It’s official. David Baldacci has edged into First Place as my favorite author. The last two books of his that I’ve read have launched me onto a journey of discovering WHY his books are so un-put-down-able. I’m sure there’s more to it than these “simple” elements, but these are what resonated with me, both as an author myself and as a reader. CHARACTERS – Baldacci’s expertise in this area is nearly criminal. I’ve tried NOT reading one of his, but then I think…oh, I’ll sample a chapter…and WHOOSH. 100 pages later and I can’t stop reading. It’s like a crack addiction to his memorable but oh-so-flawed and/or broken characters. He’s master at making me care. In my own writing, I start with characters. …