The Equinox Q&A from Twitter

Thanks to everybody who sent questions over the weekend! If you missed any of it, the entire transcript from this week's Q&A (Sept.21-23, 2012) is copied below:
Okay, folks. Let the equinox Q&A begin! Plz check the FAQ first: bit.ly/9ZDQBE & plz don't spam (I'll ignore spammed questions). 

I'll answer questions as time allows from now through Sun. Also "Hi" and "Happy Birthday" to everyone who is going to ask for a shoutout. :P 


Q: @EJPigeon Do you know when you're coming back to the UK? 
A: Afraid you missed me! Been there dozens of times, but now too many deadlines. 

Same goes for all international travel. I wish I could, but for the next few years, it's just impossible. I have to write the books!
Q when is Haley's next story or book coming out? 
A I'm helping him edit his manuscript right now. (Not PJO related) Nxt yr?

Q @Potter_Watch_With which Percy Jackson character you would like to have dinner? 
A Tantalus, because I would get all the food.
Q: Did you read The Hunger Games? what did you think about? 
A: Yes, I've been a fan of Suzanne's since Gregor the Overlander. She knocked it out of the ballpark with The Hunger Games. I loved it.

Q: What happened to the gray strands of hair of Percy & Annabeth? 
A: This will be answered in Mark of Athena. 

Q: did the gods or Chiron help created warehouse 1? 
A: Haha. I love Great show. You'll have to ask them. 

Q: Is Calypso gonna come back for Heroes of Olympus series? 
A: MINOR SPOILER: yes, you will see her at some point. 

Q: : I just want to know piper and Jason Birthday.

 A: I don't establish b-days for most characters unless there is some reason.
So I don't know. However, you will discover Jason's birthday in Mark of Athena.

Q: Do you have any plans for Luke's reincarnation? 
 A: No, Luke has gone on to another life. (sniffle)

Q: do you listen to any music when you're writing? 
A: Usually not while I'm writing. It's too distracting. But I love music.
Some favorite recent bands: Decembrists, Arcade Fire, Black Keys, Jack White, Adele, Fleet Foxes, Ed Sheeran. 
 
 Q: I really want to know what's the Reyna's last name? 
 A: Reyna's cool, but I haven't given her a last name yet, lol.
I can tell you Reyna was born in Puerto Rico. That's a random fact that hasn't been said in HoO yet. She has an important role in MoA.

Q: Uncle Rick, Annabeth will not die in Mark of Athena right? 
A: No spoilers but you shouldn't believe internet rumors.
Q: are you coming to Cleveland/northern Ohio any time soon? 
 A: Not that I know of. I don't travel much anymore b/c of writing. Tour is usually only seven places, once or twice a year. Publisher chooses the places. I couldn't choose between so many requests!
Q: what is the title of the 4th book (HoO)? 
A: You'll find out at the end of Mark of Athena.

Q: Would you like to have a unicorn?
 A: Meh, third choice behind llama and penguin. 

Q: Would Coach Hedge have an important role too? 
A: Haha, wait until you see what he does in MoA. Yes, he gets a lot of play. 

 Q: in Hunger Games there is twins named Castor and Pollux and in Percy Jackson too. Is that coincidence? 
A: Greek mythology. 

You do know The Hunger Games is a re-imagining of the Theseus myth, right? 14 tributes go into the Labyrinth each year to face the Minotaur. 

Q: Are Katie Gardner and Travis Stoll in a relationship? 
A: Not that I'm aware of. 

Q has it crossed your mind to include Asian myths? 
A: Yes, but there are more cool mythologies than I can write in a lifetime! 

Q: SO every single thing we ask you are in The Mark Of Athena? 
A: Well, I did warn you up front I will not give spoilers! 

Q: what was your favorite part about the lightning thief movie? 
A: Didn’t see it. Check my FAQ. 

Q Are there any female satyrs? 
A: No, the female equivalent is a nymph.

Q: have you ever been in Greece? 
A: Yes, after I finished PJO. It helped me form the idea for the Heroes series. 

Q: you're not going to skip the percabeth reunion are you? 
A: Ha, no. You'll get the reunion pretty quick in MoA. 

Q: Do you ever get writers block? If so, how do you get out of one?!
 A: Sure. Check 'advice for writers' on my website. 

Q: Besides writing, what do you enjoy doing? 
A: I don't have much extra time, but I read & play guitar & hang out w/family

Q: Are you planning to write anything about arthurian legends? I know first Norse mitology. Poland loves you, Uncle Rick 
A: Thx! No, I don't plan Arthurian. Yes, Norse first. After that, we'll have to see.  

Q: have you read the Twilight saga? 
A: The first one. Not really my thing, but I'm not exactly the target audience. 

Q: would you prefer stay at ogygia or olympus? 
A: Wow, hard question. I'm more of an introvert, so maybe Ogygia. 

Q: Did you major in classics in college? 
A: No, English & history, but both tie in to classics.

Q: are you nervous for MoA? 
A: I'm always nervous before every book comes out! Hope you guys enjoy it! 

Q: you would like to visit Brazil? Brazilian demigods love you! 
A: Love you guys too! Hopefully some day, but like I said.. The next few years are going to be too crazy with writing deadlines for me to travel to all the different countries. 

Q: which character would you dress up as for halloween? 
A: Haha. Uh, probably Chiron if I could figure out the costume. 

Q: @justshupup231 Should I be paying attention in English right now? 
A: As a former English teacher, I have to say, “Yes!” :D 

Q: Why is Blackjack a mare in SoM, then a male in Titan's curse? 
A: Percy wasn’t looking closely. Or maybe I made a mistake. 

Q: What's your opinion on Japanese mythology? 
A: Awesome. Oni, kappa, etc. Sons are big anime/manga fans. 

Q: On average, how long does it take you to write a book? 
A: One year, from concept to publication. 

Q: Which character do you relate with the most? 
A: Chiron (the teacher) & Uncle Amos (the kindly mentor) :D 


Q: Are you aware that the shipping name for Percy/Annabeth amongst your fans is Percabeth? 
A: I may have noticed that a few thousand times. Ship names are not new. When my wife Becky & I were in high school, ppl called us ‘Brick.’

Q: Did you ever have detention like me right now or were you an angel? 
A: Only detention? I got kicked out of classes when I was in high school and almost got expelled for running an underground newspaper. 

Q: You like the trilogy "Lord Of The Rings"? 
A: My favorite books as a kid. Got me writing. Movies were good too.

Q: Just thought I'd mention since ur doing Norse in the future, u should check out Marvel's take on Thor & Loki. Great variety. 
A: Dude, I have Marvel Thor comics going back to the 1960s. Read them forever. Love the comics, but my series will be nothing like that. 

Q: Is it true that someone REALLY important's going to die in Mark of Athena? 
A: You shouldn't listen to internet rumors. 

Q: Do you like Harry Potter? If so, what's your favorite book? 
A: Yep! Prisoner of Azkaban.
Q: @demigodwitch_You know if it's a long time for "The Mark of Athena" to be launched in Brazil? A: I don't get info for other countries. The best thing to do is ask a local bookseller or ask the publisher in your country. They may be able to tell you. For Brazil:
Q: Please a tip for young writers 
A: I just added a whole section of writing tips on my website:
Q: @MrsFlickerman_what's the best thing about writing books? 
A: Finishing! 

Q: I loved your son's short story; if you ever move on from mythology, do you think you'd pass the reins to him? 
A: Haley's got his own novel just about finished (not mythology) + getting ready for college next year. Too soon to know if he'd want PJO!

Q: Will you ever make a story where Sadie and Carter meet Annabeth and Percy?
A: If I did, that would be way down the road. Lot of other books to write first -- Finish Heroes, do Norse series. Then we'll see.

Q: "I'll read a never-before-released section of an upcoming Percy Jackson story." ) Will I ever see this?
A: Only if you come to one of the events! And of course, once the story is finally published, but that will be quite a while.

Q: Haley and Patrick are sons of which god/godess? 
A: Uh, well I'm not a god, but my wife is pretty divine. So . . . 

Q: question from my daughter-Will the Titans show up again, also, where do you get your ideas for the monsters? 
A: You will see a Titan or two later in Heroes. The monsters are all straight from mythology. I don't make up any of them!

Q: whats the Norse series about?! 
A: Much too early to tell you. I know, but won't even start writing it until next year.


Q: favorite person playing the doctor on doctor who and reason why?
 A: Classic doctors: Tom Baker, funny, quirky, cool scarf. New Doctor Who series, honestly I like all three, but I'm sorry Eccleston only had one season.

Q: Have you ever heard the term "troll"? I would kinda classify you as one Uncle Rick!! A: Who me? Nah.

Q: is MoA gonna kill me softly? Am I gonna need a box of tissue?! 
A: More likely you will curse me for another cliffhanger.
But a different sort of cliffhanger. That's all I can say about that . . . but, I anticipate some impatient readers starting, like, Oct. 3.

Q: San Francisco is a special city for you? 
A: Yes, I taught there for six years & my sons were born in the Bay Area. 

Q: did you read the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare? 
 A: I haven’t, though I know they’re very popular. 

Q: what is your favorite type of myth to write about? 
A: I like them all. Greek is easiest, but they’re all fun. 

Q: Does Percy and Sally reunite. Also is there a lot of art in the Signed Box Version
A: Percy doesn't get to see his mom in MoA, no. He's going to be a little too busy. The signed boxed edition has special art on the endpaper

Q: Nico is okay? 
A: Let me ask . . . Yeah. He says he's okay. But we're hungry. Gonna get some Chinese food. BBL.

Q: do you miss being a teacher? 
A: Yes, I miss my students & doing cool activities in class, but not the grading! I still kind of feel like a teacher, though. Only now I have several million kids in my "class."

Q: do you like reading sappy romance novels? 
A: Do you know a lot of middle-aged guys who like sappy romance novels? 

Q: Are You Dyslexic? 
A: I was never diagnosed, but my father is and my son is, plus reading was hard for me when young. So... 

Q: Will thalia be in MoA? 
A: No, there are already soooo many characters to juggle w/the seven prophecy demigods. 
 
Q: do you ever read The Chronicles of Narnia? 
A: I read the first three when I was younger. They were okay, but not my fave.
I prefer C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy. For fantasy, I prefer Tolkien. 

Q: Will Grover show up in The Heroes of Olympus series again? 
A: He doesn't have a big part, no. He's off doing nature stuff. However, the story I will preview at the events will feature the return of Grover. 

Q: Why is Athena's hair black and all her children's hair is blonde? 
A: Not ALL of her children have blond hair. 

Q: Will Leo have a serious love interest in any book of HoO? 
A: Leo is wondering the same thing. That's all I can say! 

Q: why put the Olympus in the 600º floor? or it was just a random choice of number? A: Like many things I do, it was random! 

Q: will we get more about Bianca Di Angelo in next books? 
A: Only in Nico's memories. She's dead and moved on to a new life. 

Q: How old is Patrick?I know Haley is 16 right? 
A: Patrick is 14. Haley WAS 16 when he wrote that story. He just turned 18. Remember there's a delay of about a year to get a book published, because it has to be revised, edited, typeset, printed, etc., etc. 

Q: Octavian: Will we get to know him better in MoA?! 
A: Yes, though you might not like him any better.

Q: Does the Great Fire of Rome have anything to do with the Mark of Athena prophecy? 
A: Good guess! But actually no. 

Q: If Percy loses only the cap for Riptide as the sword is in use, will it reappear in his pocket? 
 A: Yes, it reappears. 

Q: Where's Haley going to college? 
A: Not sure yet. Right now his 1st choice is Emerson in Boston (for writing, obviously :D) 

Q: Is Annabeth based on someone in your life? If so, then who? 
A: No. Sort of a combination of many students I taught. 

Q: what's your favorite animal of the underworld? 
A: Mrs. O'Leary the hellhound, natch! 

Q: did Hera leave Percy memories of Annabeth on purpose? 
A: I think it was just too strong a memory to erase fully. 

Q: If you could talk to a god/goddess, or a demigod, for a day who would you choose? 
  A: Maybe Hestia, least likely to kill me. 

Q: what would you have thought 20 yrs ago if someone told you you'd be a famous author? A: I would’ve laughed. “Yeah, right.” 

Q: Rachel will be at the mark of Athena? 
A: No, she’s back at Camp Half-Blood. 

Q: Uncle Rick,do female centaurs exist? 
 A: Yes, they are called centaurides. Not many stories about them. 

Q: who's your favorite villain? 
A: Setne in The Serpent’s Shadow, though Mark of Athena has some awesome ones. 

Q: Which book did you like most about writing? 
A: Maybe The Lost Hero. It’s hard to say. 

Q: would you ever write a book that is not related to greek mythology? 
A: Already have! 39 Clues, Kane, my adult mysteries.  Yes, I have ideas for non-myth books. The problem is I have more ideas than I'll ever be able to write, since each book = 1 year of work.

Q: Whatever happened to Clarisse? 
A: She's around, just doesn't have a big part in Heroes. 

Q: will you be writing another Percy related series once HoO is done? 
 A: It's WAY too early to talk about that! Dunno yet.

Q: How did the REAL Charlie Beckendorf feel about you killing off the character? 
A: I haven’t talked to him! He’s nothing like Beckendorf in the books. I just borrowed the name.
 I only name a few characters after real ppl, and they are ppl I know personally. Travis/Connor Stoll, Mrs. Dodds, Mr. Brunner.

Q What color is Clarisse's hair? Sometimes it's brown, sometimes it's blond. 
 A Kinda both: sort of stringy blondish brown. 

Q: whatever happened to Nancy Bobofit? 
A: The bully from Lightning Thief. She’s going about her mortal life. I actually wrote a scene for Last Olympian where Percy stumbles across her, but the book was getting too long so I cut it.

Q: Did you think that the PJ books would be read and liked by "older" people (I'm 30 and a proud Percy french fan)?
A: No. I taught ages 9-14 so that was my target audience and still is, but older readers are always welcome! 

Q: what would you do if all your characters knock on your door in the middle of the night?
 A: This is why I don’t publish my address! I'd assume I'm dreaming and go back to sleep.

 Q: Do you prefer ice cream or chocolate? 
 A: Ice cream!

Q: do you prefer to turn into a bird or have control of water ? 
A: tough choice. Probably water. I don't like heights. 

Q: were you in Russia? 
A: I have visited St. Petersburg. Beautiful city! 

Q: Does Percy have any siblings? 
 A: Demigod siblings? No. Not as far as he is aware. 

Q: what was the saddest death you had to write and why? 
A: Silena in the Last Olympian; b/c it was a noble death & brave.

Q: Set vs Ares... who wins? 
A: Oo. Good one. Advantage Set. Much sneakier. 

Q: coffee or tea? Books or movies? Beach or farm? 
A: Coffee, books, farm. (though I like the other choices too) 

Q: How crazy was the Burlington, MA signing? 
A: Ya, pretty crazy! (That was last year) Massive crowd. 

Q: You plan the story before you write it? 
A: Yes, I really have to, or I'd get stuck halfway through. 

Q: @alicia_workmanwould you ever try Peanut Butter Enchiladas? My friend made it up. 
A: Shudder. sounds hideous, but points for creativity! 

Q: What was your favorite cliffhanger you wrote? 
 A: Well, have to be careful of spoilers, but the end of Sea of Monsters. 

Q: do you have the ending of the HoO series ready in your mind? 
A: Yes, more or less. And no, I can't tell you. :P 

Q: Q on behalf of my daughter: Did you study any foreign languages in high school? A: Latin (no surprise) 

Q: Mrs. O'Leary or Blackjack? 
A: Mrs. O'Leary. I love dogs, especially if they can shadow travel and run over entire armies. 

Q: WE WANT SPOILERS 
 A: In the words of Princess Bride, "get used to disappointment." 

Q: Did you ever think that Percy and Annabeth could be reincarnations of other heroes, like Perseus and Atalanta?
A: That had never occurred to me. Good question. I think the old heroes are in Elysium, though, so probably not.

Q: What was it like writing 3rd person for Percy and seeing him through other characters' eyes? 
 A: Actually it was really cool! 
I wanted to do the Heroes series in a different way, because it kept things interesting for me. I didn't want to do the exact same as PJO. 
Q: How did you come up with the idea to make Frank from Vancouver? 
A: He’s a shout-out to my Canadian readers. Plus I had just been to Vancouver & it’s an awesome city.  

Q: Will CHB t-shirts also be available in the Philippines? 
A: No. They were printed as promos specifically for the US events. There is no other way to get them. But people often make their own shirts, and that’s awesome! 

Q: @amyhuynh_Which of the book covers from the PJ series or HoO series is your favourite? 
A: I love John Rocco's US covers. I think my favorite is The Titan's Curse for PJO, Serpent's Shadow for KC, and Lost Hero for HoO. 

Q: Uncle Rick, have you checked out any of PJO tumblrs? 
A: Nah, I don’t have time to surf around the Internet anymore!

Q: Will there be a time you will follow us back? 
 A: No, sorry. Too many of you & I usually can’t even read tweets, much less respond! 

Q: Will you permit some of your readers to like suggest some things and names for characters? 
A: I can’t take suggestions, sorry! I’ve got all the ideas I’m going to use & I don’t name characters after fans b/c WAY too many requests. 

Q: do you know the publisher of your book for indonesia? 
A: Noura. They just sent a picture for me to sign for a bookstore. 

Q: where have you never been and you dream about going to? 
A: Many places! Japan, Hawaii, Istanbul, Paris. 

Q: Does ever sleep? I am worried about his health? 
A: Haha, thx. But I had a good night's sleep. 

Q: If you were a magician, which path of the gods would you choose? 
A: Is it bad that I'd go chaos magic w/Set? 

Q: I Can't wait for MoA but in Brazil Just in May 2013. WHy they do this to me? A: Well, translating takes a long time! 

Q: Most of the gods are in the US, but Boreas is in Canada, so are there any gods in Mexico? 
A: I'd imagine Aztec and Mayan gods. 

Q: Uncle Rick, what did EXACTLY happen to Michael Yew after he disappeared? 
A: I honestly don't know. Assume he died.

Q: You are reading a PJO story for us in Toronto right? 
 A: Yep! At each event. 

Q: Indian release date/writing about Indian mythology?
A. I don't get info for other countries. Indian legends are cool, but have to be a little more careful as Hinduism is a living religion. Having said that, I love the Ramayana and the many stories of the gods. Hanuman is my favorite. No immediate plans to tackle them. Too busy!

Q: Are Maenads a very real terrifying interpretation of FANGIRLS? 
A: Haha. Maybe. They are authentic myths, though. 

Q: Have you work in collaboration w/ the team of PJ Sea of Monsters film? 
A: Nope. I just write the books. As I'm always saying, I have nothing whatsoever to do w/the movies, so don't ask me anything. Guarantee you, I don't know!

Q: Have you read the GONE series by ? 
A: I haven't yet, but it is one of my son Patrick's absolute favorites. 

Q: uncle rick why are you so talented at writing rickhangers? 
 A: Rickhangers? ROFL. You just coined a new term.

Q: will we see more of the Stoll brothers? 
A: Not really in Heroes. In the future, I don't know yet. Too early to say! 

Q: you said you got teary eyed when you wrote a scene in MOA. Does that mean we're all gonna have a heart attack ? 
A: No, I don't think so. It's just kind of a sweet, sad scene. Not a major tragedy or anything. I can't get more specific.