Is the first lady trying to overthrow the president? Award-winning writer Kathleen Antrim's fictional response to this shocking premise is at the heart of her chillingly convincing political thriller, CAPITAL OFFENSE.

 

Kathleen Antrim takes up the reins
M. Diane Vogt introduces her successor as head of the Thrillerfest team

Just as ThrillerFest 2007 is winding up, we have the great good fortune to welcome Kathleen Antrim as our new National Events Committee Chair and ThrillerFest 2008 Chair. Because the transition needs to go smoothly and in anticipation of the end of my term as Vice President of National Events on the ITW National Board in October, it makes sense for my successor to become the chairman now while I'm still in the position and can share any and all of my institutional history. (If you're wondering what I'm going to do next, be sure to read all the way to the point we'd like all of our readers to go, "the end.")

ITW has been blessed with many hard-working, supremely qualified members who have helped to build ITW from literally nothing to its current size and importance. Kathleen was there when ITW was conceived. She was one of ITW's first Charter Sponsors and active on the events committee from the outset. Perhaps you recall the great slate of panels she and Doug Lyle put together for us at the Chicago 2005 Bouchercon and if you do, you know what a great job she did. It is no exaggeration to say that we are very lucky to have Kath as our next ThrillerFest Chair, National Events Committee Chair, and Vice President of National Events.

Kath is already hard at work. Many of you know her, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with the many accomplishments that make her supremely qualified to take on one of the largest challenges ITW presents each year, I'd like to take this opportunity to share a few of her many attributes with you.

Kathleen Antrim is a columnist for the San Francisco Examiner newspaper, author of the political thriller Capital Offense, a correspondent for NewsMax Magazine, and a political commentator appearing on radio and television. She can be heard regularly on San Francisco's KSFO HotTalk 560 AM, The Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Show.

Kathleen has won numerous awards for her writing, including the prestigious Rupert Hughes Award. Her short story, Torn, was included in Pronto! Writings from Rome, an anthology of work by such authors as Dorothy Allison, John Saul, Elizabeth Engstrom, and Terry Brooks.

Well-known in the San Francisco Bay area for her charity work, she is one of the founders of the Ruby Hill Giving Thanks Charity Ball, which has donated over 2.4 million dollars to organizations that provide services to children in need. She was also the president of Livermore Valley Wine Growers Foundation Board, which has raised 2.5 million dollars for children with life-threatening illnesses.

Kath has served on the Foundation Boards of Los Positas College, ValleyCare Hospital, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Writers Conference.

She is a member of such professional organizations as: The Authors Guild, the National Press Club, International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters in Crime.

When she's not traveling for work, she resides in Northern California, with her husband, two daughters, four dogs and cat.

See what I mean? In addition to all of this, Kath is one of the most enthusiastic, positive people I know -- and ITW certainly has an abundance of those! Kathleen Antrim is great and we're lucky to have her. Please join me in welcoming Kath to her new position. Be sure to write her, too, and volunteer to help with the many events she'll be handling for ITW.

Finally, let me take this opportunity to thank you all for your help, support, and hard work during my three years as the head of ITW events. It's been a wild ride and I've loved every minute of it. I'm sure Kath will feel the same.

And what's in store for me with ITW in the future, you may wonder? Stay tuned...

Best,
Diane

M. Diane Vogt
International Thriller Writers, Inc.
Vice President - National Events