Sunday 30 September 2012

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & BOOK PROMOTIONAL SPOTLIGHT - MASKS OF THE LOST KINGS BY TOM BANE



What is your name, where were you born and where do you live now?
My name is Tom Bane, born in England and still living in this green and pleasant land!

Did it take a long time to get your first book published?
It took over 18 months of countless rejections and pestering agents and publishers, unfortunately it is something every writer has to go through.

Do you work another job as well as your writing work?
 Yes, unless you inherited a vast fortune, I don’t know any writer who can survive without a day job from the start, things get better though as success comes.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarise it in less than 20 words what would you say?
 It is called “Masks of the Lost Kings” , it is a Da-Vinci code style thriller which reveals the secrets of ancient tombs and the Golden Death Mask of Tutankhamun.


BLURB from Goodreads
Following the sudden disappearance of treasure hunter Ben Sanders in Mexico, beautiful archaeologist Suzy da Silva is snatched from the cloistered environs of Oxford University and thrust into a deadly maelstrom of intrigue and discovery. Joining forces with astrophysicist Tom Brooking she crosses four continents, to unlock the dark secrets of Tutankhamun's tomb, the Holy Sepulchre and the mysterious Mayan Temple of Inscriptions to reveal a mysterious truth. Together they risk their lives, pursued by martial assassins and renegade special forces, fighting the forces of evil to discover hidden knowledge so precious that it has lain dormant for over a thousand years....

Available at Amazon.co.uk

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it? 
I would say it takes me 6 months to write a book, the editing and publication take about at least the same amount of time though.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? 
I am writing the next book in the Suzy da Silva series, it will be out in December 2012, I can see another three titles in the series.

Do you have a favourite character from your books? and why are they your favourite?
 I identify a lot with the main protagonist Suzy da Silva, she is a mixture of opposites, polite but forceful, vulnerable but strong and adventurous but pragmatic.

Where do you get your book plot ideas from?What/Who is your inspiration?
 I invent my own ideas, they are often inspired from non-fiction, for writing inspiration I read a lot of poetry and old classic books like Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie.

Do you have anybody read your books and give you reviews before you officially release them?ie. Your partner, children, friends, reviewers you know? 
I have them read an edited by expert editors in their field, it is a bad idea to get friends to read them as they may not want to hurt your feelings if they don’t like it, it is best to get an expert independent and objective editor. Also some other writers can be jealous or biased so I would avoid them as well!

What was the toughest/best review you have ever had?
 I had a one star review it was from a Christian zealot, who didn’t like the discussion of the Mayan religion as it did not accord with her Christian beliefs! The best review I had was from a reader called Cheryl Dalton who runs a book club and is an avid reader.

How do you come up with the Title and Cover Designs for your book/books?Who designed the Cover of your books? 
The cover design was done by a talented US artist called Krystal Watters, the design was supervised by me as there are some hidden secrets in the book cover.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
 I wrote the book first then chose the title, it is actually a good friend of mine called Lee who comes up with the titles!

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along? 
Yes I decide all character traits before I write the book, I use an excellent book called “Writer’s guide to Character Traits” by Linda Edelstein, it details all the psychological nuances of people so that they are all internally consistent within your desired character.

Do you basic plot/plan for your book, before you actually begin writing it out? Or do you let the writing flow and see where it takes the story?
 It is a combination of flow and high-level outline plot. I don’t put myself in a strait-jacket by doing too detailed a plan, however I think you have to be incredibly brave or stupid to just “let it flow”.

What do you do to unwind and relax?Do you have a hobby? 
I do martial arts, I am a black belt in karate and an instructor in escrima, I also do a lot of brazilian jiu jitsu. Besides all that macho stuff, I like being in nature and I have a lovable golden Labrador who likes swimming and rolling in the mud.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..") 
Yes there are a lot of hidden messages and metaphors used in my book, I also use a lot of material from ancient myths and fables as well as religious beliefs. I want to keep my reader thinking and contemplating after they have read the book.

Do you think ebooks will ever totally replace printed books? 
No I think for the books you truly treasure you need to feel the paper in your hands, maybe I am sentimental but I can’t see physical books disappearing.

Is there a book you know you will never read? Or one you tried to read but just couldn't finish?
I will never read Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler it is safe to say and I tried many times to read the whole of War and Peace, but I never managed to get through it.

What do you think about book trailers? 
I think they are an essential tool an author needs to get his message across, the majority of people think visually, so a book trailer is the best way for people to understand what’s inside the book cover in under a minute.

Do you or would you ever use a pen name?
Yes my pen name is Tom Bane, which is not my real name!

Where can readers follow you?

Your Blog Details?
http://tombane.com/index.php
Your Facebook Page?
http://www.facebook.com/tombaneauthor
Your Goodreads Author Page?

And any other information you wish to supply? 

No comments:

Post a Comment