The perfect balance between sunshine and shadows: Gothic horror/fantasy writer finds beauty in the contrast of her life

There is an elegant order and simplicity to the Victorian table setting. Delicate floral patterned, antique china tea cups sit awaiting Twinings Prince Of Wales tea leaves and sugar lumps. Walker’s petticoat tail shortbread cookies rest on doilies adorning a silver serving tray. Linen napkins, lemon wedges and antique silver spoons complete the scene. But this is not a visit with grandma. This is tea time with Lueya Cecelia Harrison, a gothic fantasy/horror writer. Dressed in a black lace skirt ensemble, silver charms layered on several chains around her throat, Harrison is a petite 5'2" heroine with waist length dark curls, flashing ebony eyes and pale buttermilk skin. “I’ve been drinking tea since I was 13 years old.” says Harrison. “I take tea as a social occasion. I enjoy talking over tea, it soothes me. I also like the taste.” Nibbling on a cookie, Harrison is calm and soft spoken. Pouring a second cup of tea, she is in the mood to chat.

With an innate calmness and poise, Harrison seems like a long lost Bronte sibling. She enjoys art, poetry, imagination and philosophy. She reads almost as much as she writes. Harrison’s favorite authors include Nathaniel Hawthorne, William Shakespeare and Edgar Allan Poe. She has an extensive library collection, filling shelves on all four walls of her living room. She is never without a book. Her current read is one of Ellen Schreiber's Vampire Kisses.  A stack of Lemony Snicket‘s A Series Of Unfortunate Events sits on the coffee table. “I like to read contemporary authors to see what they are doing. I often find inspiration. I found it interesting that these are darker tales for children.” said Harrison.

The almost Autumn sunshine pours in through the lace panel curtains. A black cat named Luna naps in the warmth. This is not the type of atmosphere most would consider to inspire gothic horror. Where does the darkness in Harrison’s writing come from?

“Anything can inspire me,” says Harrison. “Art, music, something that happens in my own life can inspire a character or story idea to form.” She walks toward her office. Harrison’s office is filled with things she says she loves. There are posters of My Chemical Romance, Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow and Shirley Manson from Garbage. The office is cluttered and full of all sorts of objects. Vedic statues and curious carved wooden boxes sit next to an elephant candle holder and a line of Lord Of The Rings action figures. She has a skeleton pirate puppet hanging in one corner, a corpse’s hand fashioned into a candle sitting in another. “My most prized possessions are my Grandmother’s locket, my John Lennon vinyl records and my antique clarinet.” Harrison said. She points to a werewolf skull, “This reminds me of a character I created. Everything here means something to me.”

Taking a seat upon a blue damask chaise, Harrison runs her dainty black polished fingers demurely through the lush grey fur of a another feline familiar named Smokey.  She loves music, especially international muses. "I discovered Visual Kei while researching Dir En Grey. I think that stylistically through the diversity of the sounds of various keis, the visual system music has a lot to offer. It inspires me and gets me thinking creatively. Visually it as inspiring to me as any painting."  Harrison's passion for Visual Kei motivated her to build a support system for artists called spi Productions Inc.  Still constructing the frame work for the organization, it is her hope to utilize the strength of diversity to achieve artist's personal goals while supporting each other.

Harrison’s writing projects are numerous. Her poems have been published in collections internationally including “Waves Of Thoughts“, “Dream Words” and “Tides”. She is working on novellas and screen plays simultaneously. She blogs prolifically, networks internationally, tweets and facebooks daily.  Her concentration lately has been on a series of short stories called The Irony Gate. “They are mini graphic novels. I am looking for an artist so I can get this project running. Irony Gate explores the psychology of your deepest obsessions and worst fears.” Harrison said.

A pair of mysterious grey and amber eyes peers at me from a darkened corner beside the antique upright piano.  With little effort, I summon their owner, another overtly friendly black feline called Salem, who flirts mercilessly with me. Harrison adds being an accomplished musician as well to the lot of projects on her workbench.  She has crafted poetic works into lyrics awaiting a composer's touch. Tapping random piano keys, Harrison explains "I call this project SLU. I seek to find enough company to create a large diverse sound. It would be a visual project of my own design. It already has a story, and I can imagine a final product in my mind. I am open to creative collaboration with anyone that can sense music to my poetic words."

“I don’t hide anything I am,” says Harrison, black lips curling into a mischievous grin. “But if you want to know what I am about, to just take me at face value, you’d miss two thirds of who I am.” As for her duality, Harrison said, “To have a darker and a lighter side is human nature. There must be a balance. I look at the world through more than just one lense. I can see the sunshine and the shadows and both are beautiful.”