(Radio Iowa) – A man who’s considered the world’s most popular author, with almost half a BILLION books sold globally, will appear in central Iowa tonight. James Patterson is as big as they get, according to Tim Paluch, director of the AVID series — or Authors Visiting in Des Moines — at the Des Moines Public Library. “He writes nonfiction, fiction, children’s books, he has co-authored best-selling novels with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton,” Paluch says. “He’s written true story biographies on the Kennedys, John Lennon and Princess Diana, and he also writes about military heroes, police officers, ER nurses, and he has his mystery thriller series that people love.”

Patterson was the first author to sell more than one-million e-books and has now sold more than five-million e-books in his career. He holds a record for 67 number-one New York Times’ best-sellers, and Paluch expects Patterson’s latest book, released Monday, will quickly become #68. “It’s called ‘The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians’ and it’s nonfiction, talking about what he calls heroes, people who get books in people’s hands and why that’s important,” Paluch says. “So it’s a perfect fit for the library, obviously, and we’re just thrilled to have him.”

James Patterson (Provided by DMPL)

Patterson will appear at the Scottish Rite Consistory in downtown Des Moines, which seats about 850 people. He’ll do a moderated talk, take questions, and then will sign autographs, but Paluch says they’ll only be taking people up row by row. “We’re trying to be respectful of his time and everyone’s time, so he’ll only sign copies of his new book. He’s not going to personalize it like a lot of authors do,” Paluch says. “We just have to keep that line moving, otherwise, we’ll be there until the middle of the night. People do want to meet him and he’ll chat with you, but just expect to be moved along. We’re going to have a lot of people in line.”

Doors open at 5 PM for the 7 PM event. Learn more HERE.