Real-Life Events Inspire Titan’s Covert Tale of Redemption and Romance

A reporter who refuses to reveal her source. A CIA agent whose cover has been blown. War and secrets on the world stage. 

We’re not only talking about Locke and Key, the action-packed book in the Titan series. But we are talking about the real-world events that inspired Titan’s latest heroine, Cassidy Noble!

The Reporter

Judith Miller was a veteran journalist with high-ranking contacts in the US government and beyond. Post 9/11, Miller’s job was to cover big news, specifically Iraq’s alleged Weapons of Mass Destruction program. She spent time embedded with US troops in the Middle East, interviewing sources to find out if Iraq was indeed building nuclear weapons. Her reports often landed on the front page of The New York Times.

In 2005 Judith Miller found herself in a no-win situation: give up a high-ranking government source and keep her freedom, or follow her ideals and go to prison. 

The situation was complicated, to say the least.

Going to War

In 2002, the United States was still reeling from the attacks of 9/11. As the country tried to make sense of the tragedy, President George W. Bush announced that Iraq was buying up key ingredients to make nuclear weapons. The US labeled Iraq as part of an “axis of evil” – countries the government believed to be growing terrorists. On March 20, 2003, the US declared war on Iraq.

But not everyone supported the move to war. One of those dissenting voices was diplomat Joseph Wilson. In July of 2003, Wilson wrote an article criticizing the war in Iraq. Little did he know his article would change his life and put his wife in danger.

Retaliation

No one knew that Joseph Wilson’s wife, Valerie Plame, was an undercover CIA agent. That is, no one knew until the Washington Post published a story outing Plame and revealing her cover to the world. Even Plame’s in-laws didn’t know.

The intelligence community has a cardinal rule: You never expose an agent. Why had the Washington Post broken this rule, ending Plame’s career in the CIA and endangering her life? Many thought it was retaliation. Her husband had criticized the government’s decision to go to war, so someone leaked Plame’s identity.

The Hunt

Who leaked Valerie Plame’s identity? The CIA was furious and intent on hunting down the source. They focused their investigation on a handful of men, including Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the Vice President’s top aide. Libby had recently met with Judith Miller, and investigators wanted to know what they had discussed.

Contempt

Claiming protection under the First Amendment, Judith Miller refused to tell the court what she and Libby had discussed. Libby had signed a waiver, permitting journalists to reveal what they had met about. But Miller steadfastly refused to testify. She believed Libby had been forced to sign the waiver and that protecting her source was her number one job. The court rejected her defense and held in contempt of court. Miller spent 85 days in jail and only agreed to testify after Libby personally assured her it was okay.

Many people respected Miller’s tenacity in protecting her source. But others questioned her role in shielding those who could have been responsible for outing a CIA agent.

“Sir, you’re asking me to reveal a confidential source. Confidentiality is, at the very basis, a  foundation of freedom of the press. If Americans can’t provide information to the press, then I can’t report it.”  

– Cassidy Noble

Like her real-life counterpart, Cassidy Noble is a journalist who has had to make hard decisions, and not everyone thinks she made the right ones. Her ardent refusal to reveal a military source led to accusations of treason, and the near-death of her career in the spotlight. Determined to reclaim her life and her livelihood, Cassidy stumbles upon a possible human-trafficking ring.

Locke Oliver is ex-military and a Titan special forces operator. What’s more, he is all too familiar with Cassidy Noble. In fact, Locke blames her for the death of several of his men. The last thing he ever wanted was to see her again, but here she is, on top of a snow-covered mountain, and Titan says he has to rescue her.

Locke has a hard time believing her story of a human-trafficking ring. But when Cassidy volunteers to go undercover, he realizes he doesn’t want to see her hurt. Is Locke falling in love with the woman he thought he hated? Can he keep her safe as she fights to uncover the truth?

Judith Miller’s career recovered, but you’ll have to read Locke and Key to find out if Cassidy Noble can clear her name and if Locke can keep her alive!

About the Author

Fifteen years of experience writing across a variety of platforms has given Kate Gardner the skills to communicate essential ideas to clients and customers while building a relationship with them based on trust and integrity. She specializes in medical and scientific writing, as well as health and wellness articles that make complex information accessible to all readers. If you’re looking for a writer invested in creating connections with your audience, Kate is the writer for you!

Kate G is a freelance writer who writes about culture.