What Passes for a Quiet Week

It's been great to be home, although I've certainly been busy for a "down" week. Sunday I went up to Austin for a signing at Barnes & Noble Arboretum, where my friend Caren Creech is now CRM. As you can see from the pictures above, we had a large enthusiastic crowd, with kids looking on from every direction including the second floor balcony.

Last night, I had a signing at the Twig Bookstore here in San Antonio. We filled up the store with another crowd of over a hundred. Thanks to my friend and fellow local writer Jay Brandon for coming out, along with a lot of my old colleagues from Saint Mary's Hall, including the real-life Mrs. Dodds (and no, she did not turn into a Fury. She said she is retired now.)

My favorite event of the week, however, was visiting my son Patrick's second grade class. A lot of his classmates knew me, and they'd been reading the Lightning Thief together with their teacher, but it was the first time I'd actually visited the class as an author. I showed them all the different translations of the Percy books and told them the myth of Perseus and Medusa. We had a fabulous time! Patrick was a very good host. I'm lucky to have such a great kid!

This evening my editor called with the news that Percy Jackson will be spending a third week at #1 on the New York Times children's series bestseller list. Unbelievable.

A couple more days at home to write and do a few local interviews, and then I'm off to Edinburgh, Scotland on Saturday. I'll do my best to blog from the road (the high road, naturally.)

The Demigods of Boston

Homeward bound today after a great event for Wellesley Booksmith in the Boston area last night. We had about 350 people come to the local middle school auditorium in Natick. The amazing Alison from Booksmith had special Riptide pens custom-made for the event. They were a definite hit with the kids! So if you see a legion of young demigods patrolling Boston with magic Greek swords this weekend, you will know who to blame. Thanks to everyone who came out, and especially the staff at Booksmith and the local library in Natick for making the event possible. It was a fantastic way to cap off the tour. Above is a picture of me with 4th grade students and teachers who came from Kennedy Elementary in Franklin.

Now, at last, I get to go home! I’ll have a week of relative quiet – just some local events in San Antonio and Austin – before heading off on the second part of the UK tour for Titan’s Curse. This time I’ll be visiting mostly Scotland, followed by my appearance at the Hay Literary Festival. I look forward to being there, though the idea of packing another suitcase is enough to give me nightmares!

A writing update: while in New York, I delivered the manuscript for Percy 4 to my editor. Within a month, I should be able to announce the title on my website. Stay tuned.

You Can Call Me, Al

It’s official! The Lightning Thief is the new choice for Al Roker’s Book Club for Kids on the Today Show. Al announced it this morning. This means that his book club kids will be reading the book this month and I’ll be appearing on the Today Show on June 15 to talk about the series and answer questions. I’m really looking forward to it! You can check out Al Roker’s book club on-line here.

Crazed Fans Invade Connecticut

They called themselves the "crazed fans." They came in force to Diane's Bookshop in Greenwich, Connecticut. And they took no prisoners.

One had named her cat Annabeth. Another wanted me to sign her arm in permanent pen (no, Nicola, bad idea!) Another had read the Sea of Monsters 214 times. That would be Annie, the one making bunny ears over my head in the picture. All of them had fabulous questions an infinite enthusiasm. Thanks, o crazed ones, for coming to the signing!

And they weren't the only ones. Diane's was absolutely crammed with people, despite the threatening weather outside. I did a reading upstairs, with parents spilling down the staircase and kids very cozy on the floor. It was a fun crazy time. Diane herself continues to amaze me. She is one of those booksellers who can hand-sell anything because she is so passionate about what she does, and her knowledge of books is encyclopedic, or more aptly wikipedic. Several kids asked me to recommend good Greek mythology books, and I just pointed to Diane. "There's your supplier," I said. "She's got a collection that makes mine look paltry."

As Diane would admit, however, she is not quite as well-read on the streets of Greenwich! Earlier in the day we took an extremely scenic tour of the city while trying to get to a school visit at the Brunswick School. But hey, if have to be lost somewhere, it might as well be Greenwich. What a beautiful town. We got to the school JIT, as Diane says. "Just in time." Thanks to 5th-grader Ashish for his eloquent introduction. The boys, grades 4-8, were an enthusiastic audience. I even met a boy who is the cousin of a former student of mine from Saint Mary's Hall. Small world, indeed.

The day started with a visit to the Disney/Hyperion offices on Fifth Avenue. I had an interview for Newsday/Kidsday with two seventh grade reporters, Murali and Evan. They had insightful questions prepared and we had a really nice talk. They also got some awesome swag bags full of books to take home with them, compliments of Hyperion. I was kind of jealous!

Afterwards, the entire Disney/Hyperion staff turned out for a breakfast to toast the Percy Jackson series. I'd never seen the whole publishing division in one place before, and it was a big honor that they'd come out just for me. (Well, me and the tons of free food!) It turns out we have a lot to celebrate. Percy Jackson will again be #1 on the New York Times children's series list for the week of May 27.

Today it's off to New Jersey for some school events with Books, Bytes and Beyond. I will try to steer clear of Medusa's Garden Gnome Emporium. Tonight, one last event in New York at Books of Wonder at 5 PM, 18 West 18th Street. Come on by if you're in Manhattan!

The Athena Question

I get a lot of good questions from fans, many of whom are experts on Greek mythology. The most frequently asked question is this: If Athena pledged to be a maiden goddess, like Artemis, how can she have kids at Camp Half-Blood?

An excellent point, but no, the author did not forget this important fact. I'm keenly aware of Athena's pledge never to marry. It's one of the things that makes her such an interesting goddess, since unlike Artemis, Athena frequently seeks out the company of clever men, and takes their interests to heart, as she did with Odysseus.

In Percy Jackson book 4, this very question comes up in a conversation between Percy and Annabeth, but for those who can't wait, here's the author's explanation.

Athena, as you may know, was not born in the normal way. She sprang from Zeus's head in full battle armor. Her children have similar magic births. They are the product of purely intellectual affection Athena sometimes bestows on men of great cunning. Every offspring of Athena is literally a "brain child." A child of Athena is meant to be a gift to the mortal father -- a combination of the goddess's divine abilities and the father's mortal ingenuity. That's the technical explanation. The simple answer: When I was writing the series, I knew Athena was simply too cool not to have kids at camp, and so I thought up a way to make it happen!

I hope that provides an answer to those who were wondering. Thanks for all your great questions, young classicists!

Outward Bound from Chicago

Weather permitting, I'll be heading out of Chicago tonight for New York.

Yesterday I visisted two middle schools which were both wonderfully prepared. At Jefferson, most of the sixth graders had read at least part of a Percy Jackson book in class. They were an enthusiastic audience with a lot of good questions. I got to meet my long-lost cousin Mrs. Riordan, a science teacher. No, we're not really related, but the kids were convinced we must be. Then it was off to Drauden Point MS in Plainfield. The students had gone all-out with Percy Jackson art decorating the halls. A student did the introduction. Others had prepared questions. Another presented the school's author gift: a chess board with Greek mythology figures! Afterwards, we had a reception in the library. The tables were decorated like Camp Half-Blood cabins and the walls were adorned with artwork, including Thalia's shield and the Oracle's latest prophecy. Check out more pictures here. There was ambrosia and nectar, and the Oracle herself put in an appearance -- a mummified figure made from Ace bandages, wearing a tie-dyed T-shirt. Special thanks to Fernando, who made the Oracle. He had himself wrapped in the bandages to get the form right, then somehow wriggled out and stuffed it with cotton. Now that is dedidcation! Fernando is demigod of the week for creating the Oracle of Drauden Point.

Last night, my signing at Anderson's in Naperville went very well. We had well over a hundred people. Thanks to everyone who came out, some driving over two hours to get to the event. Naperville has a nice downtown area with old-fashioned store fronts and a river walk. I got to stroll around before the event and do some window-shopping, even though it was almost as hot as Texas. We passed 90 F in the afternoon.

Today, I'm doing a middle school visit in Skokie and a podcast recording for Barnes & Noble at the local radio station. Tonight, we're supposed to get thunderstorms, right about the time I have to fly out. Fingers crossed I get to New York safely!

Flying on Mother's Day

My wife has to endure many things, having an author for a husband -- like not having me home with her and the boys on Mother's Day. I am midway through my tour, flying off this morning to Chicago, and although everything is going great, I really wish I could be home with family today. Flowers and phone calls are fine, but not the same as being there.

Fortunately, Becky is a saint. She puts a good spin on everything. She takes care of our boys while I'm gone with never a complaint, with infinite patience (well okay, almost infinite patience). She fields calls and emails that would bury me in an avalanche. She keeps the household from turning into a whirlwind of chaos (although she might disagree with me on that). She is the most good-natured, even-keeled, practical, wonderful person I've ever met. And beautiful, too. I got an Internet camera for this trip, so I could see my family as well as talk to them, and seeing Becky even for a few minutes a day is enough to lift me out of any depression. Hard to be away, indeed. Thanks, Becky, for sharing my crazy life with so much grace and understanding. At least I'll be home on Saturday and will get a week with family before heading off to the UK for the final leg of my tour. Still, as I fly north today, my thoughts are turning south to San Antonio.

My own mom, also in San Antonio, doesn't really believe in Mother's Day, since it's a Hallmark/FTD conspiracy to sell greeting cards and flowers. Nevertheless, I think it's good to have day like this to reflect on how amazingly blessed I am to have a great mother. For years, I have been known around San Antonio as "Lyn's son," because everyone -- I mean everyone -- knows and loves my mom. She's an accomplished artist, a musician, a writer, and an extremely gifted teacher. The house I grew up in was a work of art itself, and a natural gathering place for actors, artists, and writers. Growing up, it didn't take me long to realize just how unique my mom was. Not everyone had a Renaissance woman for a mother. She always allowed me space to discover my own interests. She never pushed or even suggested, but in a fertile environment like our home, how could I not have explored writing, music, art? I was not an over-scheduled kid. I remember frequently complaining to my mom that I was bored. She would brainstorm ideas with me, but in the end, it was up to me to entertain myself. I'm convinced this turned me into a writer. I had to look inward for my own stories and my own fantasy worlds. I wonder if kids today have time to do this, between soccer practice and recitals and the rest of their ultra-scheduled lives. I hope they do. My mom was my first reader, my first editor, my first fan. She continues to be one of my "front line" critics every time I print out a new manuscript, even if her comments are usually, "I love this, and I love this, and I REALLY love this." Hey, she's my mom. She's entitled! So thanks, Mom. It's nice to be called a bestselling author or winner of such-and-such award, but it's a real honor -- a very great privilege -- to be Lyn's son.

Now I'm saying au revoir to the Bay Area after a very fun visit. Good crowds at both Book Passage and Borders in San Jose. Thanks to everyone who came out! Tomorrow night, I'll be at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. If you're in the Chicago area, come on out and say hello!

Percy for the iPod

Many people have asked me about audio versions for the Percy series. Yes, they are available on CD from Listening Library, but you can also download them straight to your iPod from the Apple iTunes store. Follow the links below if you're interested. You'll need to have the iTunes software installed on your computer first.

The Lightning Thief

The Sea of Monsters

The Titan's Curse

Cultureshock

The Guardian UK ran a feature today on my son Haley and I, and our adventures in Phoenix and Las Vegas. You can read the article here.

Rick's Reading Recommendations

I am often asked to recommend books for kids who are waiting on the next Percy Jackson. I've started a list on my website here. Feel free to check it out!

Bay Area blogging

Ah, it's always good to be back in the Bay Area.

Last night in Seattle I had a great event at Third Place Books. I love the design of the store, with its own theater, food court, and giant chessboard. It's like a mall just for books. We had a crowd of well over 200. My old friends from college Meg and Arno showed up with their kids (thanks, guys!) along with tons of kids and teachers from all over the city. I got to meet a "Guys Read" book club, which is always an awesome thing. I gave away lots of T-shirts and had a fun time chatting with everyone as they came through the line.

This morning I was up WAY early (4 AM) to catch my flight to San Francisco. We drove up to Sebastopol for an event with Copperfield's Books at the local middle school. Thanks to local librarian Richie for introducing me. He started by handing out a map to all the kids and identifying the names of 19 states. I wasn't sure what he was up to. Then he told the kids that all those states had the Lightning Thief as a nominee on their state reading award lists. I hadn't been keeping score, but wow. He also told me the Lightning Thief just won the Beehive Award in Utah. Very cool! The kids in Sebastopol were great. Thanks also to the kids from other schools who took off from class (with parent permission) to attend the session. As we were driving back to town, after a very large Mexican food lunch, my publicist got the news that Titan's Curse is #26 on the USA Today bestseller list. Since that's a composite list of all books, fiction/nonfiction, kids/adults, being 26 is pretty amazing.

This evening, we had an event at Books, Inc. in SF. Another packed house of about 200, and many kids came from Presidio Hill, where I used to teach. I got to see my former students (now adults) Jeff and Trevor, albeit briefly, because the line was enormous. I taught Trevor from 5th through 8th grade at PHS, and now he's the English teacher there. Talk about making me proud! Trevor even told me he saved all the worksheets I gave out in middle school. Now that is a scary thought!

An interesting idea that came out of tonight's signing: one young man suggested I publish a cookbook of Grover's favorite recipes. Wow, you'd have to have a strong stomach to read that! Thanks also to Caleb from the Chinese American School, who brought me these two poems and gave me permission to share them:

A Haiku for Apollo:
You bring up the day
Lighting up the dark black sky
You are really HOT!

And a poem for Percy:

Slashing with Riptide
With friends at your side
And a final choice
You will greatly rejoice
Waves surge behind you
Guiding you right through
Will Olympus die
Falling though the sky?
Or will Kronos be destroyed
And go back to the void?
Be careful of what you choose
And of what you might lose

Thanks, Caleb! You are demigod of the week and probably a son of Apollo!

Tomorrow, I'll have the chance to speak at the annual conference for the Association of Children's Librarians. Then tomorrow night: an event at Book Passage in Corte Madera. If anyone in the North Bay would like to come out, please do!

Wowza!

Okay, wowza is not a word I usually use, but I just heard from my editor Jen Besser that The Titan's Curse will debut next week at #1 on the New York Times children's bestseller list! To crack the series list at all would've made my month, but #1? Holy schmokes.

After the Lightning Thief made the paperback NYT list a couple of months ago, I was suddenly in the odd position of having realized a life-long goal. I had always hoped that some day I'd be able to say I was a New York Times bestselling author. After it actually happened, I thought, "Well, what's my goal now?" So I started thinking that perhaps, many years down the road, I could work my way up to being a #1 bestselling author, perhaps after the Harry Potter series had run its course and there was more breathing room on the lists. I never dreamed my second "life goal" would be realized two months later. I'm a bit speechless.

Thanks to everyone who has adopted the series as their own. I've gotten so many amazing emails and letters over the last few weeks from teachers, parents and kids. I love hearing that Percy is getting children to read, especially reluctant readers. The teacher in me still thinks that is the greatest feedback I could possibly get.

Now off to Third Place Books for my evening signing. Tomorrow, on to another one of my favorite places in the world -- San Francisco! I hope they will forgive me for parking the evil home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, right across the Bay. I'll keep you posted!

(Almost) Sleepless in Seattle

The tour rolls on! Yesterday I had a very full day in Los Angeles. I did an in-store event at Children's Book World for several school groups. It was right down the street from the Fox studios, so some of the gang from the studio and 1492 Productions who are working on the Lightning Thief movie showed up. Everyone is really excited about how the project is moving forward. Afterwards, I had a great lunch with Sonja Bolle from the L.A. Times for her new kids literature column.

My media escort Ken and I spent the afternoon going from store to store, and I can confirm the rumors that the Titan's Curse is selling out everywhere. We hardly found any copies because each store had sold out and had multiple copies on reorder. A good problem to have, but not if you're looking for the book! I left bookplates around, so there should be signed Titan's Curse copies available in the L.A. area within a few days when they restock. The on-line sellers are also having trouble keeping up with demand. The book is in its third printing and still going strong.

Yesterday evening I had a nice event at Border's in Torrance. A relatively small crowd -- about seventy or so -- but still plenty big for a school night in an area I'd never visited! Thanks to all the teachers and kids who showed up! After that, I caught a very late flight into Seattle. I arrived at 2 AM, which is why today I was a bit bleary-eyed.

Nevertheless, it was a fabulous first day in Seattle. Sunny and cool (yes, sunny in Seattle, can you believe it?), and I love this city. It's so beautiful. I did two school visits during the day and then an evening event at All For Kids. Great store, great staff, and it was completely packed. We had somewhere between 150-200 people, which was pretty much wall-to-wall folks. Several different school groups had come out in force. Before I went on, someone told a bookseller, "This is like the Who for kids." I resisted the urge to do air guitar windmills and smash my book into the speaker. I also heard a kid worrying (right before I appeared) that he wouldn't recognize me because I might not be wearing a white shirt like in my author photo. Lo and behold, I just happened to be wearing a white button-down. The kid was delighted. Strangest request: I signed two books to a young reader's left and right arm muscles, which he dubbed Thunder and Lightning. I've signed books to dogs, cats and relatives, but never biceps. I hope they enjoy the books. Perhaps he's using them as weights.

Still operating on very few hours of sleep, so I'm going to make it an early night! Tomorrow, another day of school visits in Seattle and a signing tomorrow evening at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park. If anyone in the Seattle area didn't get to see me today and wants to come by, please do!

Pictures from BookPeople

BookPeople has posted photos from the Titan's Curse launch party. Click here to check them out.

The Tour Craziness Continues

Back home in S.A. for a day! Thursday evening I had a great event at Blue Willow Bookstore. Despite the fact that Zeus hurled thunder and lightning outside, we packed the bookstore with kids and parents. Special thanks to the kids from Youngblood who made me thank you cards, and the "Monster Assault" fourth graders who drove all the way from Spring to attend. The whole class had made their own Camp Half-Blood t-shirts and they looked great. The picture above shows you how crowded it was. That tiny little figure in the sea of hands is me.

Friday I did a school visit at Ferguson Elementary in League City. Thanks to Ashton and Griffin, fourth graders who served as "Librarians of the Day." They help me with the book signing and did a very professional job. We had a nice lunch together with several other librarians from neighboring schools. Ashton and Griffin are demigods of the week!

Today, Saturday, I had two back-to-back signings. In Boerne, we had a crowd of about 200 people at Read All About It Bookstore. Kids started with a costume party at the public library and paraded down Main Street to the bookstore. I saw Hades, Aphrodite, and Athena, along with Medusa and quite a few others. I always love coming to Boerne because the folks there are so welcoming and enthusiastic. After that I had an afternoon signing at Barnes & Noble in San Antonio. Over five hundred people attended. The store hosted great activities including a Grover photo board, make-your-own-medalion, laurel wreath making, and more. The Oracle was on hand to give out prophecies. We had kids come from as far as Corpus Christi for the event. Thanks to everyone who came out and waited so patiently to get books signed!

Tomorrow it's on to L.A., where no doubt I will have to explain why I put the Underworld under their fair city!

Houston, We Have Lift-Off

Writing from Houston, where I'm about to start my second day of school visits in CCISD, near NASA headquarters. Yesterday, I visited Seabrook Intermediate and spoke with grades 6-8. The kids were a great audience. We sold out of Titan's Curse after the first session and ended up doing a huge number of bookplates for reorders. My favorite comment: a girl said, "Annabeth gets lost. Artemis gets lost. The Golden Fleece and the lightning bolt get lost. People in your books keep losing things. They're very absent-minded." Guilty as charged. My characters obviously take after the author.

In the afternoon I stopped by Annunciation Orthodox School to kick off their Percy launch party. The kids had box dinners and got T-shirts provided by the school. There was a typo on the T-shirts so The Titan's Curse became The Titanis Curse, but I'm sure that will just make them more valuable for collectors. We also spun the Oracle's wheel to discover our Greek god parent. One boy got Aphrodite as his mom and was NOT amused, but I told him it was a real compliment. The kids insisted I take a spin, and just for the record, according to the wheel, my dad is Dionysus. What that says about me, I'm scared to guess. Hand me a Diet Coke, will you?

Last night, we had the first Houston book signing for The Titan's Curse. We packed about two hundred people into Murder by the Book. We ran out of Titan's Curse copies, but I think almost everyone got at least one copy, so no one went away sad. After the huge signing line at BookPeople, I decided to play it safe and keep my presentation on the short side. It seemed to go well. Thanks to all the librarians and teachers who came from all over Houston and the surrounding area, some driving over an hour to get to the store, to get copies signed for students who couldn't make it. Now THAT is dedication to your kids! My favorite comment of the night: a concerned-looking boy said, "I just read the cover flap that Percy gets a ride from his mom." He frowned at the cover and pointed to the pegasus. "Is . . . is THAT Percy's mom?" I assured him that, as far as I knew, Percy's mom was not a winged horse. However, with Greek mythology almost anything is possible, so it was a perfectly reasonable question.

Tonight at 5:30 I'll be at Blue Willow Bookshop (Memorial Drive at Dairy Ashford in West Houston). We're expecting another big crowd, so Valerie tells me I'll be out on "the patio." Woohoo, I feel like I've graduated to the grown-ups' table for Thanksgiving! Now I'm crossing my fingers it doesn't rain. If you're in the area, come on by!

Demigods Invade BookPeople!

Holy Zeus! I wish I had pictures to show you of last night's crowd at BookPeople for the Percy launch party. The entire store was a sea of young readers, many of them in fabulous costumes. I met all the Olympians, Thalia, Annabeth, Percy, the Chimera, Grover, Medusa, and many more as they worked their way through the signing line. At the end of the night, I felt like I'd just gone three rounds of capture the flag against the entire Hunters of Artemis. The staff was amazing, and thank you, thank you to everyone for being so kind and patience as you waited. We had about 1600 people come through the doors, so I'm told.

Early morning now, and I'm heading off the Houston. I'll keep you posted from the road!

Launch Day!

Happy Percy Day, everyone! As of today, May 1, The Titan's Curse is available nationwide. Yes, I've been hearing that copies have been trickling out here and there for the last few days, but this is the official day for publication.

If you're dressing up in costume, remember to get your parents' permission (assuming you're a minor!) and send me a picture. I'll put it on the forthcoming Demigod Hall of Fame on my website. Only your first name and your city will be listed with the photo. In a few weeks, I'll pick five names at random to win a signed Camp Half-Blood T-shirt.

We're starting off the tour with a blow-out party at BookPeople in Austin tonight. Come on by if you're in town. There's a nice article in today's Austin American-Statesman about the series, if you want to read it on-line (requires free registration).

I'm going to be in marathon mode over the next month. Check out my on-line calendar on my website and you'll see why! If you're anywhere close to one of my public signings, come on by. I'd love to see you. We will have lots of fun and T-shirts to give away. Woohoo!

Meanwhile, I've just about wrapped up work on Percy 4. My sons Haley and Patrick have given it their official 'thumbs up.' Now I'm just tweaking it a bit and working on the perfect title, which is always a struggle. Then it goes into the editing process, which is fairly extensive. Best guess, the book will be published next spring. I will post again when I know more. Sorry for the wait. I'm already getting emails from kids who have devoured Titan's Curse in a few hours and want to know when the next one is out. If only I could write them that fast!