Keliana Baker's Forge Trilogy

 

 

 

Keliana at Key Largo, July 2000

 

 

When I met Keliana (Susan Lynn Baker) online in the Zorro group, I knew I had met someone of incredible compassion and kindness.  I never heard her say a word to hurt anyone's feelings.  The closest I saw her get to being angry was when the group 'discussed' Anna Maria Verdugo, Diego's sweetheart of the second season.  When Pat invited the group members down to the Keys to have a Zorro get-together, 13 of us jumped at the chance, including Keliana.  I picked her up at the Atlanta airport, wondering how I was going to find her in that morass that some call an airport.  It was easy, she had made a shirt with pictures representing just about every role that Guy had played.  The trip down to south Florida was delightful.  During the get-together, however, Keliana had a serious gall bladder attack.  She opted to have the surgery and then joined the group in Key Largo after being let out of the hospital.  It was incredible.  A year later she was in California at the HWOF star ceremony.  Two years after that, during summer break I had the chance to drive to Natchez and visit with her and her family.  Everyone made me feel like a member of the Baker clan and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.  

In 2003, Keliana, not totally happy with some parts of her incredible Forge stories, began to re-edit them.  She posted them and began talking about writing another Ania/Diego story.  Kel was my beta reader and the impetus to all the changes and reworking of my Pacific Odyssey arc during this time as well.  Her help was right on the mark.  

Sometime in 2005, Keliana asked me to put her revised and re-edited chapters of her Forge trilogy on my site.  I happily and willingly promised.   She was going to ship the chapters to me, but before she could do so, she became too ill.   Then she was gone.

I felt that I would be able to pull the chapter from the GWwritersforum archives, but the task became too daunting, I got a new job that demanded much of my time (commuting, too) and the promise went unfulfilled until now.  Recently, feeling amiss at my neglect, I pled for help, hoping that someone would have Kel's chapters in the form in which she wanted them to be remembered, and Julz and Patti from the GWw list came forward.  Thanks so much, Julz and thanks Patti for being back up with missing chapters. 

I am so sorry that it's been a year and a half, but I hope, when I get them all up, that Keliana will be pleased.  This is a superb story arc, classic to all who are fans of Zorro. 

For Keliana- you are so missed by all of us.  You are the eagle, soaring on the wings of friendship.  

 

 

Oh, my, the windowsill.... bring on the ice buckets.

 

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