started losing air.

After frantically phoning around, I was getting to the point where I was wondering how I would get anything done if I couldn't get the tire fixed.

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