Dazzled by Books

Ali: Hello Siah. I am so excited to have you here on Dazzled by Books today. Figured we would kick things off with a bit of a tough but hopefully not too tough question. If you are ready, where did you get your inspiration for "Infinity Lost"?

S. Harrison: I love pop culture, science and anything nerdy so my inspiration came from graphic novels, super heroes, fairy tales, books from my childhood, Manga, Japanese Anime, the movie Mean Girls and the first High School Musical starring Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. I didn’t get any inspiration from the sequels though, they were terrible.

A: Did you always want to be a writer?

SH: No, I wanted to be a rock star. But when I discovered that writers are like literary rock stars for people who love books and the only hearing damage I could cause was if someone turned Audible up too loud, well, that’s then I knew writing was for me.

A: You are so right. To booknerds like us, writers are definitely rock stars. I have rearranged my work schedule to be able to meet authors. I don't normally rearrange my schedule for concerts. That must make me weird. If a concert works out that is great. If and author is town. I need to rearrange everything.

What have you enjoyed most about being a debuting author?

SH: The thing that gives me the biggest buzz is thinking about all the people in different countries all over the world who are reading my books. That’s a mind-blow right there. Germany, India, Mexico, the U.K., the U.S, Canada, Australia, Belgium, the list goes on. A couple of years ago I was struggling to find someone apart from my wife to read the first draft in my own country, but that’s not so surprising considering people are far outnumbered by sheep and hobbits in New Zealand.

A:  What was the hardest part writing "Infinity Lost"?

SH: The hardest part of writing Infinity Lost was writing something that I personally thought was good enough to share. The second hardest was second guessing myself. Combining those two chestnuts drove me a little stir-crazy sometimes but in the end you just have to try to be as self-aware of your work as you can, have a little faith in your abilities and choices and hope that someone out there is going to read it and like it instead of using it as expensive toilet paper.

A: I think all writers can relate with wanting something to be good enough to be published. We all want to be proud of our work and to know that it is good enough for someone else to read. Since that was the hardest part of writing "Infinity Lost", what is your favorite thing about writing "Infinity Lost"?

SH: My favorite thing about writing any book is finishing it. I love being in the middle of creating a story but when you finish it’s the most euphoric feeling. It’s like a counter weight that you never even knew was there suddenly lifts from my brain which pulls an invisible string that draws my hand toward a celebratory glass of single malt scotch.

A: Do you have any habits while writing? For example: a specific snack food you must have or maybe music playing in the background.

SH: I cannot sit down to write without my Moroccan mint green tea. I always have a hot thermos flask of it beside my desk and will easily drink six liters of the stuff in an average work day. I’ve bought my local supermarket out of it on more than one occasion, no joke, but the weird thing is, other than when I’m writing I only ever drink it absolutely all the time.

A: What is your favorite thing to do when you aren't writing?

SH: I really enjoy lying down. Who ever invented that is a genius and they deserve a lying down ovation.

A: Disney Villain or Disney Princess/Prince?

SH: Without question I have to say-Disney supporting character. They’re always so underrated and under-appreciated. Maximus the horse from Tangled was the real star, not to mention Sebastian the crab in The Little Mermaid, Timon and Pumbaa, Olaf the Snowman, Dopey and Grumpy, Iago the parrot in Aladdin, and Bambi was cute sure, but he doesn’t hold a candle to the concentrated dose of furry adorableness that was Thumper. I rest my case.

A: I couldn't agree with you more. The supporting characters in Disney films are definitely underrated and under-appreciated. They are the characters that really keep the story going.

Here is my last question and it is definitely the most important one. Do you know the Muffin Man?

That lives on Drury Lane? No, but his cousin Bran Muffin used to be in my high school home-economics class and I know the McMuffins very well, especially sausage and egg. I’ve always wanted to meet Cinnabon. I think we would become very close friends.

A: I think that is the best answer I have received for that question. I love it. I just wanted to say thank you so much Siah for stopping by today. It was great getting to know you better. I hope to have you on Dazzled by Books again in the future.