Rick Schirmer writes

Rick Schirmer No

You are doing everything right, it is normal, I think. You are an amazing writer, if I could pledge more, I would but I can't. The story around Erik/Erika/The Dark one is amazing. BUT many people will be too judgmental and disinterested when they learn about the transgender/cross-dressing stuff.. I gotta admit. When I first stumbled across the story. I think it was on stories online or somewhere where it clearly stated transgender. 6-10 years back or so. I did pass it several times due to that alone, I was not open-minded enough. Even though all the tags, the setting really were to my liking, except those two. It took me a while and at one point I gave it a chance, and I loved your writing style... Though I did not like the gender identification issue thing. It is just something I cannot identify with myself, I have never had the desire to dress up as a woman, besides Halloween or other dress-up holidays as a shocker value. I never envied a girl for her shoes, for her skirt or whatever. Though been always attracted to them :D I think that is the biggest issue with your story there… It is hard for it to gain new readers, cause many really gotta find the will to give it a chance. I mean it is the same issue that a transgender person has out in the world… To get accepted for what they are, cause we humans tend to judge by the cover a lot… Most of us… Thus we pass by amazing people and amazing things cause we have judged them wrongly by our first glances.

Dear Rick,

I appreciate the long comment and I actually have heard this particular observation many times before. This was the complaint of an editor that wrote to me we don't want to publish this. But this is a part of Eric / Erica core and I think I stick to it. In the story that now reaches its end, will show that Eric is actually two persons and that "he" never was really transgender, but more schizophrenic. But yes it is a transgender theme and I wanted to write a TG character that is not a wig-wearing mass murderer or a comic sidekick, but a normal person. It is and was my core theme to show the diversity and that any person or character should be judged by his or her actions and abilities, not their shape, form, color or gender. I of course completely understand where you and perhaps many are coming from. Other stories of mine do not have the same focus, Roy Masters story has none of these elements. The Melissa May mysteries (Not GC) usually do not. I very much appreciate your comment and insights. It confirms what I was told before. I also would like to thank you for giving me a chance to tell my stories to you. I greatly appreciate that, and I promise, Roy is next.

Yours truly,

Vanessa