I was an FBI agent for 23 years and altogether have spent over 30 years in counterintelligence, counterterrorism and law enforcement. During that time I got a doctorate in clinical psychology and specialized in behavioral analysis (I was the behavioral expert on the Unabomber for the team that finally caught Theodore Kaczynski). So, of course, when it came time to finally write I was co-author on two books (so far) with Terry D. Turchie (former FBI Dep Asst Director for Counterterrorism). We wrote about what we'd done and learned in our first book. In our second, we took a jump and put Washington politicians - Dems and Repubs - under the microscope for their mishandling of national security issues and the FBI since Watergate. We now write and consult on these issues, as well as threat assessment and risk analysis.
That said, it's time for me to do what I've always dreamed of doing: writing fiction! :-) I'm interested in almost everything, and am exploring all kinds of ideas, writer's groups and the current volatile and exciting world of publishing as it's evolving online. I still love to hang around at bookstores, and I love to talk story and character with anybody who'll have coffee with me!
Waaay too broad a question, but I was recently captivated by Tana French's "In the Woods." I'm fussy about crime fiction, since there's such a wide variation in expertise and background knowledge that inaccuracies drive me nuts and can totally ruin a decent storyline for me.
Movies And TV Shows I Like:
I was a fan of the XFiles, mostly because I had friends who consulted on the set (which was why they had the right file covers and the hallways looked just as dank and uncomfortable as they really do at FBIHQ! I'm currently enjoying LOST, and I love documentaries of all sorts.
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Kathleen, with your extensive backround I'm looking forward to your first fiction novel. Welcome to the Space and we look forward to hearing a lot more from you
Hi Kathleen, you in real life would fit one of the charecters in my book. I wanted to introduce to you my debut novel "A Circle of souls" which is a paranormal, murder, mystery thriller and a tale of justice and hope. Do visit www.acircleofsouls.com to read more about the book. Make sure you sign up to win an autographed copy of the book. Thanks for your time in advance.
Best regards
Preetham Grandhi
Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”
Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."
Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"
Book Synopsis:
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
Someone at work recommended this as well. But, it is about 3 hours away from London, and we're tethered there. Too bad, it's give me a reason to return and do a countryside trip next time!
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Best regards
Preetham Grandhi
Early Endorsements for “A Circle of Souls”
Linda Fairstein, NYT Bestselling Author: "A fascinating debut - this novel takes the reader to the darkest places in the human soul, from a writer with the authenticity to lead us there. A stunning thriller and an important read."
Judge Judy Sheindlin, star of the Judge Judy Show: "The seminal work of this fine author kept me glued to my chair until the adventure was over and the mystery solved. A great read!"
Book Synopsis:
The sleepy town of Newbury, Connecticut, is shocked when a little girl is found brutally murdered. The town s top detective, perplexed by a complete lack of leads, calls in FBI agent Leia Bines, an expert in cases involving children.
Meanwhile, Dr. Peter Gram, a psychiatrist at Newbury s hospital, searches desperately for the cause of seven-year-old Naya Hastings devastating nightmares. Afraid that she might hurt herself in the midst of a torturous episode, Naya s parents have turned to the bright young doctor as their only hope.
The situations confronting Leia and Peter converge when Naya begins drawing chilling images of murder after being bombarded by the disturbing images in her dreams. Amazingly, her sketches are the only clues to the crime that has panicked Newbury residents. Against her better judgment, Leia explores the clues in Naya s crude drawings, only to set off an alarming chain of events.
Hey! You're getting more friends! See . . .. being an ex-FBI agent isn't all that scary! Eh. . . well, not too scary at least!