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Interview With Author Thomas M. Kane

Fantasy Author and International Relations Scholar

By Marie SinadjanPublished 2 years ago 5 min read
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Thomas grew up in the woods of Maine, then spent eighteen years teaching international relations at Britain's University of Hull. Now back in Maine, he draws on his studies to write fantasy novels full of spies, secrets and high-stakes political intrigue.

His fantasy series Mara of the League is now complete on Amazon, with book one also available on audio!

Mara clashes with her land’s corrupt rulers, but the day will come when it’s up to her to save her country from invasion.

The Complete Mara of the League series includes the following:

Book One: The Witches of Crannock Dale. A war scare panics the small League town of Crannock Dale. League authorities arrest eleven-year-old Mara’s favorite aunt on trumped-up charges of witchcraft. As Mara races to save her aunt, she figures out how the military threat and the witch hunt are connected. This draws her into political intrigues which will define her life.

Book Two: The Rebels of Caer City. Mara battles powerful conspirators again when her friend Annie-Rose vanishes from boarding school. Together with two classmates, Mara searches for her missing friend. When Mara and her companions learn that some of the League’s highest officials are connected to Annie’s disappearance, they take to the streets to protest. Meanwhile Mara becomes involved in espionage, all while weathering her turbulent first romance.

Book Three: The Hideous Garden. Orlando, the League’s honorable new ruler, works to withdraw from a long-running war. Mara returns from a secret mission convinced he must win it at all costs. Anything less than victory, she predicts, will expose the League homeland to attack. Meanwhile Orlando’s mathematically brilliant wife struggles to prevent a crucial alliance from disintegrating.

Book Four: The Rending of the World. The League’s enemies strike. As war breaks out, Mara and Orlando find themselves stranded far from the action. While they fight to get home, fourteen-year-old Princess Deborah attempts to rule her embattled land. As Mara sees how her predictions have come true, she asks herself how far she will go to save her country from destruction.

The Mara of the League series follows its reflective and frequently misunderstood main character from childhood into her forties, exploring her evolving thoughts about her family, her friendships, her life choices, and the political maelstrom she is involved in. This box set features eight detailed maps detailing military operations. Get the emotional, cerebral Mara of the League series now!

Are you indie or traditionally published? What made you decide to take that route?

I've published over twenty books traditionally, and I'm releasing my Mara of the League series as an indie. Traditional publishing was a good way to learn the business and establish my credentials while having other people take care of things like hiring editors. At this stage of my career indie publishing gives me creative control.

Tell us a fun story about your publication journey!

The best thing about my publication journey has been meeting so many amazing people! Robin Birrell, who paints my book covers, Tallulah van der Made, who designs them, Toby LeCrone, my editor and Suzanne Minae, an excellent SF romance author who also does my formatting come to mind.

How about a horror story about your author life?

Well, I once had a publisher go out of business just before my book was supposed to come out.

What do you think is the best thing about being an author?

The opportunity to capture some of the things that are meaningful in life. Also, from a labor-conditions point of view, the opportunity to work independently on one's own schedule.

Who do you think you inspire? If not, who and what do you want to inspire?

My main character Mara is a reflective person who doesn't always accept things her society takes for granted. I hope people who have similar experiences in real life will be able to connect with her.

What keeps you up at night?

Good question. I used to think that I wanted to go to bed and get up early so as to have the dawn hours to myself. That's never worked out for me. If I have the dawn hours to myself, it's usually because I stayed up until then.

What character archetype would you be if you were a character in a book, movie or TV series?

I think it would be cool to be a wizard!

If you were a character in a book, movie or TV series, what would be your catchphrase or famous line or popular expression?

One of my personal expressions is "pox." I use it partially as an alternative to other words which are less polite. Also, I use the word pox to mean problems which proliferate and mess things up, and I'm going for the image of pustules spreading rampantly.

What food or drink best describes you?

My father did not like unfamiliar vegetables, and we never had eggplant (aubergine) when I was growing up. As an adult, I have really enjoyed discovering new foods, and eggplants/aubergines have sort of symbolized that for me. When I reconnected with a sister I hadn't seen for over twenty years, it turned out that she was a big eggplant fan too. Genetics?

If you were cursed to only be able to sing ONE song in karaoke for the rest of your life, what would you like it to be and why?

The other people at a party once voted me the worst karaoke singer of the night for my performance of Sometimes When We Touch, so, not that.

What else do you enjoy doing other than reading and writing?

Hiking in the woods where I live! It's a beautiful spring.

What do you consider as your weakness as a writer, and what have you done to overcome it?

My main way of improving my writing itself is to work with beta readers and editors!

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Tolkien started it all for me, and Ursula K. LeGuin inspires me. Richard Adams is another great one.

Any book recommendations?

I just discovered Gillian Flynn's thrillers (Sharp Edges, Dark Places, Gone Girl) and I was really amazed! I admire the way Flynn gets into her characters' heads. I also appreciate her characters' takes on people, society, etc.

You can find Thomas at thomasmkane.com or on Facebook and Twitter. More stories and articles come free with his newsletter, and for discussions on the Mara series and other thought-provoking stories, join Kane’s Coffeehouse on Facebook.

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About the Creator

Marie Sinadjan

Filipino spec fic author and book reviewer based in the UK. https://linktr.ee/mariesinadjan • www.mariesinadjan.com

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