Interview with C.S. Woolley
Published 2014-06-17.
Do you remember the first story you ever wrote?
The first story I ever wrote, I haven't a clue, but I know that my mum has my old exercise books from school in the attic and they'll be in their somewhere. I did spend an awful lot of my single digit years writing stories about horses that could talk and people that swam with killer whales.
Do you remember the first story you ever read, and the impact it had on you?
I don't remember the first story that I ever read but I do know that when I was in primary school I used to get books out of the little library there and repeatedly would read the Saddle Club books by Bonnie Bryant and a book called the Silver Sword which was set in war torn Poland. I read it cover to cover about twelve times in one year. It really helped me develop my love of reading and gave me an appreciation of how an author can capture the attention of their readers.
Describe your desk
I have two desks, one which is set up with two screens and a printer for my desktop computer. The other is taken up with make-up, a mirror, several pen pots, a book stand and piles of notes. I have a bureau that I use for letter writing and tend to work on my laptop whilst sat on the sofa or lying on my bed. I find sitting at desks very restricting and makes writing feel an awful lot like work.
What role does music play in your writing process?
Music can be inspirational or distracting whilst I am writing. It really depends on my mood. I've never been able to work in complete silence so I tend to have something on in the background whilst I am writing, whether it is a well loved TV show that I know inside out, or music. If I am in a distracted mood I find that I end up dancing and singing instead of writing for the most part, especially if I put on a playlist of rock from the 1970s through to the 1990s.
Because I tend to work on lots of different series at the same time, the music I listen to really does affect what I will work on. If I have soundtrack music on then I will work on my fantasy series, the Chronicles of Celadmore; if I have on rock music like Thin Lizzy, I'll work on my post-apocalyptic series or the Raven Siren series and if I have pop music on like McBusted, I'll work on my space war series.
Who are your favorite authors?
I love the work of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis, but though I find them both inspirational and enjoyable they aren't really my favourite authors. At the moment I love the writings of Bernard Cornwell, so much so I have two book shelves dedicated to his work. I also really enjoy reading Arthur Ransome's work and that of Charles Dickens, Manda Scott and P.G. Wodehouse.
I also think that Derek Landy is great fun to read.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Sometimes the sun does, but mostly it's food that inspires me to get out of bed each day. I love food, eating it, cooking it and sharing it with people.
I'm told that I may love bacon and steak a little too much, but then again I don't think you could ever love bacon and steak too much. I also have a love of potatoes and all the different forms they come in from chips to baked to crisps.
When you're not writing, how do you spend your time?
Mostly listening to music or watching tv series like the West Wing whilst playing on my laptop, Xbox 360, PS3, Wii, Gamecube, PS2, PS1 or one of my handhelds. I love gaming and find it is also a great social activity. I really enjoy gaming with my two best friends either on a co-op campaign or just playing on separate consoles in the same room.
I'm told it makes me a geek, but really I love who I am so I don't care. I also really enjoy going swimming and horse riding and before I broke my wrist, I really enjoyed rollerblading. I am hopefully going to doing more rollerblading now that the winter is over along with playing tennis.
How do you discover the ebooks you read?
I do some e-book reviews for a few websites so I get sent ebooks to read rather than going to look for them. I like going round bookshops and seeing what is on the shelf, if there is a book I want to read and it is only available in hardback rather than paperback, I'll look online to see if the ebooks are cheaper.
I also use Goodreads recommendations by friends to look at books I wouldn't necessarily think of reading.
When did you first start writing?
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. In primary school I can remember winning some poetry competitions and getting to talk to authors Alan Garner and Wes McGee when they came into my school on World Book Day to sign books and promote reading and writing.
What's the story behind your latest book?
Latest book is a bit of a difficult one for me to decide on. I have several books I am working on at once that include Beginnings, the first book in the Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren series; Rising Empire: Part 2 that is the second book in the Chronicles of Celadmore series, books 4 (the Rose & Lily Saga) and 5 (Legacy) in the Nicolette Mace: the Raven Siren series as well as book 5 in the Chronicles of Celadmore series, End of Days.
There is also Pestilence which is book 1 in a new series that is called Invasion and Alpha Sigma 1, which is the first book in the Alpha Sigma series.
How has Smashwords contributed to your success?
Smashwords has been amazingly helpful at getting my books listed in a wide variety of e-stores across the world and allowing me to give away so many books.
What do your fans mean to you?
My fans are incredible, I love to hear their opinions and there are days when I can't quite believe that I actually have fans. It often feels a little bit unreal and when people come up to me in the street it feels very surreal.
What are the top 3 things you want to do with the rest of your life?
That's a really hard question to answer as there is still so much I want to accomplish but in the next three years I would absolutely love to be Top Gear's Star in the Reasonably Priced Car, get the Siren TV series into production, not just the mini web series and I'd love to get my hands on my dream house.
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Latest books by This Author
Hild
by C.S. Woolley
Step back in time to the age of King Penda, when the kingdom of Mercia was born.
Justice is demanded and blood must be met with blood. The war band of Snotingham rides north. With matters of the heart, burning rage, blinding pride and fragile allegiances governing the fates of all there has never been a more dangerous time to be counted as one of the Children of Snotingas.
The Merchant of Venice
by C.S. Woolley
The Merchant of Venice is often seen as one of the more controversial Shakespearian plays due to the anti-Semitic attitudes that some of the characters hold. This Shakespearian masterpiece has been adapted into modern English by international bestselling author, C.S. Woolley, retaining the play format of the text, yet making it much easier to understand and digest.
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