Catherine Linda Michel

No more Southern Comfort Trans Con?

It came to my attention this evening that The southern Comfort Transsexual Conference is no more!

http://www.tgforum.com/wordpress/index.php/the-southern-comf...

I attended in 2009 and it was a life changing event for me.

The Con had relocated from Atlanta Ga. to Ft. Lauderdale, but apparently there were some lawsuits that have ended the Con that had been a fixture for Trans folks for 26 years!

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Signed, Sealed and Delivered An Edited Re-post Part 2 of 2

I desperately wanted away from there and I was half afraid he would kiss me again and half afraid he wouldn't! Somewhere in the back of my mind, though I could hear Jim yelling at me and I realized that it had to be the programming that was making me act like this! Ginny had been in charge for the past several minutes and Jim wanted back at the reins of this runaway stagecoach! I made an effort to push the Ginny part of me into the background and I was

Signed, Sealed and Delivered An Edited Re-post Part 1

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

By Cathy_t_

This was my very first attempt at writing anything for others to read. The idea for the story is mine but the inspiration for doing it at all comes from two wonderful angels I met on the net one dark night in my life. They stopped me from doing something very stupid that night and I would like to dedicate this story to them. To Prue and Neri. Without their help and encouragement this story would not exist. Nor would I.

PART 1
*****************

A Thanksgiving message of thanks.

It seems, as the years go by, that the real message of this time of the year has faded to overstuffing oneself on turkey, or whatever passes for the holiday meal and vegging out in front of the TV or computer, engaging in whatever non-activity one prefers.

To me, the true meaning of this holiday, that of being grateful for what one has received in life, has faded into self indulgence and solitude from the scary world outside one's "safe place." In this post, I shall attempt to re-affirm what is truly important to me in my life.

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All this talk about writers leaving,

because some unthinking fool has given them grief has made me very angry! I've spent years here at Top Shelf and, while not every writer is one I read, their work is nontheless important to them and their fans. Writing is a way to deal with the anxiety and even pain that comes with being Transgender and being able to get those anxieties out in writing helps each and every writer to deal with those pains and anxieties.

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It's with a grateful heart that I report,

that Grover and Understanding Spouse have arrived safely in Utah and are recovering from a trip fraught with danger. U.S. starts her new job Tuesday and Grover will be back in the groove writing as soon as they get settled into their new domicile.

They got waylaid by snow in Denver over Friday and part of Saturday and, being from much warmer climes, they didn't want to risk life and limb trying to navigate the icy roads. I can't say I blame them.

Anyway, alls well that ends well and I can breathe again, knowing that my family of the heart is safe at home.

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Okay. This might get me in some trouble, but...

No. I'm not a Nigerian prince looking to get financial help in regaining my kingdom... but I'm going into begging mode.

Not for myself, but for a dear friend and his mate. Grover and "Understanding Spouse" have run into a situation they are not able to handle. What with Grover's bout with heart surgery and continuing migraine attacks, they have run out of financial resources they desperately need right now.

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Re: Copyright infringement.

I just clicked the link Tigger provided and it appears that Amazon has taken the author's page down. Looks like the reviews and phone calls had the correct effect. Hope that story thief gets what's coming to her. Great job everyone. We caught another thief!!

Catherine Linda Michel

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Brandy DeWinter, where are you?

I know you withdrew from the active community long ago and I understand your reasons. I've tried emailing you, but they keep getting bounced back to me. Tigger tried as well with the same result. PLEASE contact me here at Top Shelf and let me know that you are okay?

Catherine Linda Michel (Cathy_t_ from Storysite.)

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Lost In The 50s Tonight. A Repost

In the spirit of recent re-posts, I wanted to bring this one back for one more encore.

This is a bit melancholy, but it wanted to be written and I just tried to keep up with what my muse was dictating. I hope you like it.

Song Credit to Ronnie Milsap: Lost In The 50s Tonight.

Lost In The Fifties Tonight, by Catherine Linda Michel

Oh yes, I remember... so, so well that night, the music, the feeling of being held in your arms, swaying together and hoping the moment would never end.

We lost a four legged child tonite.

It was truly a dark and stormy night tonite. Earlier today, we rushed our beloved pekenese to the vet. She was having trouble breathing...the dog, not the vet. The vet said that it was a heart problem, which is...we found out, a common problem among pekes. He gave us some pills to help with Sugar's breathing and water retention and we brought her home.

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Well, here's another challenge.

Erin and crew need bucks to keep the doors open! It can't be any more clear than that. So c'mon everyone. Break into the piggy banks and help keep Top Shelf where it belongs. On top of the 'net and the best TG fiction site out there anywhere!

It's SO easy to send even a one time gift to help out. Use this URL and your bank credit/debit card: http://bigclosetr.us/hatbox/node/26

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This will probably seem like a small thing

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.

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Where's Fakeminsk and Constant In All Other Things?

The story is sitting in neverland, the last chapter published way back in late 2015. I hope nothing bad has happened to Fakeminsk and that this hiatus is merely real life getting in the way of a great story.

Catherine Linda Michel

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My Challenge and A Thank You to all who responded.

I want to personally thank all those who responded to my challenge to donate to help keep the site online. I also want to again thank those who donate regularly. The donations you all sent, helped take some of the pressure off Erin, Piper et all.

Again,There are several ways to donate. You can send a check or money order to the address on the front page.

Checks can be made out & sent to:
Janglewood LLC
602 Higgins Ave
Suite 1 #283
Brielle, NJ 08730
USA

You can donate through the Hatbox.

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This is a Challenge to every member of Top Shelf

Every month, Erin has to beg for money to help TopShelf running and she shouldn't have to. If each one of us sent ONE SINGLE DOLLAR, ONE TIME, it would keep the site solvent for several months.

I know that are several who regularly contribute to keep the site up, and they are to be thanked greatly, but Erin has gone deep into debt to make up what it costs to run it and that's not right. She and the others who administer the site donate their time and energy without pay, hoping to keep it going.

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Which would you prefer?

In the latest episode of MASKS a male becomes female but gains super powers as a result. It's a common theme in our genre, that of becoming female, but would it be better to become female and gain "super powers" or remain/become male(for those who are truly male) and not become super?

I'm sure that the majority of US would prefer the former, but I'm also sure that there are a lot of men, or trans-men who might prefer the latter, or become the latter.

It's an interesting thought/question, is it not?

Catherine Linda Michel

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Been a bit depressed, but tonight,

I am feeling happy, euphoric if you will. Why? Because I'm watching television and the 50th Anniversary concert of THE BEACH BOYS!

Whenever I hear those great voices and great songs, I feel young again. I grew up listening to The Beach Boys, Jan and Dean, and countless others from the 60s and my memory slips back in time to a more innocent time when I wasn't so conflicted and frightened about what our world has become, when I hear The Boys.

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Memorial Day Weekend. 8 Years post RLT

So. Memorial Weekend is upon us once again. Funny how that happens about this time every year. Celebrating my 8th B'day (8 years post-transition) and remembering the monumental few days surounding this date 8 years ago.

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Sara's Story Justice or Vengeance Chapter 5

SARA'S STORY JUSTICE OR VENGEANCE. By Catherine Linda Michel

CHAPTER 5

A couple of weeks went by and there seemed to be no change in the gang's activities. They were still up to their no-good actions and Cathy was going through different moods, seemingly daily. One day she wanted the whole gang dead and gone, while on other days she dreaded being the one behind whatever vengeance was awaiting them.

I'm pretty depressed today and I think I know why.

This is, I'm afraid, gonna be a long one, so if you don't wanna read it all the way through, it's okay with me. There's just some things that have been building up in me for a long time and I finally had to acknowlege them last night so I could maybe find a way to deal with them in a rational way. If you're not interested in my life or the state of what I laughingly refer to as a mind... read no farther.

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An open invitation.

With the recent interest in my Home That Love Built universe, I am re-issuing an open invitation to any writer who would like to try their hand at adding to the wonderful stories already posted in it. There have been many stories written so far in the universe and I'd love to add more. There are some very talented writers who were not members here when I first opened THTLB universe and I'd be pleased and proud to add them to the roster as well as inviting writers who have already made their wonderful additions to THTLB.

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Sara's Story Justice or Vengeance Chapter 4

The scene: The Home That Love Built.
The players: Cathilynn and Sam.

“I just don't know Sam.” Cathilynn said confusedly. “I mean, Sara deserves justice for what was done to her, and I DO want those who are responsible to be punished, but how far is TOO far? Do I want them dead? Do I want them punished under the law? Is the law capable of doing what needs to be done? Oh Sam! I am SO torn about all this!”

Sara's Story Justice or Vengeance Chapter 3

Sara's Story. Justice or Vengeance? Chapter 3

Scene: The SSB (South Side Bastards) Hangout.

The players. Big Tom: Gang leader.
Little Tom: Big Tom's brother
Feet: Runner and purse snatch expert. Very fast.
Mooch: Burglar and thief.
Big Butch: Gang enforcer.
Pretty Boy: Pimp and drug pusher.
All the gang members are involved in drugs, prostitution, and violence.

Sara's Story Justice or Vengeance Chapter 2

My thanks to all who commented on the subject of whether or not this story should be written. Your responses have convinced me that I have to write it. There is no violence or TG in this chapter, but there will be in future chapters. The keywords and categories cover the entire story but are not germane in every chapter.

Sara's Story. Justice or Vengeance. Chapter 2

The scene: A nondescript hotel room.

The players: A large man, obscured in the shadows of the room, and an ordinary looking man dressed in normal, mostly clean clothing.

Sara's Story Justice or Vengeance Chapter 1

Author's foreword: This is not going to be an easy or comforting story for me to write. Sara's Story exhausted me, mentally and emotionally. When it was done I tried my hand at a couple of short-shorts, but they weren't what I needed them to be. For those who aren't familiar with Sara's Story, it's here: http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/fiction/59942/saras-story-home...

Maybe a few helpful hints for beginning writers.

When writing a story or whatever, when one is done with the task, take some time and read it out loud back to yourself. I think it helps find errors that otherwise would have been missed, and helps eliminate misunderstandings of some phrases, sentences or words.

It helps with spelling, syntax, and punctuation as well. One big thing. Even though you might THINK you know the meaning or spelling of a word... if there is the slightest doubt, LOOK IT UP! There are dictionaries everywhere, even on the internet. GOOGLE IT!

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The MASKS series now being posted.

The series is fully written and complete up chapter 17... however, I neglected to let Stickmaker know about not posting more than one story part per day or so, so the multiple posts today are my fault, not his. Since I was the one who asked him to post here, it was my responsibility to let him know of the unwritten rules here. Mea Culpa.

I hope you all are enjoying the series.

Catherine Linda Michel

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Rodford Edmiston Smith aka Stickmaker

I don't know how many of you are familiar with Stickmaker, but he is a superb writer with a huge body of work. He generally posts his stuff as emails to the Yahoo group, I think.

His main story, MASKS is an immense work, involving very large groups of characters, supers, of course. If you're a fan of these kinds of stories, I urge you to go and read. You won't be disappointed. Of course, his main character(s) is(are) TG.

http://www.dcr.net/~stickmak/Stories/

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Hoping against hope.

The powerball jackpot now stands as close enough to one Billion dollars that there almost is no difference.

I have bought my tickets and am sitting waiting for the numbers to be drawn, hoping against hope that one of my tickets will be the ticket that will help me acheive my dream... that being the REAL building of The Home That Love Built, my little universe of stories on the internet.

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Another Happy, happy.

I caught up with an old schoolfriend on New Year's day. He's known about my transition, but he caught me a bit by surprise when he said that he'd bought my book and enjoyed reading it!

Once I get a chance, I WILL go to see him (he's a bit disabled and in a wheelchair) and sign it for him. He's never actually seen me as Catherine, but he's said, several times, that he has no problem with me becoming Catherine and looks forward to seeing me in person.

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Sara's Story. A Home That Love Built story. Repost.

This is a story about a place that is my dream. A place where down and out TG human beings can come to and know that they will be safe and loved, and helped. There are many stories written in this universe, and I urge you to read them all. They are all very well written by accomplished TG authors.

I guess we've seen the last of The Enhanced TRI.

It's been a couple of months since Moongoddess' last posting and I hope she's all right. I know what it's like to write oneself into a corner, or to have real life jump up and smack one in the face, limiting or even stopping a creative process.

Even though I know the story is complete (it's on Amazon and Kindle) My very limited financial resources prohibit me from ordering it on Amazon, and I don't have Kindle access so I'm gonna have to hope that: A. Moongoddess gets through whatever it is that's keeping her from communicating, and B. She can finish posting the story here.

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I am in tears and blown away

by this piece of music. Sometimes I wonder where we as a species are going and if there is any hope for us, or will we fade away like the dinosaurs and other extinct species.

This piece of music made my heart soar and the sheer beauty of it brought me to grateful tears of joy, for if we, as a species, can produce something this beautiful, surely there is hope for us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRotQyJkKWU Turn up the volume and revel in the sheer power of this music.

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The Enhanced TRI and Moongoddess

First of all, I hope Moongoddess is okay. Secondly, will there be any more of The Enhanced TRI posted? The story is so good, but I'm more worried about Moongoddess than I am about the story.

Here's hoping all is okay with her.

Catherine Linda Michel

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At the risk of being redundant, MOONGODDESS!

I've grown more and more concerned about you. Please let us know that you are okay? If there's anything I can do to help, don't hesitate to message me. You can even call me on skype at Cathy_t_. If you've tried to do that under a different or male name, I don't accept skype messages from males unless I know them from some other venue.

Catherine Linda Michel

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Moongoddess, are you okay? Redux.

It's been almost four weeks, or maybe it just FEELS like it's been four weeks, without a chapter of THE ENHANCED TRI or SLACKER. I hope this only means that you are working hard and feeling better.

If there's anything I can help with, please let me help?

Catherine Linda Michel

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