Author of National Security Mom: Why “Going Soft” Will Make America Strong (Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing )

When did you start reading, and what did you like to read as a kid?

I was not an early reader like kids these days. In fact, I can still remember just beginning to learn the alphabet in kindergarten. By kindergarten, my kids were already learning to speak in French!

I do recall very clearly being impressed by my oldest brother, who graduated from high school with honors. I was four years old and will never forget how special he looked and how proud my parents were when he graduated with the gold stole. When he went to college, he left behind a beautiful collection of classic literature. Within a few years, I was trying to read Shakespeare. While it took quite some time, I did eventually focus my reading as a child on the classics. The Sherlock Holmes series was one of my favorites.

I also loved every kind of mystery novel. The Big Brain books, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys…even “five-minute mysteries.” I couldn’t get enough of them. Looking back, I can see how clearly it all led me to where I am today…trying to identify terrorists relying on fragmentary clues.

When you were growing up did you have books in your home?

Yes, we had books. In addition to my brother’s collection, my parents were both avid readers. Although I wasn’t allowed to read their books, they set an example of intellectual curiosity. I recall with fondness the trips to the bookmobile and can still smell the inside – it was cold but musty and always made you sneeze when you first walked in.

When did you think about becoming a writer? Was there someone who got you interested in writing?

I didn’t really think about becoming a writer. I always believed I was supposed to be one. I loved words, or my mom would say that I loved arguing. That’s true, too, but I’ve always seen words as a medium, like a painter might choose oils or watercolors. I was inspired and motivated by different people at various times: my parents, my brother, a couple of teachers who encouraged my creative writing in grade school, and eventually my mentor at University of Virginia, Dr. Ruhallah Ramazani. But nothing inspires you more than feeling passionate about something and wanting to tell your story.

How do you write? Do you have a daily routine? What's good about it? What do you hate about it?

I write when the thoughts hit me. I have notebooks all over my house, in my car, in every bag I own. I have a notebook outside my shower and by my bed and come up with some really crazy stuff in the middle of the night. But some of my best thoughts hit me in the shower!

With five kids and work, I have learned to squeeze writing in between other tasks. I have given up on the idea of getting it all down at once and have settled for pieces. Sometimes I think that’s actually been better. I do the same thing at work – let things sit and come back to the pieces later. You can begin to see the mistakes in your logic and how poorly you’ve articulated your thoughts. The only thing I don’t like about writing is the pain. My hands cramp and my tendons ache. I can type fast, but I still can’t get my fingers to keep up with what’s in my head.

Any particular story to tell concerning the writing of this book?

It may seem strange, but I was haunted the entire time I was writing this book by the Carly Simon song, “You’re so Vain.” I kept thinking about the irony of wanting to marginalize the impact of Bin Ladin but having to talk about the terrorism he inspired to do so. I swear every time I opened up the draft to work on it, I heard those lyrics in my head.

What some good advice that you've received concerning writing? What's some advice that you could offer young writers?

I think the best advice I received while writing this book came from Nancy Cleary. She focused me from the very beginning and had faith in my message without having to turn it into another tell-all story from a Washington “insider.” She kept telling me to trust myself and tell the story I wanted to tell and not worry about the rest.

I’ve worked with students at my children’s elementary school on writing and am so impressed by their creativity. What they often lack is confidence. It’s difficult when you are still learning the basics of grammar and punctuation to feel confident about telling your story. If I had one piece of advice for a young writer I would say that the grammar and punctuation you can learn, creating and believing in your story comes from within, so if you focus on that, the rest will fall into place.

How did you find the publisher for this book?

I started off the normal route, looking for a well-known book agent. And after talking a bit with one or two, I grew less comfortable with where they wanted to go with my story. I realize they were trying to advise me so I could sell more copies of my book, but I also concluded that that wasn’t really my goal.

I was referred to Wyatt-MacKenzie after being interviewed by Erika Kotite of Hybrid Mom magazine. I knew from the first exchange with Nancy Cleary that her independent publishing company was right for me. She enabled me to write what I believed in. I think that’s the whole point of writing a book. It’s far too much labor to not do it for love!

What are you working on at the moment?

I am thinking about expanding on the idea of how to instill civic duty in our kids. For one thing, it would take me away from crossing the line with my job at the CIA. I like leaving my work at work. I am also consistently impressed by how the schools in my area are finding creative and dynamic ways to teach kids about their civic responsibilities. Personally, I find being a public servant incredibly rewarding, and I hope that no matter what my kids do when they are adults, they have a job as fulfilling as mine. I think it would be great to raise awareness among our youth about the rewards of public service.

What are you reading?
 
A little of everything. I don’t read one book at a time. I am reading The Jawbreaker, The Virgin’s Lover, and A Thousand Splendid Suns at the moment and a few unclassified papers from work. There are a whole range of books I return to frequently – some of them work-related (books by Peter Bergen and Bruce Hoffman and every former CIA officer out there) but many are more escapist (Jane Austen and historical fiction of that era).

And I still read Shakespeare. Can’t get enough of him.