James Patterson awards $500 bonuses to 600 employees at independent bookstores

NEW YORK (AP) — Hundreds of employees at independent bookstores, from Chapter One in Victoria, Minnesota, to The Cloak & Dagger in Princeton, New Jersey, will be receiving $500 holiday bonuses from author James Patterson. One of the world’s most popular and prolific writers, Patterson has given millions of dollars to booksellers, librarians and teachers. In 2015, the same year he began awarding employee bonuses, he was given an honorary National Book Award for “Outstanding Service to the America Literary Community.” Patterson has even co-authored a tribute book, “The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians,” which comes out in April.