Rest in Power, Maggie Secara

One of my dearest friends, fellow author Maggie Secara, passed away unexpectedly late Friday night. All of us learned about her passing yesterday. She was found on the floor by her husband, Jim, who called 911 and performed CPR until first responders arrived. Sadly, they were unable to resuscitate my friend.

Maggie was not only an author; she was a historical reenactor and costumer. She portrayed the Countess of Southampton for many years at Renaissance Pleasure Faire North and South. She literally wrote the book on being a reenactor: A Compendium of Common Knowledge.

As useful as the Compendium is, though, it was Maggie’s novels that charmed me. Her Harper Errant trilogy (book 1, The Dragon Ring, is at this link) belonged in the company of urban fantasy legend Charles de Lint … and I don’t say that lightly. Her pirate novel, Molly September, is a character-driven  tale that kept me turning pages way past bedtime.

But Maggie was more than just an author. She was my friend. I am aching inside, knowing that her humor and kindness have left this world.