James Roy

Some of the things I've been include a storeman and packer, a retail assistant, a missionary kid, and a registered nurse. I'm happy to say that I don't do any of those things any more, since I became a full-time writer. Now I live in the Blue Mountains with my wife and two daughters, I dabble in music and art, and I don't like olives.

 
Your favourite book as a child?
Can I have three? Josh, by Ivan Southall, The Mouse and His Child, by Russell Hoban, and the Narnia books.

What's a book that made you cry?
The Mouse and His Child. And Before I Die, by Jenny Downham.

A book that made you laugh?
Anything by Terry Pratchett or Stephen Fry.

What are you currently reading?
Henry: Virtuous Prince, by David Starkey

Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?
Becky from Tom Sawyer, and later, Nancy Blackett from Swallows and Amazons.

What’s your favourite reading place?
We have an open fireplace. That's where I like to read. Not inthe fireplace, but in front of it, obviously.

Who is the author you’d most like to meet? (living or dead)
I think Shakespeare would have been a lot of fun, but would have had something important to say as well.

Favourite book-to-film adaptation?
I know it's not very faithful to the book, but I loved Breakfast at Tiffany's. Also Steinbeck's Cannery Row, with Nick Nolte and Debra Winger.

On a quiz show, your special subject would be:
Cricket. Anything to do with cricket. I'm a genuine tragic.

And what are you generally doing when you're not reading?
Playing my guitar, cooking or listening to music.