When you imagine a top-notch detective who can outsmart criminal masterminds, do you imagine a man or a woman?

The world of thriller fiction predominantly features alpha male characters, but author K.J. Howe is rewriting the rule book. Her protagonist is a strong female operative... who happens to have type-1 diabetes.

K.J. joins host Erica Spiegelman to discuss why it’s so important for books to feature characters who don’t conform to people’s expectations. She explains how she shatters stereotypes in her own life as an avid traveler and an expert on the murky world of kidnap-and-ransom.