Hello everyone, and welcome to the halfway point of August! 2020 is flying by.
I've officially written thirteen chapters of my middle grade spy novel, THE DOOMSDAY DEVICE, which is the first novel in my Kara Kilpatrick, International Spy series. I've had a lot of fun writing it!
(My insomnia has returned, which has also heightened my anxiety. I've been having terrible headaches and blurred vision, but I am bound and determined to write this novel!)
What's the best part of writing a spy novel? The spy gadgets, of course!
(In real life, I don't think spies use gadgets, but hey -- this is fiction. Anything is possible!)
I've taken inspiration from a bunch of different stories -- Spy Kids, James Bond, Totally Spies (my favorite as a kid!), Alex Rider, and even Barbie: Secret Agent the video game. I wanted to share some of my spy gadgets so far. And if you're thinking of writing a spy novel, maybe this will inspire you!
Because Kara is thirteen, she is given a crew (nicknamed 'The Dream Team' to help her. They stay on her private jet, The Subterfuge, while she's away on field missions.) Here are the characters:
Kara Kilpatrick, age thirteen. Codename: Agent 101. She was recruited by P.E.L.I.C.A.N (which stands for Protection, Espionage, Logistics, Intelligence, Communications, Analytics, and Networking), a Canadian spy company that keeps an eye on the world. At the beginning of the novel, she is expelled from school for yet another ingenious prank which catches the attention of Pelican. She is the spy of the crew and must go undercover. After all, who would suspect a thirteen-year-old girl as being a spy?
Alec Bristow, mid-forties. Codename: Informant. Kara calls him Mr. Bristow, and he's the father of her best friend from school, Jesse. He has been working at Pelican for the past decade and is very intelligent. His role is to monitor her mission and assist Kara when she needs it. (And yes, his name was inspired by Sydney Bristow, the main character from the TV show Alias played by Jennifer Garner. I love that show, and this character is an homage to it!)
Mikayla Chapman, mid-twenties. Codename: Tex. Originally from London, England, she is recruited by Pelican after getting caught hacking into the Canadian government's website for fun. Mikayla is completely self-taught and a total tech whiz (hence the name 'Tex' which stands for technology.) Every spy team needs a good hacker!
Dr. Igor Ivanov, mid-forties. Codename: Gadgeteer. Originally from Moscow, Russia, he was exiled from his country for exposing Russia's interference in the politics of other countries. With nowhere else to go, Pelican recruited him for his science experiments and genius gadgets. (More on that below!)
Dr. Esther Adeyemi, mid-thirties. Codename: Doc. Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Adeyemi's medical skills and knowledge of the brain was how she got recruited by Pelican. She requests to join Kara and keep an eye on her. She also has a background in nutrition and cooks healthy meals for the crew.
Oliver Lachlan, mid-twenties. Codename: Captain. Originally from Australia, Oliver served in the military as a fighter pilot before he was injured and left paralyzed below the waist which put him in a wheelchair. The Australian military was going to put him on desk duty for the rest of his life, but he didn't want that. Despite his disability, he's still the best pilot in the world, which is why Pelican recruited him.
Aaron McCready, mid-forties. Codename: Brawler. Originally from Scotland, McCready was a WWE champion before he was recruited for Pelican. He chooses Kara while she's at the training academy and teaches her all her fighting skills. He's there for support in case Kara's ever in trouble.
Now, on to the gadgets created by Dr. Ivanov, the Gadgeteer! He has created all the gadgets to look like typical things a teenage girl would have.
Wrist Glider: This has to be my favorite gadget. It looks like a bracelet, but when you press it, it allows you to climb buildings.
Nail file that looks like an army knife: For fighting and getting out of tough situations (like being tied up.)
Glasses: These glasses are special. Not only do they allow her team to see what Kara sees through the lenses, but they also can identify heat signatures through walls, zoom in, provide night vision, and more!
Lipstick laser: Used to cut through metal and glass.
Knock-out blush: Used to render someone unconscious with the blush particles. Has two settings: distraction and unconscious.
Scrambler hairclip: This looks like a hairclip, but when places along a lock or safe, it can unlock it. Only works on numerical codes, not voice-activated ones.
Scrunchie Launcher: It looks like a scrunchie on a stick, but it can actually incapacitate enemies in difficult situations.
Electromagnetic Pen: It looks like an average pen, but its electromagnetic energy can deactivate cameras.
Earphone Microphone: Kara can communicate with her crew by putting in her fake earphones.
I look forward to creating more gadgets. Can't wait to share this story with everyone one day! Thanks for reading as always.
Sincerely,
Dana
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