I Spy

Posted on November 30, 2019 by admin

Today, I discovered a new podcast – “I Spy” from Foreign Policy magazine. If you are intrigued by the intelligence business, especially by the clandestine cloak-and-dagger side of things, you will love this podcast. The episodes are narrated by the operatives who were there – the unsung heroes who worked in the shadows, fighting against communists and terrorists under difficult and dangerous circumstances. The first four episodes introduce listeners to:

  • The CIA’s former “Master of Disguise”
  • An Israeli Mossad agent who presided over a disastrous operation
  • A Cuban defector who revealed the CIA’s weaknesses (vis-à-vis Cuban intelligence)
  • A Soviet-controlled sleeper agent in the mold of “The Americans” fictional Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings

And speaking of my favorite show ever (The Americans!), each podcast episode is introduced by Margo Martindale, an award-winning actress who played Claudia, the Jennings’ KGB handler. Claudia was a true believer in communism…if there ever is a sequel to “The Americans,” I hope we find out what happened to her after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Until then, I’ll have to settle for enjoying Margo in the “I Spy” podcast.

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A Gentleman in Moscow

Posted on November 23, 2019 by admin

Amor Towles’ 2016 novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, is an exquisitely written tale about a Russian nobleman who finds himself on the wrong side of history after the 1917 Russian Revolution. When the new communist government declares Count Alexander Rostov an unrepentant aristocrat, he is sentenced to a lifetime of house arrest. Fortunately for the Count, he is exiled to Moscow’s luxurious Metropol Hotel, not a Siberian labor camp.

Ever the gentleman and the optimist, Count Rostov builds a life for himself, even as the walls – both literal and figurative – close in around him. Towles’ story subtly depicts how the tentacles of communism invade and strangle the human spirit. The Count, a clever man gifted with social graces and deep intellect, manages to maneuver through the descending darkness, finding contentment, if not the occasional delight, in a life well lived.

Count Rostov loses almost everything – his wealth, his freedom, his loved ones – to the communists. But the one thing the Bolsheviks cannot destroy is his spirit. And it’s that spirit which propels the story to an ending that only an indomitable character like Rostov could engineer.  

I don’t often re-read novels, but A Gentleman in Moscow is worth a second (and probably a third) read. If you’ve read the book, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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A Great Start to 2019

Posted on January 1, 2019 by admin

I’ve been sitting on this news since Christmas Eve because I wanted to wait until the deal was sealed, which happened last night. I’m thrilled to announced that I have signed with literary agent Steven Hutson (WordWise Media). Many thanks to Elaine Ash, a superb editor, coach, and sounding board who whipped my spy thriller, THE WAYWARD SPY, into shape. And many thanks to my husband, Dan, and our boys, Andrew, Shawn, and Bryan, who’ve supported/put up with me through all the angst of the writing process.

While Steve is “shopping” the novel to publishers, I’ll be working with Elaine to get the series’ second book ready for publication, and writing the third book.

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ISIS Takes Credit for Attack on Russian Christians

Posted on February 19, 2018 by admin

A young man shouting “Allahu akbar” opened fire on Orthodox Christians exiting a church in the Dagestan region of Russia, killing five and wounding several others. ISIS quickly claimed credit for the attack, describing the dead gunman as a “soldier of the caliphate.”

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“The Islamic State claimed credit for the attack on the church, issuing a bulletin on its Amaq news agency, followed by a lengthier official statement in which the group described the assailant as a “soldier of the caliphate” and provided a nom de guerre for the attacker, Khalil al-Dagestani.

 

Not long afterward, pro-Islamic State channels…released a video showing a man said to be the assailant sitting before the Islamic State flag, his face covered by a ski mask.”

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ISIS has proclaimed Dagestan, a predominantly Muslim region that borders Chechnya, part of its “franchise” in the North Caucasus region of Russia. Since 2015, Islamists pledging allegiance to ISIS, have carried out a number of terrorist attacks in the region, causing Moscow further trouble in an already unstable part of the country.

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Chechen Terrorists Tied to ISIS

Posted on February 15, 2018 by admin

When I wrote my first two novels, Chechen terrorism consisted largely of attacks of Russian military, security, and political officials. Then came al-Qaeda, training and recruiting Chechens Islamists to wage jihad against western targets. In more recent years, Chechens have joined ISIS in Syria by the thousands.

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ONE OF THE most heavily discussed groupings of foreign fighters in Syria are those from Chechnya and the North Caucasus. Coming from a region embroiled in two decades of insurgency against the Russian army, these fighters have long been highly touted for their experience and skill. While ultimately small in number, they have played an outsized role in the conflict, participating in major jihadist offensives in the country for half a decade.

 

Chechen and North Caucasian militants began arriving in Syria at roughly the same time as other foreign fighters. As the conflict intensified in mid-2012, shifting to conventional warfare between regime and rebel forces, so too did the strength of radical groups and the appeal of Syria as the new frontline of jihad.

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From Islamist “freedom fighters” in a remote Russian Republic, to the streets of Boston, and on to Syria, Chechen terrorists have left a bloody trail of destruction around the world.

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Liberty Island Magazine – Short Story Finalist!

Posted on December 16, 2014 by admin

Last week, I wrote my first (ever!) short story for Liberty Island Magazine’s “Non-Traditional Holiday Fiction Contest.”  I just found out that I’m a finalist!  When the story is published later this week, I’ll post the link.  I never considered writing short stories until I found out about this contest.  I knew immediately that I had to tell the story of an intrepid elf brave enough to fight an oppressive force determined to ruin Christmas.  Five hours later – boom – I completed my North Pole thriller, “Elfiltrated – A Tale of Deception.”

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Hunting Chechen Terrorists

Posted on May 3, 2013 by admin

From my second novel, Reluctant Martyr — Chechnya, as my main character experiences it during her pursuit of a Chechen terrorist.  

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In the distance, Maggie saw the faint outlines of a city.  Soon, the Skoda was bouncing over gaping potholes at the outskirts of Grozny.  Minutes later, they passed the first of innumerable abandoned buildings whose skeletal remains were held together with pockmarked, concrete walls.  Several structures were nothing but burned out shells with balcony railings hanging like broken limbs.  On the side of the road, a dark-haired boy with serious eyes jumped from one large chunk of concrete to the next.

Maggie watched the boy disappear behind a partially collapsed wall.  “I thought the Russians were rebuilding.”

“They are, in the city center,” Misha said.  “But it is Potemkin village.”  He glanced over his shoulder.  “You know what Potemkin village is, da?”

“Da.”  As they drew closer to the center of the city, the change was stark.  Several apartment buildings had new whitewashed façades, the road was smooth, and an outdoor market was crowded with women and children.  “This is the Chechnya the Russians want the world to see,” she said as much to herself as to the men.

“Precisely,” Tamaz replied.

“And speaking of Russians, where are they?”

“I’ll show you in a moment.”  Misha turned left just before the market.

Ahead was more devastation – buildings with blown-out windows and doors dangling precariously above uneven sidewalks.  Trash skittered and danced along the dusty roadside. To the right, hundreds of Russian soldiers milled about the crater of a vacant lot.  Chairs and tables lined the perimeter, serving as an outdoor dining hall for the dirty, haggard conscripts.

“There are encampments like this in many Chechen cities.”  Tamaz gestured out the window.  “And even more on the outskirts of the cities in case Moscow decides to start the shelling again.”

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Time Flies

Posted on February 5, 2013 by admin

Time flies – it’s a tired cliche, but ain’t it the truth?  There are moments when I can’t comprehend where it’s all gone.  Did I nap through a decade of life?  Am I so consumed by the minutiae of daily living that I forgot to notice how much the kids have grown?  Last night, my 16-year old (!) and I were going over class scheduling options for his junior year (!?!).  We talked about how these selections will affect class choices for his senior year, and how those, in turn, will affect his college prospects.  Wait a minute…senior year?  College?  We’re picking classes together only ONE more time?  But…didn’t he just plop onto my lap to read “The Foot Book” for the millionth time?  Wasn’t his first t-ball game last spring?

Two and a half more years before he leaves me (umm, I mean, leaves the house to begin the next phase – separate from ~me~).  I must stop my brain from fast-forwarding.  I must focus on now, and relax, enjoy these times because they, too, will fly.  I’m trying, but I can’t help feeling like the dad in that car commercial who sees his little girl, not his nearly grown daughter.

Under the weight of all this sentiment, the best I can do is put one foot in front of the other…or maybe left foot, left foot, left foot, right.  Feet in the morning, feet at night…

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FAQs

Posted on February 1, 2013 by admin

FAQs

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

No, I didn’t.  Most published authors say that they “always” knew they wanted to write.  Not me.  I knew I could write well, and I knew I had a very active imagination, but I never thought seriously about combining those two strengths into a career until 2001.

 

So if you didn’t want to be a writer, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Nancy Drew or a spy.  I suppose Maggie Jenkins is a combination of both.

 

Where did you learn all the spy lingo?

I worked at the CIA.  The Agency has a fantastic college internship program.  I had to go through the same background investigation as every other employee and was entrusted with Top Secret Compartmentalized intelligence from day one.  The first time someone gave me a classified document to read, my hands were shaking.  To think the fate of the free world was in my grip…okay, I soon learned it wasn’t, but it was still amazing to discover what was really going on behind the scenes.  And, I was fortunate enough to be there when the old commies tried to overthrow Gorbachev in 1991.  Intelligence geek that I am, it was one of the most exhilarating times of my life!  (And no, the CIA did not pay me for this endorsement.)

 

What’s with the disclaimer at the bottom of your homepage? 

Everything I write for publication must be reviewed by the CIA to ensure that I don’t disclose classified information.

 

What did you do after the CIA?

I finished graduate school and landed a job on Capitol Hill, working as a professional staff member for the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.  The HPSCI (“hipsee”) is the congressional committee that authorizes the budget for the CIA (and a host of other intelligence agencies) and provides legislative oversight for intelligence activities.  That job was even more interesting than the one I had at the CIA.  I met fascinating people, sat in on highly classified intelligence briefings, and traveled overseas.  When I worked on the Committee’s Investigation into Iranian Arms Shipments to Bosnia, I met some upstanding Americans who are out there on the front lines, fighting in secret for our country.

 

And then came writing?

Yes.  After my experiences at the CIA and on the Hill, I had some interesting plots brewing in my head.  When I couldn’t stop thinking about these plots, I decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard, to be more precise).  Writing every sentence, every chapter, every novel is a thrill and a challenge.  I love what I do.

 

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