BILL CLINTON TO CO-WRITE 'THE PRESIDENT IS MISSING' WITH JAMES PATTERSON

"Drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House, and the way Washington works — has been a lot of fun," 42nd president says of thriller

Bill Clinton to Co-Write 'The President Is Missing' With James Patterson

Former president Bill Clinton will team with mega-selling author James Patterson to co-write a fictional thriller titled The President Is Missing.

"Working on a book about a sitting President — drawing on what I know about the job, life in the White House, and the way Washington works — has been a lot of fun," Clinton said of the novel in a statement. "And working with Jim has been terrific. I've been a fan of his for a very long time."

Patterson has penned over 50 novels and sold over 300 million copies of his books. The author and the former president became friends after golfing together 10 years ago; a lawyer friend the two shared later suggested that they collaborate on a book.

The New York Times reports that several chapters of The President Is Missing have already been penned, with the book due out June 2018 through Knopf and Little, Brown and Co. The story promises a "unique amalgam of intrigue, suspense and behind-the-scenes global drama," the publishers promised.

"Working with President Clinton has been the highlight of my career, and having access to his first-hand experience has uniquely informed the writing of this novel," Patterson said in a statement.

"I'm a storyteller and President Clinton's insight has allowed us to tell a really interesting one. It's a rare combination — readers will be drawn to the suspense, of course, but they'll also be given an inside look into what it's really like to be President."

Clinton is a bestselling author in his own right: His 1,000-page memoir My Life sold over 2 million copies in 2004, with Clinton receiving the highest book advance ever at that time. 2007's Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World also became a bestseller for the former president.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/bill-clinton-to-co-write-thriller-with-james-patterson-w481370