So here we are, at the middle, well almost the middle, of December and once again I'm appealing to all of you to open your hearts and wallets (purses) to help pay some of the bills that Top Shelf generates.

I've been taken to task for my admittedly flowery language when pleading for monetary assistance to help keep the site somewhat solvent and I won't apologize for the language I use, nor for the endless appeals. The way I write is the way I write.

It stems from my heart and friendship with Erin and Piper and it speaks to the passion I feel for the site itself and the people who make it happen.

I have talked with several people who have told me that, if it weren't for Top Shelf and the help it gave them in deciding to transition, they never would have had the courage to attempt transitioning. That tells me that the site IS an invaluable asset to those of us who are Trans. As such, I feel it behooves all of us to help pay down the astounding bills that are generated in keeping it on the net.

Don't forget as well, that Erin has placed herself into deep debt in the process of keeping things going. She started Top Shelf Big Closet as a repository for her own stories and ideas and it grew from that humble beginning to the largest repository for TG literature, surpassing even the venerable Fictionmania for sheer numbers of stories posted FOR FREE on the net, as well as being a place where we can find entertainment, enlightenment, and assistance in dealing with what being trans is all about.

Erin recently stated, in a response to a commenter, that if someone GAVE her 35,000 dollars, it would not get her out of debt! That is an amazing statement and it stems from Erin's commitment to follow her heart and help whoever she can, however she can by keeping the site open for business, and to Piper's commitment to work for far less than she could receive by working in the mainstream as an IT Tech. It also speaks to the involvement of several volunteers who work for FREE to keep the content of the site readable.

So... newer ways of helping with the costs have been implemented. Patreon is one. For as little as a dollar a month, one can become an active, contributing member and help pay some of the costs. I've gone for the ten dollar option, but I know that some of us live on such thin shoestrings that even 10 bucks is a lot to ask. I WILL ask that every single one of you go for at least the one dollar option. One single dollar a month, multiplied by the number of site users here at Top Shelf could, in a few months, wipe out Erin's debt and ensure that Top Shelf remains the BEST TG site on the internet, all at the same time.

One dollar. You can't even get a good cup of coffee, a soft drink or even a bottle of WATER for a dollar! What you CAN get is the best TG fiction being written, by the best authors in the genre, for less than a cup of coffee. Fiction that is contributed for FREE, to help us all deal with life as a trans person.

Flowery as my writing may be, it's the way I help, or try to help Erin and her crew keep the site going. I don't really care if anyone likes or dislikes the way I express how I feel about the site. What I DO care about is helping in whatever way I can. I can't supply money, but I can, and do contribute ALL the money my stories in book form generate to Erin and the site. I have a new book coming out soon and ALL the money it generates will go to Erin and the site.

So this is my plea and if you've read this far, thank you from my heart for plowing through my "flowery" wordage. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year to all and "God bless us, every one"

Remember...Patreon. One dollar each. That's all I ask.

Catherine Linda Michel