Lies, Spies, and Alibis Author Q&A with Natalie Walters

Natalie Walters is a best selling author who loves writing romantic suspense with dynamic plots, memorable characters, humor, heart, and adventure. As an Army wife, she fills her stories with the right balance of romantic and suspenseful tension to get the heart-racing and a cast of witty characters–all of which, may or may not be inspired by true people and/or events. When she’s not writing, she’s dreaming of her next vacation, spending time with her family, or chasing after her sock-eating Goldendoodle, Scout. Annnd binging CourtTv.

FF: Spies, Lies, and Alibis blends espionage, romance, and second-chance tension into a fast-paced story. What sparked the idea of bringing former first loves back together in such a high-stakes world?
I’ve always loved the dynamic in Mr. & Mrs. Smith—the banter and tension that comes from realizing you don’t fully know the person you love. I wanted to capture that same energy with Cybil and Ben, but as former first loves instead of a married couple. For Cybil and Ben, their history adds an emotional layer you can’t manufacture. They share memories, assumptions, and unresolved feelings—but in the world they’re operating in now, trust isn’t just complicated, it’s dangerous. I wanted to explore what happens when first love collides with secrets, lies, and high-stakes missions where one wrong move could cost everything.

FF: Cybil and Ben are both working undercover in dangerous, morally complex environments—yet neither fully knows the other’s truth. What interested you about building a romance around that kind of layered deception?
Relationships are built on trust—but what happens when protecting the person you love requires deception? That tension was really compelling to me. With Cybil and Ben, they’re both lying, both pretending to be someone they’re not, and both keeping secrets for the same reason: to protect the other. It creates this constant push and pull where every moment of connection is layered with doubt. They have to decide if they can trust what they feel, even when they can’t fully trust what they’re being told. And that raises the bigger question—does lying to protect someone make it easier…or does it cost even more in the end?

FF: At its heart, the story explores trust—both in relationships and in mission-driven lives. Why was that theme important for you to explore through these characters?
I think for Ben his career is built around a career that will constantly challenge trust. For Cybil, her life has been built on an inability to trust people to do the right thing. I wanted to challenge Ben to consider what it means for someone to trust him while he is absolutely lying and what it means to build trust around that lie. And for Cybil to recognize that she can trust others and not be so reliant on herself. There’s a freedom in that.

FF: Cybil is embedded in a criminal network through her job, while Ben is working deep undercover for the FBI. How did you approach balancing their professional missions with their emotional history?
Trust sits at the core of who these characters are. Ben’s career is built on deception, constantly testing what trust really means, while Cybil’s past has taught her to rely only on herself. I wanted to push both of them—Ben to wrestle with what it means to be trusted while he’s actively lying, and Cybil to discover that trusting someone else doesn’t make her weak. It actually gives her a kind of freedom she’s never had before.

FF: There’s a strong undercurrent of identity in the novel—who the characters are vs. who they pretend to be. How does that tension shape their connection?
That tension is one of my favorite parts of the story. Cybil and Ben know each other on a deeply personal level, but they’re forced to operate behind carefully constructed identities. It creates this constant friction where their real selves are always brushing up against the roles they’re playing. They know each other’s tells, their history, the small, personal details—and sometimes use that insight at the most inconvenient moments. That mix of familiarity and deception makes their connection more layered, more complicated, and a lot more fun to explore.

FF: Even in the midst of danger and intrigue, the story carries humor, banter, and heart. Why is it important for you to weave lightness into romantic suspense?
Suspense can be heavy, both in theme and tone, so I love balancing that with humor, banter, and heart. We all need moments to breathe. For me, those lighter moments don’t take away from the danger—they deepen it. They show that even in the middle of hard circumstances, people can still find hope, joy, and connection. And that’s what makes the stakes feel even more real.

FF: Faith often shows up in subtle but meaningful ways in your storytelling—through choices, convictions, and moral grounding. How does that dimension inform Cybil and Ben’s decisions as the story unfolds?
For me, faith shows up most naturally in real-life moments, and that’s how it plays out in this story. With Cybil and Ben, it’s less about what they say and more about what they do—their choices, their convictions, and the way others speak truth into their lives. When they’re facing the hardest moments, it’s that quiet foundation that steadies them and shapes the decisions they make.

FF: What do you hope readers take away about truth, grace, and the courage it takes to trust again after betrayal or heartbreak?
I hope readers see that betrayal and heartbreak can feel like detours—forcing you to change direction or start over—but they don’t have to be the end of the story. Sometimes they’re what lead you to where you were meant to be all along. And it takes real courage to trust that process, to choose grace, and to open your heart again.