Author's Interview

Your first published book, “A Comfortable Death” is inspired by your wife and partly by her experiences in the Philippines. What convinced you to write this story?

J. S. Raynor: My wife’s experiences, up to the age of fifteen were remarkable by Western standards and, as I learned more, I felt that they could form the basis of a unique portrait of a strong-willed girl growing up in the Philippines.
Rather than use this material for biographical purposes, I felt that, with some imagination and historical research, I could develop it into a successful novel. While writing the book, I always imagined how it would translate into a film. I believe that the strong story line, Lisa’s experiences and the action sequences would be well-received by film audiences and I sincerely hope that this dream of mine may be achieved.

Is there something in your life, too that influenced you in writing this novel?

J. S. Raynor: Since, 1993, I have visited the Philippines on seven occasions and my impressions gained had some influence on my reasons for writing about this country. Apart from providing me with a very happy marriage, the country has left me with some unhappy memories, disappointments and bitter experiences. Some of these are described in my, as yet unpublished work, "Who wants to be British, anyway?"

It took you eight years to write "A comfortable death". How would you describe your writing activity over those years. How much of research and how much of personal labour did mostly fill those years?

 J. S. Raynor: My priority has always been to concentrate on providing security and an income for my family as a self-employed software developer. This has left me with little spare time for writing, especially as I wanted to be a full-time husband and father. I could probably have completed the novel in eighteen months, without these necessary diversions. The internet has provided me with valuable research, together with information from my wife and her relatives.

You also wrote "Who wants to be British, anyway?" about the difficulties of getting in the UK from a foreigner country, as happened to your wife. How would you describe in few words Britishness, its good and bad sides? 

J. S. Raynor: "Who wants to be British, anyway?" was said by me with tongue firmly in cheek. I am proud of my country’s achievements and to be British, even more so now that my wife has gained British nationality. What upset me was the fact that British immigration refused my wife a visa, even though we were married. I had to leave her in the Philippines while I struggled against Bureaucracy to bring her into Britain. As a consequence, I lost many clients and all my savings and had to apply for support from the state. I am convinced that, had the authorities granted a visa at the time of application, income support would never have been necessary. In the light of immigration policies over the last few years, it seems even more unfair that, at the time of our application, restrictions were much more stringent.
My wife has adapted very well to the British way of life, having brought up our children, James and Kimberley, mastered the English language, passed her driving test and gained qualifications in Reflexology, Massage Therapy and is currently a registered child-minder. She considers herself fortunate that she has the benefits of living in Britain, while her sisters, all of whom are married, still live a very basic life in the Philippines.

Are you working on anything else at the moment?

J. S. Raynor: Yes. After the publication of “The Gaudi Façade”, a romantic thriller set in Barcelona in 2012, I am working on several projects. I am enjoying writing Children’s short stories, using my daughter, Kimberley, as a test reader. There is also a thriller set in the U.S.A., which is aimed principally at teenage readers. I have many ideas and, at some stage, will write sequels to "A Comfortable Death. “The Gaudi Façade” has just been made available as an Ebook and I find this particluarly satisfying as it opens up my writing to many more readers and, in particular, blind and partially-sighted people.

What is writing to you? 

J. S. Raynor: I have a very strong, vivid imagination and enjoy putting my ideas in a form which, hopefully, is entertaining to my readers. My hope is that, at the end of my life, I will be remembered for achieving something worthwhile in this world.