Today, I have logged in three times. Each time, I have been taken to Part 25 of a story instead of arriving at the BigCloset Topshelf webpage. If I then click on the Topshelf icon, I arrived there logged out. If I log back in, as I have done three times now, I arrive back at Part 25 of Ian's story.
Well, I'm back. On April 28th I was unable to login. Then I was informed by the login that my account was locked down. There doesn't seem to be a way to inform anyone at BC about a login problem unless you can login to tell them.
Today I was allowed access to change my password--which I wasn't before, because the account was locked.
So I'm back.
I hope the problems at the site get sorted out.
Otherwise, I am going to miss this place.
Just read a blog about the old Nine Princes in Amber series by Roger Zelazny and it got me to thinking about a novel that I purchased back in 1975 for my wife that Christmas. First hardcover edition of the English translation (by Derek Coltman) of Malevil by Robert Merle. Merle was also the author of the bestseller, Day of the Dolphin, some of you may remember. The only books of his, still in print, are in 50 languages--none of them English. All his English novels are out-of-print.
Last week I was locked out of BigCloset for three days, unable to login because either my username or my password was unacceptible. Could not even use the link to change the password-- because when I did, I got a message the link was bad, or backfetch had failed, or the link was no longer valid, or (really the topper) that I had already used the link before.
Same thing yesterday. Today I only got backfetched twice.
When I painted that, I was thinking YA or PG stories with an emphasis on realistic portrayals of the characters. In 'End of the World' and, I suppose 'Dystopian Novels' I had figured that that female characters (and also the male characters fighting in the resistance) would be wearing cast-off clothing and gear salvaged from the enemy. I thought that clothing them in revealing clothing would not be in their nature.
Wow! I just got an update notification from Smashwords. In the last two months my book, Missing Without A Trace: A Kelly Mitchell Mystery, has sold fourteen copies since being placed in their premium catalog.
I am thrilled and amazed!!
Thank you to any of you who purchased it. It is really appreciated!
I was just sitting around looking at some photos of some of my old artwork and came across this one. It was done back in May 2005, when I could still hold a paintbrush. It's oil on canvas (25" x 20) and (as far as I know) is residing in a home in eastern Colorado. I titled it, The Meaning of Life, and the "secret" of the painting is the lettering highlighted in yellow inside the equation.
I've just finished reading Maeryn Lamonte's excellent short story Georgy Girl and it made me start thinking about my own short little book, Missing Without A Trace. When I wrote my novel, the heroine, Kelly, became me...or rather, the inner me. The Charles I should have been, without the male shell that I'd been forced to construct around myself to fit in with everyone around me as I grew up.
I thought I would talk about Natalie Barrett's children's book, Tuck Everlasting. It is a story, written in the late nineteen-seventies. It starts in early 19th century America. A pioneering family, the Tucks, stumble upon a spring with water that gives them immortality when drunk. Although it take them another some years to realize it, they find they have to go undercover to go on living their lives. Because each time their secret is discovered, they are denounced as demons, devils, or witches.
I just received word that Smashwords has awarded my book Premium Status! That means it goes out in their premium catalog to potential Ebook retailers. I am SO excited!!!!
Below is a link to the book's new sales /order page.
I have been disappointed, lately, with the lack of good transgender novels to read. I will admit that I am kind of fussy about what I like to read. I like character-driven stories. Not magical, or gender-swapping types, but more down-to-earth things; like plotlines which show how we cope with the intricacies of life. The struggles to fit in; not necessarily in dramatic movie-of-the-week ways, but how to fit in with "normal" society and be whole. I like mysteries and thriller elements, too.
Updated
4/7/2021 8:31 PM
Kristal Larson's election to township clerk in central Lake County is being celebrated by proponents of LGBTQ rights across the Chicago area and the nation.
Larson, chosen by voters Tuesday as Avon Township's next clerk, is the first openly transgender candidate to win elected office in Lake County and only the second in Illinois' history. Larson previously served as an Avon Township trustee but was not openly transgender at that time.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I've just posted a new short story, Legends. If you've already read it since I posted it, I have just revised it (fixed the typos, hopefully all of them, and added some extra bits to the story). I want to add that the story is a mix of mystery, a puzzle of the past, and a hodgepodge mixture of science fiction, magic, mythology, gods and the continuation of a long-standing vendetta. Creating the main character's voice and how he tells his story was hard and--in the end--very satisfying.
I have drawn/designed the new book cover that will go with Missing Without A Trace 2: Repercussions. This is a sequel to my non-tg novel, Missing Without A Trace: A Kelly Mitchell Mystery, which I am publishing here on BigCloset TopShelf, chapter-by-chapter.
My novel, Missing Without A Trace: A Kelly Mitchell Mystery, is now published by Smashwords.
Price is the same as before, even though the book is a little longer now. ($1.99)
Checks can be made out & sent to:
Joyce Melton
1001 Third St.
Space 80
Calimesa, CA 92320
USA
Note: $6000 is the operating, maintenance and upgrade budget. Amounts received in excess of the $6000 will be applied to long term debt accrued over the last 19 years.
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