James Patterson is top-earning author

Thriller writer James Patterson was the highest-earning author of the past year, according to Forbes magazine.

The 65-year-old American earned an estimated $94m (£60.3m) from the 14 new titles he published in 2011 - 2012.

The amount dwarfs that of the second author on the list, Stephen King, who earned $39m (£25m) thanks to a new instalment of his Dark Tower series.
Forbes said its list was based on figures from Nielsen BookScan, authors, agents and publishers.
Number three was the highest-earning female writer, Janet Evanovich - author of the Stephanie Plum suspense series - with $33m (£21.1m).
John Grisham was next at four with $26m (£16.7m). His baseball novel Calico Joe helped prove he could write a bestseller away from his usual legal thrillers.