Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’m an Eastern Orthodox author with a finger in many pies (kind of like Borges, though I’ve been more influenced by C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton). I was surprised to be told that on Facebook my initials are not given as “CJSH,” but I trilettered to “CSH,” i.e. “C.S. Hayward”
I’ve lost count how many books I’ve written. My complete works collection spans twelve volumes of four to six hundred pages.
As for a bio, let me give two author bios:
About the Author
Who is Christos Jonathan Seth Hayward? A man, made in the image of God and summoned to ascend to the heights of the likeness of God. A great sinner, and in fact, the chief of sinners. One who is, moment by moment, in each ascetical decision choosing to become one notch more a creature of Heaven, or one notch more a creature of Hell, until his life is spent and his eternal choice between Heaven and Hell is eternally sealed.
Man, mediator, midpoint, microcosm, measure: as man he is the recapitulation of the entire spiritual and visible creation, having physical life in common with plants and animals, and noetic life in common with rank upon rank of angel host, and forever in the shadow of that moment when Heaven kissed earth and God and the Son of God became Man and the Son of Man that men and the sons of men might become gods and the sons of God.
He’s also a writer with a few hobbies, but really, there are more important things in life.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The name of my latest collection is the twelve volume “C.J.S. Hayward: The Complete Works,” which are fading in.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I write as a spiritual exercise, but I don’t think that’s particularly unusual.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Too many to mention. I’ve read 90% of what C.S. Lewis ever wrote, and that is an education in itself. G.K. Chesterton has also influenced me, and I have read St. John Chrysostom for ages; my favorite piece is “A Treatise to Prove That Nothing Can Harm the Man Who Does Not Injure Himself,”
What are you working on now?
Taking a breather and working on something simple in theology to be translated to Urdu.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
One of the key SEO principles is to have good content that people will want to link to. Now I’ve done more than that, but people who start reading books can’t put it down.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
I wrote several times the length of the Bible in incomprehensibly high-IQ gibberish. That is to my knowledge all lost, and I don’t consider it much of a loss.
My recent ten to twelve volume series is about twice the length of the Bible, and it includes many good points.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
If you want to write a Western, read a thousand Westerns. If you want to write a fantasy novel, read a thousand fantasy novels.
(Though there is something powerful about eclecticism in reading.)
What are you reading now?
Right now I’m taking a break from reading to attend to modernizing a client website.
What’s next for you as a writer?
I’d love to self-interview. I looked at these questions to help me see why?
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
The Bible, the Philokalia, and my own “The Best of Jonathan’s Corner”. The works are worth review.
Author Websites and Profiles
C.J.S. Hayward Website
C.J.S. Hayward Amazon Profile
C.J.S. Hayward’s Social Media Links
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account