(no subject)

[cblj_backup]

Holy wow, you guys.

cassie_lee dropped me a comment yesterday to inform me that her house burned down but, and this is why she told me, her copy of Nameless survived.

I was focusing more on "Your HOUSE BURNED DOWN?" but she seems to be taking it with as good a humour as one can muster about these things. Everyone got out okay, and she has family nearby who are helping them out. She shared the news video with me, which is horrific and so sad, and then this morning sent me photos. (Having trouble direct-linking to that -- search "house fire" and choose the second story that comes up.)

This is her after having pulled Nameless from the wreckage.

This is Nameless, with a bit of fire blistering on the spine but otherwise whole.

My book is magic. I mean, I know theoretically what happens: books that are tightly packed together don't burn because there's no air between the pages to feed the fire. It's still stunning to see.

Not to make her house burning down ALL ABOUT ME or anything, but I had a very odd reaction to it, aside from the concern for her. My book is a story but it's out there spawning more stories, like people taking it on airplanes and meeting other people who've read it, and people reading it on breaks from their jobs or reading it to each other, and more than one person has written to tell me about their own experiences with suicide and how I treated it in the book. But this really whacked me between the eyes with a sense of "so this is part of what being published is": this person is standing in the wreckage of their home and holding up my book for me to see, because something I made survived a fire and she's happy about it.

That's amazing. I'm blown away.

Traditional publishing is a huge empire and that's grand and I'm glad it's there, but I think this is a powerful argument for access to self-publishing and someone to offer the tools for talented writers to use it. I made this, which I couldn't have done without a press like lulu.com, and it's got a life of its own now.

cassie_lee, if you need anything, you let us know. You want a new copy of Nameless, drop me a line, it's on the house. I'm going to print out those photos and put them on my wall.

Comments

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Thanks Sam :)

ninemsn changed their website over night, so it's strangely hard to direct link to now, but I copied this link last night and it seems to work fine. http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-AU&brand=ninemsn&vid=42e781d5-6ee5-4a27-b971-72a73ebb0e07 and for embarrassing lolz this is the extended story http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?mkt=en-AU&brand=ninemsn&vid=f14c259c-6b77-4027-b26c-1623a150d852

For an interesting look at how they change news stories, we live in Winmalee not Wilanee or whatever she says in the first story, and our dryer was not old as they keep trying to imply. Also my roommate was not up watching a movie, he was in bed like the rest of us, watching Naruto on his laptop :p My fave part is the headline in the second news video, which is "Home Wrecker" we laughed at that last night. Sounds tawdry :p

The weirdest part about watching those videos is that I was there, yet every time I see the video, I am horrified by the size of the fire. It's like I've already forgotten.

[forest-rose.livejournal.com]

Oh God, that's awful, I'm so sorry. Is there anything we can do or send you or anything at all to help? *hugs you tight*

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Our families are looking after us for now, which is really nice, so we don't need much yet. Thanks :)

[forest-rose.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear. Keep us updated if something comes to mind!

[mythologian.livejournal.com]

holy shit O_O;

Thank God for Naruto and roommates who stay up late watching it.

I know you've said family is helping out, but if you guys need anything at all just let me know.

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Yes, we were all only just going to bed. I did say afterwards, that if anyone ever tried to tell me off for not going to sleep before midnight again that I would tell them to go to hell. Cos it saved our lives. Apparently if we had gone to sleep, and it had been five mins later, we all would have been fried.

Thanks :)

[ozisim.livejournal.com]

Suxville.
I'm certain that I speak on behalf of more than myself when I say that the Cafe requires a postal or paypal address for the purposes of helping you out.

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

You really don't need to, we're ok, though I'm kinda afraid to go back to work because of all the mum's who I hear are trying to give me stuff (I work in childcare). :P

[ozisim.livejournal.com]

I lost almost all of my stuff in a fire in my unit in 2001.
And while my family and friends helped me out with clothes and kitchenware and stuff, but I cried when I got a care package from someone I'd only ever talked to online. They'd packed up real coffee, a plunger and assorted yarn and needles so that I wouldn't miss my craft stuff too much, and so that I wouldn't have to drink instant coffee.
---
Also, If you add a splash of Eucalyptus oil into Hot water when you wash down anything that survived, it will get rid of the fire smell. Use a splash instead of fabric softener in with your clothes too.

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Yes, the internet support is really overwhelming, I guess its cos you expect your family to help you out, and everyone else is a real surprise.

Thanks for that, I will definitely try it, I have much to wash!

[thaddeusfavour.livejournal.com]

Delighted that you and your friends are all safe!

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Thank you :)

[supermouse.livejournal.com]

Holy crap.

I've been burned out before, too. All the very best.

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

I did see "home wrecker" and DIED LAUGHING. :D

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

As did we, but I don't think that's what they were going for :p

Thought you'd be interested in this (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v99/Cassie_Lee/2009/La_Maison_Bleu/P7292428.jpg). It's my bookshelf after we'd started pulling stuff off it. Down the bottom there is all my childhood books which more or less came out ok (if not stinky), as the fire was in the roof mostly.

The top shelf was done for. As was most of the second, which was where all my favourite series were of course. Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Lord of the Rings all had to be on the same shelf. Third shelf was where Nameless was. They were almost as bad as the second shelf, but on the left there was where I pried out Nameless and my 80th anniversary edition of Winnie the Pooh. Both of which made me very happy :)

Edit because I don't have children, I have childhood books, d'oh.

[bluebombardier.livejournal.com]

Oh my GOD. D:

Girl, I got a spare set of Narnia here with your name on it. Just give me an address and I can send it back to you.

Hey, to some of us, our books are our children. I know I treat mine with as much love and care. ;)

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

See, that nearly made me cry. People keep offering me furniture and clothes, and all I can think is "I want my books back!"

[copperbadge.livejournal.com]

Holy crow, again. You can tell where the books were and all, my god.

I'm a little LOL at the Cafe's offers -- even having said you're ok, you got people :D I hope you're not overwhelmed.

Uh, that being said...Lulu.com has a PR agent who is asking if she can do some media outreach with those photos. It's your face and your story, is that okay? I wanted to check with you before I gave the go-ahead.

[debitha.livejournal.com]

Jeeeeeeez.

I may have to go hug all my bookcases when I get home.

Glad to hear you're OK!

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

Just in case you don't see the other comment amid the rush:

You are totally local to my family (my dad's whole side of the family lives in Winmalee and its surrounds - Robin Rd, Wallaby Ave).

My mother lives outside Penrith, and is a librarian, who I can organise to fix your copy of Nameless for FREE, and probably a fair number of your other salvaged books that need TLC.

I'm in the Hunter Valley, but I can organise and co-ordinate it, or even do the picking up and dropping off next time I'm in Sydney. Hell, I'll probably help her with repairs. I've had a fair amount of practice, and I haven't had a chance to use my skills for years.

Comment back, and I will set it up.

[cassie-lee.livejournal.com]

That is so incredibly nice! I would love if some of my books could be repaired instead of replaced, since the binding is the main problem on a few of them. I'm not sure which ones need it yet, we put everything in our garage to go through later, but even if only Nameless is done I would be so grateful! :)

[iamshadow.livejournal.com]

I'll ring mum this evening and sort it out with her. She should be able to assess which ones can be repaired, and work out how to do it. In some cases, it probably won't be a 'pretty' fix, but you'll be able to read the books again without them falling apart in your hands.

(My mum is teacher librarian of a primary school, so any repairs she does tend to be for sturdiness, not for aesthetics. The benefit of that will be that she'll probably be able to save some books that other restorers would say are beyond hope.)

[schnoogle.livejournal.com]

I live in Sydney (Randwick). Just let me know if there's anything I can do, seriously.

[violent-rabbit.livejournal.com]

Hey! Im a local, but down south a little, and if you would like anything, including movies etc, just lets us know. We Aussies in Sam's cafe gotta stick together. :)