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Rag-Tag Convoy
Warrior Goddess follows a Marine Captain who has been demoted as she is suddenly pulled from her position fighting criminal gangs in the far reaches of the galaxy to bring down her former boss. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Warrior Goddess is the second book in the Mei Ling Lee series of novels. The first novel, The Achilles Battle Fleet, is about a group of military people who are caught in the eruption of a galactic-level surprise attack followed by a war against an unknown enemy with a seemingly impossible technological advantage. When their rag-tag convoy of spaceships carrying civilian refugees is attacked and disabled, many of their friends and colleagues are killed, along with almost all of the convoy’s leadership. An older rear admiral, long past his prime, takes charge of the survivors and gets them working together not just to survive, but to take the attack to the enemy. The admiral’s aide, Lieutenant Mei-Ling Lee, is thrust into a key role in the preparation for the upcoming offensive. As the conflict continues, she is forced to draw upon her martial arts skills and her inner strength as she fights alongside the fleet’s marine commando unit. In the desperate war that follows, Lee struggles with a budding romance, new friendships, and startling betrayals, to become the leader and warrior she was meant to be.
How did I get the inspiration for the setup? I drew on my experience in the military and later as a diplomat. For example, in Chapter one of the first novel, the character, Bowman, is brought awake by an announcement that all pilots are to report to their spacecraft because their vessel is under attack. He then feels and hears a thump sound, which he knows is not something one should hear on a starship. That scene came from an experience in Iraq, when I was awakened by an announcement over an intercom system that the embassy was about to take incoming fire, and that we should take cover. In a moment, I heard a thumping sound, which I later learned was the sound of mortar rounds impacting. I used that real-life experience to write that part of the novel.
For the parts of the series that have a military theme, I drew upon my time in the military. And when writing about the marine commandos, I drew upon my experience qualifying as a U.S. Army Ranger and some experience training with special operations forces.
As for the martial arts theme, I drew upon my experience as a competitor and a teacher. Over the years I have done some competitions as the captain of a military martial arts team, and I have also trained military close protection personnel in weapons disarming techniques. I have written those experiences into the novel. The main character in the novel, Lieutenant Mei Ling Lee, was a former captain of a martial arts competition team, and she trains the marine commandos in her style of martial arts.
I find that the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
I believe that the best fiction is expressed through an odyssey – a journey – the purpose of which is to force the characters to deal with impossible situations where they need to make choices that define who they are.
To achieve that, I placed all the major characters in motion. They are swept up in events they can’t control, but they are in control of the decisions they make. And as in real life, those decisions have consequences. Lee is pulled out of her cherished Marine company command and sent on an undercover mission to find and arrest her former boss, Admiral Jay Chambers. During that process, she encounters space pirates, obnoxious AIs, strange Mongolian Monks on a planet where they should not be, three-meter-tall monsters, and a secretive enemy plotting to use time travel to upset the entire history of civilization.
What was the inspiration for Mei Ling Lee’s traits and dialogue?
In the military and in the martial arts, I have had the privilege of serving with women who, like Lee, are tough and resilient. Her character is competent and forceful, but as flawed as any of her readers. She is a composite of people I have known and of my own imagination. Mei Ling Lee is a diminutive woman of Asian descent who has carved for herself a place in a military world dominated by men. She is incredibly tough and capable, compelled to be the best at what she does. In both novels, she is forced to use violence to accomplish her mission or save herself or her friends. Her self-doubt arises because she finds she likes the violence, maybe too much. She feels no remorse for her opponents, and she wonders if she is OK with that attribute.
Where will the third installment of this trilogy take the readers?
The end of Warrior Goddess is a true cliffhanger. Lee has gone back in time to try and fight for her friends who are being held captive by a brutal enemy. Unbeknownst to her, her travel in time has caused tragic and catastrophic consequences in the present. As Lee fights her battles in the past against Genghis Khan and his sons, the rest of the galaxy struggles for a solution to the crisis she may have caused. Several of the novel’s readers have told me they are disturbed by the ending of Warrior Goddess, and they want to know how the plot will resolve itself in the third novel. I tell them, “Let’s find out together!”
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Former US Army Ranger and Tae Kwon Do grandmaster Brendan Wilson draws upon his military and martial arts experience, as well as his love of science to continue the saga of Mei Ling Lee in this second novel in the series.
Warrior Goddess: Book Two of the Mei Ling Lee Trilogy (The Achilles Battle Fleet)
Brendan Wilson’s Warrior Goddess is an action-packed sci-fi epic that follows Marine Captain Mei Ling Lee as she navigates a universe rife with chaos, corruption, and conflict. Set in a distant future where humanity grapples with lawlessness and war, this sequel plunges readers into thrilling battles, moral quandaries, and Lee’s relentless journey to lead her team with grit and honor. While the book stands alone, its rich backstory hints at an expansive world built with meticulous care, drawing on themes of resilience and personal sacrifice.
What struck me first was Wilson’s knack for pacing. Right from the opening scene, with Mei Ling and her team hurtling through space in fiery orbs toward a high-stakes rescue, I was hooked. Wilson vividly describes Lee’s free-fall into enemy territory, balancing technical details of battle armor and insertion tactics with raw human emotions like exhilaration and fear. These moments of intensity are complemented by quieter reflections, such as Mei Ling’s thoughts on her tumultuous transition from the Navy to the Marines. It felt like I was skydiving alongside her—heart pounding, adrenaline coursing.
The character depth is another highlight. Mei Ling Lee is fierce, loyal, and deeply human, wrestling with her identity and role as a leader. I appreciated her interactions with Gunnery Sergeant MacGregor, whose calm, no-nonsense demeanor perfectly contrasts her fiery drive. One of my favorite scenes is when Lee confronts a smuggler threatening a child. The tension is palpable as she coolly outmaneuvers him, a testament to her warrior spirit and sharp mind. Wilson excels at making these encounters personal, giving the action weight and stakes beyond mere spectacle. Wilson’s background in martial arts and military operations shines through, lending authenticity to the combat and camaraderie among soldiers.
Warrior Goddess is not just a story of battles and strategy but one of courage and humanity in the face of overwhelming odds. Readers who love character-driven sci-fi with a strong female lead will find much to admire here. If you’re a fan of The Expanse or Starship Troopers, this book will feel like home. Personally, I can’t wait to see where Mei Ling’s path leads next.
Pages: 398 | ASIN : B0D3627ZZQ
Putting Myself Out There
Sherry Leclerc Author Interview
In The Guardians of Eastgate 2nd edition you had the chance to go back and rewrite some things that you felt needed to improve. What were the areas you focused on and how did you overcome the challenges?
The areas I focused on the most were dialogue and action – showing versus telling. I also took the opportunity to develop the characters and the seer people a little more. As the author, I already knew my characters, but I thought it would be good to reveal a little more about them to the readers as well.
It didn’t really feel like a challenge, exactly, to write more dialogue and action, and to develop the characters more. I think it was more of getting past an internal block on my part, rather than whether or not I could write that way. Once I started doing it, I really enjoyed fleshing out the story action and characters.
What I needed to do was to slow down and be patient, and to be confident in my story and my characters. What I mean by that is, I needed to allow the characters to live out the story in their own words and actions, instead of wanting to just hand it to the readers from a narrator’s perspective. I think there was a little nagging voice of self-doubt when I was writing the first edition that I needed to get past in order to put my story out there more fully.
Looking at the novel a second time, what were some things that changed for you while writing?
I think I rushed too much with the first edition. I had this idea in my head for over twenty years, and I wanted to get it out there to the world. There was a fear or an urgency where I think I worried that if I didn’t get it out there asap, I wouldn’t follow through and the story would never make it out into the world.
With the second edition, I had to take more time. I had hired a cover artist to do the covers for the rest of the series and I decided to re-do the cover of the first as well, so that the series would be uniform. Then we decided this would be a great time to work on the series and brand logos as well.
At this point in the game, I was also doing a lot of reading on the writing craft itself, such as on self-editing, outlining and structuring novels, and so on. Since the cover art, brand and logos would take a while anyway, and I would be putting out a second edition because of the new cover, I decided this would be a great opportunity to work on some of the elements in the first edition that I wasn’t happy with.
I think the overarching change for me here was that I realized I needed, and wanted, to slow down and enjoy the process. I read a lot and practiced, and I started to become more confident in my work and my capabilities. So, I feel more comfortable in putting more into the stories, which is essentially putting myself out there. I also believe I can better prioritize the story itself over getting it out there quickly. After all, a good, well-written story trumps getting it out there fast.
I understand that you have a third dan black belt in Taekwondo. What made you pursue Taekwondo and do you feel it helped you in writing fight scenes?
I have been a student of martial arts since I was 15 or 16 years old. I started in high school with Kenpo Karate. I’m from a small town in Newfoundland, and there were no other choices in martial arts around to consider at that time. You could say that my sensei had the market cornered in our area. But I really enjoyed it.
When I went to university, I switched to Aikido, mostly because I was a poor student, I lived on campus, and I didn’t have a car. So, I studied the martial art that was available to me on campus. It is a completely different style of martial art than karate or Taekwondo, teaching more about “moving off the line,” which I reference in my books, and using an opponent’s body weight and momentum against him or her. So, I am glad I practiced Aikido for those years because it gave me a different point of view and helped me to understand movement and defense better.
Once I began teaching, moved to a larger city, and had my own vehicle, I suddenly had more options available to me. I found a school that taught Taekwondo, and I really enjoyed it.
At one point, I decided to use my degree to work and travel, and I went to South Korea to teach English. For any who don’t know, Taekwondo is the South Korean national sport, and most young people study it at some point. I found out that a student’s father, who didn’t speak English, was a Taekwondo master with his own school. So, I asked my supervisor, a Korean man who spoke English, to ask if I could join his school, and he agreed.
Considering that the students in that Taekwondo school had one hour of lessons/practice FIVE days a week, and six days a week in every month leading to a test, I was able to progress quickly in the two years I was there. And I continued with it when I returned to Canada. After living in South Korea for two years, I now feel a connection to this particular martial art because I have a better understanding of the historical and cultural significance of it.
I do think it helped me with my fight scenes. I know what is possible and not possible, how to move to attack, defend or counter attack, and so on. Of course, I write fantasy, so my characters can be faster, stronger and more agile than real humans (although, you might be surprised at what some Taekwondo students can do), but I believe my training helps me to keep it fairly realistic.
Of course, I love martial arts, and I love sparring. There is a part in the book when Maelona tells her friends that she loves fighting more than she should, and her trainer used to get mad at her for smiling when she sparred. That was me in my Korean Taekwondo school. My instructor didn’t speak much English, but he spoke enough to tell me, “No smile! Serious!”
I don’t really like people fighting in real life when it’s not for sport, but put it in a sport setting, or in an action movie (I love action movies), and I think it’s pretty exciting. I don’t know that everyone who reads my fantasy novels enjoy that same kind of thing, but I think that having this training enables me to better convey the anticipation, the skills, the subtleties, and the back and forth between opponents in a clear and exciting way.
Have you begun writing book two in the series? When will it be available?
The rough draft of Book 2 is about 85% complete. Progress lately has been slow, with working to get this first book out there, my full-time job and my family.
I am really enjoying the story and I’m looking forward to getting it out there. Most days, I wish I could devote more time to it, but there are other things that take priority at the moment. For example, I am looking into having this book, The Guardians of Eastgate, made into an audiobook. I have had a few readers ask about that prospect, and I think it is a good idea, so I want to try and make that happen.
My original goal was to have Book 2 ready to publish in mid to late spring. Now that I am looking into making an audiobook of Book 1, however, it will likely be published in the summer.
I will be posting updates on my website and social media, so stay tuned!
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The magical realm of Sterrenvar is a world filled with fantasy creatures, swords, sorcery, action, adventure, seers, shifters and sorcerers. It is a realm divided by differences, where the inhabitants keep mostly to their own species or race. When a group of seers are warned through visions of an evil, dark sorcerer intent on ruling the realm, seer champion Maelona Sima must set out for Eastgate to defend a magical keystone that can help protect the realm. Along the way, she must gain allies and convince the differing peoples of the realm to stand together as one to save their world from its biggest threat in three-thousand years. This new, expanded and revised Second Edition of the Guardians of Eastgate (Seers Book I) includes an extra 12000+ words worth of added dialogue and extended scenes.
LITERARY TITAN 