#spystories

If I ever get to Heaven and there's no #usedbooksale to benefit the #library, God's gonna have to some 'splainin' to do to me. #spookybooks #spystories #multnomahcountylibrary #schmacesoldseparately (at Portland, Oregon)

It's out today! Begin your adventures with Sophie Hollander - a new kind of spy heroine. Pick up the first of eight volumes in the Sophie Hollander series, available on Google Play, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and in Wexford Town at @redbookswexford Find ypur link here: https://allauthor.com/book/38802/agent-guinevere-the-sophie-hollander-series-book-1/ #birthdaygirl #sophiehollanderseries #newbook #newseries #spystories #spyfiction #heroesandvillains #badasswomen #romanceseries #pickaside (at Together At Home) https://www.instagram.com/p/CBGJ9rqgzDc/?igshid=bj63820kliyn

From my pages to yours, a story goes from planning to editing before going on to print. Check out the new spy series, beginning with "Agent Guinevere" which drops on June 6th. Until then, I'll be here in the lockdown editing away. Stay safe out there 😘 #newbook #spystories #spyfiction #sophiehollanderseries #writersofinstagram #writeeverywhere #quarantinelife #covidart #lockdown2020 #newseries #readersofinstagram #independentpublisher (at Wexford, Ireland) https://www.instagram.com/p/CAswzv0gajJ/?igshid=c0m0c9wdm3b5

Socks, I'm knitting socks and reading... nothing better in November... 🧡💙💛 ... #photos #knitting🧡 #knits #books #spystories https://www.instagram.com/p/B5OOcPUFFjz/?igshid=zklnuwkrasp2

What is an intelligence agency and how does it affect the affairs of the world? According to Wikipedia, “An intelligence agency is a government agency responsible for the collection, analysis, and exploitation of information in support of law  enforcement, national security, military, and foreign policy objectives.” Hollywood portrays intelligence agents as cool, technology-savvy, dark-suited guys with a special skill or two that often involves fire arms and close combat. In real life, however, intel agents do more than just appear cool, and while mostly tech-savvy, they often do well with suits and just about any garment able to camouflage them from the unsuspecting world. In fact, they are everywhere, and their work affects our everyday life—from phone conversations, email and internet usage, bank transactions, personal and professional records, among others. Intel agencies can access anything that is not protected, and everything that is protected simply needs an agent with special cracking skills. There are many intel agencies around the world. In the United States, there is the Central Intelligence Agency or CIA. On its website, the agency has this to say about the organization, “CIA is the nation’s premier agency providing global intelligence in an ever-changing political, social, economic, technological, & military landscapes.” The agencies mission is simply stated: “Preempt threats and further US national security objectives by collecting intelligence that matters, producing objective all-source analysis, conducting effective covert action as directed by the President, and safeguarding the secrets that help keep our Nation safe.” The agency continues to accomplish its mission by using covert and overt measures that may include interception of communication, cryptanalysis, espionage, among others. Other intel agencies from other nations, more or less, play by the same rules. Online, these agencies are ranked, but we know there is no way to ascertain which agency is better compared to the others. These are, after all, organizations skilled in decoys and camouflages. What remains certain is this, everything we do, especially online, leaves an imprint. Following these imprints does not need rocket science. Perhaps we need these ever-watchful eyes for our security—perhaps not. Read the full article

Move over, New York City. Hong Kong is now the new richest city in the world. The Big Apple now has some serious competition at the top with the rise in Hong Kong’s economy. Pushed by the new global wealth-creation movement across Asia, Hong Kong has surged to the top of the list by having more multimillionaires in their city than New York, as reported by Wealth-X. According to the World Ultra Wealth Report by Wealth-X, the world saw a 13 percent growth in 2017 in the number of citizens worth $30 million or more, and with Asia surging to 19 percent. Hong Kong topped this with having more than 10,000 ultra-high-net-worth individuals worth more than $30 million, beating out New York who has an estimated 8,900 ultra-rich citizens, and Tokyo taking the third spot with 6,800 individuals. While Hong Kong sits at the top of the richest city list, the United States still dominates the world market and still accounts for one-third of the world’s ultra-rich. About 80,000 US citizens are worth $30 million compared to China’s 17,000. But if you look at the bigger picture, the report shows that the United States exhibited the weakest economic growth among the top 7 countries in the world. This new title of Hong Kong is precedent of the predicted strong economic growth that Asia has been experiencing in the last few years, wherein China and Hong Kong are at the forefront of. This is also a reflection of the growing fortunes of China through its enhanced trade and investment links. It is expected that by 2022, 108,000 ultra-rich individuals will emerge from Asia, which shows a 50 percent growth. This growth supports a forecast that in five years, Asia will soon close the wealth gap with other regions. This shift of fortunes and forecasted growth in the next few years seem to be pointing to one important thing: the distribution of the global ultra wealth seems to be pointing to a more balanced one. So while the United States is still definitely at the top of the totem pole, it should not take its eyes away from Asia. Read the full article

In ancient times, China had all the four cardinal directions boarded by a sea although two were actually lakes: Lake Baikal or North Sea, East China Sea or East Sea, Qinghai Lake or West Sea, and South China Sea or South Sea. These bodies of water played significant roles in Chinese history; however, only one continues to make headlines throughout the world today—the South China Sea. The South China Sea is largely part of the Pacific Ocean. Located along its shores are several nations now in dispute regarding maritime territorial rights taunted by China in the last decade or so. According to China, the South China Sea belonged to Beijing since ancient times. Neighboring nations—Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Borneo, Taiwan, and Singapore—however, are not keen on granting ownership of the seas to China. On the contrary, disputes are getting more heated over the last few years. But why is the South China Sea so important? One, the South China Sea is an important trade route in the Pacific. In 2018, over $5 trillion worth of commerce passed through the South China Sea or almost one-third of the total maritime trade around the world. China itself uses the seas to import over 80 percent of energy and 40 percent of China’s trade passes through the South China Sea. Two, its seabed is rich in oil and natural gas: While U.S. estimates have put the amount at 11 billion barrels of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in the South China Sea, one Chinese government-owned oil major actually put the figure closer to 125 billion barrels of oil and 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas in undiscovered areas. (Cnbc.com) If these figures are correct, then China would have found a partial way out of its dependence on the Middle East for oil. Three, the United States believes that China will destabilize Asia and, ultimately, the world should it be allowed to win over its Asian neighbors that are allies of the U.S. Aside from that, the U.S. is bent on protecting the freedom of navigation as stipulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Many believe China is acting like a bully, and the U. S. is the peacemaker holding back the next world war. Many are still waiting for peaceful resolutions to happen. Read the full article