London Calling

Greetings from the Waldorf Hotel in London. It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon in England, which means it’s bound to rain soon, but that’s okay! I’m glad to be here and looking forward to my tour. Most of my events are private appearances at schools, not open to the public, but tomorrow (Halloween in the US) I’ll be appearing at the Wessex Book Festival in Winchester. I understand my event is sold out, but if you can’t join us in person I’ll let you know how it goes.

On Tuesday, I’ll be doing a live webcast from Puffin HQ. It’s not too late to join us online wherever you might be in the world: http://www.rickriordanvirtuallylive.co.uk/

After a week of media interviews and schools, I’ll be doing two public book signings for Waterstones on Saturday, November 6. I’ll be at their Bluewater West location at noon and Bromley at 3 PM. Feel free to join me in you’re in the area!

On my way over I decided to watch the BBC’s premiere episode of Sherlock, an updated 21^st Century take on Holmes and Watson. It’s amazing. I was thinking as I watched, “Wow, this is like Doctor Who meets Sherlock Holmes,” only to find out the screenplay was written by Steven Moffat of Doctor Who fame. Both main actors are fabulous. Benedict Cumberpatch (seriously, is it humanly possible to have a more British-sounding name?) plays Holmes as a mix between David Tennant’s Doctor Who and Hugh Laurie’s Dr. House, which is a good thing.

I’m also doing my final research reading for The Son of Neptune, but of course I can’t say much about that. I’ll have to wait to dive into the writing until I get back to the US, which is why I don't do as much traveling anymore! Never fear, the book should be ready on time October of 2011. Meanwhile, Kane Chronicles 2 is done and will be out this coming May. We’ll announce the title and cover most likely in January.

I’ll keep you posted during the week as I tour England. Happy reading!

Best Tour Picture Ever?

One last tour picture I had to share -- look at that crowd! Thanks again to everyone who came to an event over the past two weeks. Thanks to you, The Lost Hero debuted at #1 on every major bestseller list and continues to dominate! And now, as I promised, I'm back to writing . . .

Lost Hero Wrap-up

The US tour for The Lost Hero has officially ended! Our last event was at my hometown Barnes & Noble in San Antonio yesterday evening. Over four thousand people showed up, as you can see above. As usual, my friend Caren Creech and the rest of the staff had things well under control and the signing went very smoothly. Thanks to everyone who came to an event and waited so patiently to get books signed. It was wonderful to meet all of you and hear your feedback. There was a lot of excitement about both series, Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus. Don't worry. I'm working hard on both!

Now I have a week to recuperate and finish some writing before heading to the UK. Most of the events over there will be visits to schools, but there are a few signings open to the public. Check my web calendar for details. Hopefully my hand heals up by then. I was doing okay until day 11 or 12 of the tour, but after signing tens of thousands of books, in the words of John Lennon, "I got blisters on me fingers!"

Writing from San Francisco

I’m at the Hotel Monaco in downtown San Francisco today, getting ready for the final stretch of my U.S. tour. We had a fantastic event with Copperfield’s Books in Petaluma last night, filling the Veteran’s Hall to standing room only with a crowd of over 600. It’s always a pleasure to be back in the Bay Area, where Becky and I lived during the 90’s. Our media escort David suggested I could take a nap as we drove to the event, but I didn’t want to miss the view! Good to see the Golden Gate, Marin, and the eucalyptus trees and golden hills of the North Bay. I didn’t even mind the traffic so much.

Tonight I’ll be heading down to San Jose for an off-site event with Hicklebee’s. The event is sold out, but if you need a signed book, there’s probably still time to call and get a pre-order. Tomorrow, hooray, I fly back home to San Antonio and do my final event at my hometown Barnes & Noble La Cantera. They are expected a crowd of 4000-5000 people, but the staff is amazingly good at handling such large numbers. It should go very smoothly, as always.

In other news, The Lost Hero is dominating the bestseller lists. It is #1 in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today and IndieBound (the last three lists are for all books, not just children’s books). It’s also #1 in the UK this week. But if the book is #1, that’s only because my readers are #1! I’m so glad you all are enjoying the start of the new series, and thanks for reading.

As I’m traveling, I’m doing the final editing to Kane Chronicles #2. It will be out in May. We’ll most likely announce the title and the cover in January. Stay tuned for more. When I get back home, I’ll start work on Son of Neptune, the second Heroes of Olympus series, which should be out on schedule Oct. 2011. Many of you have asked if there’s anyway it can come out early. Well . . . no. I kind of have to write it first. Details, details.

Hope to see some of you at my last two events, either in San Jose or San Antonio. Happy reading, all!

The Lost Hero Tour, Part Deux

The second week of my tour begins! It’s hard to believe The Lost Hero has already been out for seven days. I’m so glad to hear all the positive feedback from the kids. I’m glad you guys are enjoying it!

Sunday I was in Phoenix for an event with Changing Hands Bookstore. We had a sell-out crowd of about 1100 in a high school auditorium and it was lots of fun. My favorite question from the audience: If the mythology is Greek in Lost Hero, why did you use Roman numbers for the chapters? Excellent observation. My answer: The Romans are coming to town . . . I know people miss the funny chapter titles. Sorry about that, but Heroes of Olympus will use alternating third-person narrators, so I thought it would be less confusing if I just used character names for titles this time around. I’ll try to keep the funny in the stories, though – no worries there.

During the signing, the audience got to watch Looney Tunes while they waited. I was jealous! Once again I saw a ton of great homemade T-shirts and other costumes. Two girls even came dressed as Leo Valdez with toolbelts – that was cool! During the trip, I also found out that Phoenix has a mountain called Mummy Mountain. Now why didn’t I realize that when I was writing The Red Pyramid? I think the Kanes may need to make another trip to Phoenix just so I can use that name. Several people asked me if I would move to Phoenix – talk about a warm welcome! While I love visiting and think the desert is beautiful, San Antonio is home for me. We’ve been settled into Zeus House for less than a year, and I think we’re going to spend at least the kids’ school years enjoying the space.

Yesterday, we flew to Salt Lake City for an event with King’s English Bookstore. It was my first event here. A gorgeous, clean city with great views, and what an enthusiastic group of booksellers. I’m not used to booksellers running up to me and yelling, “I love you!” But I was happy to be there! We had a crowd of 700-800 folks. My favorite question: Do you write better in the limelight or out of it? That one really made me think. I guess I try not to think about limelight while I’m writing. It’s just me in my office trying to come up with a good story, and when I imagine my audience, I’m just thinking of my sons and hoping they like the book. But of course I’m very conscious of all those other kids out there waiting for the next installment. That’s why I was so adamant about trying to speed my writing process and make two books a year rather than one. Favorite costume: a girl had made a Camp Half-Blood necklace with a tie-dyed necklace for the Party Ponies. That must’ve been a great summer! I also loved the picture of Piper McLean that I signed for one young artist, and the travel brochure for Percy’s world that another student had. As a teacher, I’d give it an A! I got lots of questions about Kane Chronicles 2, and don't worry. It's coming out in May.

Today I’m off to Portland, another one of my favorite cities. Though I’ve been there before, I’ve never done an event with Powell’s, which seems incredible since it’s such an institution. I look forward to the signing!

Above you can see some photos from the first leg of the photo. Hope you enjoy! You have to especially love the giant bronze Pegasus in Latimer Square, Denver. That has to go into a book, don’t you think? Photos of the BookPeople event are courtesy of Getty Image, all rights reserved.

From KC to PHX

Greetings from Scottsdale, Arizona! From my hotel, I can see Camelback Mountain, where Set built his infamous red pyramid. Thankfully Carter and Sadie Kane took care of that problem, so the city is now safe for my event tonight with Changing Hands Bookstore.

On Friday I arrived in Kansas City, my first visit there. I didn’t get to sample the barbecue, but I did find KC to be a hip little city with lots of cool shops, nice people, and pretty neighborhoods. Our event was sold out with about 1300 people. We had a fabulous time. I loved all the homemade T-shirts and the stories and pictures kids were giving me. Some of the questions:

Q. What’s your favorite book that you wrote?

A. Usually the most recent one. This is a hard question. It’s like asking a parent who’s your favorite child.

Q. Will the worlds of Kane Chronicles and Heroes of Olympus ever mix?

A. They exist side by side, but I think it’s already confusing enough to keep the mythologies straight without mixing them together! Maybe someday in the very distance future, but not soon.

Q. How do you name your characters?

A. I simply pick names I like. Sometimes they are from former students, more often they are just cool names. I also can’t have too many names that start with the same letter. Since I already have a Percy and a Piper, for instance, I can’t have a Paul and a Pedro.

Q. What’s your favorite thing about writing a book?

A. Finishing!

On Saturday morning we had a Hades of a time trying to leave because of the Kansas City marathon, but fortunately our cab driver was Apollo in disguise and managed to take some unorthodox shortcuts. We made our flight to Denver, where we did an event on the opposite side of creation, i.e. Highlands Ranch Tattered Cover. We had a great lunch at the Old Blinking Light (the enchiladas are highly recommended) then headed to the bookstore.

I told the crowd that the first time I’d visited that store for The Lightning Thief, ten people showed up. Yesterday, we had over 500. Everybody was great. I signed a ton of Camp Half-Blood T-shirts, some casts, and even one bow for a young Artemis. I think that was a first. The crowd ranged from seven-year-olds to high schoolers, college kids to teachers and librarians. As always, the mix was almost exactly half-and-half boys and girls. My editor Stephanie joined us for the event and afterwards we got to explore Latimer Square in downtown Denver. It was a pleasant afternoon for walking around, and a chance to catch my breath before heading back to the airport and flying to Phoenix. Phew!

Today, I get to relax a little and catch up on my writing before tonight’s event. As far as I know, tickets are still available for this one, so if you’re in the Mesa/Phoenix area, come on by!

Tomorrow, I’m off to my first-ever event in Salt Lake City. Thanks to my readers for all the great and super-positive feedback about The Lost Hero. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hear your pleas for the Son of Neptune, but I kinda gotta write it first, guys! And don't get mad because I'm working on the Kane Chronicles too. For one thing, the second Kane is already done, and for another thing, if I wasn't writing Kane, Son of Neptune would still come out in a year. I'd just take longer writing it! Besides, I know a lot of you are just as anxious for Kane 2, because you've been telling me so on the road. I'm having a great time switching back and forth between those worlds. We do have a title for Kane 2, but it is secret for now. Look for the title and cover to be revealed in January! That's all for now . . . keep reading and see you on the road.

Saint Louis Rocks Again

Greetings from beautiful Saint Louis. I’m writing from the Four Seasons Hotel, looking out my window at the sun rising over the Mississippi. The Arch where Percy Jackson battled the Chimera is just to my right. Is that a falling demigod I see? Oh, no . . . just a pigeon.

Last night I did an event for the Saint Louis County Library, and they certainly know how to throw a party. This event was even bigger than my last one in St. Louis, which was the largest book event in city history. Despite the massive crowd, the signing moved along quickly, and everyone was polite, patient and happy to be there. Thanks to the volunteers and staff, and special thanks to Ridley Pearson for introducing me and helping with the Q&A. Ask any Disney author: Ridley is our favorite person. He’s always got our backs. He even wrote me my own acrostic, which is a first for me!

Some of my favorite questions from the event: Why do you keep beating up St. Louis in your books? Answer: I only destroy places I really respect. My family had a wonderful trip to St. Louis just before I wrote the Lightning Thief, which is why I put it in the book, and the Arch was such an icon I knew I had to blast a hole in it (fictionally speaking, of course). Question: What’s next for 39 Clues? I love that series! Answer: Funny you should ask. Scholastic just announced a follow-up series. I will write one section in the first book, Vespers Rising, which comes out April 5. You can read full details here.

If you’re interested in seeing the craziness from the BookPeople launch party, check out their photo album. Amazing stuff!

Now I’m off to Kansas City, where I understand the event is again sold out. I’ve never been to KC before. Look forward to meeting you guys!

The Tour Begins!

I’m writing from the Hotel Derek in Houston after the first two days of The Lost Hero tour. What a great start it’s been!

Tuesday was launch day. I was reminded how fast kids can read when I got up in the morning to discover some readers had already finished the book, which is the longest I’ve ever written. And here I was feeling all proud for producing two books a year, which is twice as fast as I usually write. My readers are like, “Burp! Great. Where’s the next one?” Ahhhhh! But of course, what a fantastic problem to have.

Before hitting the road, I stopped by my local independent bookstore The Twig and signed stock, so if you want to order a signed book, feel free to contact them. They are happy to ship orders. (I’ve always got to support my hometown store, right?) Most of the stores where I’m doing events will also have signed stock left after I visit.

Tuesday afternoon I drove to Austin for the launch party at BookPeople. Honestly, I’m running out of adjectives to describe how over-the-top amazing their events are. We had costumed Roman legionnaires, satyrs, goddesses, Mr. D himself, and even a walking tree that stole the show. I’ll post some pictures and video as soon as I can, but seriously, you had to see this guy to believe it.

The event was also a live simulcast on the web, and I understand we had over 10,000 people tune in from all over the US, Canada, the UK, China, and Brazil – just to name a few countries that participated. Disney will be posting the video soon, and I’ll share a link as soon as I have it. Some of the questions: Will there be a butt-kicking hero like Annabeth in the new series? Answer: Jason is no slouch with the sword. Piper is not really a fighter, but she has a demigod ability that is possibly the coolest power ever. You’ll see what I mean. Question: Who do you like writing about better, Percy or Jason? Well, it’s not really fair to say yet, since I’ve written about Percy for five books and Jason for only one. Of course, everyone is more familiar with Percy, including me, but Jason is an awesome hero too. The real question: What happens when and if these two meet? Hmm . . .

We had a crowd of thousands, with folks driving in from as far as Little Rock and Louisiana. I also got to meet Stanford from Louisville, Kentucky, who won the Red Pyramid contest last summer and got a trip to attend the party. What a great kid, and if he could figure out those on-line puzzles, he’s a lot smarter than me!

Thanks as always to Topher Bradfield and the entire crew at BookPeople for a fabulous event. They manage to top themselves each and every time! We also announced the Seven Demigod sweepstakes at the event, which will send seven lucky kids to an exclusive session of Camp Half-Blood next summer. Check out the details, rules and regulations on the Heroes of Olympus site.

Yesterday I got to sleep at home one night in San Antonio before flying to Houston, where I did an event for the always incredible Blue Willow Bookstore. We used an athletic center near the store, and I understand this was their first event in that space. Ironic that the first event in an athletic center is a book signing, but hey, why not. The director of the center joked that the IQ of the place went up tenfold during the signing. (Their joke, not mine!) I got to run down the tunnel onto the court, so I felt like I should be wearing a numbered jersey. The crowd of about 800 people was really enthusiastic. I especially liked all the homemade T-shirts, including “My Other Car is a Centaur,” which seems to be the popular slogan for this tour! Favorite questions: Who is the most complex character I’ve ever written? I think it would be either Sadie Kane from Red Pyramid or Leo Valdez from Lost Hero, though they are all complex in their own ways. Question: Which character is the most fun to write about? Answer: I normally say Tyson and Grover, but now I have a new favorite: Gleeson Hedge from Lost Hero. He is a riot.

Thanks to Blue Willow and all the teachers and librarians who brought their kids to the event. Always a pleasure to visit Houston. Now I’m off to St. Louis for a library-sponsored event tonight. I understand the last event I did in St. Louis was the largest book-related event ever in the city at 1700 people, and this event will be even bigger. It’s sold out. Yikes! Don’t worry, guys. I’m happy to stay until everybody gets their books signed.

Looking ahead, I hear that my events in San Jose and Pasadena are also sold out. Wow! For other stops on my tour, you can check my web calendar. Hope to see you all on the road!

The Wait is Over

The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero arrives in stores today! I'm off to BookPeople in Austin for the launch party tonight. If you can't join us in person, I hope you'll tune in to the simulcast on-line.

I'll keep you updated from the road as I go off on my book tour. In the meantime, check out the newly revised Rick Riordan website. Hope you enjoy The Lost Hero!

One Week until The Lost Hero

A week from today, the wait is over and The Lost Hero will be released! I can't wait to share the story with you all. You will get answers to many questions you've been asking since The Last Olympian ended, and meet a new cast of demigods who are some of my favorite characters ever.

All tour details are now posted on my web calendar. If you haven't yet, be sure to check out the Heroes of Olympus website for more information, pictures, videos, sneak peek chapters and much more! You can also find out how to join us for the live simulcast from Camp Half-Blood next Tuesday, on the day of the book release.

I hope to see you on the book tour!