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David Baldacci

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David Baldacci
Born (1960-08-05) August 5, 1960 (age 64)
Richmond, Virginia
OccupationNovelist
Alma materVirginia Commonwealth University
University of Virginia
Period1996–present
GenreThriller, children's literature
Notable worksAbsolute Power
Spouse
Michelle Collin
(m. 1990)
Children2
Website
www.davidbaldacci.com

David Baldacci (born August 5, 1960)[1] is a bestselling American novelist.

Biography

Early life and education

David Baldacci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. A graduate of Henrico High School, he received a B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University and a law degree from the University of Virginia, after which he practiced law for nine years in Washington, D.C. He is of Italian descent from Barga in Tuscany.[2]

Career

Baldacci began writing stories as a child, when his mother gave him a notebook in which to record them. He wrote for more than two decades, penning short stories and later screenplays without much success.

While practicing law, he turned to novel writing, taking three years to write Absolute Power. Published in 1996, it was an international best seller. To date, Baldacci has published 31 best-selling novels for adults as well as five novels for younger readers.

Personal life and charities

Baldacci resides in Vienna, Virginia, with his wife and their two teenagers.

Baldacci and his wife, Michelle, are the co-founders of the Wish You Well Foundation,[3] which works to combat illiteracy in the United States.[4] Baldacci became involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his sister, author Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS.[5]

Works

Baldacci's first novel, Absolute Power, tells the story of a fictional American President and his Secret Service agents who are willing to commit murder in order to cover up the accidental death of a woman with whom the President was having an affair. It was made into a film, Absolute Power (1997), starring Clint Eastwood and Gene Hackman.

Baldacci wrote the screenplay for the film adaptation of his novel Wish You Well; the movie was shot on location in southwest Virginia with Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn, Josh Lucas, and Mackenzie Foy in the lead roles. Baldacci was a consulting producer on King & Maxwell, a TNT television series based on his characters Sean King and Michelle Maxwell.

Baldacci's novels have been translated into over 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries. Over 110 million copies of his books are in print worldwide.[6]

Bibliography

Children's books

The Finisher (Vega Jane)
  1. The Finisher (Scholastic Press, 2014), Baldacci's first fantasy novel for young readers
  2. The Keeper (Scholastic Press, 2015), sequel to The Finisher
The 39 Clues
  1. Day of Doom (Scholastic Publishing, 2013) Book 6 in the "Cahills Vs. Vespers" series of The 39 Clues books
Freddy and the French Fries
  1. Freddy and the French Fries: Fries Alive! (Little, Brown and Company, 2005), Baldacci's debut novel for young readers
  2. Freddy and the French Fries: The Mystery of Silas Finklebean (Little, Brown and Company, 2006)

Adult novels

Series

Shaw and Katie James series
John Puller series
Will Robie series
Amos Decker series

Stand-alone novels

Adaptations

References

  1. ^ Memoirs
  2. ^ "Vero cognome Baldacci, il nonno Amedeo sarebbe emigrato per gli Stati Uniti nel 1901 Originario di Barga David Ford, noto autore americano - il Tirreno dal 1997.it » Ricerca". Ricerca.gelocal.it. Retrieved 2010-05-14.
  3. ^ Wish You Well Foundation
  4. ^ Alison Bonaguru (2013). "David Baldacci". Virginia Living. Retrieved May 17, 2013. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |work= (help)
  5. ^ "David Baldacci : National MS Society". nationalmssociety.org. 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. author Sharon Baldacci was diagnosed with MS.
  6. ^ Memmott, Carol (February 27, 2013). "David Baldacci clues kids in to Smithsonian's treasures". USA Today. McLean, VA: Gannett. ISSN 0734-7456. Retrieved 17 May 2013.

Interviews