"[David] Baldacci has been on a hot streak for the past few years," writes one critic.
Another novel "opens with a scene that takes readers from zero to 60 in six pages."
FAQ
‘Conversations With David Baldacci’
WHEN — 6 p.m. April 21
WHERE — The Pavilion at Pinnacle Hills Promenade in Rogers
COST — $45 includes a meet and greet and a copy of “The Fix”
INFO — Email rplfoundation@rplfo…
A third is "a master class on the bestseller because of its fast-moving narrative, the originality of its hero and its irresistible plot."
A native of Richmond, Va., Baldacci has, starting with "Absolute Power" in 1996, "built a bestselling career out of a reliable chestnut," writes The Richmond Times-Dispatch. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and while the federal government is full of dedicated, hard-working good guys, there are enough bad eggs to fill a bookshelf of thrillers."
And he has, with 33 novels for adults, all national and international bestsellers, several adapted for film and television, translated into more than 45 languages and sold in more than 80 countries. More than 110 million copies are in print worldwide.
The Rogers Public Library Foundation will host "Conversations with David Baldacci" on April 21. Here, he answers five questions for What's Up! readers.
Q. What is the first book that absolutely fascinated you as a child?
A. "The Magic Squirrel," obviously a work of fantasy. I remember as a little boy wanting to run home after school to keep reading. That was the first time I truly remember being lost in someone else's imagination.
Q. How did you make the transition from reader to writer?
A. My mom bought me a journal and encouraged me to write down some of the tall tales that I would continue to spout off. As soon as my pen hit the paper it was like an epiphany: Other people could get lost in my imagination. Later my mom told me that she gave me the journal because she just wanted to shut me up because I never stopped talking.
Q. Is your audience on your mind as you write? Do you wonder how they'll react to a particular plot point?
A. I do wonder how they will react to a particular plot point or whether they'll follow me down the red herring lane. But mostly I rely on my storytelling instincts to get me where I need to go.
Q. Do your characters ever argue with you?
A. All the time. They all want page time, and I've had some tell me point blank that they would not do or say something that I was trying to make them do or say. Sometimes they win, and sometimes I do.
Q. When you travel to speak, what do you hope comes out of your visit -- for you and for listeners?
A. That people can see writers are flesh and blood. That they have insecurities and lack all the answers and that all people can be creative in a variety of ways. But mostly I want folks to have a good time and to walk away with positive feelings about both writers and reading.
-- Becca Martin-Brown
NAN What's Up on 04/14/2017