David Baldacci at the Carlisle House

Carlisle, although you may not know this, is the Center of the Universe! Sooner or later, people we admire from all walks of life find their way here, and to our great pleasure most often stay at the Carlisle House.

Tonight we feel particularly honored because one of our most favorite authors is staying with us. David Baldacci is here in town, and is the keynote speaker in tomorrow's "Celebrate the Book" Central Pennsylvania Book Festival.

David's books have been a great source of pleasure from his first, "Absolute Power", through the King and Maxwell series, and Alan's particular favorites, the Camel Club series, to his latest book "One Summer" - a very different sort of novel from the preceding ones.

A prodigious writer, David still finds time in his life to contribute to literacy efforts across the country. These include the Wish You Well Foundation founded by David and Michelle to support family literacy in the United States, the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, and the Virginia Literacy Foundation.

He is also involved in support for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and Cure Search, this last supporting lab research and state-of-the-art care of infants, children, teens, and young adults with cancer.

If, like me, you are curious about the genesis of a writer, then read "An Overnight Success" by David. You will enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed having him stay with us. For us, "The Whole Truth" is that David's writing is "Simple Genius", and "The Simple Truth" is that he is "The Winner", and David - we "Wish You Well"!