David BaldacciDuring a flight to a recent engagement, author David Baldacci was surprised to see the pilot leave the cockpit, walk back into the cabin and sit down in the seat beside him.
Leaning across the armrest, the captain confided, “I’ve got a great idea for a story! Want to hear it?”
“Land the plane safely, and I’ll listen to your idea,” Baldacci responded. “He did… and I did.”
Fan reactions never cease to amaze and entertain Baldacci, 54, whose thrillers have topped 110 million in sales, have been translated into 45 languages, adapted to films and the television series “King and Maxwell.” The author was in Atlanta last week to promote his newly released 30th novel, “Memory Man” (Grand Central Publishing, $28).
In “Memory Man,” Baldacci introduces new character Amos Decker, who the author claims is unlike any he’s created. Taking such a leap into the unknown is necessary for writers, he believes, because “fear is the antidote for complacency.”