"Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies."

I got off the phone with wiliqueen a bit ago.  She hugged me through my tears as best as the telephone allows.  May I offer virtual hugs and hand-holding all around?

susanmgarrett has died.  We were so very rich in having her while we did.

Susan was always gracious, kind and patient with me.  She was responsive and generous.  For many years, I've aspired to someday be as gracious as Susan in fandom, if I were lucky and tried hard for what seemed to come naturally to her.  (Not to mention aspiring to write like her!)  I met her in person only once, at Syndicon East '97; I remember her relating that publishers were asking her, "You do write things other than vampires, don't you? Vampires are over, and they're not coming back."  She was working on an Egyptian fantasy, then.

There are newbies on my f-list.  Rejoice that you have the delight of reading Susan's fanfic for the first time still ahead of you!  Mourn the void of never seeing her post.  Susan was the author of the second pro FK novel, Intimations of Mortality, of course, but even more importantly, you see, she was Empress of FK Fic, the most outstanding and prolific author Forever Knight has ever been privileged to see (Susan's Bookshelf).  She was also... Susan.  Incomparable.  Many people gave and gave and gave to our beloved FK fandom, but no one quite as much as Susan.  Stories. Zines. Challenges. Buttons. Time. Hospitality.  Patience with pesty little newbies like me, a lifetime ago.

Her birthday was Wednesday.  We used to celebrate August as Susan's Birthday Month on fkfic-l, with new fiction in her honor.  I'm gonna, um, go write a Janette story, you know?

If I ever get to heaven, I expect Noble Mind to be finished there.  And I expect it to be spectacular.