#authorlife
Behind the scenes of the writing life, including protips and personal best practices
Not my CIA
I rarely discuss hot potato topics, but this week it became painfully clear that the CIA I joined in 1985 is not the CIA of today. the nonpartisan rule I entered on duty the day after Ronald Reagan’s second inauguration. At that time, it was made crystal clear to me...
Havana Syndrome Spy Thriller
You saw it here first. I'm finally writing a spy thriller. Well, part of one. Spy-sourced thriller I've been invited to contribute a chapter to a spy thriller that tackles Havana Syndrome. Different chapters will be written by former CIA officers, many of whom like me...
“Come back in 15 Minutes”
“Come back in 15 minutes." When we lived in Mexico, I hated this phrase. The words weren't meant to be taken literally. Nothing would change in 15 minutes and everyone knew it. No, it was a semi-polite brush-off. It really means “Go away. Get out of my face.” The most...
The season of loss
Spring has become the season of loss. Four years ago we lost my first cousin Celine. This year we lost Uncle Joe. My mother’s younger brother, Joseph N. Sestito passed at age 91 after leading a “storied and adventurous life,” as my son so accurately phrased it. A...
Writing advice from a balky mule and a train derailment
Readers often connect with me over the deep point of view style of the Detective Emilia Cruz series. Writer and podcaster Patrick Greenwood specifically asked about this while taping an episode of his Writers on Espresso podcast, which you can find here:...
2023 in Review: Highs, Lows and Turning Points
How did your 2023 go? Mine went something like this. High I won the 2023 Silver Falchion award for Best Historical at the Killer Nashville International Writer’s Conference this year. The award banquet was Saturday evening, after 2.5 days of non-stop seminars,...
Life Lessons from a Christmas Nutcracker
When I was 11, I made a nutcracker for my mother for Christmas. As a child, I was entranced by Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite. I’d never seen a real nutcracker but loved the music and a glimpse into a faraway place so different from my hometown of Rome, New York. That...
The Inspired Gift Guide for Mystery Book Lovers
When it comes to online shopping, it can be hard to find that unique something special for someone special. But I've done the hard part, scrolling and sifting to find gifts for the mystery book lover in your life. My exclusive gift guide offers a variety of gifts...
Don’t be Fooled! Decode the News with these Cold War Tips and Tricks
As fallout over the firing of Fox New anchor Tucker Carlson and CNN’s Don Lemon continues to percolate, I recall the Cold War techniques to decode the news used by the Central Intelligence Agency. The CIA was never solely about spies meeting in dark alleys. Consider...
3 Life Lessons from a Gathering of Strangers
We sometimes learn--or relearn--life lessons in unexpected places. I recently joined 14 women creatives at a gathering hosted by award-winning writer and filmmaker Rebekah Iliff at Free Dreaming Farm in Springfield, TN. The gathering followed the tragic shooting in...
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