Tag Archives: susanna reilly

Making First Contact in the Middle of Eternity

Susanna Reilly returns with an illuminating tale of first contact between a human starship captain and an enigmatic alien. A member of our core writing team since book one, Susanna reveals the origins behind her contribution to Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity.


I originally wrote “In the Eyes of the Beholder” as a fan fiction story based in the Star Trek: Enterprise universe.  Around that time, sci-fi in general had taken a turn toward darker, more realistic stories and I missed the more light-hearted, positive view of alien/human interactions that original Star Trek exemplified.  So I decided to create a story about aliens who were not only happy to see Earthlings going forth into the universe, but also delighted to see what mischief they would bring – while causing a little mischief of their own.

Taking the story out of the Star Trek: Enterprise universe presented its own challenges.  Using an established universe allows a writer to take some short cuts in character development due to readers’ existing knowledge.  I feel that I met those challenges and am pleased with the result.  I hope you find the story as enjoyable to read as I found it to write.

We hope you’ll check out the perks we’re offering in our Indiegogo campaign and consider a contribution to help us fund the publication of Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity. Thank you for supporting small press writers!


SUSANNA REILLY has been enthusiastic about writing since she was named first runner-up in a story writing contest at the age of 11. For many years writing took a backseat to school, work, and motherhood, but the fire stayed alive. It was stoked in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s when she joined a science fiction fan club that published an annual fanzine. Although the fanzine sold less than 30 copies per year (mostly to friends and family of the authors), the joy of writing stories in her favorite sci-fi universes kept her going.

Susanna’s first professional publication came in 2013 when her short story “To Protect and to Serve” was included in the Main Line Writers Group’s first anthology Unclaimed Baggage: Voice of the Main Line Writers. She subsequently published two stories (“Form and Substance” and “Perchance to Dream”) in the 2014 anthology Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity and one story (“Tree of Love”) in the 2016 anthology Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity.


Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity

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.

Somewhere in the Middle of Eternity  Elsewhere in the Middle of Eternity

And We Are LIVE on Indiegogo!

MIME Cover PrototypeSteven H. Wilson and Phil Giunta are thrilled to bring you the third book in our Middle of Eternity anthology series—Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity—with stories of science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal by Daniel Patrick Corcoran, Michael Critzer, Sean Druelinger, Julie Fedon, Chris Ochs, Peter Ong, Bart Palamaro, Stuart Roth, Susanna Reilly, April Welles, Lance Woods, Steven H. Wilson, and Phil Giunta.
With cover art by Michael Riehl and interior art by Tim Marron, Laura Inglis, Julie Fedon, Chris Ochs, Cheyenne-Autumn Christine Reilly, and Michael Riehl.
Check out our Indiegogo campaign here and consider helping us bring this book to publication. Thank you for supporting small press publishers and authors!
Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity

Approaching the Middle of Eternity!

MIME Cover PrototypeWe’re ecstatic to announce that all stories are locked in for the long-awaited third volume of the Middle of Eternity speculative fiction series—Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity! All content editing has been completed and the manuscript will be compiled over the holidays. No official release date has been set, but stay tuned.

Contributing authors for book three include Daniel Patrick Corcoran, Michael Critzer, Julie Feedon, Phil Giunta, Christopher D. Ochs, Peter Ong, Bart Palamaro, Susanna Reilly, Stuart Roth, Richard Shawn, April Welles, Steven H. Wilson, and Lance Woods.

Cover art once again provided by Michael Riehl. Interior illustrations by Tim Marron, Laura Inglis, and Michael Riehl.

Meanwhile (pun intended), you can catch up with volumes one and two on Amazon by clicking on the cover images below. Each book presents a stellar selection of tales from the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and the paranormal written by established and burgeoning writers and edited by Phil Giunta.

And remember… in Eternity, all stories are timeless.

   

The Publishing Pipeline

The Fandom Fifty by Diane Lee BaronThe next book in Firebringer’s publishing pipeline is The Fandom Fifty by Diane Baron.
The history of Maryland’s SF convention scene is chronicled through interviews and anecdotes from many longtime organizers, guests, and attendees. The Baltimore region is home to a number of popular and enduring SF cons that include Farpoint, Balticon, Shore Leave, and others. The Fandom Fifty is slated for release in mid-2019. Cover art by Todd Brugmans.

In eternity, all stories are timeless.
 
Join gods and mortals in combat against slithering demons in famine-stricken Finland…
 
Witness an unconventional battle of wits as a devious genie tries to outfox a clever robot…
 
Ride with two hapless deliverymen as they stumble upon a frightening ritual to propitiate an ancient and malevolent power…
 
Escape to a remote corner of the globe with a desperate family fleeing an insidious alien invasion…
 
Follow a fraternity pledge as he undergoes an initiation to terror at a local cemetery…
 
The second project in the pipeline is the third volume in our speculative fiction anthology series—Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity. This collection of sixteen spellbinding tales of SF, fantasy, and the paranormal follows in the tradition of its two predecessors.
 
Our august cadre of storytellers includes returning contributors Daniel Patrick Corcoran, Michael Critzer, Phil Giunta, Susanna Reilly, Stuart Roth, April Welles, Steven H. Wilson, and Lance Woods. Joining us for volume three are Richard Shawn, Julie Feedon, Christopher Ochs, Bart Palamaro, and Peter Ong.
In addition to magnificent cover art by Michael Riehl, each story will be accompanied by one black and white illustration provided by a team of artists including Mike Riehl, Laura Inglis, and Tim Marron.
 
Meanwhile in the Middle of Eternity is tentatively scheduled for a late 2019 release. For now, you can catch up with the series in paperback or ebook: