A Little Bit of R&R: Interview with Tom Bane, author of Masks of the Lost Kings

Mystery Thriller

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...

We have Tom Bane here for an interview today. Tom is the author of Masks of the Lost Kings.

Tell us a bit about yourself

I am Tom Bane, writer of “Masks of the Lost Kings”, I live in England, my chief passions are reading, martial arts and nature. I particularly enjoy travelling in the USA and South America, there are so many interesting people to meet and captivating things to see, last year I went to Yosemite and Death Valley.
When did you begin writing?I have been doing creative writing classes for several years and did some short stories and editing for other authors, however I had never taken the “big leap” and written a full novel. I started the “Masks of the Lost Kings” in 2008 and it took me until 2010 to finish it as I had a lot of research to do and every author’s first book takes the longest.

Have you ever been discouraged in regard to your writing ability and if so, how did you get past it and move forward?

You have to be very resilient and thick-skinned to be an author, I got over 50 rejection letters from literary agents, just so you can understand what I mean, for the rejection letters I was getting, it wasn’t a rejection from a publisher it was from a literary agent, you need to get an agent before you even get the chance to get rejected from a publisher! it was tough going for 18 months, but eventually I found an agent and a great publisher. I think I have learned from martial arts and my life experience, that most worthwhile things don’t come easy and you just need to ignore it and carry on.

What's your favorite thing about writing?

I love the opportunity to disappear into a world of your own thoughts and try to create a magical experience for readers.

What is something you've written that will never see the light of day?

I wrote some extra chapters for “Masks of the Lost Kings” that explore in more detail the sacred artifacts of Tutankhamun, however I relied on the opinion of my editor and she thought it was better to hold back on some of the mystery and I took her advice.

What is your writer food?

I read poetry and the classics including Shakespeare, there is tons of metaphors and inspirational material you can use and adapt, I think it is not unusual for an author to do that.

What's the hardest thing about writing for you?

It is the extensive amount of time it takes to write something original and intellectually provocative. It really is very hard work with all the other responsibilities one has in life.

What inspires you to write?

I like to share great stories with the reading public, I have to be humble though, I just hope people enjoy reading what I write!

How many books have you written and which is your favorite?

I have ghost written or edited 2 novels for other authors but I can’t say their names for legal reasons, one of them was in the top 10 Sunday Times fiction bestsellers for several weeks. My first novel written in my own name is “masks of the Lost Kings”

What are some of your favorite books?

I have hundreds of favourite books, I would say I admire Ulysses by James Joyce for it’s breathtaking originality, I also love the Harry Potter books for their ability to create any entirely new world.

What authors do you like to read?

I read a wide variety of books from Clive Cussler to Tom Clancy and from Gabiel Garcia Marquez to Haruki Murakami. I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, I am reading “Thinking Fast and Slow” by Daniel Kahneman the Nobel prize winning economist.

What inspired you to write Masks of the Lost Kings ?

I had always been interested in Tutankhamun and the Mayans, whilst I was out walking my dog at Tintagel castle on the Cornish coast, which is the home of King Arthur and his sword Excalibur, I had a flash of inspiration, and that is where the idea for “Masks of the Lost Kings” germinated.

If you could choose a dream cast for Masks of the Lost Kings, who would you pick?

I would love Angelina Jolie to play Suzy da Silva, she is a sex symbol but also a great actress, Tom Hardy the British actor or maybe Matt Bomer from Flightplan would be perfect for Tom, Genki Sudo could play Getsu, he is a Japanese actor, musician and martial artist and incredibly talented, but not at all well known in the USA.

Would you say you relate to any of your characters?

If so, which one and why? I relate to Tom somewhat in the novel, but I can’t say why!

About Tom

Tom Bane grew up in England. He studied physical chemistry at University and went on to work in the energy industry before becoming a writer. The son of an engineer and a school teacher, he has always had a fascination for the interplay between science and beliefs, and these themes provide the backdrop to his novels. He had the idea for the Suzy da Silva series one day in 2008 whilst out walking with his dog in Cornwall near Tintagel Castle. His first novel “Masks of the Lost Kings” took him over two years to write and research, visiting the ancient ruins of Egypt and South and Central America. His first novel was published in 2012, and has exceeded all expectations. Since then, he has been busy on his second novel in the Suzy da Silva series, with more novels in the series already in the pipeline. Tom appears regularly in the media and is highly rated by fans and booklovers alike. He spends his time living and writing in the USA, UK and Thailand.