Who is our Author?
Chrissey Harrison
Chrissey Harrison writes varied speculative genre fiction. Books about monsters, magic, action and adventure, and fragile human characters trying to muddle through as best they can. Her short stories have featured in several anthologies; most recentlyĀ Forgotten SidekicksĀ from Grimbold Books (Kristell Ink).Ā
A science geek, gamer and fan of sci-fi, fantasy and horror, Chrissey wears many hats. Metaphorical hats, that is, not so much real hats. Mostly her writer hat, her graphic designer hat and her crafter hat. When sheās not working on her fiction she likes to make things ā plushies, hand-bound books and random upcycled stuff.
She lives in Clevedon in a creaky old Victorian terrace with her partner and her 18-year-old goldfish, Ambition.
Author Links
The Interview
- So first of all, the world is a bit crazy this go-around of Indie Spotlight, have you had time to start any new writings? Read any good books lately?
Hi Haley! Yes, things have been crazy. Suffice to say that a global pandemic was not in my book launch plan.
I like to have a writing ārelaxationā project on the go for when Iām too busy or stressed to focus on one of my core projects. Something I can work on with no deadlines or goals in mind, and which is just for me to enjoy creating and exploring. Recently thatās been resurrecting a post-apocalyptic YA serial fiction Iāve had sitting dormant for a while.
Reading wise, Iāve been getting through more audiobooks because I can listen while Iām crafting or making things. In particular, Sarah Woodburyās Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mysteries series. Murder and intrigue in 12th Century Wales!
https://www.sarahwoodbury.com/the-gareth-and-gwen-medieval-mysteries/
- What’s something that helps with your writing process? Any certain playlists or maybe a certain time of day that helps to spur you along?
Being somewhere that isnāt my house! Like a coffee shop or a library. I went on a writing retreat in South Wales in February, (just before the lockdown kicked in), which gave me a great boost in productivity and motivation. Any change of scene is good for putting me in the right frame of mind to concentrate and ignore distractions. As you can imagine, 2020 has been problematic!
https://chrisseyharrison.com/meddwlcoed-writing-retreat/
- Did you always want to be an indie publisher, or did you ever consider traditional publishing?
In my opinion, it doesnāt have to be an either/or choice, but rather something you can decide on a project by project basis. That way you can combine traditional publishing, assisted and āsoloā self-publishing, and web publishing, paid or unpaid, according to what you want to achieve with each piece.
I decided that trad publishing wouldnāt be the right way to go for Mime and the Weird News series, for several reasons, but I have other series that I will pitch to agents in the future. That YA serial project I mentioned earlier might end up being an online thing one day. Time will tell whether this strategy of diversification rather than sticking to one mode of publishing is genius or madness.
- What was the inspiration for Mime?
Itās a bit of a weird story.Ā
Back in 2009, I was working on a short film with a group of friends. Terror of the Killer Carnivorous Coat (and yes, thatās coat with a C, not goat with a G). Itās about a possessed coat that eats people. You can watch it on Youtube!Ā
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL_mSQBSuRw
Anyway, we were tossing around ideas for future projects featuring other possessed items of clothing, one of which was a pair of white mime gloves that gave the wearer the power to make invisible things real.
I wasnāt convinced that our amateur film making skills were up to realising the grand vision in my head, and we were also big into the idea of transmedia storytelling at the time (exploring one connected universe through different media), so I committed to turning it into a novel.
It was harder than I thought it would be!
- Who is your favorite character to write? And who is the most difficult to write for?
My favourite character would have to be Liam. With Elliot and Sam (the MCs), I feel like they are mine, almost extensions of me, but writing Liam often feels like Iām channelling someone else. He does what he wants and I just write it down. Which is why between drafts he went from featuring in one scene as an informant to being a major side character; he just sort of wriggled his way in like an exuberant puppy.
The most difficult character to write was Detective Inspector Yates. He doesnāt get a lot of āon-screenā time in this book, and I didnāt do a good job of getting him across at first ā something my beta readers helped me identify. I went away and did a lot of research and thinking to try to better understand him and the experience of being a police officer and a POC (I drew a lot of inspiration from the memoir of Michael Fuller). I was then able to figure out how to portray him more effectively in the short scenes he has. Iām looking forward to doing more with him in book two when he has a much bigger part to play.
- If you were stuck in quarantine with your own characters, which ones would you want to be in quarantine with?Ā
Definitely not Elliot! He does not deal well with being cooped up and would be climbing the walls in a couple of days.
Sam would be great company. Sheās always looking out for everyone else, making sure they have snacks and get enough sleep. Curling up on the sofa with a glass of wine and a movie is her idea of heaven.
I imagine Gabriel would spend most of his time reading and keeping out of everyoneās way, but heād also have lots of stories share and we could have some deep philosophical discussions.
Liamās a nurse and Iām not even entirely sure he can get sick, so heād be working.
- What’s a writing project you haven’t gotten around to that you hope to write someday?
I have a million (or, okay, 97 at the last count) projects on my laptop, ranging from one-line ideas to half-completed novels. Starting things is not a problem, itās finishing things I need to get around to!Ā
The project I think I want to work on completing and querying once Iām further along with the Weird News series is a novel called āImaginaryā, which asks the question, āwhat if you were part of someone elseās imagination?āĀ
- Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
Itās taken me 10 years to get to this point in my writing journey. There is a lot to learn and when you start out itās not always clear how much. When it does become clear, it can be daunting and thatās when a lot of newbies get disheartened, give up or settle. So my advice is not to let that point in the learning curve break you. It means your getting there! Keep pursuing your dreams.
https://chrisseyharrison.com/the-moment-the-mountain/
- And finally, what is the thing you’d like readers to know most about your books?
I write the kinds of characters I love to read: fragile humans muddling through as best they can and leaning on each other for support and strength.
You wonāt find macho alpha males or stone-faced warrior women in my stories (sorry, not sorry!). The guys in my books tend to be geeky and emotional and rely on their wits. The girls are vulnerable but brave and their strength comes from compassion. After all, real courage is about trying even when you arenāt the best, the strongest, or the chosen one.
The Book
Thereās a supernatural killer on the loose…
Elliot Cross didnāt believe in monsters. At least, not until his brother died at the hands of something unnatural.
Four years later and a string of impossible deaths leave the police baffled. Consumed by a desire to shine a journalistic light on the supernatural world, Elliot sees a chance to make a difference. Enlisting the help of his (only) employee, Samantha, he quickly identifies the culprit ā a demonic mime artist whose invisible creations are fatally real.
Way out of his depth, Elliotās only hope is renowned demon hunter Gabriel Cushing. But tracking down Gabriel is only the beginningā¦ The search for a way to end the demon forever will take Elliot and Sam across the country, uncovering lost history, buried secrets, and a few new truths about themselves.
Buy Link
Amazon
Note on Giveaways:
If youāre interested in reading this book, let me know, Iāll consider buying a copy to host a giveaway, but as my last giveaways had so little traction for Indie Spotlight, Iām halting them for now. But, if thereās enough interest, Iāll bring them back!
The Caffeinated Reader 
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