Author Interview – Hugo Woolley – The Wasp Trap

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best entertainment eBook magazine UK“, Hugo Woolley talks about his new book, The Wasp Trap, in which war correspondent Alec Ballantine’s hard-won peace is shattered when a vicar confesses to murder.

Written by JJ Barnes

www.jjbarnes.co.uk

I interviewed Hugo Woolley about his life and career, the inspiration behind book 3 in his Charlotte’s War trilogy, The Wasp Trap, and his creative writing process.

Tell me a bit about who you are.

I am Hugo Woolley, born in West Sussex, trained in catering, and was a catering business owner in London and the southeast, for most of my life. I had sandwich shops in the City of London, specialist food shops in Kent and Sussex and, finally a hotelier in Cornwall. I am married with two grown-up children. I have lived in Cornwall for the past twenty years. My mother was an eccentric picture restorer. My father was a farmer and lawyer. As a dyslexic, I went to a myriad of schools, mainly because, in those days, dyslexia had hardly been invented, let alone treated. It was known as ‘word-blindness’ and dyslectics were thought to be ‘simple’ and below intelligence. How wrong they were!

When did you first WANT to write a book?

I started writing whilst recovering from injuries sustained in a road traffic accident in 1995. I was in hospital for over eight months being mended and put back together. I spent nearly a year in a wheelchair. First writings was a memoir about my experiences recovering from a road traffic accident entitled Crippled – available on Amazon Kindle.

When did you take a step to start writing?

My father was a solicitor and told me a very odd story about one of his clients. She was incredibly beautiful but was a bit unstable. She inherited a vast mansion in Paris that was taken over by the Nazis during the Second World War. This was the basis of my first novel.

However, the first draft totaled nearly 400,000 words! So I edited down a bit, which I did not like. I was advised by my brother – an established author – to turn it into a series or a trilogy, which I did – The Charlotte’s War Trilogy.

How long did it take you to complete your first book from the first idea to release?

It took nearly five years before my first novel was ready to be self-published in 2022. After splitting the first draft into three books, it gave me the opportunity to expand the plot and the characters. Girl on a Golden Pillow went through many drafts before I could finish in a way that would encourage the next book – Charlotte’s War – to be read.

How long did it take you to complete your latest book from the first idea to release?

Charlotte’s War was released the following year.

Focusing on your latest release. What made you want to write The Wasp Trap?

The Wasp Trap is the final book in the trilogy. This is the conclusion to the first two books. It also reads as a ‘stand-alone’ novel.

What were your biggest challenges with writing The Wasp Trap?

My biggest challenge is my dyslexia. If it was not for tools like ‘Word’ and ‘spellcheck’, I could not see me ever getting a novel written. I also have a very good editor which is vital to ensure the story makes sense.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Protagonist?

There are two; Alec Ballentine and Baroness Charlotte/Freya Saumures. Alec Ballentine – along with his friend, Philip Bing-Wallace, are Fleet Street journalists. I used to manage El Vino wine bar in Fleet Street in the 1970s and I was inspired by one of my customers, a tall WWII war correspondent. Charlotte came from my father’s story of his incredibly beautiful client. I developed her character; from her controversial birth – Charlotte is born, motherless and into a life of tragedy and adventure. She is brought up by her uncaring aunt and uncle, inherits her grandmother’s Parisian mansion in Avenue Foch, along with a priceless set of paintings – the Barrett Collection. When the Nazis took over her mansion, Charlotte had to hide her identity and changed her name to Freya. In The Wasp Trap, she is married to a Barron living in splendor in West Sussex after a turbulent war.

Who or what inspired you when creating your Antagonist?

There are two main antagonists: Charlotte’s uncle, Sir Jason Barrett, a powerful and rich man, who was also a traitor to his country. And Jost Krupp – an easy antagonist to create. He is a handsome and ruthless former SS officer, a former lover of Charlotte’s and became bent on revenge inflicted on him by Charlotte, driven to kill by money and love.

What is the inciting incident of The Wasp Trap?

The book centers around a treacherous and traitorous organization called WASP, an international body of powerful people who were against all forms of socialism and communism, secretly run by Charlotte’s uncle, Sir Jason Barrett. WASP informed the Nazis how best to conquer France in 1939 and had a network of spies working for the German Reich. However, there were secret files – The Wasp Trap files – revealing WASP and details of people and Nazis in this secretive group. The search for these damning files was vital to keep the people involved secret.

What is the main conflict of The Wasp Trap?

Who is going to find the Wasp Trap Files first? Journalist Alec Ballentine with Charlotte, or Sir Jason Barrett with the help of Jost Krupp?

Did you plot The Wasp Trap in advance, or fly by the seat of your pants and write freely?

The plot evolved as I wrote. I had a rough plot that I developed to fit the ending I had already in mind.

Did you get support with editing, and how much editing did The Wasp Trap need?

I got a lot of support from my editor. She helped developmentally as well as ensuring the book read well. I like to read fast-paced novels, and I hope that my books are ‘page turners’. My editor would point out passages that slowed up the pace of the book.

What is the first piece of writing advice you would give to anyone inspired to write a story?

Ensure you have a good basic plot. Develop a character as your hero – you don’t have to like them – they could be like you – and then develop at least two other different characters, make them real so readers can see them easily in their imagination. There should be at least one twist to the tale. When you have written the first draft, read and self-edit at least three times. Don’t go to creative writing classes, write in your own voice. A good editor will then help your writing – grammar, syntax etc. Mine did.

Can you give me a hint about any further books you’re planning to write?

Just finished writing the fifth draft of a novel called The Scars of David. It is about to go to the editor. It is a love story between a Jewess and an SS Colonel. I have started writing a book set in Cornwall in the 18th century. It is about a slave who ends up running one of the largest smuggling gangs in the southwest.

And, finally, are your proud of your accomplishment? Was it worth the effort?

I am very proud of my books, I have had nothing but huge praise in comments and reviews. I love writing and the research for the plots is very enjoyable and interesting. I particularly like historical fiction and try and include real events and people in the stories.

At the moment, it is certainly not financially worth it. It is very difficult to get one’s novels ‘out there’. But writing is absolutely worth doing.

Now I have retired, I enjoy getting up and sitting in front of my computer each day, inventing characters and plotting stories, or researching historical events, finding interesting places in the world and weaving them into a book.

Pop all your book, website and social media links here so the readers can find you:

www.hugowoolley.com

www.twitter.com/hugo_woolley

www.instagram.com/hugowoolleyauthor

Girl On A Golden Pillow (The Charlotte’s War Trilogy Book 1)

Kindle: https://amzn.to/4aO1XZs

Paperback: https://amzn.to/3EoVPuB

Charlotte’s War (The Charlotte’s War Trilogy Book 2)

Kindle: https://amzn.to/4aNrmm0

The Wasp Trap (The Charlotte’s War Trilogy Book 3)

Kindle: https://amzn.to/416klZh

Paperback: https://amzn.to/40LaLur