How ‘Eruption,’ the new Michael Crichton novel completed with James Patterson’s help, was created WFTV [Video]

When “Jurassic Park” author Michael Crichton died from cancer in 2008, he left behind numerous unfinished projects, including a manuscript he began 20 years ago about the imminent eruption of Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano.

Crichton’s widow Sherri, who is CEO of CrichtonSun, tapped another millions-selling author — James Patterson— to complete the story. “Eruption” is now in stores.

Patterson is very familiar with co-authoring. In recent years he’s published a novel with Bill Clinton and Dolly Parton, and often shares writing responsibilities on his other novels.

For “Eruption,” Crichton says she gave Patterson all of her husband’s research and he came back with an outline. Some of the story needed to be brought forward to present day. “We talked probably every few weeks,” Sherri Crichton says. “It was so much fun to read. It would be hard to tell what was Crichton and what’s Patterson’s.”

Besides “Eruption,” four novels have been published under Michael Crichton’s name since his death, some with …