What do you think of when you read the word "power?" Power of the military? Power of positive thinking? Well, I associate the word power with Washington, D.C. where politicians exercise power over our lives in so many ways.  Being in Washington is exciting and educational. But it can also be scary! I was scheduled to be in the car with White House Press Secretary Jim Brady on March 30 -- the day of the assassination attempt on President Reagan. I was Jim's Deputy at the time.  I would have been standing right next to Jim when John Hinkley fired those 6 shots in 3 seconds! However, there was a ton of work to do and, at the last minute, we decided that I should stay back at The White House that afternoon.  Having lived through that fateful day and through many others, including the terrorist takeover of a cruise ship, the shooting down of an American airliner, the assasination of Sadat and attempt on the life of the Pope, the explosion of the space shuttle -- to name just a few of our crises -- I realized that each one could be the genesis of a pretty good political thriller.  I am now writing thrillers (CHECKMATE, GAMBIT and FINAL FINESSE) which are all set in and around Washington, D.C. with scenes inside The White House Situation Room where we had daily staff meetings, the Roosevelt Room, Oval Office and Capitol Hill as well as hot spots overseas. Washington is home to canny politicians, conniving power brokers, foreign dignataries vying for attention as well as aspiring writers who know the city contains a veritable petri dish of plot points. What better place to find great characters, historical locations, beautiful scenery and issues to use as a backdrop for your novel? It seems that everyone in town, including authors, is endeavoring to make a point. And what better place to do it than here in Washington, D.C. through story-telling? After all, George Bernard once said, "The best way to get your point across is to entertain." ...Karna Small Bodman (www.karnabodman.com)