More Red Pyramid News

The tour may be over, but The Red Pyramid keeps going strong! I just learned that it is #1 on the New York Times children's hardcover bestseller list for the second week in a row, and Percy Jackson & the Olympians is also #1 on the series list again.

In other news this week, if you missed my radio interview on NPR's Weekend Edition, be sure to check it out!

My hometown paper, the San Antonio Express-News, also ran a cool article on Sunday -- a conversation between Ellen Riojas Clark and her two granddaughters, who had recently visited Egypt and were comparing their experiences to the information in the Red Pyramid.

Finally, you can catch my television interview in Toronto on Canada-AM here. It was short but a lot of fun talking with the kids.

Back to writing! Hope to see some of you at the 39 Clues event in Long Island next Monday.

And that's a Wrap!

The Red Pyramid tour has officially come to a close! Thanks to everyone who came out to an event, and to the many of you who are reading the Kane Chronicles. The response from fans has been so positive -- always a relief when I've taken a chance and tried something new. So many times in the last week I've heard, "When is the next Kane book?" That's the best feedback I could ask for!

On Thursday night I had an event at Barnes & Noble Southlake, in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. The store had made 1000 bracelets for the signing, which I'm told sold out in four hours. We also had several hundred more people who showed up and waited in line. Because of the massive turnout, we started the signing early and were able to get through about 1200 folks. Thanks to you all for being so patient. The local TV news came out to a short interview, and two old friends came to say hello: Ken Buley, former drummer in my college rock band (long story) who is now an MD, and Margaret Floyd, my English teacher friend formerly of Saint Mary's Hall, and one of the earliest readers of Percy Jackson. In fact, Margaret is thanked in the acknowledgements of Lightning Thief. I remember after she read the manuscript, back in 2004, she came to my classroom and said, "This is it, Rick. This is your breakout book." I was skeptical at the time, but she was right! Great to see my friends at the signing, and thanks to all the fans who left notes and drawings from me. After the event, a car service drove me back home to San Antonio -- hooray. I got in at 1:30 AM, but it was worth it to be home.

Friday, the rain messed up our plans for a parking lot party at BookPeople in Austin, but we still had a great time inside. As usual, the staff had done an amazing job. They made an Egyptian temple on the second floor, and had magic dueling, face painting, and hieroglyph activities for the kids. Not sure how many folks came through, but it was well over 800. Thanks as always to BookPeople for an event not-to-be-missed.

And finally, yesterday, my homecoming event at La Cantera Barnes & Noble in S.A. marked the end of the tour. You can see the mass of humanity in the photos above. You can't see it very well, but my signing table was guarded by Khufu the baboon, complete with his basketball clothes and a bag of Doritos. LOL! Thanks to my friend Caren Creech, the goddess of CRMs (community relations managers) who as usual brought Ma'at (order) out of chaos and made everything go smoothly. I'm told the staff stopped counting people at 4400. Holy Smokes! I will admit my signing hand finally started going out on me about halfway through the line, after two weeks of events, so I'm glad I can now give it a rest. When the pen starts falling out of your hand because you're too weak to hold it anymore, it's time for a break! Thanks to all the teachers, librarians and kids who came out, and so many parents and grandparents who stood in line for hours for kids who couldn't be there. That is devotion, folks!

Now I'll enjoy a quiet week at home, and it's back to work on Kane Chronicles, book 2. My travels aren't quite done, however. I'll be in New York the week of May 24 for Book Expo, and will doing a 39 Clues event at Huntington Station Barnes & Noble on Long Island on May 24 with my fellow Cahill operatives Gordon Korman, Peter Lerangis and Jude Watson. So if you didn't get to attend my earlier event in the New York area, you are welcome to come by!

This summer will be spent writing Kane Chronicles 2 (which will be published spring 2011) but very soon, we will begin gearing up for a fall tour for The Heroes of Olympus. The Lost Hero, published Oct. 12, will return you to the world of Camp Half-Blood with a new cast of characters, and of course an update on the gang from the PJO series as well. More information on that will be revealed soon, so stay tuned.

Texas Bound

I'm excited to be heading back to Texas today for the last leg of the tour!

On Wednesday I was in Chicago for a signing with Anderson's Books in Downers Grove. The event was in the Tivoli Theater, which I'm told was the second theater in the US to show talking motion pictures. The old theater was beautiful restored by a family who lived upstairs, and it is quite a showplace. 800+ people showed up. We had a guy playing the organ on stage to warm up the crowd. The organ even sank below the stage when he finished. Phantom of the Opera, anyone? Popcorn was available, which brought me back to my days as a teen, volunteering at the local melodrama theater, though fortunately no one threw any popcorn at me or booed. After my talk, the theater showed Abbott & Costello Meets the Mummy while I signed books in the lobby. One girl was so in awe of the theater she said, "I think Annabeth could've designed this place." I agree! Thanks to Kathleen and the rest of the Anderson's staff for a great event.

Now I'm writing from Louisville, where we had a packed event last night at Books A Million. It was my first ever event at a BAM store, and my first visit to Kentucky. We had about 500 folks show up, and as usual, everyone was super polite and patient. I was told some of the kids (who'd had a bit of sugar) were so excited they were literally bouncing up and down for half an hour before meeting me in the signing line. Hope I was worth the wait! Most interesting moment, a daughter of Hades in a Camp Half-Blood t-shirt and a pair of glasses made from pipe cleaners handed me a clothespin and said, "Happy Birthday." Well, sure . . . why not. Those Hades kids have a quirky sense of humor. As for the city itself, Louisville is lush and green, and looks like a fun place to explore. Sorry I won't be here longer.

On the way to the signing last night I got good news from my publicist. The Red Pyramid has debuted at #1 on the New York Times children's list -- thanks to all you readers! -- and Percy Jackson has returned to #1 on the children's series list. Double number ones? I'll take it. Add to that The 39 Clues, which is holding strong on the series list at #5, and I'm well represented! I also did an interview for NPR while in town. It should air on Weekend Edition this weekend.

Now I'm off to Dallas for a signing at the Southlake Barnes & Noble. It's my first appearance in the DFW area in several years, and I'm so glad to be coming back! The Dallas Morning News ran a nice interview with me today. The columnist I spoke with is Tyra Damm, so if you want to check out the Damm article, please do! (Sorry, Percy fans. You know I couldn't resist.)

After the Dallas event, a car is driving me straight home to San Antonio -- a long way, I know, but after being on the road for two weeks, I'd much rather sleep in my own bed at 2:30AM than in another hotel at 10PM. Friday, I'll be at the ever-wonderful BookPeople in Austin, then on Saturday's Barnes & Noble La Cantera in San Antonio. Then I'm done -- phew!

Hope to see some of you Texas magicians and demigods at the events, and thanks to everyone who's made it a great tour. I'm glad you're enjoying the Red Pyramid!

Update from the Road, part 2

At the Toronto airport, getting ready to leave for Minneapolis. The past few days have been so much fun.

On Friday I arrived in Atlanta for a signing with Little Shop of Stories. Beforehand, I got to participate in a tour of the Carlos Museum with ten lucky kids who won a drawing from the store. The museum has a small but quality collection of Greek, Roman and Egyptian art. I helped with the tour to some extent, but I learned a lot, too! Among other things: The fly was a symbol of warriors, because of its tenacity, and pictures of Anubis always show him with one hand on the scales, tipping the balance in the favor of the deceased -- an example of wishful thinking in art! Thanks to Vicky Shecter, author of Alexander the Great Rocks the World, who did a super job leading us through the galleries. On an interesting personal note, it turns out the Carlos Museum got many of their Egyptian pieces from the Niagara Falls Museum, where my wife used to go as a child growing up in Rochester, so I got to see the collection that first got her interested in Egypt. Cool!

The book signing itself was in a church on the campus of Emory University -- a beautiful setting. We had around 1200 people, I understand, but the signing line went fast thanks to the efficient staff and patient families. I got to meet a lot of campers from Camp Half-Blood Decatur, and hear about Little Shop of Stories' plans for Camp Kane this summer. I can see why the camps have already sold out. They sound fantastic.

Saturday I did a signing at Borders in Marieta, just north of Atlanta, and again we had a huge crowd, but everyone was patient and just happy to be there. I collected a ton of fun stuff from fans -- school reports, pictures, letters, even some blue candy! I love hearing from parents that my books got their kids reading. That never gets old. Our media escort Esther (patron goddess of authors visiting Atlanta) took us to a great little barn/garden/restaurant in a beautiful residential area north of the city, where we ate fried green tomatoes, naturally, and other Southern delicacies.

Saturday night I arrived in Toronto, Canada -- the first time I'd ever visited the city except for one time just driving through many years ago. It was cold and snowing just lightly, which seemed bizarre in May, even for Toronto. The natives assured me this was not normal weather for this time of year.

Sunday morning I got to visit two great independent children's bookstores, Mabel's Fables and The Flying Dragon. I spoke with a small group of kids at each location and signed a ton of books. The kids' questions were great, as usual. Many of them asked if I'd ever take on Norse mythology. Believe me, I've been pondering that for years, and someday I'd love to, but for now, Greece and Egypt are keeping me too busy! Driving through Toronto I could appreciate how many beautiful neighborhoods the city has, though the cold would definitely be a drawback for this Texas boy.

By afternoon, the weather had turned mild and sunny for my Mother's Day signing at Indigo in Yorkdale. I'm not sure how many people we had -- hundreds and hundreds -- but the store was packed and the signing line took about two hours. Special thanks to Jarrett and his family, drove who 6 1/2 hours from Thunder Bay as a birthday celebration. I was told Jarrett had a choice between a new bike and a trip to the event in Toronto, and he chose the trip. What an honor! We made sure he got some signed posters along with his signed Red Pyramid. I hope he had a safe trip home. I also got to meet many teachers and librarians who had been sharing the books with their students. It was a warm welcome indeed.

This morning I taped an interview with six local grade 5 students and the anchor of Canada-AM, which I'm told will air on CTV tomorrow. I also did a couple of media interviews and signed enough stock at the H.B. Fenn distributors to build a small fort.

Now it's off to Minneapolis for an event tonight in Wayzata. Looking forward to the week, as I head through Chicago, Louisville, and eventually back to Texas for events in Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. Thanks to everyone who's come out to the book signings. It has been so fun meeting the young readers and hearing their stories. And so many ask, "When is the next Kane Chronicles book?" So I guess I did okay with Red Pyramid! More news later in the week. Happy reading.

Another Mother's Day on the Road

I'm writing from Toronto, where I'll be speaking at Indigo in Yorkdale this afternoon. This marks the fifth year that I've been on the road for a book tour on Mother's Day, and every year, I reflect how lucky I am to have my own mom, and my wonderful wife Becky -- and I wish I could be home. But in lieu of that, I celebrate them from afar. I was looking back at my previous Mother's Day posts, and decided that the following one, first posted in 2007, pretty much says it all. A lot has changed in our lives since then, when The Titan's Curse had only just come out, but the essentials haven't changed.

During my visit to the Sidwell Friends School in D.C. this week, a girl in the front row made a very perceptive comment: "Sadie relates to Carter the same way Annabeth relates to Percy. The girl is always pulling the guy back down to earth. Is that intentional?" My answer: I have a lot of strong women in my life, who are always grounding me and helping me find my center. Without them, I would certainly fly off course. So it's probably no wonder that my female characters always represent the voice of reason. (Although Sadie might balk at being called the voice of reason.)

At any rate, here is my Mother's Day post from 2007. I wouldn't change a word:

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, 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.

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.

Update from the Road

At the D.C. Fairmont, getting ready to leave for Atlanta. The tour so far has been great!

Favorite moments: the kids who made 'What Would Percy Do?' T-shirts. (Answer: If it moves, kill it), the party atmosphere at Politics & Prose's parking lot party (the food helped a lot, and the Good Humor man couldn't believe his luck to find a built-in audience of 1000 kids), and the countless wonderful costumes, artwork, letters and stories that kids give me during the signing.

Favorite questions: "Would you have read your own books as a child?" I hope so, but I was a picky reader, like my sons! "What question haven't you been asked that you want me to ask?" That, in itself, is a great question. "You must really like mythology, huh?" What gave me away?

Thanks to the great bookstore staff who had all the events so well organized. Bank Street Books had things humming along at Symphony Space. Special thanks to Colum McCann and his children, who came backstage to say hi. Colum's book 'Let the Great World Spin' has been high on my to-be-read list. Little did I know he'd hand-deliver a signed copy for me! What a fantastic treat. Thanks also to Matthew Cody (author of Powerless) who interviewed me so well and served as master of ceremonies, and Sonia Manzano (Maria from Sesame Street) who performed a reading from Red Pyramid.

The next night, Children's Book World hosted a super event at Haverford College, with special help from Haverford Bookstore which co-sponsored the event and got access to the theater (thanks, Julie!). Hannah and the staff at CBW were awesome, as usual. We had a sold-out crowd of 700+. Funniest moment: someone asked me what I thought of the Lightning Thief movie, I admitted I hadn't seen it, and the crowd burst into spontaneous applause. LOL. Wasn't planning that response. As I told the crowd, it's just that I'm still writing about Percy's world in The Heroes of Olympus series which starts Oct. 12, and I wanted to keep my own vision of the characters and settings intact without having them influenced by the movie interpretation. Anyway, the crowd was very enthusiastic with great questions.

Yesterday, the Politics and Prose event was enormous! Over a thousand people filled the parking lot, which the landlord was kind enough to close for the event (a first for the store, I understand). Food vendors did a brisk business, and the weather was beautiful. After my signing line at National Book Festival was cut-off last fall (not my idea!), I'd promised that this time I'd stay until everyone got a book signed. Four hours later, mission accomplished! Thanks to the store staff and Edie, media escort extraordinaire, for keeping the signing line moving. The audience was just great -- excited, patience, polite -- and I think they know how lucky they are to have a store like Politics and Prose in town!

Now I'm off to Atlanta for my event with Little Shop of Stories. Hope to see some of you on the road!

The Red Pyramid Puzzle

I’m being told that people are in fact making their way through these very difficult puzzles. Some have even gotten past Puzzle #3.

Puzzle #3, like Puzzle #1, is another webcam puzzle (although it looks like you don’t necessarily need the webcam to solve it). But if you do try the webcam and use the book itself, it seems like the audio messages that were found online are very important. They will somehow let you know what pages to turn to. Do you remember this audio sample I found online?


Apparently there are two more versions out there, although I’m not sure they’ve been posted online yet. Has anyone seen these tapes? Here are few more representations of them:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB9CUdrxtAs&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xEHaGdGx0s&feature=related

Good luck! The puzzles are designed to be super hard, but all those who finish will win a chance at the grand prize -- an all-expense paid trip to visit me on tour next fall when The Lost Hero comes out!

Meanwhile, I'm having a great time on tour. Thanks to the sold-out crowds who came to my events in NYC and Philadelphia. Tonight, Politics & Prose parking lot party in D.C. Come join us for some Egyptian magic and mystery!

Happy Egypt Day! Are you ready for the Red Pyramid Puzzle?

The launch day is here for The Red Pyramid, and I have lots of news..

Disney just issued its press release for the book, and announced the Red Pyramid puzzle contest above. All those who complete the puzzle get a chance to win an all-expense-paid trip to meet me on tour next fall, but be warned -- to solve these puzzles, you'll need the wisdom of Thoth and the magic of Isis, not to mention the patience of the Sphinx! Good luck!

Also today, a great review in USA Today, and an interview in the Wall Street Journal. Now I'm off the Disney HQ to sign books. Tonight, Symphony Space! More soon.

Red Pyramid in the News

As we approach the launch of The Red Pyramid tomorrow, some more great media features are crossing the wire. Check out the LA Times review, a Q&A in my hometown paper the San Antonio Express-News, and an interview for Scripps News. Learn more about the Kane Chronicles, and yes, a few tidbits about the upcoming Camp Half-Blood series, The Heroes of Olympus, too.

I just arrived in New York and am on my way to the Brooklyn Museum for a pre-launch media event. Brooklyn is a critical locale in The Red Pyramid -- headquarters of the Kane family and the 21st Nome of the House of Life. You'll understand what I mean when you read the book. The Brooklyn Museum also has one of the largest collections of Egyptian spellbooks in the world. I will try not to summon any monsters by accident...

Tomorrow is the launch day event at Symphony Space in Manhattan. As always, my web calendar has full tour details. I'll update you from the road. Happy reading!

Camp Half-Blood Brooklyn

Calling all demigods! Another branch of Camp Half-Blood is opening up this summer, right in Percy's home territory. Brownstone Books is starting Camp Half-Blood Brooklyn, and from what I've heard, it's going to be awesome. All you East Coast demigods who have been wishing you lived closer to Camp Half-Blood Austin or Atlanta, worry no more!

There's also an Egyptian camp planned, just in time for the start of The Kane Chronicles. Be sure to check out these amazing camp sessions, and thanks to Brownstone Books for hosting them!