Interview with Sheila Perdue Guion Author of The Corps, The Cross, And The Mirror: Reflections of Faith

Interview With Author Sheila Perdue Guion, Author of  The Corps, The Cross, And The Mirror: Reflections of Faith 

Interview by: Brittany Perez (Oh My Bookness)

February 13, 2015

Introduction:

Brittany, first of all thank you so much for your interest in my story. It really is an honor to share what God had done in my life.

A Look Into Sheila Perdue Guion: “Marine, Always a Marine”

Question 1:  It's 1977, not many woman at the time coming close to embarking on the journey, and path you set for.  You could of chosen to do anything else, why the military? Marines especially? Were you a “military brat”, if so did that weigh easily in your decision?

You're right, it was an unlikely career move for women, especially minority women at that time.  The seeds however to join the military were sown by a friend who had recently joined the Army Reserve.  She was all pumped up about having just finished basic training.  We worked at a local restaurant together, and she talked non-stop about wanting to go regular Army, if she weren’t a single parent.  Things were different back then.  But since I had no kids and no real money for school, this had opportunity written all over it.  Some other things transpired, but because of the smart actions of an alert Marine Recruiter, I never made it into the Army.  I’m grateful.  I had no immediate family members in the service, but my son, Richard joined the Marine Corps shortly after my retirement. I was one proud Mama.  Him completing his enlistment, and leaving the Corps ends the legacy of  military service for our family, at least for now.   

Observation

From Oh My Bookness: In today's society the Marines are still a widely male dominated part of the military. Now readers look back at 1977 barley any women, imagine the challenges being a strong Female then in the Marine corps. And it's  still today's  widely male dominated force of the military.

Question 2: With a impressive resume by any standards, you went from Drill Instructor (DI), Senior Drill Instructor (SDI), at MCRD Parris Island. You also went on to train officer Candidates at Officer Candidate School (OCS). From there you would go to Quantico and later become a Master Sergeant. By any standards that's impressive. With all of this under your belt, what was it like being a woman in a prominently male dominated field?

Did you feel you ad more to prove? Or For you was it all about the noble thing, and as they say action speaks louder than words?

The Marine Corps is highly competitive.  It’s still prominently an all boys club, but what worked for me back then still stands true today - hard work pays off.  My strong work ethic gave me favor with my superiors (and the respect of my comrades).  Because there were so few women in the Marine Corps in the late 70’s, we immediately formed a bond, a sisterhood.  There was always something to prove - not because we were female or I was a minority, but because we were Marines. In this environment, performance was everything!  Running faster, shooting better, working harder - all meant ribbons, badges, and promotions.  That was the nature of the beast, so until I had gotten into trouble on the drill field, I had always genuinely felt accepted and respected.  Once I had worked through those unfortunate circumstances things returned back to normal.  Being a Marine is a noble profession, and just watching how young men and women serve so proudly today shows me that action will always speak louder than words.   

Observation

From Oh My Bookness:  Being a retired Master Sgt. She yet stopped, she would share her experiences for the world to read. That's impressive part also allow many to see its never to late.

Question 2 pt.2: With all your accomplishments through the military, you still found time for college, through Campbell University. With your background did it influence your decision in your major? What did you decide to Major for in college and has it helped you in your future endeavors and now as a author?

It’s about self-discovery.  I’ve always gravitated to paperwork.  Following graduation from high school, I did a short summer program at the Department of Treasury and discovered I had a knack for clerical work.  This was confirmed through my military entrance exam.  So, while on active duty I started pursuing a degree in Business Administration.  I changed directions however after taking some psychology classes as electives.  Although I had a natural aptitude for administration, I was intrigued by human behavior.  I switched majors and didn’t look back.  

Being a psych major helped me to understand people better in an academic sense, but it’s life experiences that bring the text books to life.  It’s about using what we know to help other people.  That’s what I’ve attempted to do, using all I’ve been through, by the grace of God to help other people.  Through my writings, I hope to do that in a greater capacity.  

A look into past, present and future:  

Question 1: Writing. In your youth, did you ever see yourself writing professionally? Writing something personal for a wide audience to see?

I wish I had known as a youngster that my love for books could have translated into an earlier writing career.  Perhaps that would have made me a better student, but its the lessons learned from outside the classroom that have been most useful. I tell people all the time that God is always at work, so I wasn’t too surprised when I felt an urging to write my story. I believe God took me at my word, when I prayed another prayer that sounded a lot like my prayer of conversion.  Although I don’t remember the exact words, it was about making a greater impact with the rest of my life (and going out with a bang).  Somewhere around that time I started seriously writing about my life.  Through my story, I wanted people to see their own personal need for God (like I did).  Hopefully, I’ve done that in some way.  

Question2:  Was Marines always your choice even growing up? Or did you have another idea in mind, what was it if so?  Do you see yourself still publishing a successful book if you chose another path?

No, the Marine Corps wasn’t my first choice.  I was twenty years old when I joined.  The average age of a recruit is seventeen.  I was considered old under military standards. Had I known that perhaps the military would have been my first choice.  My plan was to work and attend college at home. The restaurant business was okay as an after school job, but not as a career.  While growing up in Washington, D.C., summer jobs abounded for young people. The only problem with those jobs, when the summer was over, so were the jobs.   After a few other job pursuits fell through, so did my hopes of attending a local college.  That’s when I made my way to the recruiter’s office.  He gave me an aptitude test that indicated high marks in clerical work, but writing would come much later.  

Observation

From Oh My Bookness:   I know for me growing up I had one thing in mind I wanted to get into the toe of art widely seen to graphics and web and accomplished was getting into graphic design and 3d animation. A challenge to stick to one thing since you grew up with the  dream but I accomplished what I wanted. But always wonder if I selected a different course…

Question 3: While In school were you already preparing yourself for the Corps.? What did your family think when the idea entered your head?

I wish I had that kind of focus in my high school years.  Most of my preparation for the Marine Corps came from living in a housing project in Washington, D.C.  It was about survival; that’s the mentality I took to boot camp.  At first, there were a few snickers about me joining the Marine Corps because it was a mostly all male environment.  But my immediate family members were very happy for me.  They sent me off with all the love and support I needed to be successfully. I still remember the cake with the Marine Corps emblem, as we celebrated my departure for bootcamp.  It was really a proud moment.  

Question 4: what was writing like for you when you were younger? Was English and writing stories your favorite subject? If yes, why? No, what did you not like about it?

I did very little writing growing up, but I enjoyed reading some romance novels.  As a teenager, I also kept a diary.  So that was the extent of my early writing career.  For whatever reasons, I didn’t blossom in junior high or high school.  I was an average to below average student. In the book, I talk about taking a college entrance exam, and failing the essay part so badly, the counselor wanted to know if I spoke English as a second language.  I took developmental and creative writing courses to overcome the deficiency.  Working in the administration field helped too.  I wrote letters of appreciation and other official correspondence only because it was part of the job.  

Question 5:

A day in the life of a young Sheila, what did it look like?

In the Marine Corps, we always had crazy hours, especially as a D.I.  That kind of carried over to my civilian life.  I still like getting up early, normally before 6am.  That’s for prayer, bible reading, and my first cup of java.  When I retired from the Marine Corps, I took a six month break and went right into the regular work force.  I did counseling for abuse victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.  That led to case management and other social work. Before taking the full plunge into writing exclusively, I also did some financial services work.  So when my head is not clued to the computer screen, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, especially my hubby Ronnie (he’s such a great man of God).  We fish, golf, and travel together.    

Question 6:  what were some of your favorite things to do growing up? Who were some of your favorite authors?

I grew up in the 60’s so you know there were no play stations, CD’s, DVD’s or cellphones. We played non-electronic games like step-ball, jacks, and dodge ball.  We ran home when the street lights came on and ate dinner together as a family.  During the summer we went to the local swimming pool and floated home on the aroma of fresh-baked bread from the nearby Wonder bread factory.  Even we when moved to the housing project, I rode my blue bike (with the banana seat) freely and played basketball until I noticed boys noticing me.  Soon I put away the bike and started acting a little more lady-like.  In junior high, I remember reading books like Richard Wright’s Native Son and Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man.  They were required reading at school, but they also sparked an interest for good stories.  For the most part, my childhood memories are good.

All  Grown Up, Old Enough To Enlist……And Now Retired Successful Master Sergeant!

Question 1: When did you decide you wanted to write about your time, and how even already a believer, became more of one that night? What about that night made you realize you need to make a change within your self?

Even as I saw my career as a Marine going down in flames, I felt at some point in the future, I would be able to write about the painful circumstances surrounding the ending of an otherwise promising career. The pieces started fitting together right after my conversion, but I didn’t feel the tug from God to begin writing the story until about three years ago.  So much of my identity had been tied up in the Marine Corps. My troubles shook me into a new reality. I discovered that the Marine Corps makes a great career, but a lousy god. The betrayal almost sent me over the deep end.  I was prideful, self-sufficient, and spiritually ignorant of my need for God. Only through being broken did I see things differently. I didn’t like how things went down, but as the Psalmist King David says in scripture, his hardship was actually good for him. It humbled him.  So, in a similar fashion, I say all that I went through was good for me. I was able to get my priorities straight.  

Question 2:  how did you explain to people seeing that reflection in the mirror of not only yourself……but GOD, HIM. How did this experience help you change your overall attitude? As well as the way you would start to see things, in a new way?

That’s the mystery of God.  He’s in everything and nothing, and yet we perceive Him with our hearts.  It’s like trying to explain quantum-physics to a baby, yet we  love the simplicity of the gospels and Jesus’ teachings. I don’t know what happened, it just did.  The bible describes it as being born again, and by faith we trust Him.  When you see an out of control woman using large metal objects as projectiles and yelling to the top her lungs in fits of rage, and the next day she’s beaming with new life, how can that be explained? I just accept it. And I know for me, life works better with Him than without Him.  

Question 3:   What were some of the challenges you came across while writing The Corps, The Cross and Reflections of Faith ? Were you afraid of any backlash when the book came out, lack of understanding, just overall any worries that your book would not be accepted?

Really, I didn’t worry about any criticism the book might receive.  I gave my dad an advance copy out of respect for him, so if he wanted me to change the narrative we could talk about it.  He told me he was so proud of me, and that he didn’t want me to change anything.  While I respect the opinions others, I had to stop living my life according to what people thought of me.  Even if the book had tanked, I knew I still had God’s approval, and the support of my family. That’s what was most important.   

Question 4: overall has this been a successful publication?

That’s such a good question because if I had known that marketing a book and authoring a book were such different animals, I’m not sure I would have had the patience to go through with it.  The book has gotten great reviews and the feedback from friends and family has been exceptional, but now I’m really pushing the marketing aspect.  That’s what I’m working on now with some ideas of an expanded edition of the CC&M.  

Question 5: what do you hope people will take away from your book who reads it? Or comes across it.

The overarching theme is obviously God’s grace toward men, and our own personal need for salvation. When I was writing the book, I had both sinner and saint in mind.  I wanted people to know that I didn’t just drop out of heaven. I had been through some things, and I wasn’t always as nice as I now appeared. For people who don’t know God, I wanted to give them a chance at bridging that gap. On the other hand, for Christians who feel uncomfortable in sharing their faith, I wanted to give them hope, courage, and permission to be bold.  One day, I hope to know the lives that were impacted.  

Question 6: what do you feel the suggested age range for this book for parents who would like to read it or give a copy to their child?

I would give the book a PG rating, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t have kids in mind when I wrote it. As parents and grandparents, we are the guardians of those who have been entrusted to our care. Therefore, we must use godly wisdom as we talk to young people. They desperately need our help in order to successfully navigate through those turbulent pre-teen and teen years. It shouldn’t be by trial and error though, but on a solid foundation by which we live as we prepare them for adulthood.    

Question 7: did you go through the editing process, publishing and design on your own for your book?

The book’s cover and contents were done by a small, local publishing company.  I did the editing myself.  I put the e-book version together by myself.

  

Question 8: even if the reader is not part of the military in anyway, do you feel the message taken away by the individual is the same or similar to someone who is?

I wanted to speak in military terms, but only enough to lend background info and create a setting.  The story was suppose to flow in a way that would appeal to military and non-military people alike.  I didn’t want non-military people to get lost in military jargon, but at the same time, I wanted to identify with service members and veterans (on their level). I hope I was able to capture that balance, and it was a meaningful read for both groups.  

Now A First Time Author, What is Next for Sheila  Perdue Guion…..

Question 1: now you have published your first book, The Corps, The Cross and The Mirror: Reflections of Faith. Can we expect a second novel/book in the future? Maybe a follow up or something completely new?

Of course as a new author, I started reflecting on how I could have done a better job with the story.  Because there was so much more I could have added. So, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve decided to re-release the CC&M as an expanded edition. That will be the platform for publishing other nonfictional works, particularly that of other Christians, who want to tell their story.    

Observation

From Oh My Bookness:  I can say if you do choose to write another book in the future, I would be right there waiting for it to go on sale cause I would love to see where your writing takes you.

Question 9:  What else do you do now being retired from the military. Keeping up a webpage, independently publishing your first book? Do you do any volunteer work or public speaking? If so on what, about?

Those are such good questions.  When you're new to something, there’s always a learning curve, so that’s where I am.  I do public speaking by request and I’m learning more about online marketing.  I volunteer at my church as a bridge-builder and help my husband with his prison ministry.  We also visit sick people, who are unable to attend church.  

Last but not least…..

Question 1: Whats  your advice to any young woman looking to enter the Marine Corps.? Any advice for young boys looking to join?

My advice for young men and women who are interested in joining the military would probably be along the same lines.  Go in with the right attitude that you will learn discipline, respect, and focus. That when you finish your enlistment, you’ll be a better American for having served your country.  Take advantage of educational and career opportunities, and refuse to complain.  Be the one who makes the difference in your unit or company.  Hook up with good people, because there are bad apples everywhere.  Concentrate on personal growth, and  always put God first!  

Question  2: what advice would you give to a first time author? Any thing from marketing, publishing, editing, designing, the writing process, etc.

For a first time author, I would say learn as much as you can before you begin the process. You don’t know what you don’t know.  But don’t re-invent the wheel. Learn from others in books or in person. A lot is trial and error, but don’t quit. You’ll be so proud of yourself when all is said and done.   

Question 3: how did you approach the marketing process and advertising?

Advertising and marketing are by far the hardest part of the book publishing business. I’ve paid for ads, given away promos, and a lot of other things.  So, its still a work in progress. I’m learning now how important content, cover design, and editing tie into marketing and advertising. The quality of our work is part of that process.      

Question 4: Would you go about independently publishing your book again or take another path?

I’ve been bitten by the self-publishing bug, and now there’s no turning back. Hands-down, self-publishing is the most cost effective way to go, and it allows Indies to control their own destiny. There’s never been a greater opportunity for writers to get published than now.  

And finally …..

How can we keep up to date, follow, and buy The Corps, The Cross, And The Mirror: Reflections of Faith by author; Sheila Perdue Guion.

Website: www.sheilaperdueguion.com

Blog: www.sheila perdueguion.com  

Twitter: sheila guión

Amazon Author Page: sheila perdue guion

Goodreads: sheila perdue guion

Instagram: sheila perdue guion

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Published 30th January 2015