J Storer
You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It
Thanks so much for agreeing to an author interview.
I'd like to start off by finding out a little more about you.
How long have you been a writer?
I first started writing about 5 years ago. I worked for the National Health Service for the last 25 years and I used to write at night for a hobby. My dad sadly died last year and it sort of makes you re-evaluate your life and I decided to leave the NHS and start a career as a writer instead.
Have you always wanted to be a writer?
I hadn't initially thought about writing for a career, it is something which has come with age. I think that I wouldn't have had enough life experience when I was younger to be able to commit to my characters personalities or seen enough of life, to write about different situations or worlds.
What have you found the most rewarding and frustrating aspects of being an indie author?
As an indie author, I love being able to control my own time management and I can work when and where ever I want to, which is great for me because I am an evening person and I tend to stay up late and write till the early hours of the morning. I have found the most frustrating thing is the marketing side of it, there is a lot of confusing information out there and I have found it difficult at times to know which route to take but I am getting there.
What do you think reading adds to the world?
I feel that reading opens up a whole new existence for the world. Non-fiction enables us to gain knowledge which in turn can be very powerful. It also enables us to learn new things and gain new experiences in life. Fiction allows us to escape to a whole new world of whatever takes our fancy, whether that is romance, comedy, crime, passion, mystery or fantasy. Reading gives us that opportunity to lose ourselves from the stresses and strains of this world.
You're going to be transported to a desert island for a year. You can choose three books, three films and three music tracks, what would you choose?
I would take the following with me on my desert island:
Books:
1. M.C.Beaton: Agatha Rasin and the Quiche of Death which is such a funny book about a lady who is an amateur sleuth and gets involved in allsorts of skullduggery.
2. Sylvia Day: One With You, part of the Crossfire series, I just fell in love with Eva and Gideon Cross, it was such an amazing journey riding along with them.
3. Angela Marsons: Fatal Promise, part of the Detective Kim Stone series, who despite being flawed herself, still polices with morality and professionalism, whilst still fighting her own demons
Films:
1. Practical Magical with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, just love this film about a family of witches, it's got everything in it, magic, love, family, murder and a happy ending.
2. Haunted Honeymoon with Gene Wilder, it's a comedy about a play which is on the radio but the film becomes the play visually and it's hysterical.
3. Phantom of the Opera with Gerard Butler, just love this story and the soundtrack is amazing, I always end up crying even though I've lost count of how many times that I have actually watched it.
Music:
1. Kenny Wayne Shepherd: Blue on Black, which is such a lyricially powerful song
2. Shinedown: Get Up, which is very inspirational
3. Eagles, Hotel California, which is my chillout to song.
Who do you admire most in the world? Why?
I admire Mother Nature, the world is such a beautiful place when you take the time to look around, even a weed growing in your garden can have the most beautiful flowers. I also admire kindness, love and compassion because without this the world would be a cold and unforgiving place.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about writing of course, reading, my family and friends, yoga, meditation and spirituality, animals and NICE CAKE!
What makes you angry?
I get angry about selfishness, injustice, hatred and FLIES,(by which I mean the insects and not the zips in men's trousers).
If you could choose a superpower what would it be?
My superpower would be to fly, can you imagine just getting dressed and then taking off to the other side of the world or just going down to the local shops, how amazing would that be.
You have a Saturday night free. No kids or work to worry about (post lockdown), money is no object, what would be the perfect way to spend it?
I would spend it camping out in the woods, with an open fire, gazing up at the night sky, drinking wine and having a handsome Butler tending to my every whim.
Describe the perfect date with your movie star crush.
My movie star crush would be Henry Cavill dressed as the Witcher. He could teach me his sword skills and would take me to a private banquet afterwards, where we would eat, listen and dance to music.
It's groundhog day, but you get to choose! If you could choose one day of your life to live again and again, which day would you choose?
My groundhog day would be a day from a holiday in Venice with my daughter and best friend. The day started with a continental breakfast, followed by sightseeing in Venice, then riding in a gondola along the canals eating gelato. Afterwards we ate pizza and drank Bellini’s at a canal side restaurant, just enjoying life and each other's company.
What's the craziest thing you have ever done?
The craziest thing I have done and I am still doing is being part of a ghost hunting investigation team. With each investigation, something different always happens, from full bodied apparitions and electronic voice recordings, to climbing into dark creepy cellars and small windows, to being stalked by a male ghost and having the photo to prove it.
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Tell us all about your book.
My book is called You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It
Penelope Carter is the Midlands favourite radio Agony Aunt, who seemingly lives a perfect life. Married to a handsome Doctor, her obverse way of thinking encourages her callers to do the wrong thing, to take the immoral path, without thinking about the consequences. Penelope's world begins to unravel with the emergence of her lost love, world renown Celebrity Chef, Marcus Day. Will she decide to follow her own advice and see what fate karma brings or can Penelope Carter really have her cake and eat it?
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Which of your characters is most like you?
The character most like me is Alison, who is Penelope's best friend. She is a loyal, caring person who looks after the people she loves but hates to see injustice. She is also not very good at saying how she feels and tends to keep her thoughts to herself until she feels that it needs to be spoken out loud.
Tell us about your characters.
The protagonist is Penelope Carter, who is a Radio Agony Aunt. She is driven, bitchy, shallow, seeks fortune and fame, feels she is superior to other people, despises anyone who is not perfect like her. Underneath it all though, she is very insecure, hates the fact that she is getting older and is quite sad.
Doctor Matthew Carter is her devoted, loyal husband. He used to adore his wife but can no longer recognise the person who she has turned into and is seriously thinking about leaving her. He is a brilliant GP and gives his all to his patients and their care.
Marcus Day is a famous celebrity Chef and lands himself a job at the same radio station as Penelope. He also happens to be her ex-lover and has come back to claim Penelope for himself again. He doesn't care that she is married, he just wants her and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He is egotistical, narcissistic and full of his own self importance. He is not a man to be messed with and will tread on whoever gets in his way to achieve his end goal.
DJ Dave, is Penelope's sidekick on the radio and he has a love/hate relationship with her. He has a secret gambling addiction and is in a lot of debt which he hides. He loves being a DJ but is not very good at socialising outside of work.
Alison is Penelope's best friend, who also works at the radio station. She is loyal, faithful and sticks up for the people who she loves but tends to be in the background.
What motivates your main character/ characters?
Penelope Carter is motivated by fame and fortune and youthful beauty.
Doctor Matthew Carter is motivated by his professionalism as a GP and morality.
Marcus Day is motivated by greed, fame and fortune, selfishness, power, influence and beautiful women.
What do you think is your main character's best and worst trait?
Penelope's worst characteristics are her dreams of being rich and famous, her obsession with trying to stay young, treating her husband like a doormat and putting herself first. Her best features are that underneath it all, she really does care about her husband and that she starts to realise what is actually important in life.
What sort of emotions will readers experience when they read your book?
Readers will definitely be on a roller coaster of emotions, from hate to love, sadness to empathy and humour to intrigue.
What sort of reception has your book had?
My book has been well received and I have had some wonderful reviews: MUST HAVE BOOK! pairs great with your tipple of choice, could not put it down would be best on a sun lounger on the beach. Really enjoyed reading this book. It is light hearted and a nice easy read. The story follows the ups and downs of Penelope Carter who is an agony aunt who works at a radio station and ends up handing out bad advice. This has some serious repercussions for everyone involved. A great fun read.
Do you have anything interesting in the pipeline that you'd like to give us a sneak peak of?
I am just working on my next book which is another romantic comedy with a few twists and turns along the way, It is set in a family owned coffee shop and love is definitely in the air but will it be a happy ever after, we will just have to wait and see.
Where can readers connect with you?
I am easy to find on social media and love chatting to my readers and would like to thank everyone who has already read my book for your support, it means so much.
https://www.jstorerauthor.com/ https://www.facebook.com/J-Storer-Author-110376717300434/ https://www.instagram.com/jstorerauthor/ https://twitter.com/j_storer