Making It Up with I.S. Berry, author of The Peacock and the Sparrow

“(The CIA) redacted my height and weight. I kid you not—they redacted the color of the sky.” —I.S. Berry

I.S. Berry spent six years as an operations officer for the CIA, serving in wartime Baghdad and elsewhere. She has lived and worked throughout Europe and the Middle East, including two years in Bahrain during the Arab Spring. I.S. Berry is a member of the Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers, International Association of Crime Writers, and the Association of Former Intelligence Officers.

Among other things, Carter and I.S. discuss I.S. 's experiences with foreign affairs and her path to the CIA, writing a memoir to make sense of her experiences, and playing around with pacing and action in your novels. At the end of their conversation, they make up a suspenseful story using a line from Wendy Walker’s Blade.