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Tiana Smith is the author of the new novel The Spy and I. Her other books include the young adult novel Match Me If You Can.
Q: What inspired you to write The Spy and I, and how did you create your character Dove?
A: I’ve always loved spy stories—whether in movies or literature. I already have a few young adult novels out and my agent asked me how I felt about writing for the adult market. I came back to him with, “yes, but how about with spies?”
Thankfully he was on board with my idea because we sold The Spy and I not shortly after that.
I think at the time I was watching a lot of the TV show Chuck and was really inspired by writing a character who was computer-smart and a bit introverted, but still an asset in their own way.
A lot of those characters in popular media are men, and I wanted to show readers that women can be just as technologically savvy. I still wanted to keep her out of her element within the spy world, however, because it’s always fun to see how a character reacts when they’re unprepared and in over their heads.
Q: The Library Journal review of the book said, “This mistaken-identity spy romance is fast-paced, mixing twists and turns with humor and not a small amount of chemistry.” What do you think of that description, and what did you see as the right balance between the spying, the romance, and the humor?
A: It was definitely tricky to balance the spy action, romance, and comedy. Primarily, I think readers are connecting to it most as a suspense novel with comedic romantic elements, and that makes me happy.
If you think of most of the spy movies you’ve seen, like Knight and Day or Argylle, I think they follow a similar vein. The spy story is what moves the plot forward, and the romance is there as a supporting element. Of course, I love romance, and I love comedy, so I’ll always put those things in when I can.
Q: Did you need to do any research to write the book, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?
A: I had to do so much research! It’s surprising how much information there is online about the CIA though. Or even specific tutorials on how to hack things (since my main character is a hacker). All the hacking scenes in my novel follow online tutorials, which is scary if you stop to think about it.
The CIA has many official sites that provide information on the infrastructure or common things that people get wrong.
One of the things that surprised me is that people who work for the CIA aren’t called agents—they’re called officers. As I say in the book, the FBI has agents, the CIA has officers. Anyone who says otherwise has been watching too much TV. 😉
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?
A: I hope people just have a good time reading it. It’s meant to be an escape that takes you away from this world for a bit. Something lighthearted and fun.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on book two of the My Spy series, Mr. Nice Spy. Both books can be read as stand-alones, so you don’t have to read The Spy and I first in order to understand what’s going on.
Mr. Nice Spy follows a different set of characters that happen to be in the same world. It comes out in November of this year. I’m excited for everyone to read it!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Nope! Thanks for having me!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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