Interview with Jay Allan Storey, Author of The Houseboat Detective

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Houseboat Detective?

I’m mainly a writer of Young Adult Science Fiction. Though I do have one ‘detective’ novel/thriller, THE ARX, it also has a substantial Scifi component. THE HOUSEBOAT DETECTIVE is a big departure from my usual genres. It’s a ‘pure’ detective novel, has no Scifi, and has (I hope) a great deal of humour. The novel is largely about the protagonist Jake Sommers’ journey to find his place in the world. I wanted to write something unabashedly set in Canada, and particularly in Victoria, the town where I was born. I grew up in that city, and lived there until my late twenties. I still live relatively close by, so I travel there quite often. I’m very familiar with the city, and I tried to incorporate a lot of the local culture and settings.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Houseboat Detective, what would they be?

A theme song for the protagonist, Jake Sommers, would be easy – Fats Waller’s classic song “Honeysuckle Rose”. Jake loves Fats Waller’s music, and the houseboat where he lives is named the ‘Honeysuckle Rose’. Evangeline Sirkants, the woman who hires Jake and proceeds to turn his life upside down, would probably go for something highbrow, maybe the great classical composers, or more modern jazz greats. Bert McCluskey, Jake’s neighbour and friend/annoyance, would probably be an opera buff – maybe Carmen or La Boheme.

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I have very wide-ranging tastes in reading. I like to read Science Fiction, the same genre I usually write, but I also love a good mystery. I also read a lot of non-fiction.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I’m currently re-reading a wonderful humorous book called THE ONION EATERS, by J. P. Donleavy. I’ve read it several times, but still enjoy the bizarre, absurd humour. I’m about to start on a Scifi novel, ALL SYSTEMS RED by Martha Wells.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

I think the opening scene in the book, where an extremely hungover Jake has to try to coax a stubborn and foul-smelling sea-lion off of one of his neighbour’s houseboats. I enjoyed writing the humour, and imagining Jake’s dilemma.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I do a lot of writing in coffee shops. I have a small portable computer I take with me. I used to spend a lot of time writing on the BC Ferry to Vancouver Island, a trip that takes around two hours each way.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

When I have trouble with something, whether it’s writing or anything else, I remember what one of my ex-bosses used to say: ‘If it was easy, anybody could do it’.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I guess the overarching theme of THE HOUSEBOAT DETECTIVE is that though lots of difficult and painful events happen in life, in the end, life is beautiful, and worth living.

Jay Allan Storey is the author of the new book The Houseboat Detective

Connect with Jay Allan Storey

Facebook

Buy The Book