A Slice of Cake With... Nicholas Woode-Smith

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with Nicholas Woode-Smith.

Nicholas is an urban fantasy and science fiction author from Cape Town, South Africa. He has been writing since he was 13 years old, filling the internet with books, articles and essays on a variety of topics. In his free time, he likes to conquer the world in computer games or craft even more stories as a Dungeon Master in Dungeons & Dragons.

What kind of stories do you write?

Oh, the worlds in my books are completely normal. Nothing unusual. Except the magic. And the monsters. And the rewriting of human history. Okay, perhaps they aren’t normal. But I enjoy writing alternative realities that feel real. World-building is my favourite pass-time and readers have expressed how believable my worlds are.

In particular, I write two different types of books. The first delves into complex questions in a futuristic setting, with the backdrop of intergalactic warfare. The second is on Earth but following a student who hunts monsters to pay the bills. I have unique worlds for both and while they are different types of books, they share a commonality in the way of soul searching, philosophy and snark.

Can you describe your writing why?

My primary reason that I started writing was because I loved world-building. I had a whole catalogue of worlds and no real way to express them. So, I started writing.

I still love world-building, but the more I wrote, the more I have used it as an outlet to explore character development and emotion. Writing can be highly cathartic and by allowing my characters to explore their emotions, I can explore my own.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

“I’m with you, Brett,” I said, and sent an internal message to Treth. The message was also meant for him. “There’s light beyond the darkness. And we’ll find it together.”

Tell us about your latest project

I am currently working on Silver Brotherhood, book 8 of the Kat Drummond Series, an action-packed urban fantasy series about a student who hunts monsters to pay the bills. Book 8 is scheduled for release in March. If you love badass main characters faced with a world of magic and monsters, you should definitely check out Kat Drummond on Amazon.

What is your favourite cake?

Definitely cheesecake! In particular, Chocolate Cheesecake. Yum!

Find out more about Nicholas on his website and connect with him on Facebook and Instagram.

Join me next week when I'm joined by Lynne Stringer. 

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round! 

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.