Out in the Cold
Fiction or Real Badass?
FBI Special Agent Alex Martel has many extraordinary qualities: She’s a sharpshooter, a kickass fighter, and a great investigator. More than that, she’s fiercely loyal and determined to mete out justice on her terms, even if she pushes boundaries when doing so.
Alex was created by Canadian author Steve Urszenyi, whose second novel, “Out in the Cold,” comes out the second week of November. Steve is a former paramedic in Toronto, Canada, and was a tactical medic with the Ontario Provincial Police, where he was a specialist in SWAT, CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives incident response), HUSAR (Heavy Urban Search and Rescue), and public order operations. He is a recipient of the Governor General of Canada EMS Exemplary Service Medal and Bar in recognition of his distinguished service.
Alex is a work of fiction, but she is not merely a figment of Steve's imagination. While she stems from his creativity, she was inspired by and is very much an amalgam of women he has known and worked with in law enforcement and non-LE roles. Real women informed her creation and brought Alex to life!
You might read Out In The Cold and think Alex is out of this world—no way could an FBI woman do what Alex does or be her! But Alex embodies many FBI and law enforcement—even military—women, and her qualities and skills are ones that many FBI women do hold.
I encourage you to enter Alex’s world and listen to FBI women who have been on my podcast. You will find that Alex is not all fiction!
https://steveurszenyi.com/
Learn more about Steve Urszenyi & Alex Martel
Debbie Michaels
Golden
Retired FBI Supervisory Special Agent Debbie "Deb" Michaels gets real with us and shares her extraordinary 37-year Bureau journey, her personal story, and provides valuable advice to aspiring female Special Agents. Deb, a native of Maryland, was recruited by the FBI while in high school, but her young age did not stop her from becoming a badass Special Agent who made a change in the world and impacted people's lives.
Deb is a founding member of the FBI’s first national initiative against online child exploitation, her work focused on protecting vulnerable communities and pursuing online predators, both nationally and internationally. Throughout her career as a Special Agent and Supervisory Special Agent, Deb took on many challenging roles, from undercover operations against drug cartels, overseeing responses to violent crime to leading teams during high-pressure crises that garnered national media attention. Deb made it a priority to mentor the next generation of agents, especially women, and encouraging them to pursue leadership roles.
At the apex of her career, Deb was honored as Female Federal Law Enforcement Officer of the Year in 2019. After retiring in 2023, she remains dedicated to giving back. Deb currently serves as the Chief Administrative Officer at Verfico, a national startup company focused on protecting companies and workers. Deb also serves as a certified national law enforcement coach, guiding future leaders.
Hello! Hola! Salut! Ahlan!
Do you want to support my Podcast Badass in Heels?
Grab a cup of joe and join me bi-monthly to listen to a new episode of Badass in Heels!