Bestselling Author Hands Out Holiday Bonuses to Hundreds of Book Store Workers: 'Booksellers Save Lives'

Bestselling novelist James Patterson is spreading holiday cheer by awarding $500 bonuses to 600 independent bookstore staffers across the country.

Patterson, who has been supporting booksellers since 2015, announced the recipients Tuesday through his publisher, Little, Brown and Company, Daily News reported.

"Booksellers save lives. Period," Patterson said in his statement. "I'm happy to be able to acknowledge them and all their hard work this holiday season."

Nominated by coworkers and customers, the winners were selected by Patterson from thousands of applications.

Allison Hill, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, praised Patterson's ongoing support. "It means everything to have him recognize and reward the valuable role booksellers play in the industry."

Patterson's books, including Kiss the Girls, Along Came A Spider, and Alex Cross among many others, have sold over 425 million copies with several film adaptations. He has been a longtime champion of literacy and booksellers, donating millions to schools, libraries, and literacy initiatives.

In 2015, he received the National Book Foundation's Literarian Award for his "outstanding service to the American literary community."