This week, April Welles reveals the inspirations behind both of her exciting entries in our upcoming speculative fiction anthology, Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity.

Years ago, I had to make a delivery from California to Arizona by way of the Mojave Desert. There were two of us in the truck. One of us drove while the other rested, and we would switch later. That way, no real stopping would be required in order to make the delivery as quickly as possible.

At the time of my idea for “Horror of the Mist,” I was the passenger, staring out at the desolation on either side of the highway and noticing the small exits onto narrow roads that led into the vast middle of nowhere. It felt as though if one were to take one of these exits, one could become lost and then anything could happen.

For about two months, I lived in a tent in the woods. At the time, I’d been writing adventures about a sword-wielding character. However, the idea for “Queen of the Forest” was akin to a lost tale, explaining how she found her “son”. What happened to the mother was not what I had intended. However, that was the way she—or the muse—compelled it to go. I’m still filled with tears when I read about her. The title is also meant as a play on words. A double meaning for the females in the tale.

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April Welles found herself drawn to the diversity of writing within different fiction genres and the possibilities within each one from a young age. Her stories have been published in Fantasy Times Issues 1 and 2, and Pure Fantasy and Sci-Fi Volume 2.

April’s horror tale, “Terror in Agradeb,” can be found in Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity.

She lives with her sister and their two cats in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, loving the mountains and trees. Click here to visit April’s Amazon author page.

We look forward to launching Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity in February 2021. In the meantime, check out the first volumes in the series by clicking on a cover image below.