We have so many great authors here, That I thought everyone might be interested in this.

Podcastle is an online fantasy short story magazine. Each week, they produce an audio podcast featuring a fantasy short story.

They are opening submissions next month for an event called Artemis Rising, featuring female and transgender authors (although their term is non-binary). It's apparently the third year they have done this.

I have now 56 books self-published on Amazon. I have published some early paperbacks through feedaread.com. I have also used KOBO and Smashwords for eBooks, but their formatting and price requirements made life too difficult, so I think I've withdrawn all of them - I may have one or two left with them. To be honest, it wasn't worth my while, for every thousand books I sold on Amazon, I might sell one on Kobo or Smashwords - I stress - might..

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2016/08/22/Pittsburg...

Post-Gazette.com
Pittsburgh researchers may have found 'cure' for some untreatable depression
August 22, 2016 12:00 AM
By Sean D. Hamill / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Ben Finder remembers when the depression first hit him.

The story of Tracey Norman who modelled for Clairol hair dye in 1976.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/21/tracey-norma...

I have been trying my best to make this blog super positive lately, and it helps that some good stuff is going on, but as the point of this little exercise is to be honest, I do have to share some not-so-positive stuff.

Right now, my biggest worry is my health. Now my pain levels have been slowly increasing again after a period of leveling off, but that's not really what's new.

A regional newspaper in the USA manages to infuse good feelings in the feminine community!

Is this how women are regularly treated? Is this misogyny limited to the States?

A long read (pun intended, since it's on longreads.com) but well worth the time. It addition to the story of Stella Walsh it provides introductions to some other early female track & field athletes and some of the interesting history of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

The Life and Murder of Stella Walsh, Intersex Olympic Champion

My writing went on hold when the floating radio station's studio was being built, some 5 days before broadcasting started. I had Anchored #33 written beforehand so this was published on 27th July, just before we went live.

Had an interesting moment at work today.

I was waiting for the public washrooms to clear so I could clean them, and while I waited, I noticed a little girl in a shopping cart with her mom. When she saw me, she squealed with delight and began "talking" to me in baby chatter, waving her arms around and generally having a great time.

I couldn't help myself - I started laughing.

(There may have been some giggles involved, but I refuse to confirm or deny)

Team GB cycling - just wow!

In case you missed it - the entire track team come home with at least one gong each! That means our cycling team would place 11th in the current medal table!

We can now get back to some sort of normalcy as the rest of our team try to hang onto our second place in the medal table - yep second, not bad for a little rock on the edge of knowhere!

More Gaby later.

Mads

Joan, who are you?
Well I have gone by "Joan de Arc" for acting like a martyr. I have gone by "Joan of Harp" as an amateur musician. I have given my middle name of Joan for a food pickup because no one can spell my first name right. Then there are some of my friends that just call me Joan.

This is a bit of a rehash from the London Games, but is still current according to the dateline ...

http://www.news.com.au/sport/olympics/athletics/there-should...

Then there is also ...

http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2016/08/ec...

During a conversation I had with my mom this weekend, it occurred to me that she has her own kind of PTSD.

She was talking about some stuff that happened before she married my dad, and it was like she wasn't just remembering, but reliving the painful stuff.

I could suggest counseling, but she can be stupidly stubborn sometimes, and seeing someone is one of those areas.

Ah, well. I can give her lots of love, that will help a little, I'm sure.

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.

PLEASE let us know!

Catherine Linda Michel

Well, I have a brand new story up. I hope everybody likes it!

A month ago I had a rather significant birthday. Although I'm still the same age as Johnny Rotten and Kim Cattrall, when both digits click over you tend to muse upon your own mortality rather more than you do on other occasions. In my case I can only reflect that I've been incredibly lucky to have avoided any significant health issues, and that the law of averages alone will ensure that this won't last for ever.

I can confirm that the new Nena tale will be going up on Kindle and Lulu tomorrow.

Remind Me Again finds Chris volunteering to be Nena to save a job for Global - again! It's been two years in the writing, mostly because a certain young lady with sporting tendencies has taken so much of my time!

I'll try to get some of the other part written stuff finished between Gabyness - well after my big trip at any rate!

Ttfn
Mads

Interesting opinion piece in the New York Times:

Is God Transgender?

So today I planned on posting chapter 3 of Broken Phoenix. Only to find out that I was logged out. Normally that wouldn't be a problem cause I could just type in my details and everything would be fine. What doesn't help is that I cannot for the life of me remember my password. I would change my password but you need your current password to do that which I don't remember. Looks like my story is getting delayed until I can figure out how to deal with this.

I have been writing "Amie and Jamie" for a year or so and find that I'm bored with it. The characters are young, with lots of possibilities, and they need someone fresh to take over. This has probably been done before, and will be glad to answer any questions the new author might have.
It will also be of great interest to me what avenues the character travel when guided by a new hand.
Any takers? Lemme know!

To the Team GB track riders.

After Froomey's bronze we were waiting with bated breath and they've delivered and in some style! World records, gold medals - it looks like the avalanche is about to begin!

Maybe it's the new even rounder Italian wheels but I think it's three Weetabix!

To my two followers:

If you've followed my recent blog posts then you'd know that I was having a mental health crisis to put it lightly. I went to a few psychiatrists and the last one said I needed an evaluation inpatient at a hospital. Needless to say I wasn't thrilled but I did meet up with an old friend from high school while in there who tried to commit suicide. I'm not out of the woods yet but I am just outpatient at the hospital now after a week inpatient.

Interesting article in the Guardian which is about a transgender woman who stayed married and thus never got female legal status and so missed out on the right to a pension. It has been referred to the European Court for an opinion.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/aug/10/supreme-cour...

I'm so glad this didn't happen to me.

As there will always be good and evil in the souls of man just as there are those who refuse to understand.
No matter how well they bring it all together, there will always be those who do not accept or tolerate those who blur the boundaries between male and female.

Explain an algorithm to those who only know simple math. Now explain transgender to those who have never felt they were born in the wrong body. Or explain transgender to those who are so insecure in their own body, anyone who blurs the boundaries sends them into fear denial or raging hate.

I have just seen a post on FB that caused me to laugh out loud - much to the disgust of my trying-to-stay-asleep partner! The author of the post was looking back over the years to events that happened on the 10th August.

I copy and paste the relevant sentence here: "I'd really love to relive those days all over again for sedimental reasons but also to live each day a whole lot smarter than we did before."

Maybe she was used to lying on the bottom?

Another I spotted recently was "inner continental" when talking about a flight from the US to Europe.

Well my lung function test this afternoon came back not so good.
a loss of 1 liter in capacity
and a loss of 4% airflow.

26% for my fev1 ( Forced Expressed Volume in 1 second )
33% fev1 after Ventolin

the only good news is my blood oxygen saturation level is 96%, only down 1% from 3 years ago.

with that last anything over 92% is considered good.

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.

I'm very sorry about the current issues with our chat. Unfortunately there is an incompatibility between our providers upgraded network and the old hardware our server uses. This causes the ellesmera to disconnect from the internet.

We are trying to resolve those issues as soon as possible. Please bear with us for the time being.

Saphira

I'm probably the last one catching up on this, but I read that Brazilian transgender super model, full name Leandra Medeiros Cerezo who goes by the name of Lea T was riding the decorated bike that led in the Brazillian team during the opening ceremony. There are plenty of pictures on-line.
Bronwen

Went to see Suicide Squad Thursday night, it was very good. Good story, good atmosphere, good acting. Okay, the dialog is a bit weak but the actors nail the characterization and hold the script up.

The critics and a certain subset of comic book fans dislike it; that mystifies me. A movie is supposed to be entertaining and I found it very entertaining. So much so, that I'm going to go see it again while it is still on the big screen.

Thursday, August 4th at 7 pm I received an odd phone call. Odd because 7 pm is not the time you expect a nurse to phone.

Transcare BC nurse called because of my scheduled gender recognition surgery, I didn't even know transcare bc existed, yet they are post-op recovery specialists for trans people.

Since my new digs are a supportive housing building I really won't need much assistance from transcare bc but it is nice to know they are there if I do need them.

Looking for story guy working for Disney as janitor and ends up as silvermist

Do to a waterfall in my apartment (No Really) Tales will be late this week. May be as long as next week. *Hugs *

Kat H.

I don't normally catch this sort of thing, but

Yup as promised there is a new Gaby posting here.

The other news is that I've picked up the half written Nena story in my 'to do' pile - hopefully i'll get it finished for an autumn release!

ttfn

Mads

I've written several tales that never be posted. The themes are very dark and are very autobiographical in that they touch upon events in my life that were better not witnessed. I write because, for lack of a simpler explanation, doing so makes me feel better. I was wondering if others have similar tales that have been completed and not posted. I'm curious about why you've not posted them.

Kelly

Because I seem to be on some kind of event teeter-totter, where I cant have an up without a down, here is how my day went today.

First, the up. My car is less damaged than I thought, and my brother helped me put the spare tire on so I can drive to work until such time as i can afford to fix the car.

Now, the down: I went to pick up a prescription at the pharmacy, and discovered that somehow my coverage from work has been discontinued. I am going to have to phone tomorrow and find out what's going on.

See what I mean? Up and down, up and down ...

https://inews.co.uk/essentials/lifestyle/people/hari-nef-bec...

See the article in the i newspaper. They had a nicer photo in the actual paper.

Yep its Yorkshire Day when we celebrate everything great about God's Own County from Hendo's to Whitby, rhubarb to Dickie Bird - well you get the idea.

Just to show a lack of bias, a happy national day to my second favourite place Switzerland who are lucky enough to share the day with Yorkshire!

Mads

I have accomplished two amazing feats with the same stone? I've written a tale of less than 50 pages. This must be the influence of Drea. And...!!! I've also posted a tale with more than three days to go in a contest!!! This is definitely NOT the influence of Drea!!! :)

Kelly the Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrat

For all those impatient Gabfen out there, the first part of Gaby - Seasons, the 17th Gaby tome, will be available through the usual sources tomorrow!

If you can stand to wait, it might be October before the complete book is done due to a three week trip to Austria coming up shortly.

I'll post another chapter of book 12+1 tomorrow - at the current rate there are over 3 years of weekly postings just to catch up to the present which would then be the past and likely the same again etc. With that in mind you may well get 2 chapters a week at least this side of my trip.

Sorry, Penny's World will be a little late on account I have not written it this week.
This is entirely Karin Bishop's fault for writing Port of Arrival and then setting it free from her pc. I am completely blameless.
Real life got in the way as well, but it is mainly Karin Bishop's fault.
I will start writing and stop reading now!

Sophie

I'm posting this because I know how many of you out there have issues with their families.

Earlier this week, my Mum died. It was only last year that she had to lose a leg because of the complications her ulcerated leg was causing the rest of her body and well being.

We lost contact several months ago when her computer died (or something went wrong with it) and then we had to change cell-phone providers because Virgin stopped doing pay and go. After that, we couldn't even text.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/28/chelsea-mann...

They drive her to the brink of suicide, and now they threaten to add 9 years to her sentence and torture her the whole time for attempting suicide.