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.

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, which works to combat illiteracy in the United States. Baldacci became involved with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society after his sister, author Sharon Baldacci, was diagnosed with MS.

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.

In addition to writing novels, 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.

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

The Camel Club series

• The Camel Club (2005)
• The Collectors (2006)
• Stone Cold (2007)
• Divine Justice (2008)
• Hell's Corner (2010)

Sean King and Michelle Maxwell series

• Split Second (2003)
• Hour Game (2004)
• Simple Genius (2007)
• First Family (2009)
• The Sixth Man (2011)
• King and Maxwell (2013)

Shaw and Katie James series

• The Whole Truth (2008)
• Deliver Us From Evil (2010)

John Puller series

• Zero Day (2011)
• The Forgotten (2012)
• The Escape (2014)

Will Robie series

• The Innocent (2012)
• The Hit (2013)
• Bullseye (novella) (2014)
• The Target (2014)
• The Guilty (2015)

Amos Decker series

• Memory Man (2015)
• The Last Mile (2016)

Stand-alone novels

• Absolute Power (1996)
• Total Control (1997)
• The Winner (1998)
• The Simple Truth (1998)
• Saving Faith (1999)
• Wish You Well (2001)
• Last Man Standing (2001)
• The Christmas Train (2003)
• True Blue (2009)
• One Summer (2011)
• No Time Left (novella) (2012) 15 pages, ebook, Grand Central Publishing - The protaginist, Frank Becker is an assassin who takes on a mysterious job.

Adaptations

• Absolute Power (1997 film) starring Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman and Ed Harris.
• King & Maxwell (2013 TV series) starring Jon Tenney and Rebecca Romijn.
• Wish You Well (2013 film) starring Mackenzie Foy, Josh Lucas and Ellen Burstyn.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]