Very little going on today, except for a repeat story that I feel bears mentioning again, mostly because it reminds me of the best that can result from the unmediated proximity of creators and audience.

KB Spangler writes and draws A Girl And Her Fed¹, as well as prose novels set in the same world². Some also know that she writes perhaps the most hilarious³ home-renovation blog known to humanity. It’s sporadic because the immense amount of work her home requires would leave any rational person unable to muster the energy to type.

I mention this because (off the top of my head) her house (which was inspected — twice! — prior to purchase and given a clean bill of health) has required:

• tree removal to prevent dead trees from falling destroying the house
• extensive landscaping to redirect water runoff away from the foundation before it destroys the house
• rebuilding of load-bearing structures in the basement to prevent the destruction of the house
• redigging of the drainage system so that the sump pumps don’t direct water directly back into the basement, which could undermine the foundation and destroy the house
• repeated use of chemicals that rightly belong on the list of some international convention against WMDs to remove ivy that threatens to overrun all and possibly destroy the house
• extensive repairwork to a long-neglected pool so it doesn’t spontaneously burst and destroy the house
• a moderately uneasy coexistence with a six foot long snake in the attic

I mention that last one because it’s the one that doesn’t keep her up at night wondering if it wouldn’t be simpler to fake her death and head for Mexico. Also because a it at least removes the possibility of mice as an annoyance. All of this was before she and her husband had to have Hired Dudes out of the house to determine what it would cost keep an entire corner of it from spontaneously sinking into the earth. Answer: all of the money.

In times like this, when you are watching every bit of money you and your spouse make go to keep a roof literally over your head and not collapsing around your ears, there is only one thing to do: give away your work. Because Spangler gives away her ebooks if readers can’t afford them [no permalink]:

Brown and I just spent a hell of a lot of money to keep our house from falling in on itself, and I know on days like this I could really use a free story or two. If your house is falling in, or if the bills are adding up, email me. Tell me which .pdfs you want. If you feel awkward about it, don’t. Pride shouldn’t keep you from stories. Just tell a friend, or leave a review, or buy a copy when you’re back on your feet.

So this is me telling you all that Spangler’s stories are well worth the very small amount that she asks of those that can afford it, and should you choose to purchase them you are not merely helping her keep that benighted roof over her head, you are helping others that really need a story and can’t afford one. I’ve mentioned her generosity before, but I’m mentioning it again because it’s worth mentioning.

Spam of the day:

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A little trite, but still some insight there.

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¹ AKA My buddy, Otter, and obligatory disclaimer: I wrote the foreword for her first AGAHF collection on account of I not only love her work, we’re friends in the no questions I need bail at 3:00am sense of the word.

² Which she’s spent considerable time and effort to get converted to Braille so that vision-impaired readers can read her books instead of just passively listen to an audiobook.

³ In a laugh-so-you-don’t-cry sense.