Dolly Parton and James Patterson Co-author a Novel, RUN, ROSE, RUN. Parton to Release an Album of Twelve Original Songs Tailor-Made for the Novel.
The internationally beloved entertainer Dolly Parton and the world’s bestselling author, James Patterson, will publish a novel they have written together, Little, Brown and Company announced today. The first novel Dolly Parton has ever written, RUN, ROSE, RUN will be published on March 7, 2022. Parton will simultaneously release an album of the same name, consisting of twelve original songs she was inspired by the book to write, record, and produce. The novel also includes lyrics to the songs, which are essential to the story. This dual release will mark the first time a #1 bestselling author and an entertainment icon who has sold well over 100 million albums worldwide have collaborated on a book and an album.
Set in Nashville, RUN, ROSE, RUN is a novel about a young woman who comes to country music’s capital city to pursue her music-making dreams. The source of her heart-wrenching songs is a brutal secret she has done everything to hide. But the past she has fled is reaching out to control her future—even if it means destroying everything she has worked for. Pairing James Patterson’s brilliant character-building and dramatic skills with Dolly Parton’s unparalleled insight into the music world’s star-making machinery, RUN, ROSE, RUN will be the blockbuster novel of 2022.
Fans will also be able to listen to original songs inspired by the book and written, performed, and produced by Parton. The album, also entitled RUN, ROSE, RUN, will likewise be released in March 2022 and is coproduced by Richard Dennison and Tom Rutledge. Parton’s new album will be released on her own Butterfly Records in partnership with another record label that has yet to be determined.
Dolly Parton said, “I cannot be more excited about the release of my very first novel ‘Run, Rose, Run’ with the great James Patterson. I also have a new album to go along with the book. All new songs were written based on the characters and situations in the book. I hope you enjoy the book and the songs as much as we’ve enjoyed putting it all together!”
James Patterson said, “It’s been an honor—and a hell of a lot of fun—to work with the inimitable Dolly Parton, whom I’ve long admired for her music, her storytelling, and her enormous generosity. The mind-blowing thing about this project is that reading the novel is enhanced by listening to the album and vice versa. It’s a really unique experience that I know readers (and listeners) will love.”
The novel RUN, ROSE, RUN will be published simultaneously in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook and is now available for preorder here. Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group, acquired North American rights for the book from Robert Barnett and Deneen Howell of Williams & Connolly. Century, an imprint of Penguin Random House UK acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) and will release simultaneously. Additional album details including preorder information are forthcoming. Parton and Patterson will be available for interviews at the time of publication.
Dolly Parton is a singer, songwriter, actress, producer, businesswoman, and philanthropist. The composer of more than 3,000 songs, she has sold over 100 million records worldwide and has given away millions of books to children through her nonprofit, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
James Patterson is the world’s bestselling author. The creator of Alex Cross, he has produced more enduring fictional heroes than any other novelist alive. He lives in Florida with his family.
