Bec and a few of the
characters in Blonde OPS aren’t the
only ones skirting the edges of the law. Take us, for example. No, I have never
been arrested (or Nat to the best of my knowledge). The most illegal thing I’ve
done is a speeding ticket. I don’t cheat on my taxes because I’m too afraid of
the repercussions.
So why is the FBI
flagging me? Sending me this message:
F.B.I. Warning! Your browser has been blocked up for
safety reasons listed below. All activities of this computer have been shut
down.
And I got this
message on my browser over 400 times.
I was researching
for Blonde OPS. In the book, the main
character, Bec Jackson, is a hacker. So she has to hack. And since the story
revolves around her trying to solve an attempted murder and threats against the
First Lady, we had to know our stuff. Natalie went to a hacker convention,
H.O.P.E. (Hackers on Planet Earth) and gleaned info from her husband and son
who are good with computers and other technical aspects. I researched:
*Protection of the
First Lady
*The Secret Service
*The FBI
*Guns
*The Vatican
*How To Break Into a
Digital Lock
See how this looks?
In
the post-9/11 world, this sets off a lot of alarms. I’m sure when I go through
the airport, I’ll be yanked out of the line for a ‘random security check.’ (I
usually am anyway because I’m blonde, a woman, mother of three, writer of
fiction so I fit the ‘we’re-not-trying-to-profile profile. Only I’m sure the
checks will now be more invasive. Think I’ll take the train…)
But that’s how to
write a book—do the research! If you want to people to believe it, you have to
have a factual basis. And it’s funny that while some lay people thought the
premise unbelievable, hackers have praised us for our plausibility (and yes,
all the hacks are possible, but we don’t give you all the info, go earn your own FBI warning!). The President of the
United States has one of the most elite protection details—his wife, not as
much, so if crazies can get to him, like they did President Ronald Reagan,
getting to the First Lady is very possible for the dedicated insane. The
research had to be truthful, detailed, and public.
I’m sure by now
those officials interested in my doings know I’m a fiction writer, not a
home-grown terrorist: I support the PTO, I have co-authored three young adult
books, I have kids, I love American muscle cars, I have lots of silly, loveable
friends on Facebook, and I play handbells in my church. Nothing scary here. I’ve
even offered to send them a copy of the book, but I haven’t heard back from
them.
If the FBI thinks
I’m doing effective research, then I know I’ve done a good job.
(Right guys? If
you’re following me, I’m making cookies today. But you probably know that…)
thanks for the post!
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