Several days ago, I checked my StatCounter page and saw that someone from The Department of Homeland Security had visited my blog. My heart skipped a beat … or ten. Incidents like that flip my paranoia switch to eleven.
During the time I did research to write The Brevity of Roses, I checked out so many Farsi language forums, and websites and library books on Iranian history, life, and customs I feared the FBI or CIA had their eye on me, but why now?
I think I know the answer. In July, I published a post where I contemplated whether the love scenes in Brevity should have been more explicit. I used the word sex in the post and ever since then my blog has received far more than the usual number of hits from Middle Eastern IPs—and so has that particular post. After I noticed those anomalies, I checked each time a hit came from somewhere in the Middle East and verified that 90% of the time the suspect post was its destination.
Did the DHS note that unusual activity and flag my blog for investigation? If so, I hope they were satisfied that I’m just a harmless little old lady writing fiction. Speaking of fiction, do you think I could get a story out of this?
Linda Cassidy Lewis 
Yes, Linda, there’s a good story there. It might be a hot potato.
The tech savy can go anywhere, do anything. I have a son in computer security so I know it’s true.
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Not that I need another story idea. 😉
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Oooooh…. Linda’s on a List somewhere… 😉
Maybe this will help your book sales. 🙂
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Ha, Amy, that’s probably the only list I’m on, but if it helps book sales … 😉
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So story worthy! Little old lady taken in . . . not that YOU’RE a little old lady!
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I guess you’re right, Nina. I should make good use of my paranoia! 🙂
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First of all, writers have the most interesting conversations–we’re all murder and mayhem, bombs and sex and drugs and lust. We’re obviously not living those lives or the words wouldn’t get to the page. If Big Brother is watching you I hope he’s buying a copy of Brevity!
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Oooo, Victoria, that would be great if everyone at the DHS had to read my book for secret code. Of course, they probably have a way to download it without paying. Actually, there are two print copies in the Library of Congress. 😉
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