Jun 29, 2012

Mark of Athena UK cover

Here it is!
 This is the cover in the UK. I honestly don't like the UK covers. At all. BUT! It gives us more hints and information about the book. That's good. Perhaps the next post will be dedicated to analyzing both covers!

Jun 24, 2012

Twitter Q&A Complete List

Here is a complete list of all of the questions and answers from RR's Twitter summer solstice celebration, as promised!!

Q:  Is Drew in the Serpent's Shadow the same Drew as the one in The Lost Hero? 
A: Yes. :D


Q:  Why are you so great at writing cliffhangers?! 
A: A true cliffhanger means characters end the story in imminent danger. Most of my endings aren't actually cliffhangers. They just leave unanswered questions. Mark of Athena, however, ah... never mind.


Q:  would u go to manila one day? i really want ur autograph! 
A: I kinda doubt it, sry. Travel abroad is hard w/my deadlines. Sadly no international travel anywhere anytime soon. The next few years, I have to stay home and write or the books won't get done on time!


Q:  I have a big exam tomorrow, could you wish me luck? :) 
A: Good luck! You totally got this.


Q:  how did Frank & Hazel kill the Giant in S.o.N when they can only be killed by Gods & Demi-gods working together?
A: The giant Alcyoneus is unique. He is only immortal in the land where he spawned, in this case, Alaska. Once outside, he's fair game.


Q:  Tell me Nico is safe! Tell me he's gonna have a bigger role! 
A: Nico has a key role in MoA but demigods are rarely safe!


Q:  My mom is eternally grateful to you for making me love reading. Now she has to say "STOP READING, GIRL!" 
A: Love it! :D


Q:  Will we be getting a Percy and Annabeth reunion in MoA or not? 
A: Don't think it's too much of a spoler to say yes.


Q: @p please say hi to Brazil! 
A: Olá, meus amigos do Brasil! I love you guys!


 ARE YOU PLANNING A CROSSOVER? (Kane/Heroes). 
A: If I did, that would be way down the line. Heroes & Norse series first.


Q:  What are you reading now? 
A: Just started Shadow & Bone by . Russian mythology-based YA. Really good so far!


Q:  How come, in the new series, not all demigods have ADHD and dyslexia? 
A: That's true in PJO too. Many demigods do, but not all.


Q:  Y don't u ask ur sons to help u write?
A: I'm editing Haley's 1st manuscript now, but he's writing his own story. :D


Q:  Is percy one of the 4 narrators of Mark of Athena? 
A: Have to wait & see 
Q: Any chance of an advanced copy? 
A: No!


Q:  After MoA, are you going to come to Canada? 
A: Been to Toronto & Vancouver several times. Don't know yet for future. Publisher sets the tour stops. I don't choose, so I can't take requests. Usually I don't know where I'm going until right before the tour. Actually, I often don't know where I'm going in general.. But that's just me.


Q Is there anything that you could say about the Leo/Sammy thing in MoA? 
A: No spoilers. Sorry! But it will be explained in MoA.


Q:  are you ever going to come to england? 
A: Afraid you missed me. Been there dozens of times, but now I can't b/c of deadlines.


Q:  if you could be a god of anything what would it be? 
A: The god of time so I could make more. I never seem to have enough.


Q:  Dude no offense but don't you have a deadline... 
A: Haha. Tell that to my editor. And the ppl who want the books faster! :D


Q:  Heroes of Olympus is going to have how many books? 
A: Five.


Sry, questions quickly get buried beneath other questions. Some1 asked PC or MAC & what my writing desk looks like. PC and Mac. I write on Mac. Haley prefers editing format on a PC, so I use both. 



Q:  how do you handle writer's blocks?
A: outline first. That way I don't get to the middle of the story & get stuck (as much)


Q: JacquelyneKampe do you have any tips for a new writer? 
A: Yes, on my FAQ page: Short answer: read a lot, write a lot


Q:  have you ever been criticized for your books ? 
A: Gasp! Never! (sarcasm) Sure. Not everyone likes every book, but that's ok. I feel fortunate that so many people DO like them!


Q:  Thanks for showing me reading is not an "adult thing." 
A: Young readers lead the way these days! Adults follow your trends.


Q:  when your books are finally published, are they mostly changes you made revising, or are they the original draft?
A: There is no such thing as a perfect first draft. It's impossible. 90% of writing is revising, over and over.


Q:  Have you read the Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? 
A: Yes. As I've tweeted before, I love them both.


Q:  When is Annabeth's birthday? 
A: I don't know. I've never had a reason to determine it, at least not yet.


Q: (got buried) Have I ever been to Russia? 
A: I visited St. Petersburg on vacation. Beautiful city. I've never done an event in Russia. As I said, I had to stop touring internationally, as I can't write this fast and travel the world, too. Getting the books done comes first!


Q:  what happened to Calypso? 
A: She will make an appearance later in the Heroes series. Right now, that's all I can say.


Q:  Do you ever do book signings at book stores in San Antonio? 
A: Almost every tour. Just did one in May. Check website in Sept.


Q:  Out of the characters in the HoO, which is your favorite to write about? 
A: Gleeson Hedge. He cracks me up. Also Leo.


Q:  What is your favorite book that you've written? 
A: It's usually the most recent one, b/c it's freshest in my mind. Hard to say!


Q:  i have a friend who wants to become a writer & she's writing fanfictions now,any word of encouragement? 
A: Fanfic is not a bad way to practice writing IMHO. I learned a lot writing D&D stories when I was younger. But move on to your own ideas!


Q:  what is your favorite book? 
A: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Got me into mythology & reading when I was about 12.


Q:  Have you read Game of Thrones? 
A: Yes, was reading it LONG before the TV show. Awesome series, but def mature stuff!


Q:  What other mythologies besides Greek/Roman, Egyptian & Norse would you like to write about?
A: That's 6-7 years in the future, so I have no idea. I can only write 1-2 books max a year, and I've got 2 Heroes and 3 Norse still to do! All I can tell you is if you've thought about it, I probably have too & I've got more ideas than I'll be able to write in a lifetime!


Q:  Do you usually listen to music while writing? 
A: I love all kinds of music but I can't listen to it while writing. Some faves: Classic: Dylan, Stones, Beatles; modern: Black Keys, Jack White, Arcade Fire, Decembrists, Mumford & Sons, Adele. I could go on.


Q:  when you're not writing, what do you do for fun? :) 
A: I play guitar, read, swim w/the kids, MMORPG, sometimes go on cruises


Q:  When u were a teenager, were u the best student in each class? A: Haha. Hardly. I was like Percy. I got kicked out of classes for being a troublemaker & I barely passed math. My writing got me through English, but I never read the books. Of course my karmic punishment was that I grew up and became an English teacher, but I can relate to reluctant readers.


Q:  Are you planning on writing another Camp Half-Blood series? A: Like I said, that's waaaay far in the future. But some day, I'd like to do 1 more CHB series where all the action actually happens at camp, b/c most of the other books happen on quests. That's part of the story that hasn't been told, & would be fun. But like I said, that's way, way in the future, so don't hold your breath.


Q: (got buried) Any characters based on real life? 
A: Yeah. Mrs. Dodds is a real math teacher, but she's not actually a monster. Mr. Brunner (aka Chiron) is a real Latin teacher. Travis & Connor Stoll, Beckendorf, Miranda & Nico are named for former students of mine.


Q:  If you hadn't written any Percy Jackson books what would you be doing now?
A: I'd still be teaching, which I loved!


Q:  what is your favorite TV show? 
A: Probably Dr. Who. Been watching it since the '80s. Old series, new, love them all.


Q: How many questions do you get a day? (this ? ironically got buried under other ?s) 
A: Too many to answer, which is why I usually can't!


Q:  Do you feel nervous when your books come out? 
A: Every single time! I do my best, but I always worry you guys won't like it.


Q:  I heard a rumor that Thalia will die in The Mark of Athena, you confirm? 
A: I can confirm that you shouldn't listen to rumors.


Q:  any advice for people who want to be teachers?
A: Do volunteer work w/kids to make sure you've got the right temperament. Get as much teaching experience as you can, subbing or whatever. You'll know very quickly if you're cut out to teach. We need good teachers! And the second year of teaching is 500% easier than the first year. Don't get discouraged and don't give up!


Q:  Uncle Rick, what's your favorite character from the Percy Jackson? 
A: Grover or Tyson. They're so fun to write about.


Q:  Have you ever cried while writing? A: Only because the first draft is so bad and my deadline is so close. :D No, actually I got teary-eyed when I wrote one scene in Mark of Athena, and no, I can't tell you what it was. Yes, I know that's mean.


Q:  What did you think about this nickname: Uncle Rick? 
A: Honored! Did you know Tio has its root in the word Theo, for god?


Q:  my nickname for you is Ricky! 
A: That was my nickname as a little boy, so I'm used to it!


Q:  after the TitansCurse, Annabeth and Percy's Grey streaks are never mentioned...shouldn't someone question them?
A: Actually that question will be addressed in Mark of Athena.


Q: Someone (sry got buried) asked what's my favorite ship in my books. 
A: The Argo II. Oh . . . not that kind of ship?


Q:  do you think you belong in Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter? 
A: No. I would fail in either place! However, I can see living at Brooklyn House and studying magic. I would ace Advanced Napping class w/Bast.


Q: Do I follow the Spurs (basketball)? 
A: Gotta confess, I'm not much of a sports fan. Probably because I have zero athletic coordination. Playing catch w/my sons basically means we go outside and take turns hitting each other in the head with the ball.


Q:   I talked to a YouTube channel called RiordanRick. Was that account really you? 
A: Nope. Only legit accts are on my site. Usually I can't respond to ppl on the Internet. Too many questions, gotta stay focused on writing. This weekend is a rare exception. This account is verified.  is my site. Aside from that, if somebody writes you back, that's a good sign it ain't me.


Q: Do you keep an edition of your books in another language besides english? 
A: My garage is full of them. 35 diff languages!


Q:  Who would you rather have: Festus or Blackjack? 
A: At the risk of hurting Blackjack's feelings, Festus for sure.


Q:  why is the book cover art different from the UK and the USA versions? A: different publishers make diff. covers. The thinking is UK kids r attracted to different cover art than US kids. *shrug* Each publisher has final say over the cover in that country.


Q:  i think you should do a blog on the do's and don't's on how to write novel. 
A: 1st 'don't': more writing, less blogging!


Q:  Q: Do you write cliffhanger endings on purpose? 
A: Yep used to do that in class when I told stories. My students hated it! But they were always eager to come to class the next day and hear what happened next. When I wrote Percy, I imagined telling it to my class.


Q:  How do you stay focused whilst writing? I always get distracted... 
A: Me too! That's why I had to shut off email access.


Q:  You said that you MMORPG. Which ones do you play? 
A: Name it, I've played it. But I just dabble, not hardcore. No time!


Okay, guys, gotta stop reading tweets & go back to writing mode. Thx for all the questions. Maybe we'll do this again next solstice! I leave you with this -- a collection of new covers from around the world: And most of the questions I didn't get to answer were already answered in my previous tweets or on the FAQ:  Bye! 


So that's it :( His entire Thursday through Sunday Q&A. Some of the tweets were REALLY interesting. And I hope that if he gives Annabeth a birthday, it's February 17th :) I also wonder what he was writing when his eyes started getting teary....

Jun 22, 2012

The Mark of Athena: What We Know and What I Suspect Will Happen (Summary, Cover Close-ups, and more!)

Warning! May contain Lost Hero and Son of Neptune spoilers!

I CAN'T WAIT FOR MARK OF ATHENA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now that I've got that out of my system, here goes.

I just recently discovered that Rick Riordan's site has a summary on it. Yay!! That's more that we can know :D
Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace. 
And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close— the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her? 
Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side. 
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare. . . .  (source: http://www.rickriordan.com/my-books/percy-jackson/heroes-of-olympus/The-Mark-of-Athena.aspx) 
Nice, huh? So here's what we know about the book for sure, so far:
  1. There most certainly WILL BE a Percabeth reunion. (eeeeep!)
  2. Nemesis, the goddess of revenge, has something to do with the book.
  3. Nico has an important role.
  4. The Leo/Sammy creepy, looks-like-the-same-person thing will be explained.
  5. The whole series will have 5 books when it's done.
  6. It will have 4 narrators.
  7. Annabeth is one of the narrators.
So there you have it. Seven facts about the Mark of Athena. (see what I did there?) Now, what do I suspect will happen?
  1. There's gonna be some kind of battle between Jason and Percy. (Go Percy!) It could be for anything.... Who leads the quest, who gets to be Praetor with Reyna, a full-on battle between the two camps... I DON'T KNOW! :'(
  2. It seems like Percy's staying loyal to Camp Half-Blood, and Jason's going with Camp Jupiter. 
  3. If the fight between Percy and Jason is a fight between the two camps, there's gonna be some huge trouble between Jason and Piper. And that would NOT be good. What I'm looking forward to is seeing if Jason remembers Reyna at all.
  4. Leo/Sammy. Someone explain this please!!! I have a few hunches about that situation. Leo could be a descendant of Sammy, but wouldn't he NOT look exactly like Sammy? My hunch, the one that I believe is true, is that Sammy chose to be reborn and that's Leo. 
That's really all that I can think of. My mind is just completely filled with a ton of ideas on the subject.. WAY too many to type out. Plus, a bunch of them contradict each other. Oh well, I suppose the only thing that matters in the end is what Mr. Riordan actually wrote.


More on Mark of Athena:

Jun 21, 2012

Twitter

Just to let you know: Rick Riordan is doing Q&A on Twitter this weekend, "in honor of the summer solstice". He doesn't usually do this.. So go tweet him!!!

He already answered one of my questions, and I practically choked on my blueberries!!! :D :D :D :D

By the way, his official twitter is @camphalfblood. :)

UPDATE: I got another tweet!!!!! (on another account) I'll be posting all of his Q&A tweets on here, probably on Monday :)

Jun 14, 2012

WHAT?

So..................... Hi.

I'm really confused right now. So, the original date for Sea of Monsters (the movie) was March 26, right? And then I heard it got moved to March 15? Well, the latest date I'm hearing is August 16. AUGUST 16TH?!?!? Are they CRAZY!?! What's their problem? Can't they just make up their minds?

But still, I have no idea whether or not any of these dates are correct. For all I know, they could be complete rumors. Who knows?

Jun 11, 2012

Pollux and Castor

Warning! May contain [minor] Battle of the Labyrinth and Mockingjay (from the Hunger Games series) spoilers!

So, I was reading something about the Hunger Games, and I read something about two brothers named Pollux and Castor in Mockingjay. My first thought: How original, Suzanne Collins. (And yes, Rick used the names in the Battle of the Labyrinth [2008] for the sons of Dionysus before she used them in Mockingjay [2010]) But then I kept reading. As it turns out, Castor and Pollux are actually part of traditional Greek mythology. They're associated with the constellation Gemini. They were twins (sound familiar?) and Castor died, but Pollux lived, just like in BotL and Mockingjay

I think that's really cool! What do you think?

Jun 6, 2012

Greeks vs. Romans Website

Warning! May contain Lost Hero and Son of Neptune spoilers!

So today I went on GreeksvsRomans.com and.....................................................



It was so underwhelming! All that's there is two videos from Rick Riordan (one for each camp) and a message from each camp telling us to be patient. How exactly do they expect a bunch of ADHD demigods to have PATIENCE?!? Well, I don't know either. I guess we have to...*shudders*... wait.

Jun 5, 2012

Birthday!

Hey everyone, today is Rick Riordan's birthday! Let's sing!!

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday dear guy-who-is-putting-us-through-torture-waiting-for-his-book-and-has-way-too-many-cliff-hangers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

Jun 1, 2012

Mark of Athena Sample

I've been posting a lot lately. It's been so busy in the fandom! So anyway... The Mark of Athena sample was released not too long ago. It has more than the clip from YouTube! YAY! If you haven't watched the YouTube clip, click here. I highly recommend that you hear this before you read the sample. You can tell from the differences how much work truly is put into the revising stage.

Read it here!!

(Link contains MEGA SPOILERS, so if you haven't read up to the end of Son of Neptune, don't read it!)