Dolly Parton to release debut novel in March 2022

Dolly Parton will release her first novel early next year.

Run, Rose, Run is co-written with author James Patterson, and comes with a new album from the 75-year-old country legend.

"All-new songs were written based on the characters and situations in the book," Parton said of the upcoming release. "I hope you enjoy the book and the songs as much as we've enjoyed putting it all together."

Patterson has sold more than 300 million copies of his own novels and written two books with former U.S. president Bill Clinton.

"It's an honour - 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," he said. "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."

Run, Rose, Run follows a young woman who moves to Nashville, Tennessee, to pursue a music career - and the potential danger she faces once she gets there.

It will also include the lyrics from the album's 12 tracks when it is published on 7 March 2022.

Parton is new to fiction writing, but she has previously written several memoirs, most recently last November's Songteller: My Life in Lyrics.

Through her Imagination Library, she has also given millions of books to children around the world since the programme began in 1995.