I’m writing from Los Angeles at the end of my visit to Book Expo America. After so much traveling this month, getting on another plane was hard, but I must admit I had a great time, even though I’m exhausted.
I arrived Thursday and met my editor Jennifer Besser. She had rented a car to take us to sign books at the Hollywood and Highland Center. I was a little nervous, as I don’t normally associate New York editors with L.A. driving, but I’d forgotten Jen is originally from Southern California. With a little help from our on-board navigation system, printed maps, a compass and an astrolabe, we managed to find the venue with no problem.
I had never actually been to Hollywood Boulevard. They really do have those little stars on the sidewalk. I was disappointed to find out that Grauman’s Chinese is a theater, not a restaurant, so I was unable to get dim sum. We went up to the ballroom, where my job was to sign 500 copies of Battle of the Labyrinth for table prizes in advance of Friday night’s ABC Dinner (Association of Booksellers for Children). Our guide led us down into the bowels of the hotel and showed us a dining room full of crates. “Here’s a box cutter,” she said. “Have fun!” Needless to say, we got our exercise for the day. Ah, the glamour of publishing. Jen and I imagined this becoming a sit com episode: Editor and author trapped in a warehouse with five hundred books to sign. Hilarity ensues.
We finished with just enough time to get back to the hotel and get ready for the night’s Disney/Hyperion author dinner. As usual, the event was a hoot. Tradition dictates that Eoin Colfer speaks first, and Dave Barry speaks last (giving him the chance to roast Eoin Colfer). When you speak at the same engagement as these guys, you just have to run up the white flag and surrender, because they are so funny. I merely managed to get through without embarrassing myself too much, but there were several other fantastic moments in the evening. Brian Selznick and Ann Martin had people rolling on the floor with their scripted performance for The Runaway Dolls. Ask Brian to speak in his doll voice next time you see him, but do not ask Ann, “What is up?” (You had to be there.) Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told a penguin joke that took everyone by surprise, and made me wonder what really goes on inside the Kennedy compound. It was also great to see Jonathan Stroud again (The Bartimaeus Trilogy), and I was especially excited to get an advance copy of his new book, Heroes of the Valley.
Friday morning, I was up early to catch breakfast before the Children’s Book and Author Breakfast. (As booksellers find out the hard way, breakfast is not actually included with the breakfast.) His Excellency Jon Scieszka set the tone with his opening remarks and things quickly spiraled out of control from there. The teacher part of me was thinking: Next time I make my classroom seating chart, Jon and Eoin Colfer CANNOT be seated next to each other. All three main speakers were great in their own way. Sherman Alexie talked about writing for kids versus writing for adults, and how terrifying it can be accepting responsibility for shaping young lives. I hadn’t really thought about it, and now I’m terrified. Thanks, Sherman. Judy Blume showed a photo of her first speech at the Children’s Book and Author Breakfast in 1978 with Dr. Seuss and Maurice Sendak. Wow. Neil Gaiman showed us a preview of the Coraline movie, which looks great, and pitched his new book about a kid who is raised by graveyard spirits. Awesome idea.
Later in the day I did a signing for Battle of the Labyrinth and got to meet some volunteer kids & Percy fans who were working behind the scenes. Thanks to all the booksellers, librarians and teachers who dropped by.
In the evening, I had a double-header event. First, I was honored to speak at the ABC dinner and auction. During cocktail hour, I met a lot of great people and saw a lot of old friends. I got to talk further with Sherman Alexie, whom I’d met at the Texas Book Festival, and since then my son and I have both read and loved “Part-Time Indian.” At Sherman’s request, I called his house and left a message for his son, who is a Percy Jackson fan. I’d never prank-called another author’s family before. Hopefully I didn’t freak out the poor kid too much. I also got to see another of my favorite writers, Jeff Kinney, and even won a couple of signed Kinney sketches from Diary of a Wimpy Kid during the silent auction. Those are getting framed and going in my son’s room! The dinner speeches were wonderful and short (to everyone’s delight). I guess I did okay considering how little sleep I’d had, but I had to pinch myself before I went on stage, because I couldn’t believe I was actually speaking at the same event with Nikki Giovanni. That’s beyond an honor. It’s just surreal.
After the dinner, I was whisked away to the Scholastic after-party, where I took off my Percy Jackson hat for a while and donned my secret identity as a Cahill family operative for 39 Clues. Scholastic does not throw small parties. They had four different stations where guests could get their passports stamped and sample food and drink from around the world. They had a dance floor, a 39 Clues photo booth, and most terrifying of all, a giant picture of the Rick Riordan trading card from the 39 Clues game. I signed the cards for all the attendees (first prize, you get one picture of me, second prize, you get two). I had a good time talking about the series. People said I made it sound so interesting, but in truth it’s easy to sound excited about such an incredible idea. I’m not directly involved in the fun multiplatform stuff like the online game and the cards, but I’m very glad to hear the positive response about the first book (and the response has been huge). Around midnight, I finally got in a car back to the hotel. I’m trying to remember the last time I stayed up until midnight . . . I’m getting too old for this stuff! But it was a lot of fun and thanks to all the booksellers who joined the party. I’m guessing we all slept pretty well last night!
Now I’m off to LAX to catch a flight home. Hooray for that – the last travel I’ll have to do for over a month. I have signings in San Antonio, Boerne, and Austin over the next week, but those are all easy drives. If you live in those areas, I hope you’ll come out and say hello.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Satyrs in Israel?
My Israeli publisher Gili Bar-Hillel just sent me some fun pictures from the Tel Aviv Book Festival. The Lightning Thief was just published in Israel, and costumed gods and monsters were wandering the crowd, promoting the book. You can see more photos here.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Home at Last
Back home at last, at least until Thursday when I’m off to Los Angeles for the BEA convention.
On the way home I got a chance to finish Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus. It says something about the craziness of this tour that I’ve only had time to finish one book the entire month. I enjoyed Gods of Manhattan a lot. Topher at BookPeople recommended it highly, and I can see why. The premise is great: Historical figures from New York City become spirits, and sometimes even gods, after they die. Rory and Bridget are great main characters. Their relationship reminds me somewhat of Gregor and Boots in the Suzanne Collins books. The Rattle Watch and Fritz the roach are a well-imagined supporting cast. The story: someone has forged a knife that can kill gods, and Rory (the last “Light” of New York), must find the assassin. There’s a lot more to it, of course, but take a look. It’s a fast exciting read.
I also found time to do a guest blog for Puffin Books about my UK travels. You can read it here. While you're at it, check out the redesigned British Percy Jackson site, with a contest to win a trip to Camp Half-Blood. (That's right: there will be one British winner and one American winner attending the same session!) The new video clip is very cool.
I came home to find a finished copy of The Maze of Bones, the first 39 Clues book, waiting in the mail. It looks great! My attention has been focused mostly on Percy Jackson, of course, and will continue to be as I wrap up book five this summer, but I’m very excited about Maze of Bones coming out in September. Many booksellers mentioned the book to me on tour, and I was relieved to hear that everyone who has read it so far loved it. The ARC version does not have the ending of the story, because Scholastic doesn’t want to give any hints that would give players an advantage in the online game, but I have the final version (which of course stays at my house under lock and key). I hope you like the series when it arrives!
The last couple of days I’ve been working with my webmaster on tweaking the rickriordan.com site. I hope you’ve enjoyed the new look. Our designers use a new editing program, so we are still getting used to it, but I think in the long run it’s going to make life easier and the site more user-friendly.
One big announcement on the site: After much consideration, I’ve made the difficult choice to close my calendar to new school visits for the foreseeable future. I’ve already booked the 08-09 school year, but I won’t be doing any private bookings in 09-10. The last couple of years have been extremely taxing on me and my family with all the travel, and while I love doing school visits, there’s no doubt that the heavy schedule has slowed down my writing considerably. I will still do the occasional visit as part of the publisher’s promotional efforts, but I won’t be arranging any visits myself. I’ve got a lot on my plate over the next two years – multiple writing deadlines that will need my full attention. There’s the last Percy book to write, several non-Percy projects to work on, and a new Camp Half-Blood series to launch. And while I know I’ll disappoint a lot of schools who wanted to host me, I think I’ll disappoint even more people if I’m late on the books, or if the writing quality suffers because I’m short on time or sleep. My first priority has to be making the books as best I can, and making sure they come out on time! I’ll keep evaluating the situation year to year, but through 2010, I will be curtailing my travel schedule severely. When I told my sons I was doing this, they both pumped their fists, yelled, “Yes!” and gave me a big hug. That indicated to me that I’ve made the right choice! Thanks for understanding, and I’m sure I’ll still see many of you at the events I’ve already scheduled next school year.
It’s the last week of school for my kids. I hope everyone else has a great end of the school year, and stock up on great books for summer reading!
On the way home I got a chance to finish Gods of Manhattan by Scott Mebus. It says something about the craziness of this tour that I’ve only had time to finish one book the entire month. I enjoyed Gods of Manhattan a lot. Topher at BookPeople recommended it highly, and I can see why. The premise is great: Historical figures from New York City become spirits, and sometimes even gods, after they die. Rory and Bridget are great main characters. Their relationship reminds me somewhat of Gregor and Boots in the Suzanne Collins books. The Rattle Watch and Fritz the roach are a well-imagined supporting cast. The story: someone has forged a knife that can kill gods, and Rory (the last “Light” of New York), must find the assassin. There’s a lot more to it, of course, but take a look. It’s a fast exciting read.
I also found time to do a guest blog for Puffin Books about my UK travels. You can read it here. While you're at it, check out the redesigned British Percy Jackson site, with a contest to win a trip to Camp Half-Blood. (That's right: there will be one British winner and one American winner attending the same session!) The new video clip is very cool.
I came home to find a finished copy of The Maze of Bones, the first 39 Clues book, waiting in the mail. It looks great! My attention has been focused mostly on Percy Jackson, of course, and will continue to be as I wrap up book five this summer, but I’m very excited about Maze of Bones coming out in September. Many booksellers mentioned the book to me on tour, and I was relieved to hear that everyone who has read it so far loved it. The ARC version does not have the ending of the story, because Scholastic doesn’t want to give any hints that would give players an advantage in the online game, but I have the final version (which of course stays at my house under lock and key). I hope you like the series when it arrives!
The last couple of days I’ve been working with my webmaster on tweaking the rickriordan.com site. I hope you’ve enjoyed the new look. Our designers use a new editing program, so we are still getting used to it, but I think in the long run it’s going to make life easier and the site more user-friendly.
One big announcement on the site: After much consideration, I’ve made the difficult choice to close my calendar to new school visits for the foreseeable future. I’ve already booked the 08-09 school year, but I won’t be doing any private bookings in 09-10. The last couple of years have been extremely taxing on me and my family with all the travel, and while I love doing school visits, there’s no doubt that the heavy schedule has slowed down my writing considerably. I will still do the occasional visit as part of the publisher’s promotional efforts, but I won’t be arranging any visits myself. I’ve got a lot on my plate over the next two years – multiple writing deadlines that will need my full attention. There’s the last Percy book to write, several non-Percy projects to work on, and a new Camp Half-Blood series to launch. And while I know I’ll disappoint a lot of schools who wanted to host me, I think I’ll disappoint even more people if I’m late on the books, or if the writing quality suffers because I’m short on time or sleep. My first priority has to be making the books as best I can, and making sure they come out on time! I’ll keep evaluating the situation year to year, but through 2010, I will be curtailing my travel schedule severely. When I told my sons I was doing this, they both pumped their fists, yelled, “Yes!” and gave me a big hug. That indicated to me that I’ve made the right choice! Thanks for understanding, and I’m sure I’ll still see many of you at the events I’ve already scheduled next school year.
It’s the last week of school for my kids. I hope everyone else has a great end of the school year, and stock up on great books for summer reading!
Friday, May 23, 2008
A UK Wrap-up
I’m back at the Waldorf after a week zipping around England. On Wednesday I visited Bristol, which is a pretty city with lots of hills and historical architecture. I did a presentation at Bristol Grammar School in their great hall, which is pretty much exactly like the Hogwart’s dining hall in the Harry Potter films. I can’t imagine going to school in a place like that – so imposing and ancient. The students were great, and thanks to Lucy, the school librarian, for setting up the visit. I then visited the Queen Elizabeth Hospital School, which is also from the 1500s. I expected to see sick children, but the name “Hospital” is misleading. It was never for the sick, but was started as an institution for helping the poor and orphans of Bristol. It’s now an affluent school for boys – one of those historical ironies, I guess. We had a nice visit. My favorite question: “Are you richer than Justin Timberlake?” I had to admit that I was not. I doubt if Justin is worried about me stealing his limelight.
After some signings at the local bookshops, we boarded the train for Newport, a small town in Wales. We had a small but enthusiastic crowd hosted by the Children’s Federation of Book Groups. A local family gifted me with a set of Roman soldier figurines (they must have heard I used to play D&D). I learned several new Welsh names, like Harri and Gwyn, while I was signing books. Afterward we took the train back to London, and I must admit the combination of jet lag and a month of constant travel took its toll. I slept like the dead and am still walking around in a slight daze. I think when I finally get home I’ll crash for three days, before I have to get on another plane to BEA.
Anyway, Thursday I spent the day at Horsenden Primary in Middlesex (Greater London). What a nice little community, and not a place you would ever see as a tourist. In the evening we went to Coventry for another public event. My favorite piece of news from Coventry: our host librarian told us that an unexploded World War II bomb had recently been unearthed at a local building site. Coventry was bombed almost to the ground in the Blitz, so I guess it’s not so unexpected that some ordnance would still be around. The entire downtown had to be evacuated until the bomb was safely defused.
Today, I visited two schools in Birmingham as part of their young readers’ festival. It rained a little bit in the morning, which makes my record perfect: I have never visited England when it did not rain at least once.
Tomorrow, I’m doing one last public event, a book signing at Tales on Moon Lane bookshop, and then it’s back home on Sunday. Boy, am I ready to get home, even if I do have to leave again. This has been a crazy month even by my standards, but I think in retrospect, I’m going to look back on it with fond memories – after I get some sleep!
After some signings at the local bookshops, we boarded the train for Newport, a small town in Wales. We had a small but enthusiastic crowd hosted by the Children’s Federation of Book Groups. A local family gifted me with a set of Roman soldier figurines (they must have heard I used to play D&D). I learned several new Welsh names, like Harri and Gwyn, while I was signing books. Afterward we took the train back to London, and I must admit the combination of jet lag and a month of constant travel took its toll. I slept like the dead and am still walking around in a slight daze. I think when I finally get home I’ll crash for three days, before I have to get on another plane to BEA.
Anyway, Thursday I spent the day at Horsenden Primary in Middlesex (Greater London). What a nice little community, and not a place you would ever see as a tourist. In the evening we went to Coventry for another public event. My favorite piece of news from Coventry: our host librarian told us that an unexploded World War II bomb had recently been unearthed at a local building site. Coventry was bombed almost to the ground in the Blitz, so I guess it’s not so unexpected that some ordnance would still be around. The entire downtown had to be evacuated until the bomb was safely defused.
Today, I visited two schools in Birmingham as part of their young readers’ festival. It rained a little bit in the morning, which makes my record perfect: I have never visited England when it did not rain at least once.
Tomorrow, I’m doing one last public event, a book signing at Tales on Moon Lane bookshop, and then it’s back home on Sunday. Boy, am I ready to get home, even if I do have to leave again. This has been a crazy month even by my standards, but I think in retrospect, I’m going to look back on it with fond memories – after I get some sleep!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
London to Winchester
I’m just about over my jet lag after my second day in England. I had lunch yesterday in London with a group of journalists and reviewers. Ironically we ate at Christopher’s, an American restaurant, so I had the California black bean soup after coming five thousand miles from California, where I was last week. When I get back to Texas, I’ll have to have bangers and mash just so my culinary karma balances out. Our lunch conversation was interesting and far-ranging – from the virtues and vices of adapting books into film to the reading habits of kids to the differences between public and private school curriculum (public and private having completely reversed definitions in the UK).
I could have chatted longer but our time quickly ran out and my publicist Adele rushed me off to the BBC for a radio interview on the program Go 4 It. Thanks to Joshua, Lily and Lucien, my three young interviewers who asked great questions. Joshua was a huge fan and came wearing his homemade Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. A dyslexic like Percy, Joshua had scarily comprehensive knowledge of the Percy Jackson books. During the quiz game section of the show I think they finally had to disable his buzzer to give the others a chance! Lily asked about the strong female characters in the Percy series, and whether they came from mythology, or whether I had to modify mythology to make those characters possible. The answer is a little of both, and we had a great conversation about it. Lucien, the youngest at seven years old, asked me whether I had audio versions in mind when I wrote the stories. I answered that I absolutely did. Each Percy manuscript is read aloud to my sons before it’s sent to the publisher, which helps me streamline the story. You can hear the interview two Sundays from now. If you don’t live in the UK, you can still access it anytime after the airdate through the BBC’s website. Just look for the program Go 4 It.
After the taping, I visited the Penguin offices on the Strand to do some more interviews and a podcast. Then I called it an early night back at the Waldorf. (Yeah, I know. It’s a tough life.)
This morning I had my venti skim latte at Waterloo Station before boarding the train to Winchester. I’d never been to Winchester before, and it’s a lovely city. (I have to be careful with the terms “town” and “city” now that I’m in the UK. In the States, we throw these words around as synonyms, or choose the term based on the size of the population, but in the UK a city by definition is any place that has a cathedral, no matter how small the population.) Winchester has a beautiful cathedral, where I learned Jane Austen is buried. The old historic center of the city is made of unique flint and brick construction. You can see examples above. It’s quite beautiful. I did a presentation for about four hundred students from a variety of schools in the city’s guildhall. I was honored to accept last year’s Hampshire Book Award (voted on by students – my favorite kind of award), and the students were very enthusiastic and excited. They had no trouble with my Greek mythology quiz, and after I gave out T-shirts to the winners I signed books for a long time!
We then went to the town’s Discovery Centre, a beautifully renovated library, for the second presentation. Again, great kids! My favorite question: “If Percy Jackson were older, who would he be voting for in the American presidential election?” I said I’d never discussed it with Percy, but I would ask him!
Afterwards we had some time before our train, so our host Anne took us on a brief tour of the city. In the Great Hall, we saw a King Arthur’s roundtable from the 13th Century (too recent to be the actual one, of course, but still pretty cool) and took a stroll through Queen Eleanor’s garden, modeled after a garden in a medieval painting. As with so many cities in England, our brief tour just convinced me that I’ll have to come back and have a better look some other time!
Now I’ve just gotten off the train in Bristol and checked into the Hotel du Vin. Tomorrow, another whirlwind trip from Bristol to Newport, Wales and back to London. I’ll keep you posted!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Percy in the UK
I feel like Tantalus today: my heart’s desire so close, and yet out of reach. After two weeks on the road, I got a single night at home and had to dash straight back to the airport the next morning. Now I’m in London for a week of touring in the UK. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. It’s always great to visit England, and so much amazing stuff has been happening with the series that I have yet to process it all. But as any traveler knows, living out of a suitcase can get wearying. I am looking forward to June when I can finally stop moving for a while and enjoy some time with my family (and catch up on my writing, too).
Saturday in Houston was a great way to wrap up the U.S. tour for Battle of the Labyrinth. I started the day at Blue Willow Bookshop, where the weather cooperated (unlike last year) and we got to hold the presentation outside. The staff made a cool labyrinth for the kids to explore and had a bunch of other activities to entertain our guests while they waited in the signing line. I’m told we had around 700 people. The store sold out all their copies of Labyrinth and gave out many bookplates for additional orders. Thanks to Valerie and the rest of the staff for their usual fabulous job running a smooth event, despite the massive crowd.
We then rushed down to the equally fabulous Murder by the Book for another crowd of hundreds. I don’t think the store could’ve packed in a single additional person! I had a great time meeting everyone, and once again the line moved smoothly and everyone seemed happy, despite the crazy size of the crowd.
Once more thank you to all the teachers, librarians, parents and kids who came out to the events across the U.S. I ended my two weeks exhausted but elated. Now if I can just muster energy for another week on tour! I’ve warned my friends at Puffin Books to have large amounts of caffeine ready. I will do my best to write another update when I get over my jet lag.
Happy reading, and I hope everyone has a great end of the school year!
Saturday in Houston was a great way to wrap up the U.S. tour for Battle of the Labyrinth. I started the day at Blue Willow Bookshop, where the weather cooperated (unlike last year) and we got to hold the presentation outside. The staff made a cool labyrinth for the kids to explore and had a bunch of other activities to entertain our guests while they waited in the signing line. I’m told we had around 700 people. The store sold out all their copies of Labyrinth and gave out many bookplates for additional orders. Thanks to Valerie and the rest of the staff for their usual fabulous job running a smooth event, despite the massive crowd.
We then rushed down to the equally fabulous Murder by the Book for another crowd of hundreds. I don’t think the store could’ve packed in a single additional person! I had a great time meeting everyone, and once again the line moved smoothly and everyone seemed happy, despite the crazy size of the crowd.
Once more thank you to all the teachers, librarians, parents and kids who came out to the events across the U.S. I ended my two weeks exhausted but elated. Now if I can just muster energy for another week on tour! I’ve warned my friends at Puffin Books to have large amounts of caffeine ready. I will do my best to write another update when I get over my jet lag.
Happy reading, and I hope everyone has a great end of the school year!
Friday, May 16, 2008
Two Days in the Bay Area
I’m at the Oakland airport, reflecting on two days in the Bay Area. It’s been a blur of activity. On Wednesday night I had a signing at Books, Inc. in Alameda. The crowd filled the entire store. Thanks to all the school groups who came out to say hello. I also got to see a former student of mine, Dan, who is now an adult. Fortunately he introduced himself because I would not have recognized him with the beard! Thanks also to David and his mom, who drove all the way from Lake Tahoe (three hours) to attend the signing, then drove back the same night to make school the following morning. Now that is a dedicated fan. Wow!
Thursday I had a packed schedule. We drove up to Petaluma for a school visit at Kenilworth Middle School. The kids were great, and students from several other schools joined in. Families came from Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Marin County for the event. Afterwards I got to sign stock at Copperfield’s and talk with the staff for a while. It was nice to have a little time just browse and chat about books. After that we zipped down to San Jose for a signing at Hicklebee’s. Again, the store was completely packed with kids, and it was the hottest day of the year, so thanks to everyone for bearing the heat and the signing line. It was good to meet Jen Robinson in person at last, and to see so many of the people whom I’d met at the store last year.
Finally we headed up to the Redwood City Public Library for a signing with Kepler’s Books. I was thinking to myself, “Maybe it will be a small crowd.” As an author, you know something has changed when you start wishing for a small crowd. Not the case – we packed the library with at least four hundred people. So many cool kids with some very perceptive questions. Hopefully I wasn’t too brain dead and they got coherent answers! The Kepler’s staff did a fabulous job organizing the event and thanks to the library for hosting us.
This morning I did a brief visit at Presidio Hill School, where I used to teach. Thanks to Lisa for arranging the visit. It’s always good to go back and see the place, even though it’s changed tremendously since I taught there. The kids were very enthusiastic. A former student of mine, Trevor, now has my old job as middle school English teacher, and he introduced me, which seemed like nice circular karma or something.
Now I’m boarding the plane for Houston. I look forward seeing more fans at Blue Willow and Murder by the Book on Saturday!
Thursday I had a packed schedule. We drove up to Petaluma for a school visit at Kenilworth Middle School. The kids were great, and students from several other schools joined in. Families came from Santa Rosa, Sonoma and Marin County for the event. Afterwards I got to sign stock at Copperfield’s and talk with the staff for a while. It was nice to have a little time just browse and chat about books. After that we zipped down to San Jose for a signing at Hicklebee’s. Again, the store was completely packed with kids, and it was the hottest day of the year, so thanks to everyone for bearing the heat and the signing line. It was good to meet Jen Robinson in person at last, and to see so many of the people whom I’d met at the store last year.
Finally we headed up to the Redwood City Public Library for a signing with Kepler’s Books. I was thinking to myself, “Maybe it will be a small crowd.” As an author, you know something has changed when you start wishing for a small crowd. Not the case – we packed the library with at least four hundred people. So many cool kids with some very perceptive questions. Hopefully I wasn’t too brain dead and they got coherent answers! The Kepler’s staff did a fabulous job organizing the event and thanks to the library for hosting us.
This morning I did a brief visit at Presidio Hill School, where I used to teach. Thanks to Lisa for arranging the visit. It’s always good to go back and see the place, even though it’s changed tremendously since I taught there. The kids were very enthusiastic. A former student of mine, Trevor, now has my old job as middle school English teacher, and he introduced me, which seemed like nice circular karma or something.
Now I’m boarding the plane for Houston. I look forward seeing more fans at Blue Willow and Murder by the Book on Saturday!
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
West Coast Bound
Good weather held up for me yesterday in Ann Arbor – more sunny skies and warm temperatures. Our Disney sales rep Barbara took me to the Borders corporate headquarters for lunch with their children’s book team. The lunchroom was transformed into Poseidon’s realm, complete with fish on the windows and glittery blue and green decorations. Barbara supplied Greek salad and other Percy-themed goodies, and even put little plastic toy labyrinths on the table. As soon as I figure out how to work mine, I’ll let you know. I enjoyed meeting all the folks from Borders, and as an added bonus I got to check out the George Harrison signed guitar that they keep in the lobby. I wish I had stuff like that just lying around at my house.
In the afternoon I had a phone interview with USA Today. Battle of the Labyrinth will debut on the bestseller list at #5 tomorrow (that’s out of all books, not just kids’ books, and I was like dang!) so look for a small write-up on the series next to the list. I understand the book is also #1 on all the regional bestseller lists, the #1 BookSense childen's series bestseller, and the #1 children's book at almost every major retailer. It's also the #1 children's bestseller in Canada. I can't quite wrap my mind around all that, but wow. I'm so glad so many kids are enjoying the series.
After my interview, I got to visit one of Borders’ new concept stores, which was way cool, then we headed downtown to Store One (aka the Mothership) where we had a videotaped event. Thanks to Susan, the children’s book buyer, for interviewing me! I also got to walk around the store and narrate my short list picks, then do a presentation/book signing. I’ve never done this with a full film crew present before and I felt like Johnny Carson (I’m dating myself there, I know). At any rate, thanks for all the folks who came out. Among the many fans, I got to meet a young man named Jackson Percy – yes, that’s his real name. He signed his baseball league card for me as a keepsake. I also got to sample a sandwich from Zingerman’s. I was told this is a ‘must-do’ when you visit Ann Arbor, and now I know why. The sandwiches are amazing. Even the vegan entrée was so yummy I figure there’s no way it could be healthy!
Today, after much rain and a few engine problems on our plane, I’m in the air and on my way to San Francisco. Tonight I’ll do my first-ever signing in the East Bay – at Books, Inc. in Alameda. Maybe they’ll let me stop by Peet’s, or Zachary’s Pizza, or Noah’s Bagels before the event. Choices, choices. Ah, it’s always good to be back in the Bay Area.
In the afternoon I had a phone interview with USA Today. Battle of the Labyrinth will debut on the bestseller list at #5 tomorrow (that’s out of all books, not just kids’ books, and I was like dang!) so look for a small write-up on the series next to the list. I understand the book is also #1 on all the regional bestseller lists, the #1 BookSense childen's series bestseller, and the #1 children's book at almost every major retailer. It's also the #1 children's bestseller in Canada. I can't quite wrap my mind around all that, but wow. I'm so glad so many kids are enjoying the series.
After my interview, I got to visit one of Borders’ new concept stores, which was way cool, then we headed downtown to Store One (aka the Mothership) where we had a videotaped event. Thanks to Susan, the children’s book buyer, for interviewing me! I also got to walk around the store and narrate my short list picks, then do a presentation/book signing. I’ve never done this with a full film crew present before and I felt like Johnny Carson (I’m dating myself there, I know). At any rate, thanks for all the folks who came out. Among the many fans, I got to meet a young man named Jackson Percy – yes, that’s his real name. He signed his baseball league card for me as a keepsake. I also got to sample a sandwich from Zingerman’s. I was told this is a ‘must-do’ when you visit Ann Arbor, and now I know why. The sandwiches are amazing. Even the vegan entrée was so yummy I figure there’s no way it could be healthy!
Today, after much rain and a few engine problems on our plane, I’m in the air and on my way to San Francisco. Tonight I’ll do my first-ever signing in the East Bay – at Books, Inc. in Alameda. Maybe they’ll let me stop by Peet’s, or Zachary’s Pizza, or Noah’s Bagels before the event. Choices, choices. Ah, it’s always good to be back in the Bay Area.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Off to Ann Arbor
This morning I leave Chicago for Michigan, which I’ve never visited. I look forward to an event at the Borders flagship store in Ann Arbor this evening.
The last couple of days have been a blast. Thanks to everyone (especially the moms) who came out in such huge numbers on Sunday evening for the Mother’s Day event in Skokie. We had between 400-500 people, which is more than any of us was expecting. My media escort asked, “Do you always draw such a diverse crowd?” I’d never thought about it, but the fans really did run the spectrum – from all parts of town, about half and half boys and girls, every age from first grade through high school. And everyone was just as nice as can be. Each mom I talked to had no problem spending their special day at the event. They all said, "Anything that gets my kids reading I am happy to do!" I got some wonderful artwork and poems from fans. I’ll try to post some of it when I get back home.
Yesterday the weather was gorgeous. I understand it’s been very cold and wet here recently. Last year when I was here, it was searing hot and windy. But this time we’ve been lucky: sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. In the morning I visited a couple of local schools. My favorite question from a sixth grader, after I’d told the kids about my series: “Why are you here at Scullen Middle School? Shouldn’t you be in Paris or something?” I told him why not Scullen? I’m writing for middle school kids, not the people in Paris (unless they’re kids, of course). I go all over the country, but I’d rather be talking to kids than just about any other audience – and suburban Chicago is just as important as any place else. I’m not sure the kid believed me, but it’s true. And that’s not to say I would turn down a trip to Paris, in case my French publisher is monitoring the blog . . .
In the evening, I did an extremely sold-out event for Anderson’s Books at the Downers Grove Public Library. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and my apologies for all the people who came but were not able to get in. I got to see most of you in the signing line afterwards, but it doesn’t sit well with me when kids and parents make the effort to come out for a book signing and don’t get to see the presentation! I’ve already talked with Anderson’s about getting a bigger venue next year. The Anderson’s staff was as hardworking and enthusiastic as always, and the audience was fantastic. Thanks especially to the family who came all the way from Peoria. I’m happy to report they went away with t-shirts! My favorite question of the night came from Jake, who asked, “Do the monsters all represent common dilemmas that kids face – like Ares represents bullies?” I was impressed. I don’t intentionally assign allegorical meaning to the monsters, but I think Jake is right. They do stand for common school problems. I must admit there were a few cheerleaders at my high school that might’ve been empousai, and the Sphinx definitely stands for standardized testing!
Back to the t-shirt question, I get asked all the time: “Is there any way I can buy those?” Alas, the answer is no. The shirts are printed as promotional items, and we don’t have extras for sale. More importantly, selling them would require an entire staff of people to take orders and ship them, plus tax numbers, etc., and then there are the legal merchandising issues – so no, we can only give them away, and I’m sorry we never have enough. However, I can always recognize a kid I’ve seen before, because if they are wearing a shirt, they must have been to an event.
I’ll let you know how it goes in Ann Arbor. From there, I’m off to my old stomping ground: the San Francisco Bay Area!
The last couple of days have been a blast. Thanks to everyone (especially the moms) who came out in such huge numbers on Sunday evening for the Mother’s Day event in Skokie. We had between 400-500 people, which is more than any of us was expecting. My media escort asked, “Do you always draw such a diverse crowd?” I’d never thought about it, but the fans really did run the spectrum – from all parts of town, about half and half boys and girls, every age from first grade through high school. And everyone was just as nice as can be. Each mom I talked to had no problem spending their special day at the event. They all said, "Anything that gets my kids reading I am happy to do!" I got some wonderful artwork and poems from fans. I’ll try to post some of it when I get back home.
Yesterday the weather was gorgeous. I understand it’s been very cold and wet here recently. Last year when I was here, it was searing hot and windy. But this time we’ve been lucky: sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. In the morning I visited a couple of local schools. My favorite question from a sixth grader, after I’d told the kids about my series: “Why are you here at Scullen Middle School? Shouldn’t you be in Paris or something?” I told him why not Scullen? I’m writing for middle school kids, not the people in Paris (unless they’re kids, of course). I go all over the country, but I’d rather be talking to kids than just about any other audience – and suburban Chicago is just as important as any place else. I’m not sure the kid believed me, but it’s true. And that’s not to say I would turn down a trip to Paris, in case my French publisher is monitoring the blog . . .
In the evening, I did an extremely sold-out event for Anderson’s Books at the Downers Grove Public Library. Thanks to everyone who showed up, and my apologies for all the people who came but were not able to get in. I got to see most of you in the signing line afterwards, but it doesn’t sit well with me when kids and parents make the effort to come out for a book signing and don’t get to see the presentation! I’ve already talked with Anderson’s about getting a bigger venue next year. The Anderson’s staff was as hardworking and enthusiastic as always, and the audience was fantastic. Thanks especially to the family who came all the way from Peoria. I’m happy to report they went away with t-shirts! My favorite question of the night came from Jake, who asked, “Do the monsters all represent common dilemmas that kids face – like Ares represents bullies?” I was impressed. I don’t intentionally assign allegorical meaning to the monsters, but I think Jake is right. They do stand for common school problems. I must admit there were a few cheerleaders at my high school that might’ve been empousai, and the Sphinx definitely stands for standardized testing!
Back to the t-shirt question, I get asked all the time: “Is there any way I can buy those?” Alas, the answer is no. The shirts are printed as promotional items, and we don’t have extras for sale. More importantly, selling them would require an entire staff of people to take orders and ship them, plus tax numbers, etc., and then there are the legal merchandising issues – so no, we can only give them away, and I’m sorry we never have enough. However, I can always recognize a kid I’ve seen before, because if they are wearing a shirt, they must have been to an event.
I’ll let you know how it goes in Ann Arbor. From there, I’m off to my old stomping ground: the San Francisco Bay Area!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Traveling on Mother’s Day
A year ago, I was on tour during Mother’s Day, and here am again -- on the road and thinking about my family back in Texas.
The dedication in Battle of the Labyrinth reads: “To Becky, who always leads me through the maze.” During this tour, hundreds of people have asked me who Becky is. She is, of course, my wonderful wife of almost twenty-three years. It’s entirely appropriate the novel be dedicated to her, because without Becky’s constant support and encouragement there would have been no Percy Jackson series. There would have been no sons to tell those stories to in the first place! And it would be impossible for me to be on tour without her holding down the fort, keeping me grounded, organized and sane, and being an incredible mother to the boys when I can’t be there. As great as it is to travel, meeting so many enthusiastic readers, my thoughts are always focused on home, because I'm blessed to have such a loving family. I may write the stories, but you can thank Becky for making them possible. I would be a poor human being without her. Like all wives and mothers, she doesn’t get told ‘thank you’ enough for all the work she does with such patience. So here’s to moms! We’d all be lost in the Labyrinth without them.
Tonight, I’m off to the Barnes & Noble in Skokie, then an event for Anderson’s Bookstore at the Downers Grove Library tomorrow night. See some of you there!
The dedication in Battle of the Labyrinth reads: “To Becky, who always leads me through the maze.” During this tour, hundreds of people have asked me who Becky is. She is, of course, my wonderful wife of almost twenty-three years. It’s entirely appropriate the novel be dedicated to her, because without Becky’s constant support and encouragement there would have been no Percy Jackson series. There would have been no sons to tell those stories to in the first place! And it would be impossible for me to be on tour without her holding down the fort, keeping me grounded, organized and sane, and being an incredible mother to the boys when I can’t be there. As great as it is to travel, meeting so many enthusiastic readers, my thoughts are always focused on home, because I'm blessed to have such a loving family. I may write the stories, but you can thank Becky for making them possible. I would be a poor human being without her. Like all wives and mothers, she doesn’t get told ‘thank you’ enough for all the work she does with such patience. So here’s to moms! We’d all be lost in the Labyrinth without them.
Tonight, I’m off to the Barnes & Noble in Skokie, then an event for Anderson’s Bookstore at the Downers Grove Library tomorrow night. See some of you there!
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Stories from the Road
I’m on the train from New York to Boston – a nice way to travel after days on airplanes! This is the first time I’ve gotten to open my computer for more than a few minutes because of the whirlwind of events, but it’s been an incredible few days.
After the BookPeople launch event on Tuesday I flew to Atlanta to attend the International Reading Association convention. I had a lively author session with a great group of teachers, some of whom I hadn’t seen in four years, since the last time I attended the conference. At that time, Lightning Thief hadn’t even come out yet, and we were all pretty amazed at what has happened with the series since then. I got to see Gail Carson Levine – briefly, but always a treat to speak with her. I also had the chance to meet Roland Smith who wrote Cryptid Hunters, which Patrick and I just finished reading a few weeks ago. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do.
Wednesday night I went to Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, the other great store (besides BookPeople) that hosts a Camp Half-Blood in the summer. They have a new bigger location on the main square, and they joked that they had done it just for me, because we wouldn’t have had room in the old store. The place was packed with kids. Radio Disney was there, keeping everyone entertained when I arrived. I met a ton of great young demigods. My only regret: I owe an apology to Jerry Spinelli and his audience, because unfortunately our events overlapped. Not my idea! He was upstairs in the loft while my signing line was going on downstairs, and the acoustics being what they were, I can’t imagine the noise was helpful for his presentation. I felt bad because a) I’ve been on the receiving end of a noisy competing crowd, and it’s not fun, and b) I wanted to meet Jerry Spinelli, and I didn’t get to!
Thursday, I flew to Raleigh for a visit with my friends at Quail Ridge Bookstore. Another fabulous place, another enormous crowd. I’m bad at counting, but I was told we had well over four hundred people. Thanks to the kids who made up a Percy Jackson rap song! They were a little embarrassed to perform it, but they got through a few verses, which was better than I could have done. I met several aspiring young authors and bloggers, and the Guys Read program from SMS. Thanks to Mr. Hutchinson for bringing out the guys!
Yesterday I spent the day in New Jersey, doing school visits for Books, Bytes and Beyond. It was rainy and cold (this is summer?) but the schools were welcoming, and the kids were enthusiastic. I did an informal signing at the store in Glen Rock afterwards. Special thanks to the fourth grade group who came all the way from Brooklyn to meet me because they couldn’t get tickets to my evening event in the city. Which brings me to Bank Street Books – a sold out event in New York last night.
We did the presentation in the auditorium, but they had set up an overflow room with TV monitors for people who couldn’t get space in the main room. “You’re like Bono,” someone told me, and I’m still trying to work out whether that was a compliment. As it happened, the nasty weather kept some people away, so we were just full, not overflowing!
Great questions from the audience:
“Why is Blackjack a mare in Sea of Monsters and a stallion in Titan’s Curse?” Answer: Either the author made a mistake, which is inconceivable, or Percy wasn’t paying much attention the first time and doesn’t know much about horses.
“Is there going to be a video game when the movie comes out, and how bad will it stink?” Answer: If you play videos, you know this kid is right. Why can’t they ever make a movie-based video game that’s halfway decent? They are ALL terrible (possible exception: a few Star Wars titles). There has been some interest in making a Percy Jackson game, but nothing is definite at this point. It’s up to Fox, which holds the rights, to decide whether or not a game is done, but if they do allow one, I’ll try to convince them to break tradition and create one that’s actually playable.
“If two half-bloods have a child, does that make the child a quarter-blood or what?” Answer: It depends. First of all, many half-bloods don’t live long enough to have kids! They lead dangerous lives. If they did have a child, that child might be able to pass for human unless the parents were very powerful, in which case the child might be much like any other half-blood.
We started the event at 6:30 and I finished signing around 9 PM. Thanks as usual to everyone being so patient. I even got to see my brother Brady, who was in town from Toronto with his girlfriend. Of course, it was a five-minute reunion in a sea of children, but hey, when you’re on tour, you take what you can get!
Today, I’m off to a signing at Wellesley Booksmith. I’m looking forward to meeting the demigods of Massachusetts.
I haven’t had much time to catch my breath or reflect, but I understand sales for Battle of the Labyrinth have been really good, and there is much jumping up and down and exclaiming of “Holy Moley!” in the Disney Publishing offices. That’s awesome and gratifying, but my favorite part is still hearing from all the parents who say the Percy Jackson books have gotten their kids reading, and the kids who say they didn’t like books until they discovered Percy. That makes it all worthwhile.
The dog-injured hand is better. Thanks for asking! I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve signed. No carpal tunnel yet, but the tour is only beginning. Hope to see you somewhere along my marathon run!
After the BookPeople launch event on Tuesday I flew to Atlanta to attend the International Reading Association convention. I had a lively author session with a great group of teachers, some of whom I hadn’t seen in four years, since the last time I attended the conference. At that time, Lightning Thief hadn’t even come out yet, and we were all pretty amazed at what has happened with the series since then. I got to see Gail Carson Levine – briefly, but always a treat to speak with her. I also had the chance to meet Roland Smith who wrote Cryptid Hunters, which Patrick and I just finished reading a few weeks ago. If you haven’t checked it out yet, do.
Wednesday night I went to Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, the other great store (besides BookPeople) that hosts a Camp Half-Blood in the summer. They have a new bigger location on the main square, and they joked that they had done it just for me, because we wouldn’t have had room in the old store. The place was packed with kids. Radio Disney was there, keeping everyone entertained when I arrived. I met a ton of great young demigods. My only regret: I owe an apology to Jerry Spinelli and his audience, because unfortunately our events overlapped. Not my idea! He was upstairs in the loft while my signing line was going on downstairs, and the acoustics being what they were, I can’t imagine the noise was helpful for his presentation. I felt bad because a) I’ve been on the receiving end of a noisy competing crowd, and it’s not fun, and b) I wanted to meet Jerry Spinelli, and I didn’t get to!
Thursday, I flew to Raleigh for a visit with my friends at Quail Ridge Bookstore. Another fabulous place, another enormous crowd. I’m bad at counting, but I was told we had well over four hundred people. Thanks to the kids who made up a Percy Jackson rap song! They were a little embarrassed to perform it, but they got through a few verses, which was better than I could have done. I met several aspiring young authors and bloggers, and the Guys Read program from SMS. Thanks to Mr. Hutchinson for bringing out the guys!
Yesterday I spent the day in New Jersey, doing school visits for Books, Bytes and Beyond. It was rainy and cold (this is summer?) but the schools were welcoming, and the kids were enthusiastic. I did an informal signing at the store in Glen Rock afterwards. Special thanks to the fourth grade group who came all the way from Brooklyn to meet me because they couldn’t get tickets to my evening event in the city. Which brings me to Bank Street Books – a sold out event in New York last night.
We did the presentation in the auditorium, but they had set up an overflow room with TV monitors for people who couldn’t get space in the main room. “You’re like Bono,” someone told me, and I’m still trying to work out whether that was a compliment. As it happened, the nasty weather kept some people away, so we were just full, not overflowing!
Great questions from the audience:
“Why is Blackjack a mare in Sea of Monsters and a stallion in Titan’s Curse?” Answer: Either the author made a mistake, which is inconceivable, or Percy wasn’t paying much attention the first time and doesn’t know much about horses.
“Is there going to be a video game when the movie comes out, and how bad will it stink?” Answer: If you play videos, you know this kid is right. Why can’t they ever make a movie-based video game that’s halfway decent? They are ALL terrible (possible exception: a few Star Wars titles). There has been some interest in making a Percy Jackson game, but nothing is definite at this point. It’s up to Fox, which holds the rights, to decide whether or not a game is done, but if they do allow one, I’ll try to convince them to break tradition and create one that’s actually playable.
“If two half-bloods have a child, does that make the child a quarter-blood or what?” Answer: It depends. First of all, many half-bloods don’t live long enough to have kids! They lead dangerous lives. If they did have a child, that child might be able to pass for human unless the parents were very powerful, in which case the child might be much like any other half-blood.
We started the event at 6:30 and I finished signing around 9 PM. Thanks as usual to everyone being so patient. I even got to see my brother Brady, who was in town from Toronto with his girlfriend. Of course, it was a five-minute reunion in a sea of children, but hey, when you’re on tour, you take what you can get!
Today, I’m off to a signing at Wellesley Booksmith. I’m looking forward to meeting the demigods of Massachusetts.
I haven’t had much time to catch my breath or reflect, but I understand sales for Battle of the Labyrinth have been really good, and there is much jumping up and down and exclaiming of “Holy Moley!” in the Disney Publishing offices. That’s awesome and gratifying, but my favorite part is still hearing from all the parents who say the Percy Jackson books have gotten their kids reading, and the kids who say they didn’t like books until they discovered Percy. That makes it all worthwhile.
The dog-injured hand is better. Thanks for asking! I’ve lost count of how many books I’ve signed. No carpal tunnel yet, but the tour is only beginning. Hope to see you somewhere along my marathon run!
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Naughty Dog! (and other tales from pub date)
This is my dog Sunny. I love her, but today she is not my favorite animal. I was getting ready to go to BookPeople yesterday afternoon, so put Sunny in the car to drop her off at Becky's parents' house. When we got to the front door, Sunny decided to take off running down the street. Unfortunately, my hand was attached to the other end of the leash, and I'd gathered all eight feet of the leash around my fingers. Bad idea. I don't want to make anyone wince, but if you've ever had really bad rope burn, you can probably guess what my hand looks like today. And of course, it was my signing hand, so I went off to BookPeople in bandages, unable to use my index finger. Ouch! I managed to scrawl my signature, but I couldn't personalize any books. Thanks to everyone for being so understanding, and as you can see from the picture above, Sunny feels terrible about the whole thing.
Aside from that, the book launch at BookPeople was amazing. I didn't think anything could top last year, but wow. The rock climbing wall, the gladiator fights in the arena, the Austin improv actors, the Oracle, the camp store . . . it was just a fabulous time. I had an 'honor guard' of young demigods making a line on either side as I walked from the store to the stage across the parking lot. So many kids! After the presentation, I signed books for almost four hours (I'm not kidding) but everyone -- absolutely everyone -- was patient, understanding, and in a good mood. Special thanks to Hailey, the very last kid in line. She is a true demigod!
What can I say? Austin sets a mighty high standard. And did I mention the centaur? Unbelievable costume (see below). I'm sure I'm forgetting a million important things that happened, but thanks to everyone who came out and especially the BookPeople staff who worked so hard to make the event a success.
Now I'm off to Atlanta. More later from the road.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Pub Date Madness!
The day is finally here. It's hard to believe after all this waiting, but Battle of the Labyrinth is published today. I hope you like it! I'm off to Austin, and I look forward to seeing many of you at the launch party. Keep your fingers crossed for clear skies, but don't worry -- BookPeople has a contingency plan if Zeus decides to dump thunder and lightning on us. I've heard about some of the planned activities for tonight, and it's going to be a lot of fun!
Thanks to Mr. Champion from the Ensworth School in Nashville, who is pictured above with his third grade class. He was the first one to send pub date pictures. He says his kids were so stoked to get the new book that they took a class trip to their local bookstore and were the first ones in line when the store opened. They started reading on the bus back to school! Hope you like the book, young demigods.
In other news, rickriordan.com has just been renovated! Hope you enjoy the new look, and bear with us while we work out any small kinks in the site.
As amazing as it sounds, booksellers are already telling me that they are having trouble getting first editions because the publisher is sold out. Considering how huge the first printing was, that's pretty incredible. If you're a collector, I would start finding your copies now.
And on another note, I thought I'd mention some other upcoming books my sons and I are excited about. They've already devoured the newest Warriors book by Erin Hunter. Now we're looking forward to Derek Landy's second Skulduggery Pleasant book, Playing with Fire, which is out today. Michael Scott's second Nicholas Flamel book, The Magician, comes out in June. It should be a great summer for reading!
In other news, rickriordan.com has just been renovated! Hope you enjoy the new look, and bear with us while we work out any small kinks in the site.
As amazing as it sounds, booksellers are already telling me that they are having trouble getting first editions because the publisher is sold out. Considering how huge the first printing was, that's pretty incredible. If you're a collector, I would start finding your copies now.
And on another note, I thought I'd mention some other upcoming books my sons and I are excited about. They've already devoured the newest Warriors book by Erin Hunter. Now we're looking forward to Derek Landy's second Skulduggery Pleasant book, Playing with Fire, which is out today. Michael Scott's second Nicholas Flamel book, The Magician, comes out in June. It should be a great summer for reading!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Aren't They Related?
Grover says, "Yikes!"
Good question from the L.A. Festival of Books which I've been meaning to share: An astute young fan asked, "Could Annabeth and Percy ever get together? Since their parents are both gods, doesn't that make them related?"
That would complicate things for all the young demigods at camp, wouldn't it? Here's the way I see it: The godly side of your family does not count, genetically speaking. You could drive yourself crazy if you thought about it -- everyone is somebody's cousin, nephew, half-brother, uncle, or whatever. But gods are special beings. They don't have DNA and each god is a force unto himself/herself. They pass on some of their power to their demigod children, but not the entire bloodline of the Olympian family. Perhaps that's why the gods have no qualms about intermarrying each other in such a small clan, unlike humans.
Being related on the Olympian side doesn't mean the same thing as being related on the human side. A demigod would never think about dating someone who had the same godly parent. Two kids from the Athena cabin? No way. They are indeed siblings. But a girl from Athena and a guy from Poseidon? That's not a problem. They are not related (unless they happened to be related on the human side). This is NOT implying anything that will happen in the book. I'm only answering the question, "Is it possible?" Yes, it is.
Saturday, May 03, 2008
Before the Storm
I already feel like I’m moving at eighty miles an hour, but the real fun starts with the book release on Tuesday!
In the meantime, percyjacksonbooks.com now features a live ‘adventure’ section with downloadable activities and an online trivia challenge. If your school, library or bookstore is planning a Percy party, check these out! The Camp Half-Blood sweepstakes are going strong from what I hear. If you haven’t entered yet for a chance to win a spot at this summer’s demigod camp in Austin, it’s not too late. Visit the website for full details.
Thanks to Makai in Oregon, who let me know that the Lightning Thief has won the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Readers Choice Award for grades 6-8. As I understand it, the award covers all the northwestern U.S. states as well as the western Canadian provinces. I’m honored, and I appreciate all the young readers who voted!
Next week, rickriordan.com will be re-launching with a brand new look. Stay tuned for that.
May is going to be absolutely insane for me. I don’t think I’m in the same city for longer than twenty-four hours the entire month, so do not be surprised if I’m not able to respond to email, but I will blog as often as I can and keep you updated on my travel and events.
The United Kingdom portion of the tour (for the paperback release of Titan’s Curse) has now been finalized. Check the web calendar for details. Many of the events are private presentations at schools, but there are three public events scheduled, and all fans are welcome:
Wednesday, May 21, 6 PM
Charles Street Community Centre
16 Charles St
Newport NP20 1JU
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM
Coventry Central Library
Smithford Way
Coventry CV1 1FY
Saturday, May 24, 11 AM
Tales on Moon Lane, public bookstore signing
25 Half Moon Lane
London SE24 9JU
At the moment, I’m wrapping up some final business before launch day, like responding to a load of great fan mail from schools. Hopefully I can get to everyone, because if I don’t finish this weekend, it’ll be mid-June before I get back to it, and everyone will be gone for the summer. So if you sent me a letter recently from a school address and don’t get an answer, that’s probably why! Special thanks to Mitchell, who wrote that he is not just a huge fan. He is a BROBDINGNABIAN fan. That’s not an adjective I hear a lot, but Jonathan Swift would be proud!
Three days until Percy’s latest battle begins. I’ll see you on the tour, campers . . . or in the tunnels of the Labyrinth. Happy reading!
In the meantime, percyjacksonbooks.com now features a live ‘adventure’ section with downloadable activities and an online trivia challenge. If your school, library or bookstore is planning a Percy party, check these out! The Camp Half-Blood sweepstakes are going strong from what I hear. If you haven’t entered yet for a chance to win a spot at this summer’s demigod camp in Austin, it’s not too late. Visit the website for full details.
Thanks to Makai in Oregon, who let me know that the Lightning Thief has won the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Young Readers Choice Award for grades 6-8. As I understand it, the award covers all the northwestern U.S. states as well as the western Canadian provinces. I’m honored, and I appreciate all the young readers who voted!
Next week, rickriordan.com will be re-launching with a brand new look. Stay tuned for that.
May is going to be absolutely insane for me. I don’t think I’m in the same city for longer than twenty-four hours the entire month, so do not be surprised if I’m not able to respond to email, but I will blog as often as I can and keep you updated on my travel and events.
The United Kingdom portion of the tour (for the paperback release of Titan’s Curse) has now been finalized. Check the web calendar for details. Many of the events are private presentations at schools, but there are three public events scheduled, and all fans are welcome:
Wednesday, May 21, 6 PM
Charles Street Community Centre
16 Charles St
Newport NP20 1JU
Thursday, May 22, 7 PM
Coventry Central Library
Smithford Way
Coventry CV1 1FY
Saturday, May 24, 11 AM
Tales on Moon Lane, public bookstore signing
25 Half Moon Lane
London SE24 9JU
At the moment, I’m wrapping up some final business before launch day, like responding to a load of great fan mail from schools. Hopefully I can get to everyone, because if I don’t finish this weekend, it’ll be mid-June before I get back to it, and everyone will be gone for the summer. So if you sent me a letter recently from a school address and don’t get an answer, that’s probably why! Special thanks to Mitchell, who wrote that he is not just a huge fan. He is a BROBDINGNABIAN fan. That’s not an adjective I hear a lot, but Jonathan Swift would be proud!
Three days until Percy’s latest battle begins. I’ll see you on the tour, campers . . . or in the tunnels of the Labyrinth. Happy reading!
Friday, May 02, 2008
The First Kid's Review -- Demigod of the Week
There's a story behind this . . .
A month ago I was at the children's book fair in Bologna, and my agent Nancy introduced me to a friend of hers, Frances, who is a literary agent from New Zealand. We talked for a while, and it turns out that Frances's nine-year-old grandson Scott is a huge Percy Jackson fan. It also so happened that Nancy had one copy of Battle of the Labyrinth, which she'd been jealously guarding and showing to people during her meetings. It was toward the end of the conference, and Nancy said, "How would Scott like a copy?" Frances's eyes got big, and she said that would be the coolest thing ever. Now, I know, a lot of you are screaming, "No fair!" And you're totally right. But I liked the idea of the book going halfway around the world and making Scott's day, even though I've never met him. So Scott got the first-ever signed copy of Battle of the Labyrinth in the world. Of course, to be accurate, my sons read the book first. They always do. But Scott was the first kid outside my family to get a copy.
Some of you may know that when I sign a copy, I usually draw a symbol below my signature (if I have time) -- a lightning bolt for book one, a Cyclops eye for book two, the bow of Artemis for book three. I'm no artist, but you can see the symbol I've chosen for book four -- a maze.
Yesterday, Scott sent me his review of the book, and so here it is below. (No spoilers, so don't worry!) It seems fitting to me that the first review for the book be a kid's opinion, before all the adults start weighing in, so Scott from New Zealand is our demigod of the week!
Percy Jackson & The Battle of the Labyrinth
reviewed by Scott, age 9, first ever reader
I was incredibly surprised when I got the first signed copy of Percy Jackson & The Battle of the Labyrinth in the world! I knew there was a fourth book coming out, but I never thought I would get it before it was released! Dad and I had checked out the trailer on Youtube, and when my Granny arrived home from Italy (where she had met Rick Riordan), I told her the fourth copy was coming out in May. I was in awe when she pulled the book out of her handbag! She told me it had been signed by the author and was the first signed copy in the world.
I had to read it straight away and finished it the next day. I have read it twice now.
I've always been interested in Greek mythology and when I discovered the Percy Jackson series, I thought the idea of monsters living invisibly amongst mortals was a great one.
My favourite part about this book is the surprises in the ending. If the next book starts where this one ends, it will be the most exciting of all the books.
Thank you, Rick Riordan, your books are as good as, and sometimes better than J.K. Rowling's!
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