Author Interview by Nancy Mehl of MyShelf.com

Marshall, welcome to MyShelf.com. Give us a synopsis of your book, SOLDIER OF THE LEGION.

Hi Nancy! Thanks for having me. Here's a quick synopsis:

When Squad Beta drops onto the primitive world of Andrion 2 they know the Systies are out there somewhere, armored DefCorps soldiers from a malignant galactic slave empire, waiting to slice them to bloody bits in a microfrac. The young Legion trooper Thinker (Beta Three) vows this will not happen on his watch. It soon becomes chillingly clear that Beta is facing more than Systies. The ultimate Evil awaits them all, writhing in the shadows, merciless and all-powerful, and humanity itself is poised on the brink of extinction.

As he travels further into the dark Thinker finds both love and death, and realizes that the Legion has always been his destiny. The squad is soon seeking its fate in a series of suicidal attacks on hostile planets against an enemy that has never known defeat. Beta One says they are going to change history, but Thinker doesn't care about history. He cares only about Beta and his closest comrades. As the dead begin to outnumber the living he vows ruthless vengeance on his enemies. He knows the stakes are a lot higher than his immediate survival - and that Beta Three is not just along for the ride.

Why do you write Science Fiction?

I write SF because I love to write, and writing SF challenges my imagination. The first SF book I ever read was Star Bridge by Williamson and Gunn, in 1958. It blew me away. I started buying pulp SF and later discovered Robert Heinlein and Starship Troopers . That was an inspiration. I was still a teenager when I decided I was going to write science fiction. I made plenty of half-hearted efforts over the years to write SF, but I never finished anything. In 1982 I started to get serious about writing. It's now 2002, I'm 60, and publishing my first SF story with three sequels in the wings. It's never too late and you're never too old!

Who are the writers who have influenced you the most?

Robert Heinlein remains my favorite SF writer. In other genres I like the adventure stories of John Gordon Davis and the novels of Indochina and Algeria by Jean Larteguy ( Yellow Fever , The Centurions ). I enjoy true-life war and historical books by Bernard Fall ( Street Without Joy , Hell in a Very Small Place ) and Stephen Ambrose ( Band of Brothers ). Some of my favorites are true stories of normal people thrown into extraordinary situations. Read Forgotten Soldier by Guy Sajer if you dare. Truth is always scarier than fiction. My guide for good stories is simple: if it brings tears to your eyes and puts a chill to your skin, it's good. Anything written by Duong Thu Huong meets that definition, but you need some background on Vietnamese society to understand it.

What is unique about SOLDIER OF THE LEGION?

Soldier of the Legion is the story of a squad of youths thrown together in the far future to battle fearsome enemies in a situation where failure means extinction for their species. As they travel deeper into the Outvac, they realize they will never return and that their loyalties are increasingly to each other. I can't think of any story similar to Soldier of the Legion. It's a many-layered, grittily realistic novel with a large cast of unique characters who each bring something different to the story. The challenges and dilemmas they face will change each of them forever.

I understand that SOLDIER OF THE LEGION is the first in a series. Tell us a little about your upcoming books.

The Soldier of the Legion saga continues with Slave of the Legion , Secret of the Legion and Cross of the Legion . The surviving members of Squad Beta face new challenges from enemies determined to erase them and their civilization from history. Thinker meets seemingly impossible obstacles battling his own fate to rescue his loved ones from extinction and ultimately confront his greatest nemesis.

What are your biggest challenges as a writer?

I had two major challenges. Major Challenge Number One: Not getting discouraged. I resolved this one early, by deciding that I was never going to stop writing, and never going to stop trying to get published. If you love writing, it's hard to stop anyway. Continuing to submit your work is just a discipline problem. Major Challenge Number Two: Improving your work and making it shorter. This one was harder. You have to continue to grow, and improve your work. Submission Number 51 should be a lot better than Submission Number 23, even if it's the same story. I have a tendency to never use one word when eight will do. That's wrong. I learned it the hard way. It still hurts to throw away entire chapters, but think of it this way - it leads to publication. I've never run into any publisher who said "make it longer."

What are some of the most important things you've learned about writing since you started on your first book?

In no particular order:

1. Blood relatives can't evaluate your work honestly ("That's really good, Daddy.")

2. Rejection letters that claim the publisher is "intrigued" by your work should not be taken seriously if they are addressed to "Dear Author."

3. It doesn't matter how many rejection letters you receive. Remember you only need one acceptance letter.

4. Getting a lot of rejection letters doesn't mean you're no good. It may mean the editor who's sending you the rejection letter is no good. Rudyard Kipling was told he didn't understand the English language. Thor Heyerdahl was told that Kon-Tiki was boring. The Diary of Anne Frank was rejected for being of no special interest. I don't know for sure but I'll bet Shakespeare got rejections too. So don't feel bad - we're in good company.

5. If you stop submitting, you will not be published (unless you decide to self-publish).

6. If you self-publish, you'll probably never really know if you're a good writer.

7. If a publishing professional decides to bet real money on you by publishing your book, it's a sign that you're probably a good writer.

8. If people buy the book, that's an even better sign.

9. If a publisher shows interest in your book, and wants some changes made, pay attention and don't argue about it. Just do it.

10. If you have asked someone to comment on your writing, and you get a suggestion for improvement, don't get angry and defensive. Yes, it hurts, but you must evaluate the evaluation and decide if it has merit. If you won't listen to constructive criticism, you won't improve your writing.

11. If a publisher ever asks for money in connection with an offer to publish your book, find another publisher. They're the ones who are supposed to pay you, not the other way around.

12. You always know exactly what you mean when you write something. It's all crystal-clear to you, the writer. The reader, however, may have no idea what you mean. That's why it's so important to have others read your work and give you their comments.

13. Make sure you know what you're writing about. If it's science fiction, for example, you don't have to be a scientist but you do have to keep up with scientific developments and stay out there on the cutting edge. Subscribe to whatever periodicals cover your field and learn how to find information on the internet - it's all there.

Have you made mistakes along the way? What are they? What would you do differently if you had it to do all over again?

How much space am I allowed? I made every mistake in The Book. Incidentally I'd recommend everybody read The Book, which is Sol Stein's book, Stein on Writing . Read it before writing your novel instead of after writing it like I did. You'll save yourself a whole lot of re-writing. In my case I used too many commas, made my sentences too long, made the paragraphs too long, made the chapters too long, made the book too long, didn't put the action up front, mixed tenses, used too many points of view, rambled on about things that had nothing to do with the story, and did a lot of other horrible stuff that I've already driven out of my mind. Fact: short, simple sentences are best. They are more powerful than long, convoluted sentences filled with adjectives and flowery descriptions.

One factor that slowed me down on the road to publication was my initial reluctance to show my writing to anyone. That was fueled by a fear of criticism, which I viewed as rejection. I later learned to seek constructive criticism and to learn from it. I love writing - if I had to do it over I'd be quicker to seek advice.

What does the future hold for Marshall Thomas?

I'm going to write madly until senility sets in - and probably after that too.

What is the most important piece of advice you'd like to share with other writers?

NEVER GIVE UP! Read Sol Stein, have your writing critiqued by colleagues who can be honest (other writers), improve your writing, and keep submitting. If you write action-oriented SF or fantasy and need a publisher, try Timberwolf Press. They've sure been good to me.

Any last comments?

Buy the book! You'll love it!

Thank you, Marshall.

Thank you, Nancy!

Bio

Marshall S. Thomas is a retired Foreign Service Officer who served his country in Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and Malaysia. He and his wife Kim Lien have finally settled down after a thirty-year adrenaline rush overseas. They have two wonderful children, Christopher and Alexander. Chris is now 25, a graphic artist and video editor. Alex is 13, currently majoring in computer games. Marshall enjoys writing exciting science fiction - and he's not ever going to stop.