susan hassler, what's the storyline on your book? >> guest: well, it's the next big terrorist attack. it hearkens a little bit back to 9/11 in flashbacks, but this is the next terrorist attack and what happens in the cia counterterrorist center before, during and after that attack. >> host: who is maddie? >> guest: maddie james is a counterterrorism analyst. she's been in the agency for 15 years, and she's, she's probably been there way too long. [laughter] >> host: really? why do you say that? >> guest: well, she's angry, and she -- her personal life has fallen apart, and her entire life is her job, and she really needs to probably get away from it for a while, but she won't. >> host: well, susan hasler, you spent 21 years working at the cia in various positions. are you maddie? glg i'm not maddie. there are a few differences. she was a tiny little ballerina, i'm not. she spent 15 years in the counterterror center, and i was only there for the last four years of my career. >> host: so why did you leave the cia in 2004? this. >> gues