Frank: Juno's "Secret Weapon"

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

"Anyway, Gaea doesn't want you to be one of the seven. Percy Jackson... she believes she can control him. All of the others have weaknesses she can exploit. But you--you worry her. She'd rather kill you right away. That's why she summoned the Laistrygonians. They've been here for days, waiting." -Mars to Frank in The Son of Neptune

***Somewhere in this conversation, Mars called Frank "Juno's secret weapon".***

So... Frank is Juno's secret weapon, huh? Very interesting.
How about we think about the others' weaknesses?

• Percy: He's the loyal one. He puts friends first, regardless of whatever is going on. He's the guy who would sacrifice the world to save a friend. And, as Mars said, Gaea seems to think she can manipulate him.
• Jason: We don't really know Jason that well with his memory being lost and everything. He just seems too powerful. Also, the line "To storm or fire the world must fall" doesn't sound that great...
• Leo: Well, again, the storm or fire line. Also, his fire powers can get out of hand and put everyone in danger, like he did at Aeoleus's (sp?) place. He could also put Frank in danger if he's around Hazel too much. (Hazel has Frank's wooden stick.)
• Piper: Jason. She's a daughter of Aphrodite. Of course her boyfriend is gonna be her weakness. If they break up because of Reyna..... I don't even want to think about that. I like Reyna more, but Piper's the charmspeaker. She's supposed to be the link between the two camps. And you saw how easily she was tempted in the Lost Hero. Jason and Leo went right along with it. They could have been killed. They could have failed. Taking another risk like that wouldn't be good for the quest.
• Hazel: Hazel is just so confused and stressed out. She's finally happy with Frank. Then her past comes back to haunt her, with Leo looking exactly like Sammy and everything. Also, Nico is missing. Her brother. Gone. Bad. And her curse. What if another of the seven accidentally picks up something cursed? Not good.
• [Possibly] Annabeth: We all know that Annabeth's fatal flaw is hubris. (Not hummus. Hubris. AKA pride.) And this "mark of Athena" doesn't sound like it's something that's going to help Annabeth with the whole teamwork element. Her grudge against Hera won't be that helpful, either.

Well, the nice think about Frank is that he's a son of Mars. He knows where his duty lies. AND he can shape-shift. That's pretty amazing.

Demigod Diaries Preview!

*This story is supposed to happen before the Lost Hero.*

Click on the picture to zoom in.

Drew in the Serpent's Shadow Follow-Up

Warning! May contain Lost Hero and Serpent's Shadow spoilers!

I just thought of something. Rick Riordan did say that Drew in the Lost Hero and Drew in the Serpent's Shadow are the same person. But I have something that might contradict that.

Apparently, Drew goes to a mortal school, right? But the Lost Hero takes place in the winter, when normal mortal school usually takes place (along with spring and fall, of course). So why was Drew at camp when she should be in school? Hmmm....

The Seventh Half-Blood

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

Ok, so we all expect it to be Annabeth, right? I kind of do, but I'm not quite sure. What makes me unsure is this line:

"Wisdom's daughter walks alone, the mark of Athena burns through Rome."

Technically, the only confirmed people of the seven are Jason, Piper, Leo, Percy, Frank, and Hazel. (Only two girls?!?!)

Now, I'm sure that for some people, it became "obvious" that the seventh is gonna be Annabeth when Ella recited that line, or when the first chapter of MoA was told from her POV. But if she's going to walk alone, does that mean she can't be part of the seven?

Couldn't the seventh be someone else? Like... I don't know, Reyna? I would say Octavian, but he's a legacy, not a half-blood. (The lime does go, "Seven half-bloods will answer the call") Odds are, if it's not Annabeth, it's most likely a Roman camper.

Maybe when the story is told from her POV, she's "walking alone". Maybe she's doing whatever she has to do with this "mark of Athena". From the summary of Mark of Athena, it doesn't sound like Annabeth is going to be in a very pleasant situation. Perhaps she'll be forced to not be one of the seven and go in her own path.

Or we could go back to what I first said. It could be Annabeth. It probably is too, especially with all this fuss over the Percabeth reunion we've all been anxiously waiting for. ;)

Roman Pastries

Warning! May contain Lost Hero spoilers!

Look what I did to my Toaster Strudel for breakfast!! :)

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!

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


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


Q: @Pob584 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: @brogueskittles 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: @GirlOfAthena 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: @AtrociouslyMad 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: @pqpayne please say hi to Brazil! 
A: Olá, meus amigos do Brasil! I love you guys!


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


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


Q: @cs412 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: @Clavinerise 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: @LivFanIano 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: @freshsmileyface 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: @ItsSimplyGaby 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: @ellierugen 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: @rubys_universe 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: @karimelgendi 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: @maisumamariana_The 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: @nasyamatram 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:http://bit.ly/mxv6UI Short answer: read a lot, write a lot


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


Q: @AshaAshaAsha13 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: @haymitch_drunk Have you read the Harry Potter or the Hunger Games? 
A: Yes. As I've tweeted before, I love them both.


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


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


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


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


Q: @TheCliffhangers 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: @2cute4urscreen 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: @_AmamosPJ 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: @BarcaCatalan10 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: @im_a_halfblood 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: @alondrasanche21 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: @Laura_FB_ 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: @AngelOz13 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: @jvolr 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: @Real_me5 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: @OnlyDemigods_Hi Uncle Rick, what's your favorite character from the Percy Jackson? 
A: Grover or Tyson. They're so fun to write about.


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


Q: @Jackieromano199 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: @pinkypoodle12 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: @CarlsonJin123  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. http://Rickriordan.com is my site. Aside from that, if somebody writes you back, that's a good sign it ain't me.


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


Q: @kklorman2 Who would you rather have: Festus or Blackjack? 
A: At the risk of hurting Blackjack's feelings, Festus for sure.


Q: @TheNightCountry 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: @somalinector 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: @DanielleEmmie 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: @rotiunyel 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: @MooWarrior 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: http://bit.ly/L7Jo0s. And most of the questions I didn't get to answer were already answered in my previous tweets or on the FAQ: http://bit.ly/9ZDQBE 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....