R J Hillhouse has run Cuban rum, smuggled jewels and slipped through some of the world's tightest borders from Uzbekistan to Romania . Foreign governments attempted to recruit her as a spy. (They failed.)

A former professor and Fulbright fellow, Hillhouse earned her Ph.D. in political science at the University of Michigan and she is an expert in international affairs and the outsourcing of national security. She writes spy thrillers and she also blogs about the outsourcing of military and intelligence at The Spy Who Billed Me and her work has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, CBS New.com and others. Forbes has called her "the Tom Clancy of the corporate military and intelligence age."

Her controversial articles have twice elicited a response from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence--the only times the office of the nation's chilef spy has ever publically responded to the writings of a private citizen.

She is a frequent media guest.

Hillhouse’s debut novel, Rift Zone, was published by Tor & Forge in 2004.  Her writing has received critical praise from The New York Times, People, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and numerous media outlets.  Library Journal labeled it as “one of the most promising first novels of 2004” and the American Booksellers Association identified it as “one of the best books of 2004.”  She also appeared on six dozen radio and television shows.

In 2006 she contributed a chapter to Thriller, a best-selling collection of short stories edited by James Patterson and the same year she also published a short story in This is Chick-Lit.  She’s also published essays, including “I knew Julius No.  Julius No was a Friend of Mine.  And Osama, You’re No Dr. No,” in James Bond in the 21st Century, “Spy Games” in Spirit of Aloha Magazine, and “The Writing Life” in Mystery Scene Magazine.

Hillhouse has studied in several countries, including Germany, Russia, Romania, and Togo (French West Africa). She speaks or reads six languages, in addition to English, including German, French, Russian, Dutch, Spanish, and Romanian.

Hillhouse has had several articles in academic journals, including The American Journal of Sociology and Slavic Review.  Her lectures and presentations have come before Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Michigan, Rice, NYU, Smithsonian Institution, Soviet Youth Institute and other prestigious academic bodies.  She is a former professor.

She’s received numerous honors and awards, including the appointment by the US Department of Education as a Fulbright Dissertation Fellow.