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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Best-selling author Vince Flynn died just over a year ago, but his terrorist-fighting protagonist Mitch Rapp will live on in new books written by someone else, Flynn's publisher says.

Simon & Schuster and Flynn's estate have commissioned thriller writer Kyle Mills to complete Flynn's unfinished novel, "The Survivor," and to write two more books in the Rapp series. "The Survivor" is tentatively scheduled to hit shelves next year.

Similar deals have kept James Bond and other action heroes alive long after their creators. Flynn's longtime editor, Emily Bestler, told The Associated Press that continuing the Rapp series was a bittersweet experience. Rapp was featured in 13 of the 14 novels Flynn published in his lifetime.

"But I know that this is what he would want and know that his readers will be grateful," Bestler said.

Flynn, who sold more than 15 million books in the U.S. alone and counted Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush among his fans, was 47 when he died June 19, 2013, in his hometown of St. Paul after battling prostate cancer for more than two years. Flynn had completed only the first few chapters of "The Survivor" when he died, Bestler said.

"He would be so happy to know that Mitch Rapp has a future and that Kyle Mills is the one who will be helping that happen," Bestler said.

A Flynn fan himself, the 48-year-old Mills knows what it's like to follow in another author's footsteps. He has written 13 books, including three in the style of Jason Bourne creator Robert Ludlum, who died in 2001.

To prepare himself, Mills said he re-read every one of Flynn's books in chronological order and took 150 pages of notes on everything from his writing style to his word choice. For "The Survivor," Mills said he plans to continue with the story threads left hanging from Flynn's last book, "The Last Man," published in 2012.

"I feel pretty confident that I can produce something that people will love, because my goal is to produce something I would have loved (to read) if I hadn't been asked to write and somebody else had done it," Mills said.

Throughout the series, Rapp survives brushes with death and battles terrorists who plot to detonate a nuclear warhead in Washington, D.C., in "Memorial Day" (2004) or who seize the White House and take hostages in "Transfer of Power" (1999). Plans remain in the works to make a Mitch Rapp movie based on 2010's "American Assassin," CBS Films spokesman Grey Munford said.

Mills grew up in Oregon, the son of an FBI man, and now lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He said he worries constantly about whether Flynn's fans will accept him.

"As a Vince Flynn fan, you come to know and love that character. As an author, you need to create that," Mills said. "I'd hate to pick up a Mitch Rapp (book) and not have it feel authentic."

In a statement, Flynn's widow, Lysa Flynn, thanked Flynn's fans for their "love, support and patience."

"Vince was very proud of his team and we are confident that Kyle Mills will be a great addition. God bless and keep the faith!" she said.

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Online:

Vince Flynn's website: http://www.vinceflynn.com

Kyle Mills' website: http://www.kylemills.com

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Follow Jeff Baenen on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffBaenen

HONG KONG (AP) — Australian shares led Asian stock markets modestly higher on Monday after a report showed Chinese manufacturing expanded for the first time this year, signaling that the No. 2 economy's growth slowdown has bottomed out.

Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index rose 0.8 percent to 5,450.80 and the country's currency strengthened after HSBC's preliminary purchasing managers' index showed that activity in China's huge manufacturing sector rose to the highest level since December.

The bank said the reading shows that that the effects of recent mini-stimulus measures unleashed by Beijing to boost growth were filtering through to the economy. Beijing is targeting full-year economic growth of 7.5 percent and last week Premier Li Keqiang vowed that the country would avoid a so-called "hard landing."

A Chinese rebound would benefit big mining companies in Australia, where the resource-driven economy has become highly dependent on China's demand for commodities such as iron ore.

"Signs of improvement amid policy support ought to allay overdone fears of a hard landing in China," Mizuho Bank said in a report. "And this ought to inspire some optimism in broader Asia."

Gains in other Asian markets were more restrained. Japan's Nikkei 225 edged 0.1 percent higher to 15,369.54 while South Korea's Kospi rose 0.4 percent to 1,976.34. Hong Kong's Hang Seng gained 0.3 percent to 23,262.39 while the Shanghai Composite Index in mainland China was flat at 2,027.35.

In energy trading, the price of U.S. benchmark crude for August delivery rose 33 cents to $107.16 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose 78 cents to settle at $106.83 per barrel on Friday.

In currencies, the dollar slipped to 101.92 Japanese yen from 102.08 in late trading Friday. The euro rose to $1.3607 from 1.3599.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The parents of a runaway South Korean soldier holed up in a forest after allegedly killing five comrades near the North Korean border pleaded with him to surrender Monday as the military tightened a cordon meant to capture him alive.

There has been a massive manhunt for the soldier, identified only by his surname Yim, since authorities said he killed five and wounded seven Saturday night before fleeing his frontline army unit with his standard issue K2 assault rifle.

The 22-year-old also fired Sunday on the troops chasing him, injuring a platoon leader. On Monday, officials said a South Korean soldier was wounded by suspected friendly fire.

Troops surrounded Yim so closely Monday in the forest about 7 kilometers (4 miles) from the border outpost that they could toss him a mobile phone to talk to his father. Yim, who still refused to surrender, had ammunition and officials feared he might "commit an extreme act" — an apparent reference to suicide — Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said at a briefing.

Besides the mobile phone, Yim's parents also used a loudspeaker to try to persuade him to surrender, according to the Defense Ministry.

It wasn't clear what triggered the rampage, and there was no indication that South Korea's bitter rival, North Korea, was involved.

Yim was scheduled to complete his nearly two years of mandatory military service in September, according to defense officials. Initial personality tests in April of last year put Yim within a group of soldiers who need special attention and are unfit for frontline duty, a Defense Ministry official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of department rules. But tests last November concluded he had improved and could serve in the frontline area, said the official.

The rampage comes as South Koreans grapple with worries over public safety in the wake of an April ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing. And some in Seoul have raised questions about the discipline and readiness of South Korea's military, which is under near-constant threat from a North Korea that has recently staged a series of missile and artillery drills, traded fire with the South near a disputed maritime border and threatened South Korea's leader.

"Due to a shortage of troops, even some soldiers on the list of special attention had to be on border guard, which requires soldiers to be heavily armed. Needless to say, the military needs to come up with remedial measures to this problem," the Korea Times, said in an editorial Monday.

Hundreds of thousands of troops from the rival Koreas are squared off along the world's most heavily armed border. The Korean Peninsula is still technically in a state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

Shooting rampages against fellow soldiers happen occasionally. South Korea's military maintains a conscription system requiring all able-bodied men to serve about two years because of the North Korean threat.

In 2011, a 19-year-old marine corporal went on a shooting rampage at a Gwanghwa Island base, just south of the maritime border with North Korea. Military investigators later said that corporal was angry about being shunned and slighted and showed signs of mental illness before the shooting.

In 2005, a soldier tossed a hand grenade and opened fire at a front-line army unit in a rampage that killed eight colleagues and injured several others. Pfc. Kim Dong-min told investigators he was enraged at superiors who verbally abused him.

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Associated Press writers Jung-Yoon Choi and Foster Klug contributed to this report from Seoul.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — As Kate Kelly's former church leaders met in Virginia on Sunday night to decide if she'll be ousted from her church, more than 100 supporters of the founder of a prominent Mormon women's group held a vigil in Salt Lake City.

Kelly has decided not attend the disciplinary hearing in her former congregation. Instead, she has sent in a letter she wrote and about 1,000 letters from supporters.

It's unknown when Kelly will be notified of the decision, but she could find out by email Sunday night.

Whatever the outcome, Kelly said she will always be Mormon.

"I don't feel like Mormonism is something that washes off," She said. "That identity is not something that they can take from me."

She was shocked to find out earlier this month from her bishop that she is facing excommunication from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, of which she is a lifelong member. The leader of Ordain Women is accused of apostasy, defined as repeated and public advocacy of positions that oppose church teachings.

Similar vigils were held in 17 countries, according to Ordain Women.

"I'm overwhelmed by the positive support and I think it really demonstrates that this isn't just happening to one person. This isn't just happening to me, but it feels like the entire Mormon feminist community is being put on trial," Kelly said before the vigil started.

Kelly, an international human rights lawyer, said she stands behind everything she has done since forming Ordain Women in 2013. The group advocates for gender equality in the faith with the ultimate goal of allowing women in the lay clergy. Kelly insists that she has not spoken out against church leaders or church doctrine.

Women can hold many leadership positions in church, but aren't allowed to be bishops of congregations or presidents of stakes. Stakes are made up of up to a dozen congregations, known as wards. The church's highest leaders, called the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, are also all men.

The church says only men serve in the lay clergy as prescribed in "the pattern set by the Savior when it comes to priesthood ordination."

Mormon officials aren't discussing Kelly's case specifically. They say they are open to questions and sincere conversations about the faith, but that some members' actions "contradict church doctrine and lead others astray."

"In the Church, we want everyone to feel welcome, safe and valued, and of course, there is room to ask questions," church spokeswoman Ally Isom said. "But how we ask is just as important as what we ask. We should not try to dictate to God what is right for his Church."

Kelly's group drew rebukes from church leaders in April when they marched on church property in downtown Salt Lake City's Temple Square. The women asked to be allowed in a meeting reserved for members of the priesthood, which includes most males in the church who are 12 and older. Church leaders had previously told the group they wouldn't be let in and warned them not to disturb the faith's biannual general conference that weekend.

Kelly is one of two well-known Mormons facing excommunication. John Dehlin, an outspoken advocate for gays and the creator of a website that provides a forum for church members questioning their faith, has a meeting with his stake president in Logan on June 29 to discuss his case.

Scholars who study the Mormon religion say Kelly and Dehlin are the most high-profile examples of excommunication proceedings since 1993. That year, the church disciplined six Mormon writers who questioned church doctrine, ousting five and kicking out a sixth temporarily.

Jan Shipps, a retired religion professor from Indiana who is a non-Mormon expert on the church, said church leaders are practicing "boundary maintenance," using Kelly and Dehlin as examples to show people how far they can go in questioning church practices.

Melissa Mayhew, 31, traveled about 40 miles from Orem to attend Sunday's vigil and to support Kelly's right to advocate.

"We are all of us people who see things that we would love to improve about the church that we love deeply and dearly," Mayhew said. "And we want to be able to actually have these conversations, even with people with whom we disagree."