If you are reading the story and are reading later chapters you are missing important info.

I posted my very first novel "The Frozen Balance" here on BCTS, starting in 2009.

Recently Erin has been immensely kind and added the updated version that I submitted for the Amazon annual competition to the Hatbox. It's exclusively available there for the next six months (at least) as I wanted to offer something back to the site that started me on my journey and for the many friends, including the sister of my heart, who have so generously helped me along the way.

Persephone

Hah./Grrrr....

Just burned off a chapter for 'Summer of Love' that I'm really happy with, but it's too far into the story.... I haven't gotten nearly close to the plot/character development to use this... but, wow.... I wrote it, slept on it and revisited it a couple of days later, and it still has the emotional ...punch... I felt when I wrote it. Or maybe transcribed it is a better word, because I only half-joke about the muse. Sometimes I read stuff and think. 'I was only the typist. I'm not capable of stuff like this.'

I've a really sad story to tell. A young woman named Jennifer Gable, transitioned from a man years ago. That's the last time I will mention her as trans.

So, she was apparently a customer service rep for Wells Fargo, in Idaho. Wells Fargo hires anyone they wish as long as they can do the job. She attended Boise State, studying Art and Drama.

She unexpectedly dropped dead at work with an aneurism. Doubly sad is that her father had her hair cut and had her buried as a male.

I had to go to a colleague's leaving do so haven't had time to write Bike for tonight. Hopefully will be back to my usual boring self tomorrow to describe in tedious detail another few minutes in the life of Cathy and her family. Bonzi had offered to do it for me but the daft old bugger got shut out and was soaking wet when I returned from the restaurant. Why couldn't Whizz do it for me, I hear you ask, but her spelling and punctuation is worse than mine.

Not too long ago I was contacted by someone from Poland about doing an interview. Can you imagine? Poland? Didn't know I made it there, guess I should put another thumbtack in the big map I have. Anyway, they run a pretty big blog and have interviewed a lot of notable people and decided to include me. I guess to some I'm a heroine. I hope I'm not too addictive.

If anyone cares, and I can't imagine anyone not caring, here is the interview link. Share a comment here and there.
.

Wonderful news.

After my first consultation with my psychiatrist on October 22nd I have been classed DM 5 and he has agreed I am suitable for GRS. Letter has been sent to my GP and she has prescribed Oestrogen plus Spiro.

We have agreed to suspend any breast augumentation because my breasts are growing nicely and it is better to wait and see where they end up before deciding what augumentation (if any) they need. So far they are close to 36/38 B to C; they still appear to be growing and very noticeable..

I spend a lot of time on Facebook talking about things that matter to me. Oddly, I have yet to be confronted on TG issues, and this is surprising to me because I have pictures and everything right there.

A couple different people including the TED group put up things about Transgender folk and gratifyingly they were supportive and not snide at all. Perhaps things are turning around for us?

Sure, there were those who demonstrated their hate and ignorance. I think the anger was mostly manifested by the profoundly ignorant.

Khadijah

I am a Co-Facilitator of a 'Vet 2 Vet' Peer Support Group at two of the VA Hospitals in the Boston area for Transgender Veterans and other LGBT Veterans that wish to join us also. I have not super active with the group for a while, because I was in school for 9 months and had to miss meeting due to classes. Then I became homeless and entered a program myself at the VA to deal with some of my own personal issues. Now I am missing the groups, because I am taking a Certification Program, offered by the state.

Below is a picture showing the first page of JG Ballard's Crash. The marks all over it are the author's edits. When I'm doing my own edits, I do this. I print out my work to edit in a different font (and font size) so that it doesn't look the same as it does on the screen. I've read and can testify from experience that changing how the text looks can help see it fresh. It can help you see those things that you gloss over from familiarity and such.

I also thought it was just neat as hell.

Ashleigh Blayze:

So, in trying to find her, it seems that the last time she visited this site was in June of 2012. Has anyone here had contact with her? I am not thinking of badgering her for more of her science fiction, but would like to know how she is doing and to wish her the best.

Khadijah

PS: I have a strong suspicion that Ashleigh Blayze is one of the authors here who chose to write in a different voice. All I can say is bravo!

Just in time for the holiday rush. All 4 books of the God Bless the Child saga are on sale for $.99 each. While your out shopping and fighting the madness, an awesome collection of books can await you on your kindle, tablet, or android phone.

This may be one of the best transgender series ever written, and that's not just me talking. Maybe others would like to chime in. Be sure to have a box of kleenex, you'll need them

Today's my birthday, So this is my shameless plug. Sorry :(. To be honest if it wasn't for this site and my friends here I wouldn't be here. Thank You Erin, Piper and the rest off the girls here at Big Closet Topshelf.

Indeed, after several quite hectic weeks this current seven day has been very quiet, no trips, no deadlines, work has been exceptionally quiet too. The weather has been quite poor, fog, rain and otherwise overcast which hasn't helped my chesty cold one iota! in short its typical November weather.

It does mean that I've got five Gaby chapters written so the next run is well on schedule for its end of month release.

Of course its only two weeks before my Rheinland Weinachtsmarkt trip and just five weeks until the day itself - where did the year go?

So I went in for surgery yesterday morning.

Completely off topic.

There's a new Barbie book for girls, I Can Be a Computer Engineer.

In the book, she apparently can't write any code:

Wow.

I mean, seriously, wow.

So, in my frustration with several issues, I went to the local barber shop and got a buzz cut, and now there is no hair on my head longer than 1/8th inch. Why do people do this?

So, I thought her name began with an "A", and she wrote what I think was the most marketable Science Fiction I have ever seen on this site. She wrote about TG in a way that would be acceptable to the general public and that is what I want to see more.

He was a colonist whose world was attacked by pirates. He ran and got up into some woods to hide out and lo and behold, stumbled into a space ship that transformed him into a Princess with strengths of megalithic proportions.

Anyone have a clue?

Thanks

Khadijah

As I said a week and a half ago, Tamara's Debut ends with the next posting. Writing for the next installment (Tamara's First Christmas) has now reached 40,000 words but I want to finish it before I start posting so there will be a gap. In story terms, however, Debut finishes on December 12th and the Xmas story starts on December 13th.

What I have not yet decided is how to release it, whether one day at a time, in cliche cliffhanger (ie Bike) style, or as a novel. Debut, as a completed story is 108,000 words and I'd expect Xmas to be a similar size.

What a FINE game against the Green Bay Packers... NOT!

The FIRST time in the 94+ year history of Green Bay where they scored over fifty points two games in a row AND Philly's worst loss since the 1970s.

Remember Green Bay is the smallest small market team in all of American pro sports AND the only not-for-profit.

-- SNICKER --

Mom is doing a second happy dance in her grave. Badgers AND Packers crushing their opponents on back-to-back days.

YEAH!

Other than the snow shoveling.

John in Wauwatosa

(points at self)

This girl!

It was amazing! I got a standing ovation!

I am sooo pumped and happy and ...

wow ...

just ...

wow.

My 10 year anniversary snuck (sneaked for those of you across the pond) by me last month. I'm an avid reader and sometimes author/contributor here. I have made myself a promise to get more of my stuff posted here. I have several stories completed that had been posted on my now defunct web site and need to be cleaned up a bit before I post them here. I really need to get motivated to do that.

So, I posted another Chapter of the Waif a bit early...

I hope you enjoy it more than I did my two teams getting creamed... :D

HUGS!
Shauna

So, according to my account page I've been on here 7 years 10 months.

Next month I turn 28. So, let's say 28 years old and 8 of those years have been spent as a member of the site. I'll also be honest and say that, of the time I've been a member of the site, I've stayed logged on pretty much constantly, at least during the times I've even had a computer to log on WITH.

I was listening to the local Christian radio station, and they play some kid-friendly shows on Saturday, including a show called "Adventures in Odyssey".

Well, I had missed part of the program today, but I heard a student and teacher talking, and the teacher said, "In computers, you have hardware and software. The hardware is how the computer is made, the software is what makes it run. Gender is like software, and its changeable, especially nowadays."

Strange science fact of the day:

There is a kind of fungi that attacks male crabs, effectively feminizes them by causing them to lose their fighting claws and create a womb-like structure that the fungi can then use to create more of itself.

There's probably a story for Big closet in there somewhere ...

I wanted to get Twice Removed done by the end of the month but I have ben having the worst case of writers block on it the past week. So I'm going to do what I usually do and take a bit of time away to let it percolate in the back of my mind while I work on other things this week. Hopefully I'll have it going strong again by next week.

*hugs to all*

Amethyst

Just an FYI, I'm going to be out of comission for at least a couple days.

I currently have both an Middle Ear, and Outer Ear infection, which is causing me extreme pain which even the prescribed pain meds aren't helping. My left ear is so swollen that they had to use an "ear wick" so that the drops get to where they need to go.

I'm on both an ear-drop antibiotic, and an oral antibiotic as well as Ear drop pain relief and oral pain meds.

I wonder whether there's any chance of enabling a sort by Kudos on the My Stories page?

For me, this is the most important order - ie which of my stories are popular and which are not - but paradoxically, it's the only column which can't be sorted! It's by examining Kudos counts that I can really tune in to what readers most enjoy.

The last couple of days the link to the chat site seems to be missing. I really miss chatting with

Sighs ...

I got a very nice comment from her back when I was posting the Little by Little stuff (though I think I lost her respect in the PMs that followed,) and the last Tuck note says that a new chapter SHOULD have been out last September.

Nada.

Does anybody keep up with her, and know if she is doing okay? Seeing more of the story would be nice, too, but just knowing she hasn't dropped off the face of the earth takes precedence.

Melanie E.

It may be advisable to contact your NYC Council Critter:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/11/nyc-transgender-bir...

Note: I was born in Kew Gardens Hospital (hospital now deceased), Kew Gardens, Queens, NYC, NY

shalimar

Yes, both of you...

A few of you know the last year and a half have been a challenge for me as my cataracts overcame my eyesight. Reading and writing became difficult if not impossible. I had the surgery in July. It has a 99% success rate but I was in the 1%.

On the 29th I had PRK (Photorefractive Keratectomy) also called ASA (Advanced Surface Ablation). For someone who loves to read and write this has been a real trial. I was warned of extreme pain and a slow recovery: Weeks, months, maybe a slow year.

Hi Everyone,

I REALLY apologize for the multiple postings of chapter 2 today. I don't know what is going on with my computer... Anyway, I have asked Erin to remove the duplicates.

As for the voting on how to proceed: Well, I wrote both versions of how I felt it could go forward and liked BOTH so much that I am going to meld them. The good news for those that like the story, I guess, is that it will add another chapter or two to the whole series.

Again, sorry for the confusion!

HUGS,
Shauna

So, Princess For Hire: The Second Semester is done, and Beck/y's journey here on BC draws to a close.

Or does it?

So... I am at a crossroads...

I have (I think) pretty good options moving forward for 'The Bestseller'... The problem is, I am not really sure which way to go...

So... I am going to post two options tomorrow...and see which gets the most likes/supportive comments in 24 hours and continue on from there...

Either works well for me...and will (for the most part) end up at the same point... The journey will just be different... I like both so much, I really can't decide...

HELP!

HUGS!
Shauna

Well, I spent most of my day hanging out in a hospital waiting room with my daughter while my ex got a CT scan on her heart.

It was stressful, but then my ex managed to make it worse, as after it was over, she asked me to run her to get some pet food, and while at the checkout, the cashier first called me "sir", and then corrected himself and called me "ma'am". Of course, my ex couldn't stand that, and loudly "corrected" him while I stood there feeling helpless to stop her.

The paperback had a really cool cover. 'Superbly crafted dark fantasy', it said. I was hooked.

If only I hadn't tried to read the damn thing...

My housemate does some really nice work... if you have an image you want copied or several that she could combine to make an original so it wouldn't run afoul of copyright rules.

Naturally she would LIKE to be paid for what she does, if you like and use her work, but it wouldn't be more than a few dollars, again only if you use it as cover art.

I've had some odd experiences with my family relating to writing.

One of my nieces has become an art historian, and sent me some things she's written. They were flawless, and I told her so in an email. I was very specific about her strengths as a writer and the way she built and supported her argument. Some time later I was talking to her father (my brother-in-law), and he said, "Your opinion meant a lot to her because she knows you're a good writer. And when she said that, it made me wonder: Have you written anything lately?"

i•den•ti•ty
/īˈdentitē/
1. Noun: The fact of being who or what a person or thing is

Hmm, that seems fairly straight forward. Let’s see, I am first an individual, a human being. In some respects no different than you or anyone else and yet in so many other ways, I couldn’t be more different. So is that any clearer? No? Yeah, I’m still confused too.

Today I understand and have sympathy for my late parents. They were it is true given to racist, sexist, homophobic, snobbish religious fundamentalism but nobody's perfect and they probably only wanted a little certainty in their lives.

Last February 6, I posted Simoné and the Second Time Around. Things didn't start off well as I innocently chose a horrible title. The final title was much better. I am very happy with it. Then misfortune hit BCTS and the site was down for a while. Unfortunately, when the site came back up, most of the kudos and comments were lost. Maybe I'm a comment and kudos whore; however, what I feel is a sweet and very nice story languishes with few Kudos and comments. It looks horrible when put up with my other stories, but I know it's not.

I am wondering if anyone has this story saved on there computers and is willing to share?

Author: Kaho

Story: A Little Fox Tale

If you do could you PM me.

Months to get the letter referring me to the Chief Assessor, then I hear in the outgoing message from her office no funds for assessing until April.

Yesterday morning I get a phone call, go to Vancouver General Hospital this morning for a video conference with 2 Assessors.