2 Crichton books on way

2 Crichton books on way

NEW YORK — Two new Michael Crichton novels, one of them unfinished, have been scheduled for release.

Publisher HarperCollins announced Monday that “Pirate Latitudes,” an adventure story set in Jamaica in the 17th century, will come out this fall.

HarperCollins says the novel was recently found in the files of Crichton, who died last year of cancer at age 66.

A techno-thriller, about one-third completed and currently untitled, will come out in 2010.

Brown pleads innocent

LOS ANGELES — Chris Brown has pleaded innocent to threatening and assaulting his girlfriend, fellow music superstar Rihanna.

The 19-year-old R&B singer appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom Monday alongside his attorney.

Brown was charged in March by Los Angeles County prosecutors with felony assault likely to cause great bodily injury and making criminal threats. He was arrested nearly a month earlier after police said he was involved in an early morning altercation with a woman who identified the “Run It!” singer as her attacker.

Court records list Brown’s victim as “Robyn F.” Rihanna’s real name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty. The 21-year-old “Umbrella” singer was represented by attorney Donald Etra.

If convicted, Brown could be sentenced to probation or nearly five years in prison.

Larry the Cable Guy reaches deal for show

LINCOLN, Neb. — Larry the Cable Guy and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln finally “got-r-done.”

An agreement has been reached for Nebraska-born Dan Whitney, aka Larry the Cable Guy, to put on a July 4 performance at Memorial Stadium.

Athletic director Tom Osborne said the $4 ticket cost, plus $2 handling charge, will allow Whitney and the university to break even.

Whitney had announced the show on a syndicated radio program March 9.

Aiken steps in as judge

RALEIGH, N.C. — Performer Clay Aiken says he thinks his “American Idol” experience helped contestants appreciate his comments when he was a judge in an episode of “America’s Next Top Model” due to be aired Wednesday.

“It was interesting to be on the other side of the table and think of all these things that I went through in 2003,” Aiken told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Today’s birthdays

Actor R.G. Armstrong (“Gunsmoke”) is 92. Sitar player Ravi Shankar is 89. Actor James Garner is 81. Actor Wayne Rogers (“MASH”) is 76. Movie director Francis Ford Coppola is 70. Television personality David Frost is 70. Singer John Oates of Hall and Oates is 60. Singer Janis Ian is 58. Actor Jackie Chan is 55. Actor Russell Crowe is 45. Actor Bill Bellamy (“Last Comic Standing,” “Fastlane”) is 44.