Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Barbara Bamberger Scott is talking with A. Marc Ross, author of Attacking the Dragon.
FQ: Can you briefly describe the thoughts and situations that led to your offering your talents through the medium of books?
ROSS: My interest in writing began in junior high school. I started with short stories and my first published work was a science fiction short story entitled Take My Mate—Please! published in Galaxy magazine. In college I considered writing full-time but instead I went to law school. After working as a lawyer, and during the lull of the Covid shutdowns, I decided to start writing again and have been busy doing so ever since.
FQ: What advice would you give to anyone considering a visit/vacation to China?
ROSS: First and foremost, remember that China is a huge country and it is not possible to see all the wonderful sites in one visit, or even several. Invest the time to decide on just a few cities and regions that interest you most. Also, unless you are adventurous or speak Chinese, consider hiring a guide or taking a tour. My trips have all been for business so I have always had a Chinese native traveling with me.
FQ: Has your literary research affected, perhaps deepened or altered, your professional/personal lifestyle?
ROSS: My research has deepened my understanding of various cultural and business areas, such as my understanding of China’s global expansion through its Belt & Road Initiative. And I have met many people from a very different cultural tradition. I do need to maintain the distinction between my fiction writing and my legal writing as neither style would be acceptable in the other context.
FQ: What sort of person do you envision as your book’s average reader?
ROSS: I think that my average reader is someone who likes reading thrillers, and in particular people who like characters and plots that are different than most other thrillers. Also, as shown by Attacking The Dragon and my first book, The Conscripted Extremist, my plots involve real world political elements. The Conscripted Extremist involves a government plan to seek out leaders of Antifa and conflict between the extreme left and the extreme right, so readers who enjoy big picture stories stemming from reality would find both of these books of particular interest.
FQ: Does your knowledge of China – its positives and deficits, derive from your occupation and/or travel, or does it have a longer, perhaps deeper, history in your life?
ROSS: It derives primarily from my business travel to China. I have had the opportunity to lecture to and meet with government officials, Chinese Communist Party members, business executives and professionals. This has led to my understanding of certain aspects of China’s political and business environment and how business is conducted.
FQ: How much time generally has it taken for you to write two novels combining such a wide range of scrupulous information and person-centered imaginings?
ROSS: Each book takes several months for the first draft. At this time I have two manuscripts in different stages of development and I have found that the more I write, the faster (and hopefully, the better) I do so. And I do tend to keep revising, on my own and with input from beta readers, before a final draft is ready for submission.
FQ: What would you recommend to anyone in midlife considering a writing career?
ROSS: Be prepared for a long haul. You should decide what your objectives are. For example: is it the satisfaction of the writing process itself; having others read your work; being published by one of the major publishers; or being one of the fortunate few who make their living solely through their writing? You must be tenacious and, no matter how good your writing is, recognize that this is an extremely tough field.
FQ: Have you considered composing an autobiography?
ROSS: No.
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