The Son of Neptune cover revealed!

I'm so excited! Last night at my Lincoln Center event with James Patterson, we revealed the cover for The Son of Neptune for the first time. You can also read a sneak peek from the book at heroesofolympus.com. I hope you enjoy!

The book will be out October 4. Stay tuned for more information. We'll be holding Olympian Week from Oct. 4-10, seven days of celebrations for the new book across the country. Bookstores or libraries that would like to host an event can visit camphalfblood.com for full details and sweepstakes rules. Even if your town isn't chosen as one of the seven sites, you can still participate. The site will soon have tons of party ideas for hosting your own celebration.

Last night's event at Lincoln Center was so much fun. It was a sold-out crowd of extremely excited kids, parents and teachers. Thanks also to everyone who joined us via webcast. Today I'm heading home to San Antonio where I'll spend the summer writing Kane Chronicles 3. More on that later!

Olympian Week Announced!

Exciting news about The Son of Neptune! Disney-Hyperion Books is holding a contest to pick seven locations around the US -- one for each of the seven Great Prophecy demigods -- that will host a live event with me, October 4-10, for the launch of Son of Neptune. Bookstores or libraries can submit their proposals for the ultimate toga party, and seven winners will be chosen. I have no idea where I will be heading, but I'm sure we'll have seven amazing parties. Could your town be one of the locations? Encourage your local bookseller or librarian to enter!

Full details can be found at camphalfblood.com. Good luck, all!

And check back later in the week. I'll have more fun info to announce on Thursday.

Some Things Never Change!

I ran across this quote today while researching some Ancient Greek writers. I've seen the quote before, but it makes me chuckle every time so I thought I'd share it. How many times have you heard people complaining about the youth of today? Well . . .

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on

frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond

words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and

respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly

disrespectful and impatient of restraint."

-- Hesiod, 8th century BC

In other words, "Kids today!" That's Hesiod above. He does look like the kind of guy to yell, "Get off my lawn!" doesn't he? Every generation seems to think that civilization is doomed because the kids today have no respect, no discipline, no work ethic, et cetera. We've been saying this for at least three thousand years, and yet somehow we've managed to survive as a species. Me? I'm more hopeful than Hesiod. I get to meet a lot of today's youth at book signings, schools, and public events, and if my young readers are any indication, I think the next generation is going to do just fine!

Percy goes to Rome!

Mondadori Publishers in Italy just sent these great photos of a window display for Percy Jackson in Rome. Seems appropriate, given the Roman focus in Heroes of Olympus! The Italians didn't publish the PJO series until recently. This display is for book #3, The Titan's Curse. You can check out the Italian Percy Jackson website, too!

From Massachusetts to New York

The last two days in Massachusetts have been great. We arrived in Northampton for an event with Odyssey Bookshop. Cute town! All kinds of funky shops on Main Street, and we arrived in time for the Pride Parade on Saturday morning, so the crowd in town was buoyant and colorful to say the least. We had a sunny day, and the event was held at the beautiful campus of Mount Holyoke. Not sure how many people we had – hundreds and hundreds – but we definitely filled the auditorium. We had some great costumes in the crowd: Sadies, Zias, Annabeths, and a sprinkling of monsters and gods. Lots of fun! Special thanks to Mo Willems and family, who had me over for dinner afterwards, despite the fact that Mo himself was just back from tour. What a treat to have a home-cooked meal with friends in the middle of a week of travel.

Yesterday we drove into Cape Cod, where I hadn’t been in twenty-five years, since Becky and I were on our honeymoon road trip. Still as beautiful as I remember (Becky and Cape Cod, take your pick!). The Titcomb Bookstore has a tradition of taking a picture of visiting authors in front of a colonial guy’s statue in front of the store. Unfortunately the original colonial dude was recently run over by a car, so I had to take my picture with his wooden stunt double. Oh well, better the statue get run over than the author. Our event at the local high school had over a thousand people, which is pretty incredible for off-season Cape Cod and Mother’s Day! The local kids did some fabulous hieroglyphic artwork to decorate the stage and presented me with a lightning bolt award – the first ever ‘Sandwich Children’s Choice Award.’ (Sandwich being the town, not the meal.) We had more terrific costumes in the crowd, including Cleopatra and a satyr with horns and beard. Everyone was so nice and welcoming.

Some of my favorite questions:

Q: How many times did you . . . um . . . print this book?

A: Well, I think the first printing for Throne of Fire was about 1.5 million.

Q: No, I mean . . . um . . . how many times did you revise it?

A: Oh! Yes, the answer is about the same.

Q: Would you make the next book thicker, please?

A: I don’t want to make them much longer than they already are. I didn’t really plan it, but Lost Hero and Red Pyramid were over 500 pages, and that’s about the outer limit of what I want to write, since I don’t want the story to drag. Also, if I made them any longer, you’d have to wait longer for me to finish them, and I don’t think you want that!

Q: Would you ever do something on Norse mythology?

A: This is definitely the question du jour because of the Thor film. Believe me, I’ve had ideas for a Norse series for many years, long before the film came out. The problem is finding the time to write it. Maybe once I’ve finished the two series I’ve got going, I can turn to that, but right now my hands are full. Haven’t seen the Thor movie yet, as I’ve been on tour, but I plan to. I grew up on the Thor comics. Like the film, the comics take some pretty huge liberties with the Norse myths, but they’re still fun.

Today we’re off to Rhinebeck, New York, for a sold-out event with Oblong Books. I think there is still standing room available, however, so if you want to join the signing line and you live in the area, please come by!

And it bears repeating I don’t make the tour! I just go where the publisher sends me. It’s been wonderful visiting so many great places I’ve never been, but sadly the tour has to be short so I can get back to writing. I appreciate all the invitations and pleas to visit your town, state or country. But with a book coming out every six months, I can’t do much traveling. The most important thing right now is to get the books finished so you guys don’t have to wait! Thanks for all the great feedback on Throne of Fire, too. I’m so glad you’re enjoying it!

Two Days in Vermont

Just arrived in Massachusetts after two days in the mountains of Vermont. I'd never been to the state before. What a beautiful place.

Yesterday I had an event with Northshire Bookstore, which is an amazing shop. My favorite part was the inscription "Nothing is Written in Stone," which is written in stone on the walkway to the front door. Over five hundred people showed up at the local school auditorium. I had a great time talking with the kids and signing their books. I stayed at the Equinox Hotel in Manchester Village, and I can highly recommend it if you are in the area. The tavern serves some mean fish and chips, and apparently Teddy Roosevelt spent some time at the hotel.

Today, I had a rare free morning, so I arranged a falconry lesson with the British School of Falconry which is near the hotel. It seemed appropriate, as I write about Horus the falcon god, and I can honestly say I got some great new insights on these beautiful birds. I envy Carter Kane, being able to turn into one! My guide and falconer, Jay, took me through the barn and introduced me to the birds -- mostly Harris hawks, but also a beautiful eagle named Elsie, pictured above on the floor of her cage.

First we took out a small male hawk named Harris. That's him above on Jay's glove, and then me with Harris in front of the white building. I learned how to let the hawk perch on my glove, cast him off, and call him back. They work for tiny slivers of steak, or lures made from chicken wings, which they love to tear up. I found out that several English terms come from falconry. You use 'bait and switch' to trade the bird's prey for a reward. 'Hoodwinked' comes from a failed attempt to pull the falcon's hood over its head. 'Under your thumb' refers to keeping the jess (the falcon's leash) secured under your thumb so the bird doesn't fly away. An 'old codger' is a man too old to hunt, who looks after the 'cadge' on which the falcons are transported -- thus a 'cadger.' And of course, Jay and I discussed how falconry was the sport of kings going back thousands of years, and how the bird was revered in Ancient Egypt.

After learning the basics we headed to Hildene, which is an estate founded by Abraham Lincoln's son. We took two falcons into the woods -- Haggis and Wallis -- and let them follow us around. They hopped from tree to tree, looking for prey. They did try to catch a gray squirrel, but fortunately for the squirrel, it got away. Do feel sorry for the birds, though. They had a great time and had plenty of meat slivers as rewards. It was an extremely cool experience, and if you ever have the chance to do it, I highly recommend it.

After my time in the wild, we drove to Brattleboro for an event with the Book Cellar. The building that houses the store recently burned down, which has been a huge loss for the community, but I was glad that the event was able to go forward, and it was great to see the town come out to support the booksellers. Now we're in Northampton, MA, where we'll be doing an event with the Odyssey Bookshop tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!

In other news, The Red Pyramid has now been on the New York Times bestseller list for fifty-two consecutive weeks -- a full year. Percy and The Lost Hero are also riding high. Thanks, readers!

Thank you, Mainers!

I had a great time in South Portland last night. Thanks to the 2000 people who showed up at Borders, despite the cold rainy weather. A special shout-out to my wife’s Aunt Donna and our cousin Bradley who made the drive to see me. They live in Maine and we don’t get to see them much, but it was great to catch up, albeit briefly. Thanks also to the local elementary schools, who made a life-sized Percy Jackson display for the store. Borders had arranged face-painting, a hieroglyph hunt and other cool activities, so there was plenty to do.

Everyone was so polite and enthusiastic, despite the long signing line. I met several ‘Sadie Kanes’ with combat boots and highlighted streaks in their hair. One even had her own boomerang wand, and was accompanied by Thalia Grace, with aegis shield and a sword. Awesome!

Favorite comment of the night: I signed a book for a young girl who looked down at the inscription with absolute disgust. “What is that?” she demanded. I replied, “Er, that’s my signature.” I almost thought she was going to demand I erase it, or shout, “How dare you defile my book!” She accepted the explanation, but still looked pretty repulsed. Yes, my signature is not very pretty. Oh, well. Guess I’ll have to work on that.

Some of the many good questions:

Q: Will I ever do a Norse mythology series?

A: I’d love to, but with Kane and Heroes, I’ve got my hands full at the moment. It will be several years before I could even start on something like that.

Q: Would I ever do a crossover series with Kane and Percy’s world?

A: I don’t know. It’s an interesting idea, but for now I think it’s best to keep the worlds separate to avoid utter confusion. Again, so many ideas, but each one takes a long time to write!

Q: Do I do school visits?

A: Sadly, not anymore. I did hundreds and hundreds while Percy was being published, but now there just isn’t enough time in the calendar year to meet my deadlines and travel that much. Sorry about that! Has anyone perfected author cloning yet?

Q: Favorite character?

A: Bes from the Kane Chronicles, Tyson from the Percy series, and Leo from Heroes of Olympus -- so far. The answer is always changing.

Q: Do you like Greek mythology?

A: What gave me away?

Q: Why did you set a scene at Bar Harbor, Maine in the Titan’s Curse?

A: I had totally forgotten that! My wife and I had been through Maine only once before, twenty-five years ago on our Honeymoon, and we stayed overnight at Bar Harbor. I always remembered it, and decided to set a scene there.

Today, we’re off to Vermont for an event in Manchester Village with Northshire Bookstore. If you live in the area, I hope to see you there!

Princeton Launch Party

Thanks to everyone who came to the Throne of Fire launch event in Princeton last night. We had over a thousand people. The Barnes & Noble staff had everything so well organized the line went smoothly and I think everyone went home happy. It was great meeting so many awesome fans!

Above is a picture of the super-cool bookmarks Disney has made for Throne of Fire. We'll be giving these away at the events!

Last night at the signing, I met two Sadies and one Carter. Most interesting name: Messiah. Some of the best questions: “Who did you base Jason after?” Surprisingly, no one has asked me that before. The answer is Jason in Greek mythology, with a lot of modernizing, of course. “How many hours a day do you write?” I got this one quite a bit. The answer: It varies. Usually 3-8 hours. “How long does it take to write a book?” Answer: usually one year, but I’ve managed to speed it up to every six months, though I won’t keep up that pace forever, just until I finish the two concurrent series, Kane and Heroes of Olympus. “How many books for Kane?” Three. A lot of fans asked if I would do more than that. Well, I don’t know. Maybe one of these days, but for now three books is the right number to tell the story of the Kanes and their fight with Apophis. And best question that wasn’t asked (brought to my attention in the fan’s blog): “Does Khufu eat kangaroos?” Ha! I love it. I’m sure if he could catch one, he would try.

Especially interesting to me were the fans’ favorite books. Some liked the Kane series best. Some like Percy. Some liked Heroes. Many had already finished Throne of Fire (wow!) and loved it, thankfully. They were already asking for the next (out next May, no title yet, still in the works). Many kids, fortunately, liked all three series! Every book had its own cheering squad. And of course, everyone asked me which book I liked the best. It’s just too hard to pick, like asking a parent to pick their favorite child. I told one fan that, and he rolled his eyes in exasperation. “Every writer says that!” Yep, but it’s true!

This morning I leave New York and head to South Portland for an event at Borders. My first ever event in Maine, so if you live in the area, I hope you’ll come by!

Children Choices Awards and Throne of Fire

Greetings from New York City, and happy release day for The Throne of Fire!

I arrived in Manhattan last night for the Children’s Choice Book Awards. I had no anticipation of winning, so I prepared no comments, even though my wife Becky had warned me it would be better to arrive prepared. Now she can say, “I told you so!” The Red Pyramid won for best 5^th-6^th grade book, which was amazing enough. Then I was called up again when I won 'Author of the Year’ for The Lost Hero. Holy Hera! I really wasn’t expecting that, especially given the incredible authors who were on the nomination list. Thanks to all the young readers who cast votes – over half a million of them! If you’d like to read coverage of the event, check out the article in USA Today.

I had a great time at the reception, catching up with friends and colleagues. It was great to see Jeff Kinney, Suzanne Collins and Jon Scieszka again (Jon made an appearance as noted book author Snooki – which stole the show). I got to meet Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Katherine Patterson and Laurie Halse Anderson for the first time, along with many other amazing authors. The award for Red Pyramid was presented by Walter Dean Myers, whose books I taught many times in my classroom. That was a surreal moment! LeVar Burton (aka Geordi LaForge and the host of Reading Rainbow) wrapped up the evening with his remarks, and was just as gracious and warm in person as he is on the screen. Plus the party had excellent deserts and a wonderful setting overlooking the Hudson River at sunset. Who could ask for more?

Today, the Throne of Fire arrives! I hope you all enjoy it. The first printed review I’ve seen is from Booklist, which declares:

“Riordan combines hard-hitting action scenes, powerful magic, and comic relief with the internal waves of love, jealousy, and self-doubt that make his young heroes so very human. The book concludes with glossaries of Egyptian commands and terms as well as gods and goddesses, but even readers who lose track of the details will enjoy the high-energy story as it races toward a conclusion. Lit by flashes of humor, this fantasy adventure is an engaging addition to the Kane Chronicles series.”

Now I’m off to the Barnes and Noble in Princeton, New Jersey for the first event this evening, then it’s on to South Portland, Maine, tomorrow. For full tour details, check my calendar. I’ll keep you posted from the road!