What do you do when you may have lost everything?
You grieve the loss, you pick yourself up, you put one foot in front of the other, you try to get back on solid ground, and you try to help the people around you. And sometimes all of those things have to happen at the same time.
That’s what Jennifer is trying to do right now.
You may know her as J. on Balloon Juice. Or you may know her from her former blog J-TWO-O. Or you may know her as the author of the Sanibel Island Mystery series because you give one of her mysteries to your sister every year for her birthday. I know her from all three.
My name is J. (short for Jennifer) and I have been reading Balloon-Juice since 2007. Some of you may know me from the comments, though I don’t comment often, or from my former blog, J-TWO-O.
As some of you may also know, my husband, two cats, and I live(d) on Sanibel Island, Florida, having officially moved there a couple of years ago. And we had a spot of weather there last week.
We had planned on riding out the storm, but when things took a literal turn for the worst last Tuesday, we evacuated, taking the cats, their litterbox and some toys, two carry-on bags, a cooler of food and drink for the road, and a Dustbuster and lint roller. (Did I mention I’m OCD?)
We thought the storm wouldn’t be so bad and that we would be back on Sanibel that weekend. Silly us.
Because of our late decision to evacuate, we couldn’t find a hotel room within hundreds of miles of Sanibel. And I was beginning to panic when I reached a cousin with an empty home in Boca who allowed us to stay there for a few days. (Her husband has asthma, so she was nervous about the cats and didn’t want us to stay long.)
It took us five hours to get there in pouring rain and wind with two howling felines, but we made it. Though the weather was pretty nasty there too.
This Saturday, we decamped to a friend’s empty vacation home north of Tampa, where we are busy looking for a long-term rental within a couple of hours of Sanibel, so when we are allowed/able to go to the island we can check on our home.
For those who have watched the news, you know that Sanibel took a direct hit from Ian and that there was a significant storm surge, knocking out power and the bridge to the island, flooding homes and businesses, and leaving residents stranded and literally in the dark. In fact, all of Lee County was without power and water until this week.
To say that things are bad on Sanibel is an understatement.
Per the City, 80 percent of structures are unsafe. Lives and livelihoods are ruined. And not just on Sanibel but in surrounding areas too. The other day I read Hurricane Ian was the worst natural disaster to hit Florida possibly ever. (The worst man-made disaster to hit Florida? It’s a toss-up between Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio, and Matt Gaetz. But I digress.)
A neighbor who weathered the storm took a photo of our house before she was evacuated on Thursday. It was still standing. And from the aerial photos I’ve seen, we still have a roof. A miracle. But as our house is older and not on stilts/raised, we most certainly have significant water damage. And all of our belongs and personal possessions are there, except for the few things we brought with us.
We have hurricane and wind insurance but not flood, having decided not to renew it as our house had survived multiple deluges with nary a puddle. (We completely renovated it in 2019-2020, installing impact windows and doors, new floors, and a new roof.) In retrospect, it was a bad decision. But can’t do anything about it now. And while we don’t know the condition of our house, we are luckier than most. Still.
So why am I telling you all of this? Because I’m raising money to help my less fortunate friends and neighbors and fellow business owners—and myself a little bit—and hoping my fellow Balloon-Juicers might help me with my efforts.
While of course you can contribute money directly to organizations like World Central Kitchen, by purchasing one of my books or my 2023 Sanibel Island Mysteries calendar, you will be helping both me AND those affected by Hurricane Ian as I will be donating half of the money I receive from book and calendar sales in the month of October to organizations, people, and businesses on and around Sanibel. (FYI I make between $2 and $4/book and just under $2/calendar, more if you use the referral/hot link, so I will not be getting rich off of this and will be dealing with tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars of unexpected and unplanned for expenses the next year.)
Lest you worry this is a grift, I will share with you the amount raised and where it’s going in November.
Thanks in advance for your help.
J. / Jennifer
🐠
I asked J. if she could include some photos, and she graciously agreed, though I am sure it’s bittersweet at best, and heartbreaking at worst, for her to see the images of life BEFORE.
This is a display of J.’s books at MacIntosh Books on Sanibel, where she typically held her book launches and book signings.
The store is still standing, mostly, but there is likely water damage. Jennifer very recently held a promotion/fundraiser for the store on her Sanibel Island Mysteries Facebook page — and will be doing more to help the owner as well as other small business owners on Sanibel.
I suggested a GoFundMe, but Jennifer’s answer was a hard no. She would rather have people buy her books and her Sanibel Island calendar. She hopes that we can encourage others to buy them, too. J. said that is better for her in the long run.
I am only guessing here, but I think that’s because J.’s books have sold really well, but nearly all of the sales were on Sanibel, and I think it’s fair to say that no one will be buying books on Sanibel for the foreseeable future. So if her book sales crash, too, that will be one more leg of the stool of her life that will come crashing down.
To borrow a phrase from TaMara, if anyone wants to take this opportunity to shrug and say that’s what you get for buying a house in Sanibel, or to assign blame in any way in this thread, I will cut you. If those are your sentiments, then please keep them out of this thread.
🐠
One last thing. As recently as this morning, J. thought she and her husband were going to be able to reach Sanibel by boat so they could see their house – as heart-wrenching as that will be – to assess the damage. They just got word that the Coast Guard has just shut down the marina to private traffic, so they are clearly stuck in hellish uncertainty for awhile longer.
So this is J.’s story, and there are thousands of people on Sanibel Island who need help, too. J. will be donating half of her share of the profits from book and calendar sales to organizations helping others in Sanibel, and in November, she will share with us the amount raised and where it’s going.
Thousands of people having the worst days/weeks/months of their lives. Wishing J. and her husband, and everyone hit by Ian, all the best.
Omnes Omnibus
Um, I think I have a matching red couch.
Omnes Omnibus
Good fortune, J. I will look at the books when I get home from work.
WaterGirl
@Omnes Omnibus: The calendar is quite beautiful, too.
Old School
Sorry this is happening to you, J. Here’s hoping you get to return to assess your house soon.
Betty Cracker
And after WaterGirl cuts you, I’ll feed your bloody carcass to the goddamn gators!
But seriously folks, I know Jennifer in real life — we worked on a hell project together years back. She’s good people. A damn fine writer too!
J.
@WaterGirl: Thanks so much for allowing me to get the word out!
There are so many worthy causes helping people and nature on Sanibel — CHR, FISH, SCCF, CROW — and so many wonderful small businesses. I will be giving them all money regardless of how many of you buy my books and calendar. But it would be great to raise a bit more.
J.
J.
@Old School: Thank you! I hope so too.
Bupalos
Is a marina neccessary? We managed to traverse about 40 miles of that part of the gulf in two canoes fashioned together with 2×4’s into an island craft, with a little electric trolling motor. Had a wonderful time at Cayo Costa state park, which I understand was smacked dead-on as well.
Anyway, we’ll be buying a couple books to gift to an older couple that wintered on Sanibel…they sold their place 2 years ago as I understand it. I know she’s going to love it.
Doc Sardonic
@Bupalos: Cayo Costa is the official site of landfall for Hurricane Ian(spit).
HumboldtBlue
@Betty Cracker:
Well, youse just got Ben Sasse as the president at the University of Florida.
Chacal Charles Calthrop
So sorry to hear this. I think everyone should buy these books, because they depict a world that is gone and therefore are a valuable record of what was.
I’m going to buy all of them.
C Stars
@J.: Is there a particular order that you recommend for the books, for someone who is just starting?
Bupalos
@C Stars:
Seconding the question of order.
Jay
@Bupalos:
https://news.wgcu.org/2022-10-05/resident-access-to-sanibel-island-begins-with-some-caveats
WaterGirl
@C Stars: @Bupalos:
I got the #1 book in the series for my sister four years ago, and she insists that I continue in order. Every year she gets the next one in the series for her birthday.
I had already ordered the one for her Oct. 17 birthday, but I may just order the rest this week and she can open one a year going forward. :-)
Oh, and in case you didn’t catch it, J. gets a bigger cut of the sale price if you order books from Amazon.Amazon purchases are still fine, of course, but if you are wanting to contribute the most to the cause, I think that link is the best way to do that.
edit: corrected to say “never mind”.
Steve in the ATL
@C Stars: @Bupalos: i always read books in the order written. Authors develop their styles and talents over time and it can be less fun to read a much earlier work
C Stars
@WaterGirl: Oh, I see, Shell of a Problem is the first, right?
I almost never order from amazon, after all the stories about people dying in amazon warehouses. Much rather order directly when possible.
Bupalos
@WaterGirl: When I click through from Shovel and Pail, it actually takes me to amazon!
But I guess going from that link means it gets the amazon referral in addition.
J.
@Chacal Charles Calthrop: ❤️❤️❤️
Btw, most of the places in the books are real places but the people are all fictional. 😊
J.
@C Stars: It’s a series, so I suggest you start with Book 1, A SHELL OF A PROBLEM. But I wrote the books so that each also works on its own. So pick your starting point. 😊
pat
I’m trying to fire up my Nook and if I can, and if they are available, I will download them for my upcoming flight to Europe. No time to get the hard copies before we leave.
J.
@WaterGirl: I think you misunderstood. I get the most money from Amazon vs other online sellers and bookstores. I am unable to sell books directly.
TaMara
@Betty Cracker: I will then resurrect your dead remains, cut you again and hand you back to Betty C.
J.
@pat: Sorry, the books aren’t available for the Nook, just Kindle electronically.
J.
@TaMara: 🤣
J.
@Bupalos: Sadly, no.
TaMara
Jennifer is good people! And her books are fun!
J. I’ve already bought your books, but I’m going to buy a second set to give as gifts.
J.
@TaMara: Thank you. ❤️
pat
@J.:
That’s too bad. I don’t usually order from Amazon.
I have a local bookstore (not B&N) where I order most of my books. Not sure where they get them, maybe Amazon?
raven
Our friends just came through on their way back to Cape Coral. The reports from their neighbors is that most of the post- Andrew code houses did ok and that included theirs. It also probably helps that there is a mile of mangrove between the river and their house. I bought them a chainsaw at Harbor Freight and they are hoping for the best.
raven
@J.: We started with the Humane Society and ordered Fishy!
Tenar Arha
Hey everyone, anyone recommended https://bookshop.org yet?
I recommend this website to people bc it supports independent bookstores thru a distribution network. So basically, if you use this link to order these Sanibel Island Mysteries, you’ll also be able to support the bookstore Macintosh Books on Sanibel Island. It’s going to get mailed from a central warehouse, so it’s just cash in their bank account wo them having to ship anything at all
NB DON’T forget to select the right store if you’ve used this Bookshop.org previously ;)
@J.: My thoughts are with you, bc I’m imagining the liminal information space doesn’t help. Best of luck on the fundraising.
J.
@pat: They get books from Ingram. They print and deliver books to bookstores and libraries — and are owned by a family of politically active conservative Republicans.
Btw, you can ask B&N and any bookstore or library to carry my books. It’s easy for them to order.
Tenar Arha
@pat: just posted this;)
https://balloon-juice.com/2022/10/06/sanibel-what-do-you-do-when-you-may-have-lost-everything/#comment-8640931
WaterGirl
@C Stars:
Here they are in order
J.
@Tenar Arha: There’s a link to my books on Bookshop.org on my websites. 😊
J.
@raven: ❤️
LeftCoastYankee
I got the first one from Amazon, and look forward to reading it.
Best wishes with your house, and hope you get to see it soon. There is something worse about the uncertainty, since it makes it harder to come up with a plan.
WaterGirl
@J.: Of course I got it wrong! sigh. I corrected my previous comment.
MazeDancer
Is there someone who would like a book to whom I could gift it?
I have some digital credits at Amazon, so we would all benefit.
You can email at the PostCards website. Just click on my nym.
Back in my fan days, we used to gift albums to people who needed them to boost sales. Seems like we could do that here.
Tenar Arha
@J.: eep, is it an affiliate link. Hopefully this isn’t a 🤦🏻♀️ moment. I just ordered your first in the series plus a book I’ve been meaning to pre-order to figure out what to write in my explanation.
J.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME MONEY VIA PAYPAL OR OTHER MEANS. I appreciate it but I feel funny about it and you may be sending money to someone not me as none of you have my PayPal or Venmo credentials. Someone named Peter just tried to send me money via PayPal. Please cancel it, Peter. I cannot accept the payment.
WaterGirl
@J.:
What if we ALL ask our local libraries to carry these books?
How much time would it take each of us to do that? 10 minutes?
J.
@LeftCoastYankee: Thank you! ❤️
WaterGirl
@J.: Are there links to all of your websites in this post?
If not, please send them to me and I will add them.
J.
@WaterGirl: Up to you guys. :-)
J.
@WaterGirl: I think so. The two book links are https://www.shovelandpailpress.com/ (all of my books) and https://www.sanibelislandmysteries.com/ (just the Sanibel books). FYI ANY book sales apply, not just the Sanibel books.
Kevin
Best of luck with getting back to see your house. I hope it’s mostly recoverable. I’m from the Midwest and have no idea beyond what the news provides about the hurricane recovery process. Off to check out the books!
WaterGirl
@J.: Oh, right! You have two other novels, right?
Do you want to tell us about them?
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@Tenar Arha:
The author links to that site from her Facebook page. I was looking for an amazon alternative. They have all nine. Just ordered all nine.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
@WaterGirl:
Link
CaseyL
Ordered the first two via bookshop.org, and crossing my fingers, toes, and eyes that your house is in salvageable shape!
Noskilz
That’s awful! Hopefully things go as well as they can for her.
Wanderer
I hope you’re recovery is easier than your worry. I enjoy a good mystery, it will arrive Saturday. Best of luck to you.
J.
@Kevin: Thank you! We used to live in the Midwest and lived in the Northeast where we survived multiple blizzards that knocked out power for a week at a time and destroyed our roof. But I’ve never experienced anything like this.
J.
@WaterGirl: Just have people go to Shovel & Pail Press. The two other books are Something’s Cooking in Chianti, a culinary mystery set in, wait for it, Chianti, and Tinder Fella, a rom-com set in NYC.
Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)
An acquaintance who lives on Sanibel sent out the following email blast a few days ago
I can’t imagine the stress of this kind of natural disaster. This is one reason I haven’t seriously moving to someplace warmer. Her ein PA our disasters are mainly blizzards and ice storms neither of which usually leaves a houses uninhabitable. Also we leave high up on a hill so if flooding were ever to be an issue for us, there are several hundred million people who will be WAY WORSE off than us.
J.
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: Thanks so much for ordering the books!
J.
@CaseyL: Thank you and me too!
J.
@Wanderer: Thank you!
Tenar Arha
@comrade scotts agenda of rage: 👍 Thanks.
Didn’t even remember to click J’’s nym link, & went straight to the Bookshop web page bc I’m apparently now a full time ancient web dwelling Luddite ;) Even funnier, I don’t even have FB 😆
oatler
@pat:
“…sponsored by Nook. Nook: we’re sorry.”
skerry
Just bought “Shell of a Problem” on Audible.
MazeDancer
Gifted #1 in the series. Got the NY writer guy one for myself.
J.
@skerry: Thank you!
J.
@MazeDancer: Thank you! TINDER FELLA is actually my favorite in many ways. 😊
Joy in FL
I just ordered the first one.
I hope Sanibel and those who love that place will fare well as the future unfolds.
gratuitous
This was a tl;dr post for me, but I caught the last few sentences where the authorities are keeping everyone off Sanibel Island. Wouldn’t it be a really nice thing for someone with a video-equipped drone to fly it over the island slowly, and post the footage on line? It wouldn’t be a substitute for actual on the ground inspection, but residents could at least get a peek at what their homes look like.
MazeDancer
@J.: Interesting. Though, of course you love all your children individually.,,
Made some woeful errors over NY writer guys in my extreme youth. But thinking this story might end more smiley. Looking forward to it.
WaterGirl
@gratuitous: Did you at least read the beginning? This isn’t a blah-blah-blah post. This is a jackal asking for our help. This is a jackal asking us to help her help others on Sanibel, tool.
WaterGirl
@gratuitous: This was also important Maybe you have time to read this?
WendyBinFL
Jennifer, so sorry to hear your home was caught in Ian’s devastation of Sanibel. My husband and I live in Sarasota, and have many happy memories of strolling on Sanibel’s beaches. (We were relatively fortunate in the storm — shredded trees, but our home is intact and so are we! Lost electricity for days, but it’s finally back, and so is the Internet, thank goodness.) I’ve now got all nine of your Sanibel Island Mysteries in my Kindle!
Cowgirl in the Sandi
I just ordered your first book from Macintosh books. I hope you will be able to return to your home soon. It is so sad for me to think of Sanibel now – we have spent so many happy times there and it is one of my favorite places in the world. I hope we can all return soon and have a welcome back drink at Doc Ford’s – but meanwhile, be safe. My thoughts are with you.
Renie
The link brought me to Amazon and as a prime member I get the book for free on Kindle. So how can I donate money to help J out?
J.
@WendyBinFL: Thank you! ❤️
J.
@Cowgirl in the Sandi: Thank you! ❤️
J.
@Renie: Leave a nice review or rating. 😊
Betty
Hi J., I think I bought two of your books. I got caught in Kindle never never land because the Kindle I have been using is outdated. I switched to my new Kindle, and the books appear to be there. I am not good with technology! I love Sanibel Island and hope you get home soon. Having lived through Hurricane Maria, I have an idea of how traumatic it is to suddenly see your world torn apart. Wishing you and your neighbors the best!
Percysowner
Does it matter if we buy hard copy vs an E-book? I want to do what gets you the most profit.
J.
@Percysowner: No.
WaterGirl
@Renie: You could buy a copy for a friend or family member. I think the books and/or the Sanibel calendar would make great gifts.
MazeDancer
@Renie: Are you sure that isn’t if you subscribe to kindle unlimited? None of the books are free on my Amazon.
Leslie
Jennifer, I tried to follow the Amazon link from the Shovel and Pail site, but I got a Page Not Found error message. I’ll go search for them, but you might want to check the link.
Leslie
@Renie: You can still buy the book. There should be some text under the Read For Free button that offers you the option to purchase instead.
ColoradoGuy
Just bought the first four books on Kindle. Some good reading in store on my iPad. (They were free on Kindle Unlimited, but that’s borrowing, but they can be bought outright at very modest prices.)
I wish you best of luck, J, for you, your family, and the other residents of Sanibel Island. Seeing the photos, it looks truly beautiful, and I hope one day it will be again. Having grown up on the Ring of Fire on the Pacific Rim, it seems like the most beautiful places get hit the hardest.
Leslie
All books purchased! And the calendar looks like a great Christmas gift.
Percysowner
I bought Book 1. I like mysteries, so it’s good to find a new series.
Quiltingfool
I’m buying the series. I love murder mysteries!
I’m sorry this happened to you and all the folks on your island. I am very thankful that you are still with us. Things can be replaced, but you can’t be.
Blessings be upon you, my sister.
Origuy
FWIW, I get a lot of books at the library for my disabled housemate, who is a voracious reader and loves mysteries. To check that I’m getting them in the correct order, I go to Fantastic Fiction, which is usually up-to-date. Jennifer’s books are at https://www.fantasticfiction.com/s/jennifer-lonoff-schiff/
Looks like I have a few books to buy for my housemate’s Christmas gifts.
NutmegAgain
Wishing J/Jennifer & family all the best. She has lovely energy, and you guys are the best for responding to her appeal.
Skepticat
All I can send is profound empathy, having lost everything but my cistern to Hurricane Dorian. As long as you have some structure left, you may be ahead of the game, and I wish you well. A number of my neighbors who had very heavy damage were able to recover, though it wasn’t fun, and I hope you have an even easier time. Onward.
Dorian also immeasurably increased my respect for World Kitchen.
Kelly
Oh the not knowing is hard. When we fled the Beachie Fire in 2020 what news we could get for a week made it seem our home had burned down. Finally my brother, a retired construction worker, was able to BS his way around the road block and tell us we’d only lost a shed. He was completely convincing as one of the authorized workers taking care of safety issues keeping the rest of us out.
Regine Touchon
Jennifer I bought 2 of your books and will probably buy some others. My sister and her husband have a condo on Sanibel where they spend the winter…. typical snow birds. They were in Pennsylvania when Ian hit. I haven’t had an update from her but she just texted and she’s going to get in touch with the fam tomorrow. I have spent many a vacation with them and my heart breaks when I think of the devastation left behind. You’ll be in my thoughts.
Stephen
@Renie: There’s an option (at least when you’re shopping via browser on a pc or mac) that allows you to pay money. That’s what I did, and yet another series has been added to the e-reader.
J.
@ColoradoGuy: Thank you! ❤️
J.
@Regine Touchon: ❤️❤️❤️
J.
@Quiltingfool: Thank you, Cindy. ❤️ Still hoping to get the quilt, but it may be a while. 😓
J.
@Stephen: Thank you. ❤️
J.
@ColoradoGuy: Thank you. ❤️
J.
@Stephen: Thank you. ❤️
@Leslie: Thanks for letting me know!
Don
I rode out Charley on Cape Coral, losing the house, so I know how all of this feels. It was 18 months before we could return to Captiva, which looked like someone took a hedge trimmer and took off the tops of every tree twelve feet off the ground. Beautiful Sanibel did not take quite the hit, but her luck ran out, I guess. I grieve for the people of Lee County. It will never be the same. Thoughts and prayers are weak sauce, but I guess it’s the least we can do. Best wishes, J.
eclare
Starting the series, book number one will be here Tuesday!
Best of luck to you, I cannot imagine.