This was my 2014 challenge. If you are looking for the 2015 challenge, please go to this page. Thank you.
21 years ago, I was a week away from the start of my senior year of high school. We were at my grandparents’ house. We were playing cards around their big circular table. Spades, I believe. When the phone rang.
You know those moments that just change everything? This was one. (For more of the story, go to Day 1 here.)
I have decided to participate in a 31 day writing challenge. My goal is to write every day in the month of October. My idea, my goal is to start researching information for the novel that has been bouncing around in my head for those 21 years. My chosen topic (so far) is 31 random facts about the CIA.
I am going to come back and add each post to this page as I write them. Check back to see how I do!

Day 1 – Why this story?
Day 2 – A brief history of the CIA
Day 3 – Tbilisi, Georgia
Day 4 – The Honeypot
Day 5 – The wrong man
Day 6 – Spies, Black Ties, & Mango Pies
Day 7 – Russian Politics and a Bit of History – Boris Yeltsin is included here.
Day 8 – “The Farm”
Day 9 – The Start of my search – Links about Uncle Freddie
Day 10 – Too much information – The end of the series (or not)
Day 11 – Stars on the Wall
Day 12 – Going Dark
Day 13 – Cool Spy Gadgets
Day x – Finishing My Story
Day 14 – Freedom of Information Act
Day 14 Bonus – Dr. Zhivago
Day 15 – Hard Reading
The topics I still want to cover, in no particular order:
Aldrich Ames
Eduard Shevardnadze – Currently in draft mode.
James Woolsey
Arlington National Cemetery
Memories of Uncle Freddie
Langley
Helicopters
I need to find something funny about the CIA.
The CIA as portrayed on TV
January 16, 2015 – The 31 day writing challenge is over and has been for awhile now. Life got crazy, and I was unable to write and to research like I wanted to. Honestly, it’s an overwhelming story. But that does not mean this story is over. That does not mean I’m through. I am still going to come back and add to this page, to this story as I can. Thank you for reading as much as you have.
Hugs,
Melinda
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