Plame:  I felt like I had been hit in the gut

Few words, many appearances
Although she's had little to say publicly, Plame has made more than a few splashy appearances with her husband. Last month alone, the Wilsons attended a book party for Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic Party chairman, and were spotted having lunch with actress Morgan Fairchild at the Four Seasons.

Then there was last year's announcement that they were suing Bush administration officials they blame for ending her career. They rubbed elbows with Washington's glitterati at a celebrity-studded awards dinner for the White House press corps that year.

The couple famously posed in his Jaguar for the January 2004 cover of Vanity Fair magazine. A scarf covered Plame's blonde hair and dark sunglasses hid her eyes - deepening the sense of mystery.

The book
The disclosure of Plame's name closed one chapter in her life, but opened others.

The mother of 7-year-old twins, a boy and girl, is putting final touches on a book about her life and the leak of her name, tentatively titled "Fair Game," for which publisher Simon & Schuster paid her an advance of over $1 million.

"She is hopeful she'll be able to get it out soon," Wilson said last week. "She's in discussion with the CIA about it."

Plame submitted the manuscript to the CIA for a mandatory review, which is done to make sure the book tells no government secrets. It was returned to Plame, who left the agency in January 2006, with suggestions.

"We are all awaiting Ms. Wilson's resubmission," CIA spokesman Mark Mansfield said Thursday. "In most cases, we are able to work it out in a way that satisfies everyone's concerns."

Adam Rothberg, a spokesman for Simon & Schuster, on Thursday would say only that the book was "in progress," with publication expected soon.

The movie
Plame's story also is headed for the big screen. Warner Bros. is developing a film based on the couple's lives, a screenplay is being written and Plame and her husband are expected to serve as consultants.

Asked who he'd like to play them in the movie, Wilson, who has done most of the couple's talking, joked: "I don't know. I would only ask that Jack Black be cast in a role other than that of Joe Wilson."

The civil case against Bush administration officials also is moving forward, and that will keep both of their names in the headlines - long after their imminent move to New Mexico. Arguments are set for May 17 in U.S. District Court.

Plame and her husband blame Vice President Dick Cheney; presidential adviser Karl Rove; I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Cheney's former chief of staff, and former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage for revealing her identity and, effectively, ending her career.

"Valerie wishes none of this ever happened," said Melanie Sloan, an attorney who represents Plame in the lawsuit and who directs the liberal watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. "She had the life she wanted. She had the job she wanted."

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