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Publication Date: Friday, September 27, 2002

'Capital Offense' is a capital read

If you see author Kathleen Antrim walking down the street and she doesn't acknowledge you, don't be offended. Her head is in another land, inhabited by characters that the rest of us will not meet for awhile.

Pleasanton is abuzz over Antrim's first published novel, "Capital Offense," currently the best seller at Towne Center Books on Main Street. The political thriller is filled with fascinating characters, and their lives take twists and turns as they claw their way toward the White House. It has mysterious deaths, secret meetings in the dead of night, and e-mail systems subverted to achieve dubious ends.

The main character, Carolyn Alden Lane, is a strong female but she was not patterned after Hillary Clinton, said Antrim. But Hillary's actions did spark her interest in women and the political scene.

"The genesis of this book was when Bill Clinton took office and Hillary took a West Wing office," said Antrim. "Traditionally first ladies took an office in the East Wing. She broke tradition and there was no one there to tell her, 'No,' except Bill. I started doing research on the power of the first ladies and whether they had any checks and balances, and I discovered that first ladies have immense power and are accountable to no one."

U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton is in a strong position to make a run for the presidency, noted Antrim, which could result in a Madam President and Mr. President in the White House with no controls. "Do we need checks and balances?" Antrim asked. "I love to provoke thought."

Lead character Carolyn Alden Lane was not meant to represent anyone, said Antrim. "It's definitely a fictional piece," she explained. "I love the kind of fiction that you love reading, it's fast-paced and you say, 'I wonder if this could happen?' This was a great topic to fictionalize."

Most of Antrim's research was done with current politicians, people in power, including cabinet members, and others behind the scenes, such as secret service agents and state troopers. "The research was fascinating," she said. Her probing also elicited a warning to be careful, which made her pause, but she took comfort knowing she was writing a work of fiction.

The research took six years. She spent another two years writing and rewriting, and then chose 1st Books Library of Indiana, which has published "Capital Offense" simultaneously in hard cover and paperback. "I thought it was important to come out in paperback, too, because I wanted it readily accessible and affordable," Antrim said.

"Capital Offense" is the story of a woman lawyer who wants her husband in the White House because she sees it as a vehicle to get important legislation passed on drugs, child abuse and foster care. She plans to have a hand in these new laws, even if she is behind the scenes.

But the road to the White House is not only bumpy, it is dangerous, and keeps the reader guessing who is siding with whom and where it is all leading. Throw in a romance between an investigative journalist and Carolyn's assistant, and the page-turner is completely satisfying.

To read more of Antrim, check out "Pronto: Writings in Rome," a collection of stories composed by a group of well-known writers while in Italy for a writers' retreat. Her contribution is called "Torn." She is also working on a high-tech thriller, tentatively titled "Killing Time."

Antrim said she grew up in Ohio, voraciously reading and writing, and completed a book, illustrations and all, at age 7. But she was stunned into a writing hiatus when a high school teacher in her senior year stood in front of the class and said her writing made him want to "throw up."

She went on to major in public communications at Bowling Green State University but didn't write creatively for 12 years. She was planning to go to law school when her company sent her to California, where she met her husband and settled down. They have two daughters, Katie, 14, and Taylor, 8.

When Antrim was 30, she wondered why she had ever stopped writing creatively. "Now I am following my passion," said Antrim, 41. "It's just who I am."

"I write 24 hours a day," she said. "My mind is always spinning on whatever I'm currently writing. My projects all have a long gestation period, then the pieces come together."

Antrim was already known in the area as one of the founders of the Ruby Hill Giving Thanks Charity Committee and a founder, with her husband Jeff, of Antrim Engineering & Construction. She also sits on the Foundation Board of Valley Care Hospital and is president of the Livermore Valley Winegrowers Foundation Board.

She is beginning her author appearances locally. She will launch the book at a party open to the public from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3, at the Wine Steward, 641 Main St., with advance copies available at Towne Center Books. By Monday, some 300 people were expected.

She said she does not find writing a lonely profession - she always her characters in her head for company. "I might be preoccupied, but I'm not lonely," she noted, laughing.

Antrim is also working on a sequel to "Capital Offense" - so don't be surprised if you see her walking down the street carrying on a conversation with Carolyn Alden Lane.
Kathleen Antrim appearing locally

Oct. 3 The Wine Steward, 641 Main St. Oct. 15 Good Enough Books, Livermore Nov. 7 Towne Center Books, 555 Main St., for book signing and political panel discussion with Antrim; former Mayor Ken Mercer; former Dublin mayor and Congressional candidate Guy Houston and his wife Ingeborg; and Councilwoman Sharrell Michelotti Nov. 14 Bay Books, San Ramon