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it's amazing

It's amazing, interesting... idk. Strange, anyway, when you realize that something you haven't thought of since you were much younger... something that happened when you were about 5 years old, has had a profound effect on your personality almost 50 years later (48, but who's counting?).

I've discovered that something that was done to me when I was a child has affected me more than I ever thought... leaving some profound trauma in its wake.

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Ladies GTG (Get ToGether)

Wendy Jean is inviting you to a video Zoom meeting. While it is OK to invite others, this meeting is for T women only. There is no agenda as such , just a chance to meet new people who have something in common. Basically I have started this because being in a wheelchair I don't get out much. It is my way of going out and meeting new people. It is every Sunday 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM Texas time. Having trouble tracking times? The National Institute of standards has a map that will simplify this. just send me a PM, and i will send you an invitation that has the link included.

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BC Funds and the Hatbox

We came up short last month, so we had to borrow some money. And that needs to be repaid but while we have some of it, we're going to do a few hundred or a thousand in upgrades. Back filling the shortage in January left us behind for February and it's already past the middle of the month.

If you can help us out, it will be greatly appreciated.

-Hugs,
Erin, Piper, Cat, Amy, Liam, Jamie and the elves

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Patty or Pat

As many of you who follow my blog know, I'm retired and drive school bus (about 20 hours a week) to combat the boredom of retirement. I'm sure that I've also mentioned that when I drive the bus I dress very butch. My usual fair is androgynous tennis shoes, dark grey jeans, polo shirt and an equally androgynous vest issued by the company with the company name on it. The jeans, BTW, aren't skinny jeans. The only thing feminine about my appearance would be the way I wear my hair; pulled back at the sides and held with a small barrette that is nearly the same color as my hair.

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Muse update

Well, it feels like its been a while since I have given a writing update, here goes:

Chapter 4 of "portal problems" is being written now. hopefully done by the end of the month.

Horror story "when paths cross" and its sequel are also being worked on. not sure how long to go.

Latest story about "Tinker Tailor Soldier Dot" is actually done, but waiting for Amethyst to be able to finish her Pinpoint story before it gets released, and a 5th story has been started.

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February 2022 BCTS "Magic of The Heart" Story Contest

There are a total of 7 prizes: 1 x 1st Place, 2x 2nd Place, and 4 x 3rd Place. The current cash prizes are 1 x $150, 2 x $75, 4 x $25.
The Winner's Announcement is March 3, 2022 along with payouts. I will be issuing the payouts in a timely fashion same day.

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Freebruary

Every February I take a few of my books and give away copies of the ebook on Amazon.
Right now, Bloomsday, A Window to Your Heart and Cherry Moone are free until the 16th.
On the 17, A Change Will Do You Good, Desert Rose and To Be a Different Someone will be on the free block.

The only thing I ask is if you can leave a review on Amazon (If you choose)

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I might be moving

Well, things could be changing here in a serious way.

I think the time has come for my mom to find a senior's lodge, as her paranoia over Carol is causing problems.

It might take a while, with waiting lists, and COVID being factors.

But the bigger question is what do I do?

Do I try and find a place with a 2 bedroom suite so we can continue to be together?

That would be mom's first preference, and mine too, but it may not be practical, or even possible.

I guess time will tell . . .

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A New Laptop

My Desk Top is an HP Wide Screen all in one that is at least 6 years old. As insurance I am thinking about a new Laptop but I need lots of USB ports and slots. I have several SSD drives plugged in. I think the built in mechanical drive is at least a gig. I have a DVD drive that I used to use a lot but lately YouTube has so much that it seems obsolete. Just looking around, it seems that there are so many tiny laptops with little keyboards. Ick.

I don't do Apple, and I run windows. I am no computer geek. I'm a writer and do not do games so no special video drive needed.

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Need an IT professional's input on a story I'm writing.

OK, I'm writing a story in which an IT troubleshooter needs to locate an unknown virus and irradicate it without destroying the data.

The fictional device has a 1 gig solid state C drive and a Terabyte drive D. I'm presuming that the virus would have compromised something on the boot drive.

C drive is using 79.6 of 97.8 available
D drive is only using 4.75 of 931 available.

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Sad News

We knew this was coming; my Mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer back in November. However she didn't want us to tell anyone until after she was gone.

There were multiple ups and downs, but the downs predominated and she slowly grew worse. She died at around 2:40 this afternoon, at age 89.

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New novel: Schooled

Schooled is the story of George, a teacher who spends much of his free time as Jessica, the woman he wishes he could have been. George inadvertently ‘outs’ himself to his head teacher, the fierce Ms Victoria Stanton, but her reaction surprises him: she wants to meet Jessica, and gives every indication that she likes her.

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Time flies

It's amazing how time goes fwoooosh. The older I get, the quicker that arrow zips on past.

And thus I realized today when looking at posting dates that four years ago is when I finally decided to be brave enough to quit being a (long time) lurker and toss the two books I'd written out onto BCTS. Four years! Can hardly believe it. I remember being incredibly nervous about doing so too, having debated with myself for months on end. Though admittedly with each additional installment of the story since those nerves still flare. They shouldn't but, well, yep.

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Sex in stories, If it's there should it be graphic or tasteful ?

**** Thank you all for your comments. It has been very useful to see all your opinions on the subject.****

When I first started writing it was on Fictiomania. Stories there often, but not always involve sex.

Since posting on here I have noticed my more sexual stories get a lot more reads, but a lot less kudos.

The current story I'm writing has got sexual scenes. I have held back on being descriptive though.
Refering to his male member as his hardness etc, rather than to other more sexual words.

Caution: 

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Personal Update

An update on how I am doing after the accident I blogged about last week.

I still have no memory of the fall on ice, or being airlifted to the University of Iowa's neurological intensive care unit. that morning. I don't remember anything of that morning, going to work, falling or anything. The first thing I do remember is waking up Thursday morning, 2 days after I was admitted to their ICU.

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Thanks, Number 100...

Just wanted to thank the reader who supplied my "Another Guy at West Peak" story with kudos number 100 recently. It had been at 99 for at least several months, and since it was a riff on a Bru story that had long since faded from notoriety and most likely from memory, I wasn't really surprised that nothing further was happening.

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allergy results and revelations

Today I went to get tested for allergies, and I tested positive to cat hair, tree pollen, grass, and shrimp - the latter is apparently bad enough they have proscribed an epi pen for me.

But something interesting happened.

When they first gave me my results and the prescription, I noticed it had the wrong name, so I had to go back in and get things straightened out.

But what was interesting was the young woman receptionist apologized repeatedly, and I told her not to sweat it, since I got the corrected information.

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Need help from a Samsung phone guru

I have a Samsung Galaxy J3 smart phone model SM-J337U. Up until recently, I've been able to access the internet while out and about on the phone. However, a while back, I was in Home Depot trying to use their app to locate something in the store and it said I didn't have an internet connection. Then last week same thing happened at Safeway and just today, I was at Best Buy and wanted to do a curbside pickup.

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Sick of Literotica

I finally got sick to death of Literotica today. After Linda got rejected after being submitted three times. If anyone has read it it's a trans/CD love story. Not sure where I will take it. They reject your story and tell you to read the guidelines. You have no idea why.

At first I thought it was the reference to Peter asking his mother why he wasn't a girl. According to Literotica, underage (18) crossdressing is tantamount to child porn. Which is distrubing!

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Amazon a party to criminal copyright infringement?

As a published author on Amazon I find myself troubled that it is so easy for people to blatantly infringe copyright using the Amazon Platform.
As a publisher Amazon has a vested interest in protecting copyright, yet there is almost no way of raising the issue of copyright infringement.
Over on Fictionmania Message Board recent exchange started like this:

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disturbed and saddened

I forwarded an obituary to my brother today as he no longer lives in our home town. His former brother-in-law had died and I thought he might want to send a card. He e-mailed me back that it wouldn't be welcomed. It seems that even in death his family refuses to recognize him. When police contacted people with his last name they got no response except from a another former in-law. I don't blame them for avoiding him in life. He was an addict, a thief and a child abuser. What is disturbing to me is that I know they once loved him.

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The world has changed drastically.

The other day a video popped up in my YouTube feed.
The reaction to the video is shocking for older T-Folk.

SpartanElite43 ( Youtuber name ) posted a video admitting her status as a MTF person, 1 year on HRT.
I have not seen ANY negativity about it directed at her.

The world has changed.

edit to add:

Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF939oIsv6M

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Banning Books in Texas and Other States

"Don't join the book burners... Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

“If all printers were determined not to print anything till they were sure it would offend nobody, there would be very little printed.
" - Benjamin Franklin

“Information is the currency of democracy.” –Thomas Jefferson

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LBG Animals

Same-sex Penguins Hatch Their First Chick at New York Zoo

Same-sex penguin pairs aren't unusual.

A pair of same-sex penguins hatched their first chick at Rosamond Gifford Zoo in New York and the parents are caring for it like pros.
The two male Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) named Elmer and Lima were given an egg to incubate because the egg's biological parents have a history of accidentally breaking them. A chick hatched from the egg on Jan. 1 and is doing just fine with its same-sex parents, who keep the newborn penguin warm and fed. 

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Too busy to post this week

Real life has caught up big time this week and I have an assignment to complete in the next couple of days, I am really busy also my elderly neighbour has also become increasingly needy and confused and I can't abandon her but she really soaks up the time. So sadly, I haven't time to write (except bloody carbon cycle and not carbon fibre, and grassland ecology) and most of that is calculations in gC per m squared per year.

Anyone who thinks the Open University is a soft option is probably too stupid to do a degree with them.

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"The Killing Joke"

I was watching "Atop the fourth wall" on Youtube, and he did a review of "the Killing Joke", which is a Batman story. The main theme of the story is the Joker believes what separates him from regular people is just one bad day.

He's wrong, of course, and I can show proof by pointing to many of my friends who have had "one bad day" - in many cases it was much more than just one day - and who are kind, generous, and would never hurt anybody.

Now, if you're wondering why I don't use me as an example, the answer is simple.

Unlike my friends, I'm broken and dangerous.

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Final Chapter and Epilogue of You Are a Meany

I have finally sent the final chapter along with the epilogue to my editor. That means when she is done it will be posted. I just want to make sure that she gets the thanks and credit she deserves for the work she put into this story. She not only helped by pointing out errors in writing, she also made sure that I stay true to how I saw the story. That what I pictured in my mind was conveyed on the pages.

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Gaby heads up!

So, a two part message for all you Gaby fans out there.

smell of the crowd book 1.jpg

Firstly, i finished the next chapter of 'Smell of the Crowd' (which may not be the final title), the 27th Gaby book earlier today, my Patreon supporters can read that first draft now. BTW, a massive thank you to everyone who is supporting via Patreon, a steady income really does help keep the constructive juices going!

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Hatbox funds needed VERY quickly - Please help

We're pretty near broke. Less than $400 in our BigCloset accounts. A bit of month left too, and some bills, two due tomorrow (Friday) that total $480. We're still short on contributions in the new year by about $1800. If you can help us out, it will be greatly appreciated.

-Hugs,
Erin, Piper, Cat, Amy, Liam, Jamie and the elves

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I'm very frustrated with myself

I've been working on a sequel to "Demonstration Model" and I'm getting frustrated with myself.

I've developed a reputation for flash fiction, and while that's not bad, sometimes, I'd like to actually let a story breathe a bit.

But that's not happening with this story. I'm 370 words in, and I'm going to be lucky to end up with over 500 words.

sighs . . .

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Big Rock Candy Mountain Detour by me, about me

I'm currently writing and posting my autobiography here on BC and on Patreon. The current episode, #4 - Doodlebug Wages, in on the BC front page right now.

These are from personal memories (yes, I do remember things that happened when I was two) and family stories and most of them show what an incredible spoiled brat I was. :)

I hope you read them, enjoy and leave a comment.

Hugs,
Erin

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BCTS February's "Magic of The Heart" Story Contest is near!

This is an unofficial blog announcing the contest. I'm throwing this up tonight so everyone has a chance to think about it. The basic requirements are that it is a story of Love or Loss for Valentine's Day. I'm giving the option as I'm open to both types. The cash prizes will total between $400- $500. The payout will be on March 3.

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Sponsored zoom meeting

I am trying to start weekly video zoom meeting for trans girls like myself. My preferred time though that is negotiable is 7:00 PM Sundays CMT. If you would like to join this meeting PM me through this website and I will send you an invite and details. You will need to create a zoom account (it is free). You can use a phone or a computer with a camera on it.

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Published?

The far right column in the My Stories page has the title Published, and shows that every one of my stories has been published.

That seems to indicate there must be a way of loading stories without publishing them. How, and does it mean I could load every chapter of a story I'm publishing in parts, and then publish each chapter at some later date?

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The Toxic Planet - Kudos - Broken foot.

Good afternoon everyone. I managed to break my foot yesterday. My 5th metatarsal. So have been fitted with a giant spaceman boot( they didn't come in pink with a heel. I asked and got a giggle from the nurses. If only they knew). I bet I could make a story out of that. LOL

I have BUPA with my job, but they don't do A&E. Again I thank god for our wonderful free NHS. Arrived at emergency minor injuries at 7.30pm waited 20 mins. Saw a nurse, hobbled 50 yards to xray. Then hobbled back, and a boot and xray were waiting for me. I dread to think how much that would cost elsewhere.

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I had an unusual dream

Okay last night I had a very unusual dream.

it started with me in school, and discovering I was failing in a class, and feeling very upset about that.

Then I went out of that classroom and realized that the building was some kind of construct, and I could walk through the walls.

So that's exactly what I did.

I had one scary moment when someone grabbed my arm as I was walking through a wall, but I told them to let me go or something messy would happen, and they let me go.

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OucH THat hurts!

Firsr off please escuse the atrocious typing, it will be explained later. I live in the cold blerry midwest, specfically Davepoirt, Iowa. After our normqal meeting on Skype to let eveyone know what eveyone else would be doing, I welt to get on my car and go to anotehr school building that keeded my attention.

'
For thosie not familiar with the weater in the upper midwest of the can be quite bitter. it's not unusual to see it drop to -25 F or even lower this time of year. I apparetly found a very slippery spot on the ice and did not make it to my car.

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Getting an Edge in Word-wise

When you get it all rounded up, it's time to square it away.

Anyday now, it will be someday every day.

If you miss the point, you may find yourself stuck.

Don't chicken out and duck your responsibilities, or you'll have no right to grouse about the consequences.

First thing to do with good luck is learn to make it last.

Every dog has his day, and every shaggy dog has his story.

If bears wore tights under their slacks, they wouldn't have to hibernate.

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Finding time to write

I shall be posting another Joiner's chapter shortly and probably another Drew Goes South, tomorrow. However, my university course is getting ever more demanding and I'm possibly going to have even less time than I do now, I'll have overlapping modules for a few months, the new one is the one that requires the equivalent of a dissertation, though I'm hoping the fieldwork I'll need to do for that will be fun.

Anyway, please take this as notice that my posting may be more erratic than usual.

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Drat you, you awesome author you - A descent into awesomeness.

"Gaby with her singing career" - Maddy Bell, 2022/01/23 "The Sound of Music" blog entry

My finances have sucked for years. Some years ago I finally decided I've got to stop buying Gaby books as they come out. And eventually I succeeded. And then the next book out was "Gaby Ontario". And I agonized and I fretted. And eventually I said "OK. I live in Ontario. I can buy just one more." And I bought it.

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Thought's on why we are, what we are

I have been chatting to Patricia on here for a day or two. She kindly offered to help me with images for my stories.

She sent me a link to her story on the site, Silence is Golden. I was not surprised how much her story reflected my own to some extent.
There were a few things she asks that I asked myself or was asked by my wife.

Here are some of my thoughts. Excerts from her story are in bold.

Why do I want to wear the clothes?

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Lost quotes from a non-existent saga

Feeling better today, an unscheduled bunch of showers settled the dust, so not as many sneezles, even though the wind is still blowing.

Opened an old file for a story called Masquerade War, which I have never written but first conceived of in about 1969. I really haven't written it in part because Marvel did a similar idea in their Secret Wars event. Sigh, not the first time something like that has happened.

Anyway, here are some of the quotes from this file:

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Another Mother Update

Mother is home, in her room, in a hospital-type bed, courtesy of Hospice/Care Navigators. She has two caregivers (arranged by my sister, with help from her youngest daughter) for round-the-clock care. Considering that she was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer over two months ago, she's doing quite well. How much longer she'll do well we don't know.

We still don't know what caused her stroke-like problem, a week and a half ago. In fact, we still don't know what is causing her gut upset, which she's been suffering from for nearly two years.

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dodging bullets

Well, "dodging bullets" seems to be a theme around here today.

My brother dodged a bullet when we found out he hadn't dislocated his knee or torn tendons as we had feared, but had just inflamed everything. Bit of rest, and then light exercise, and he will be on the road to recovery.

Mom and I dodged a bullet dealing with COVID, as while we couldn't get a test to confirm, it seems likely we had a mild version of the disease, meaning the fact we were both vaccinated probably prevented us from needing to be hospitalized.

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Good Intentions

Good Afternoon dear friends,

I stopped working on my story, Camouflage, back in November. I have no excuse to offer. Things weren't working out for me and I realized I needed to stop. I don't like leaving things unfinished. I'm working again.

I've amended the story to make it flow better. My plan is to share that effort soon.

Leslie

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Finishing a story feels wierd?

I finished Surgeons Lodger last night. 26 parts. This is the first story of any length I have written.

I have several other stories that are multipart, but nothing like that long. Bright boy was 22 chapter's long, but I was feeding off Bev's 90 Chapter story.

Do people prefer reading long running stories or shorter ones?

I'm not sure I want to write another that long, yet there are some huge ongoing stories on here. How do you keep them going?

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Understand One's Own Medical

Have been running into lack of knowledge in my medical doctors who are supposedly transgender and intersex knowledgeable. One flat out told me she had no training or understanding of the needs of what transgender care means. I told her it was normal as we are the smallest minority so who would want to waste precious time studying those like us? Yesterday I passed over some data to my psychiatrist she had never looked into. Yes, I see one as most all of us do.

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Amy Schneider ‘Jeopardy!’ success

Please read BOTH links

" Schneider is also the first woman to amass more than $1 million on the program, making her the most successful female contestant and the most successful transgender contestant of all time."

“‘Jeopardy!’ has been a boys’ club ... and a lot of it is about all the messages that you get from society that this isn’t what women do. That women don’t know things,” Schneider says.

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More Love to Amy

Amy Schneider continues to win on Jeopardy.

Today, she revealed that she is re-reading one of her favorite books, "Catch-22."

Joseph Heller's black comedy is by far my favorite novel. Catch 22 could have been tossed in the dustbin many times. First -- it took Heller forever to write it. Then it was only a mediocre seller in hard copy. It wasn't until it was put out on paperback and sold for .75 that it took off and became a hit. I read it first when I was fifteen. And have read it many times since.

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