Rick Riordan's Blog, page 7

What a beautiful day it was in Manhattan! Not only was the weather lovely, but I got to stop by Disney Publishing headquarters and sign 1700 of these babies, hot off the presses:

Yep, those are the first actual copies I’ve seen of  The Dark Prophecy, Trials of Apollo Book 2, which will be available for purchase on May 2!

I also got to see the very first copy in existence of Camp Half-Blood Confidential, a companion volume with short looks at camp life from various counselors and camp denizens. This book will also be available on May 2:

Pretty! Shiny!

My editor pointed out that when they are stacked together, the book covers say, APOLLOOOOOOOO.

Now to answer your questions:

1. If books are already printed, why do I have to wait until May 2? Why can’t I have them NOW?

Yes, I understand that! Disney isn’t trying to be mean. But having them printed is only one step. Then they have to be ordered by the booksellers, shipped all across the country, catalogued, shelved, blah, blah, blah . . . and they have to be published in their specific time slot because there are thousands of other books also waiting to be marketed and published. It’s kind of like planes sharing runways at the airport. They can’t all land at once or there would be chaos.  And yes, I know e-books are different, but that’s a whole ‘nother set of logistical issues.

So May 2 really is the date when the books can first be available. I hope you enjoy Dark Prophecy when it arrives!

2. How can I get one of those signed copies?

The signed copies are for various bookstore accounts. As I get information about where and when the autographed copies are available, I will post info on my social media accounts. Right now, I’m not sure where all these are bound. And yes, this is just the North American version for the US and Canada, and it’s only a tiny fraction of the first printing. I have signed some editions for the UK as well. I will let you know what I find out about those!

While I was in signing mode, I also signed several hundred posters for the LIGHTNING THIEF Broadway musical. These will be part of a raffle (I believe) on opening night. What’s that? You haven’t heard about the musical? Yep, it’s an actual thing. Check it out here and get tix.  Performances begin on March 23. (Just in NYC for the present, because, you know, that’s where Broadway is.)

Also while at Disney HQ, we talked about my new publishing imprint RICK RIORDAN PRESENTS. I am so excited! I will do a different blog post later on telling you all about this, but you can read the release info here.   The first title in the imprint will be released around this time next year, and it is KILLER AWESOME. More details to come . . .

And now back to writing. I’m presently hard at work on Magnus Chase 3: The Ship of the Dead. When I last left our friends, Blitzen and Hearthstone were in quite a perilous situation. I’d better see if I can write them out of it somehow . . . preferably using rune magic and extreme fashion.

It’s been a while since I posted what I am reading, so here are some of my favorite titles that got me through the fall.

Malice in Ovenland is a super-fun graphic novel, great for elementary readers and up. Obviously, this is a new take on the Alice in Wonderland story, with a young heroine Lily Brown from Queens who doesn’t like her mom’s “healthy” new cooking until she is told to clean the oven and falls headfirst into a netherworld society which lives off the excess cooking grease from Lily’s mom’s oven. Lily has to find her way back to the upper world while pursued by a whole host of enemies who blame her for the recent draught of life-giving grease. Lots of fun, this is a fast-paced read with beautiful illustrations. It would make a perfect read-together story for parents and kids! After reading, you might even be tempted to find cockroaches cute . . .

 

Certain Dark Things is not just another vampire novel. Set in Mexico City, the novel imagines an alternate present in which the discovery of vampires’ existence in the 1970s has fundamentally reshaped the world of the 21st Century. Mexico City has become a closed nation city, leaving the rest of the country at the mercy of powerful vampire gangs who fight for territory against each other and the humans. And it’s not just one kind of vampire. Vampires from every culture in the world — dozens of subspecies — have fled to Mexico because it has some of the least restrictive laws against blood-suckers. This is not great news for the native vampires of Mexico — bird-winged blood drinkers who have existed since the time of the Aztecs. One of these, a beautiful young woman named Atl, flees to Mexico City when her Northern Mexico clan is destroyed by a rival gang of Necros (a horrifying European species that can control humans with a single bite and whose blood is poison to other vampires). With only her faithful dog Cualli and a young street boy Domingo, Atl must try to find a way out of the country while pursued by both Necros and human gangs who refuse to tolerate any vampires on their turf. I loved the premise of this book! Throwing vampire myths from so many cultures together was right down my alley. If you like vampire books but would appreciate some . . . er, fresh blood . . . this is a fast-paced read that breathes fresh life into the genre.

I read this book months ago and it keeps resurfacing in my thoughts — a good indication that this is a powerful story. All her life, twelve-year-old Ada has been raised by her father David Sibelius, who home-schools her and takes her to work with him at the university computer science lab, where he and his colleagues are working on early versions of artificial intelligence. Ada is a prodigy who can code, talk physics or analyze literature with her father’s friends, but she has no friends of her own age and does not understand anything about “regular” twelve-year-olds. When her father David begins to lose his mental faculties, she is forced to adjust to a terrifying new reality, but she is also presented with a shocking secret: Her father was not who she always believed he was. The novel jumps back and forth between Ada as a child in the 1980s, and Ada as an adult in the 2010s. In both time periods, she is grappling with the legacy of her father’s secret, and of the strange work he was doing on artificial intelligence. Before his mind deteriorated completely, David promised that he would see Ada again. What did he mean? Who was he? The novel is poignant, well-crafted and utterly convincing. A great read that will haunt you long after you finish.

 

Ann Leckie’s series drops us right into a universe both familiar and terrifyingly different. It may take you a while to understand what is going on, because many of your assumptions about point-of-view will be stripped away. This is because the main character Breq is an ancillary — a human body that has been ‘slaved’ to the artificial intelligence of a giant spaceship, in this case Justice of Torren. In the empire called the Radch, each spaceship is sentient, crewed by legions of ancillaries who are all connected to the same central mind. Because of this, Breq can be in a thousand places at once, watching events unfold all across the surface of a planet, wherever her soldiers are stationed, or on the ship orbiting above.

Where do ancillaries come from? The Radch is a military empire. It exists by annexing other star systems and enslaving huge swaths of the native population, putting them in cryogenic storage until those bodies are needed — their old minds wiped away and reprogrammed as part of a ship’s AI. If that sounds horrifying, it is, but Breq knows no other life — until a terrible event separates her from her mothership, which is destroyed in hyperspace, leaving Breq alone, the last remnant of Justice of Torren. An ancillary is not considered to be human, but now Breq must find her way through space, hiding and pretending, until she can find a way to discover the truth about how her ship was destroyed, and take revenge on the person she blames — who happens to be the leader of the empire.

There are three books in the Radch series, and I read them all one after the other. Once you are sucked into this world, you don’t want to leave. Another really cool thing about the world which Leckie creates — the Radch do not pay attention to gender. Gender exists, but their language does not even include words for ‘he’ or ‘she.’ Because of this, all characters are labeled ‘she’ and you can’t really be sure, nor does it really matter, what gender they are. Breq struggles whenever she is in another non-Radch culture, since she has to look for subtle clues and remember not to insult males by calling them female and vice versa. I just loved this. I found the second two books a bit more slow-moving than the first, but that was okay. By that time, the story was a drama I cared about, and the Radch are all about taking time, observing propriety, and having tea. You have to accept them on their own terms at their own pace. If you are looking for a brave and terrifying new world to immerse yourself in, definitely give this series a go.

After reading the Ancillary Justice series, Ninefox Gambit was a wonderful complementary read. We are dropped into an interstellar empire called the Hexarchate, where six factions with different skill sets vie for power within the system. (Think Divergent on a galactic scale.) The ultimate power in the universe is pure mathematics. An understanding of number theory has to be agreed on and followed by everyone in the society, right down to the yearly calendar and how many days in a week. Within this mathematic “orthodoxy” the laws of physics work as you would expect, and all is right in the cosmos. But from time to time, mathematical heresies arise, like adding a day to the week or computing with a different base number, and the whole fabric of physics starts to warp. Weapons don’t work they way they’re supposed to. New technologies become possible that should not be possible. Our hero, Captain Kel Cheris, is a military commander who gets in deep trouble for unorthodox strategy, but she is given a way to redeem herself: Retake an important station that has fallen into the hands of heretics. To do this, she must use a secret weapon: She downloads the consciousness of a never-defeated general who has been dead for thousands of years. The only problem: this general was consigned to cold storage because he went mad and massacred his own armies. Can Kel control the new voice in her brain? Can she trust it, or keep from being taken over? And how will she defeat an unknown heresy? Once you get into the premise, this is a fantastic adventure with brilliant world-building.

This sci-fi novel got a lot of buzz when it came out, and I see why. The basic story: pieces of a gigantic metal robot, thousands of years old, are discovered scattered around the earth, buried deep in the earth or under the sea. Where did they come from? What are they for? A team is assembled in top secrecy to rebuild the robot and figure out how it works. The story is told in a series of interviews — reports submitted by an anonymous interviewer who is pulling most of the strings behind the project. This narrative structure is very easy to follow and pulls you in nicely. I finished the book in a single day, and I’m not a fast reader. I did think that toward the end, the limits of the transcript format began to show. The storytelling had to use some rather hard-to-believe contortions to report certain information, and by the end, you don’t really feel like you’ve come to know the characters very well. Nevertheless, if you’re looking for a quick, engaging sci-fi mystery, this one is a good choice!

 

 

Greetings from Athena House, Riordan family headquarters in Boston! I hope your 2017 is off to a safe and healthy start.

As I come up for a brief gulp of air between writing projects, I thought I’d take a moment to update you all! Below are some personal goings-on, book goings-on, and miscellaneous news and thoughts.

Personal Goings-On

We spent the holidays in Poseidon’s territory, visiting several islands in the Caribbean. What a treat!

On Christmas Day we found ourselves in Nevis, so I had to pay my respects to the birthplace of Mr. Hamilton.

Nevis is a beautiful but tiny place, especially quiet on Christmas as you can imagine. It’s easy to see why an ambitious young boy would dream of traveling elsewhere and visiting the more populous colony of New York. His childhood home is now a small museum.

On the island of St. John, I got a chance to reacquaint myself with scuba diving, something I hadn’t done in years. Here’s the boat we used, with mascot puppy Pepper, who was a highlight of the trip.

I got to dive in three places, St. Thomas, St. John and St. Barts — each beautiful. I didn’t spot any naiads, alas. Percy had warned me to look out for Triton, as he winters in the Caribbean, but I didn’t see him either. I did, however, run into some great sea life. (Thanks to my fellow diver Charles for sharing his pictures.)

Here’s one of the three reef sharks we saw in St. Bart’s. This one was small, which was just fine by me.
And here is Molly the hawkbill sea turtle. (Of course I’m sure her name was Molly. She told me.) She was not well-pleased to see us at the bottom of the sea, but she tolerated our picture taking and we left her in peace.
Some group shots of our fellow divers.
We stopped to remove an old mooring line that could have snagged some sea life.
And yours truly in the deep blue.

Back on the surface, we found that a rainbow hovered over the mega-yachts in the harbor, perhaps God’s promise that blessed are the billionaires. I don’t know.

Back on St. John, we visited a local open-air market and took a photo of a rooster. We do tend to take a lot of pictures of animals because . . . well, animals. You can find this shot in my upcoming photo book The Random Chickens of St. John. 

It was a great trip. Percy would have approved! And if that wasn’t enough, when we returned home we took a quick trip to NYC to see one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, Othello, at the New York Theatre Workshop, with Daniel Craig as Iago and David Oyelowo as Othello.

What a great performance, and it was a benefit for the Theatre Workshop’s education program, which made it all the better. As you can see from the photos, it was a tiny theater space. At one point, Daniel Craig sat down right next to my son Patrick. I’m not sure what Patrick thought about that . . . Kudos to the entire cast. Fabulous production.

And now I’m home, back to work! I am presently signing tip-in sheets for the autographed editions of Dark Prophecy: 15,000 by the time I’m done. Speedy is helping.

 

Book Goings-On

That brings me to the news about upcoming books!

If you missed the cover reveal, here is the US version for The Dark Prophecy, which comes out May 2.

You can read the first chapter here.

Wait, you ask. Rick, are those ostriches in combat helmets?

Yes. Yes, they are. Why? Wait and see . . .

Also arriving on May 2 is this, which will give you little behind-the-scenes glimpses into life at Camp Half-Blood:

And coming next fall is the third Magnus Chase title, THE SHIP OF THE DEAD, which I’m working on right now. Busy times!

As always, I don’t get release dates for the book in other countries. It usually takes a little longer (or a lot longer) depending on the translation. If you live outside the U.S., your best bet is to ask wherever you normally buy the books.

 

Miscellaneous

What else? If you have not heard, there is a Percy Jackson musical, The Lightning Thief, which has been touring the U.S. for several years now, but is now hitting off-Broadway in New York with an expanded cast, score and script. I hear it is awesome. Tickets go on sale Jan. 31.  I know that’s a bummer if you don’t live in NYC or can’t travel there, but if you can, it’s well worth seeing. Obviously live theater is a completely different medium than a book, and yes, it’s a bit hard for me to envision Percy dancing and singing, but from everything I have heard, the adaptation is very faithful and fans of the books have been delighted with the play. That’s what I care about.

Here’s a sneak peek/listen at Chris McCarrell (Percy) singing “Good Kid.”

News of the musical has made a lot of fans ask: But, but, but…. TV! 

Alas, live theater and television are two completely different things. The rights for television/film to anything involving Percy’s world, including sequels like Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo, are owned solely and forever by Fox. As far as I am aware, which is not very far, they have no plans to do anything further with those rights.

I get the desire for a television show of Percy and friends. There is a trend of taking failed movies (Cough. Percy Jackson. Cough.) and rebooting them as television. If they did it right, could it be great? Sure. But what are chances of that? I’d say somewhere around zero percent.

The conversation from there goes something like this:

Fan: But can’t you buy back the rights from Fox?

Me: I tried. They declined to sell back the rights at any price.

Fan: Couldn’t another company buy the rights and make a show?

Me: I’ve asked about that too. No joy.

Fan: But why weren’t the movies more faithful? Why did you let them change the story?

Me: The book author doesn’t “let” Hollywood do anything except buy the rights or not buy the rights. When Hollywood buys the rights, those rights include the power to do whatever they want with the source material. That isn’t just the case with me. That is the standard contract all Hollywood studios insist on with all properties. If I’d sold to a different studio, it would have made no difference. The deal would’ve been the same.

Fan: But J.K. Rowling —

Me: Rowling is always the extreme exception to every rule. However, even she did not have as much power as people think she did over the movies. She has said as much. She did not control casting or scripts for the Harry Potter movies. In fact, when she got veto power over the script for Fantastic Beasts, that made international headlines because it was the first time she or any author had EVER gotten such control over a film project. It’s always wonderful when a movie or TV show is faithful, but that never happens because an author got control. It’s because the studio listened and everyone was on the same page. It is much more common for that NOT to happen. Be assured, I offered a good deal of advice and criticism and voiced my concerns about the first movie as it was being made. How much that helped, you be the judge.

Fan: But couldn’t Netflix —

Me: Netflix is an entirely different company than Fox. Could they strike some kind deal? I mean, I suppose it’s hypothetically possible, but I have absolutely no indication that will happen. Not that I would have any indication. Fox does not consult me about such things.

Fan: But couldn’t you convince them —

Me: Judging from what you’ve seen, do you really think Fox listens to me about anything?

Fan: But somebody on Netflix customer service told me it might happen!

Me: Uh-huh. And you think the random person on the chat room for customer service knows about studio decision-making? They are trying to sell you a subscription. They don’t know any more than you do.

Fan: But what if we signed a petition —

Me: Knock yourself out.

Fan: We could have a bake sale.

Me: Go for it.

Fan: . . . We’re not getting a TV show, are we?

Me: It doesn’t look like it. No.

And so, alas, that’s where we are, folks. Please don’t believe random Internet rumors. If I hear anything different from a reliable source ten or fifteen years for now, I will let you know. I would not hold your breath, though.

On that upbeat note, I will say: Happy reading! The one thing I can and do control is the quality of the books. I assure you I will do everything I can to keep those coming and keep them entertaining!

 

 

It’s baaaaack. And it’s bigger and more demigodly than ever. The Lightning Thief Musical arrives Off-Broadway beginning March 23.

I’m very pleased to share the full press release below.

Now you’re thinking: What? Who? How? Huh? Seriously, Percy Jackson dancing and singing on stage?

Yep, it’s true! Previous stagings of this play have gotten rave reviews from even hard-core Percy Jackson book fans, and now the play is getting the full Off-Broadway treatment! Chris McCarrell is a great casting choice for Percy, don’t you think?

Full disclosure: I haven’t seen the play myself, but that is just my own personal quirk. I get weirded-out seeing or hearing adaptations of my written work. I can’t listen to my audiobooks. And the movies . . . well, as you may know, I never saw them, thank the gods. I haven’t seen the play either, but I can heartily endorse it based on feedback from the people I care about most — my readers. They have found it to be a fun, faithful, hilarious adaptation of Percy’s story. So if you can make an off-Broadway production this spring, check it out! Just beware of gorgons and random bolts of lightning, and be on the lookout for incognito gods in the audience. They love seeing plays about themselves.

 

For Immediate Release:

CHRIS McCARRELL

will star in

THE LIGHTNING THIEF: THE PERCY JACKSON MUSICAL

Based on the best-selling Disney-Hyperion novel

“The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan

 

Written by JOE TRACZ and ROB ROKICKI

Directed by  STEPHEN BRACKETT

Choreographed by  PATRICK McCOLLUM

Musical Direction by WILEY DEWEESE

Fight Direction by ROD KINTER

Orchestrations by WILEY DEWEESE & ROB ROKICKI

 

THE BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION BEGINS PERFORMANCES

MARCH 23, 2017

 

OPENING NIGHT IS SET FOR TUESDAY APRIL 4, 2017

AT OFF-BROADWAY’S LUCILLE LORTEL THEATRE

 

EXCLUSIVE AMERICAN EXPRESS PRE-SALE

January 17 – 24, 2017

 

New York: Chris McCarrell, will star in a brand-new production of The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical this March at the Lucille Lortel Theatre (121 Christopher Street). Written by Joe Tracz (Netflix “Series of Unfortunate Events”) and Rob Rokicki (Strange Tails), and directed by Stephen Brackett (Buyer and Cellar), the strictly limited engagement will begin performances on March 23, opening on Tuesday, April 4 and will run through May 6, 2017. This new production will feature musical direction by Wiley DeWeese (The Wildness), orchestrations by Wiley DeWeese & Rob Rokicki,  choreography by Patrick McCollum (The Bands Visit)  and fight direction by Rod Kinter (More Than All the World).   The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson is being presented by Theatreworks NYC in arrangement with Rick Riordan and the Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency. Tickets are $85-$65 and can be purchased by visiting  www.LightningThiefMusical.com and 866-811-4111.

 

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical was introduced to NYC by Theatreworks USA in 2014 as part of its FREE theatre series, a one hour version with a smaller cast that has successfully toured the country. This is a brand-new production with a new score, an updated, expanded script including a second act, a larger cast and will feature a live band.

 

Percy Jackson has newly discovered powers he can’t control, monsters on his trail, and he is on a quest to find Zeus’s lightning bolt and prevent a war between the Greek gods. Normal is a myth when you’re a demigod. Based on the best- selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Rick Riordan, featuring live music, The Lightning Thief:  The Percy Jackson Musical is an action- packed theatrical adventure that will rock your world.

 

Chris McCarrell (Percy Jackson) was most recently seen as Marius in the Tony Nominated revival of Les Misérables.  Television credits include Nibs in “Peter Pan Live” and The OA. Regionally, Chris starred in Summer of ’42 at Bucks County Playhouse as well as originating the role of Jimmy Livingston in Bubble Boy the musical.  Other regional credits include Gabe in Next to Normal, Anthony in Sweeney Todd and Lewis in Pippin. He has sold out concerts at 54 Below with his solo debut and Christmas Carols with Chris McCarrell. Workshops include World Will Not Contain Us, Tesla Drops the Beat and Manhattan Kids. A 2013 graduate of Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music.

“I’ve always had an Off-Broadway heart, so this is such a homecoming for me. And to start it off at the Lortel is an actual dream. Can’t wait to pour all I got into Percy Jackson. He’s going to be quick, bold, and sharp. Young messy demigod finding his way?  I’m in.  Excited to work with the team to make this innovative, magical and heartfelt show our own.” Chris McCarrell

 

“Our initial production of The Lightning Thief, was a huge critical and audience success, and continues to gather fans around the country.  But, honestly condensing the novel into an hour was challenging; the dream was always to make this production bigger and better, to flesh out characters, deepen relationships and include more of the quest –and that’s just what we’ve done.   We could not be more thrilled by this updated version, with some great new songs, a second act and a larger cast. And to top it all off, we could not be more excited to have Chris McCarrell as our Percy, he has that perfect combination of charm and talent to make this show exciting and entertaining for all ages.”  Theatreworks NYC, Barbara Pasternack

 

Creative Team Includes: David Lander (Lighting Design), Lee Savage (Set Design), Sydney Maresca (Costume Design), and Ryan Rumery (Sound Design).

 

The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical

Written by Joe Tracz and Rob Rokicki, Directed by Stephen Brackett

Choreographed by Patrick McCollum, Musical Direction by Wiley DeWeese, Fight Direction by Rod Kinter

Orchestrations by Wiley Deweese & Rob Rokicki

Begins performances on March 23 – May 6, 2017. Opening night is Tuesday. April 4.

Performance Schedule

Monday – Tuesday at 7:30pm; Thursday 2pm & 7:30pm; Friday 7:30pm;

Saturday 2pm & 7:30pm and Sunday 3pm

 

NO PERFORMANCES: 

Thursday 3/23 at 2pm, Saturday 3/25 at 2pm & Thursday 3/30 at 2pm; Monday 5/1 at 7:30pm

 

Lucille Lortel Theatre is located at 121 Christopher Street

 

Tickets are $85-$65 and can be purchased by visiting

www.LightningThiefMusical.com and 866-811-4111.

 

Social Media:

Facebook.com/LightningThiefMusical

Twitter.com/LTMusical / @LTMusical

Instagram.com/LTMusical

Press Performances are: Saturday, April 1 at 2 & 7:30pm; Sunday, April 2 at 3pm;

Monday April 3 at 7:30pm; Tuesday, April 4 at 7:30pm (Opening)

 

Mr. McCarrell, Mr. Tracz, Mr. Rockicki and Mr. Brackett are available for interviews.  To arrange interviews  or press seats please contact JT Public Relations / [email protected] / (646) 481-6583.

 

Who’s Who:

JOE TRACZ (Book) is a playwright with an MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Williamstown Theatre Festival: the original musical Poster Boy with composer-lyricist Craig Wright (2016), Song for a Future Generation (2015). Joe’s adaptation of the first book in the Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief (with composer Rob Rokicki) received a Lortel nomination for Outstanding Musical and is now touring nationally with Theatreworks USA. His musical adaptation of Ned Vizzini’s novel Be More Chill with composer Joe Iconis premiered last summer at Two River Theater. Other plays have been developed with Manhattan Theatre Club, Second Stage, Roundabout, Ars Nova, and The Flea, and published in Best American Short Plays. Film/TV includes the forthcoming Netflix series “A Series of Unfortunate Events” starring Neil Patrick Harris and directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, Epic (20th Century Fox) and Lights Out (FX). Joe is a former Playwrights Realm writing fellow, an alumnus of Theater Masters and the Ars Nova Play Group, and, with Two River Theater and Joe Iconis, a recipient of a 2015 Doris Duke Foundation Commissioning Grant. He has a BA from Kalamazoo College.

ROB ROKICKI (Music, Lyrics, Orchestrations) is an award-winning songwriter, performer, music director & educator. He is member of the Dramatists Guild & alum of the Tony Award-winning BMI writing workshop. Rob wrote the music & lyrics to the Lortel nominated, THE LIGHTNING THIEF (book Joe Tracz). He co-authored (with Michael Ruby) LOVE, NY, STRANGE TAILS & RELATIVITY. He’s currently collaborating on a project with Rebekah Allen. His studio album, is available on iTunes & his album/graphic novel, MONSTERSONGS, will be out soon. Thank you to TW, Iconis, Flynnie & all the artists who’ve contributed to the development of the show. www.robertrokicki.com

 

STEPHEN BRACKETT (Director) Off Broadway credits include: Ultimate Beauty Bible (Page 73), Wringer (NYCCT), Sommerfugl (InViolet), Buyer & Cellar (Rattlestick and Barrow Street Theaters/Westport Playhouse/National Tour/London’s Menier Chocolate Factory), City Of (Playwrights Realm), Carnival Kids (Lesser America), The Lightning Thief (Theatreworks USA), The Correspondent (Rattlestick), After (Partial Comfort), The Material World (Dixon Place), Be A Good Little Widow (Ars Nova), and The Tenant (Woodshed Collective). Regional credits include: I Now Pronounce (Humana Festival), Le Switch (About Face), Be More Chill (Two River), The Great Pretender (TheatreWorks).

PATRICK MCCOLLUM (Choreographer) Credits include Oh, Hello! (Broadway and Cherry Lane Theatre); The Band’s Visit (Atlantic Theater Company); Rain (Old Globe), Unknown Soldier (Williamstown Theatre Festival), Wilderness (Abrons Arts Center). As associate choreographer on Broadway: The Last Ship, Peter and the Starcatcher, and Rocky; Wicked (North American dance supervisor); Off-Broadway: Murder Ballad (Manhattan Theatre Club, associate choreographer); Permission (MCC, movement consultant).

WILEY DEWEESE (Music Direction/Orchestrations) is a New York based music director, arranger, and pianist. Recent: Amélie: A New Musical (Center Theatre Group, Berkeley Rep), The Wildness (Ars Nova), First Daughter Suite (Public Theater), Preludes (Lincoln Center Theater/LCT3), The Fortress of Solitude (Public Theater). B.M. from NYU Steinhardt

ROD KINTER (Fight Direction) Most Recent:  More Than All the World at Theatre for the New City.  Off Broadway:  15+ productions for Pearl Theatre Company (resident Fight Director since 2009); Fatal Attraction: A Greek Tragedy, The Anthem, and Abe Lincoln’s Big Gay Dance Party.  New York City Opera:  50+ productions (resident Fight Director 1995 – 2011).  Regional:  American Repertory Theatre; Utah Shakespeare Festival; Barter Theatre, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare on the Sound, Princeton Festival, Glimmerglass Opera, and New Jersey State Opera.  Faculty at AMDA.  www.rodkinter.com

RICK RIORDAN is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty YA novels, including the Percy Jackson series, the Kane Chronicles, the Magnus Chase series and the Trials of Apollo, with the second book in that series, The Dark Prophecy due out in May 2017.  Today over fifty million copies of his books are in print in the United States, and rights have been sold into more than 37 countries, and translated into 41 languages.

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A family story: My grandfather Jack Haley was a colonel in the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in World War II. Like many others, he fought to protect American liberties from the threat of fascism. That fight is not over. In his honor, I have joined the ACLU as a monthly contributor to help fight the curtailment of liberties that he fought to safeguard. If you are looking for a productive way to respond to the US election, I challenge you to get involved in whatever way works for you. 

Thanks to all my great readers — The Hammer of Thor is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list for the third week in a row!

Frey says thanks. This news makes him feel all warm and summery inside.

   

Next week, October 4, the English language edition of Magnus Chase 2: The Hammer of Thor, is released in both US and UK markets (including Canada, Australia, and anywhere else the English language edition is usually available). I am excited!

That’s the US cover with Magnus front and center, and the UK cover with the big scary helmeted face. Which do you like better? Typically, the answer is: “The one I can’t get in my country is much cooler!” But either way, the story is the same, and I hope you enjoy it.

Where am I going on tour? Here’s the entire rundown. I asked Disney to send me to places that I don’t usually get to visit, so that’ll be fun. We’re starting at my amigo Jeff Kinney’s store in Plainville, MA. They’re doing a much smaller event than I normally do, so I understand it sold out in about thirty seconds. With only three hundred people or so, I’ll even be able to do a signing line and photos. (Gasp! I never get to do that anymore.)  I’m sure we’ll have a great night!

From there we’re off to Birmingham, AL for a signing with Books-A-Million. I have never before been to the Birmingham area, so if you’d like to come, please get tickets! I don’t know when I might be back next.

Next up, an event with the good folks at Parnassus Books in Nashville, TN. It’s been about two years since I was last in Nashville. Can’t wait to come back.

My Iowa City event marks my first-ever appearance in Iowa, and the event has been sold out for months. Looking forward to meeting my fans there!

St. Paul, MN — always a pleasure to visit the Twin Cities. A LOT of readers in that area, and we always have a great time. Thanks to the Red Balloon Bookshop for hosting me.

Then Seattle with Elliott Bay Books. Great city. It’s been . . . wow, four years since I’ve been there? High time to go back.

Then it’s north to the Land Beyond the Gods. Anchorage, Alaska, here I come! I have to get my fix of reindeer sausage breakfast at the Snow City Cafe! (Hopefully I have time.) I have done an event once before in Anchorage, but it’s definitely a rare treat to be up that way. Get your tickets courtesy of Barnes & Noble.

From there, back the Vancouver. The last three or four times, Toronto has been getting all the events in Canada, so it’s time for me to go back west to the Big V — beautiful place!

Then Salt Lake City with King’s English Bookstore. Man, it’s been TOO long since I visited Utah and its legions of wonderful readers. Looking forward.

And then . . . well, back home to Boston to continue writing. Sorry if I’m not coming to your city or area this time around. We can only do about eight stops per tour. We try to spread things around, but of course we can’t go everywhere on every tour. My next tour will be October 2017 for Magnus 3. And as usual, apologies to my international fans. I would love to clone myself and go all over the world, but with my writing schedule and the limits of present-day technology, I cannot.

As for The Hammer of Thor in other languages, I don’t know! Sorry. There are about thirty-five different editions, and I don’t get the low-down on when they are all published. Rest assured though, the publisher in your country is working to get the translation published as fast as possible.

Whether I see you on tour or not, I hope you enjoy Magnus 2. It has some surprises inside, hopefully some good ones you will enjoy! More Samirah, more Hearthstone, more Blitzen, and of course more Valhalla craziness to the death!

Now if I can just find Thor’s hammer so we can start the party . . . Where did I put that thing?

 

What did I do this summer? Aside from writing a lot, I also took my family on a vacation/research trip to the old Viking lands of Norway!

Now, if you’re a Norwegian fan and are upset I didn’t tell you I was in your country, sorry! But this was an under-the-radar trip to relax and get some firsthand info on Scandinavia. I can’t really mix in public events on a trip like that or my family would NOT be pleased. I had previously done research trips to Denmark, Sweden and northern England — all big Viking stomping grounds — but this was my first chance to visit Norway. So what did I learn? Read on!

We started our trip in Amsterdam, which is why I am showing you a picture of an apparently dead camel:

Actually, we met this fellow at the Amsterdam Zoo. I named him Hindenburg. He was alive. He was just so done with being a camel. Either that or he was enjoying the nice weather.

We also got to see a mother and baby monkey. They were pretty darn cute.

And that about covers Amsterdam!

No, not really. It’s a beautiful city. We did the usual boat ride through the canals, took the public trains, explored the museums and ate our fill of waffles and ice cream. (Yum!) But mostly it served as our embarkation point for a cruise north.

Our first stop was Bergen, Norway, where the entire combined armed forces of the Scandinavian countries assembled on the docks to welcome us:

Actually, I don’t know what those guys were doing there. It looked like some sort of multi-national ceremony, but it was a cool welcome to town nevertheless. We walked around in the rain and cold, which was a welcome change after Boston’s hot dry summer. We ate well at a local bakery, heard a concert of Edvard Grieg’s music, and explored the seemingly endless Viking souvenir shops.

How could I not follow this sign upstairs?

Alas, there were no actual moose or Vikings, but I did find a statue of Freya striking a flirtatious pose:

I did not actually buy the statue, however, because the salesperson could not guarantee that it would cry golden tears.

We sailed on from Bergen, and as we went north the weather became sunnier and warmer. I didn’t think it was supposed to work that way, but we didn’t complain.

We quickly discovered why the fjords of Norway have such a great reputation. The country is stunningly gorgeous. I warn you: None of our pictures could do it justice. When you are there in person, you realize how much bigger and grander and more majestic it is.

I finally understood why the Vikings believed in giants. How could you not, living in a place where the landscape was fashioned for beings a thousand times your size?

Our best experience was getting lost. We took a train from the small port village of Flam up to the top of a mountain and decided to take the hiking trail back down, not realizing that the hike was twenty kilometers. We eventually figured this out and got a taxi back from the middle of nowhere, but while we were hiking it was beautiful — just us, lots of nature, gorgeous weather, and the occasional random herd of goats.

We walked right through the middle of this goat farm, said hi to Otis, Marvin and all their friends. We had to be sure to close the gate behind us when we left the property to keep the goats from coming with us. Here I am making a sad face because NO GOATS SHALL PASS.

We also met Freya’s cat on this hike. She bit me.

And more amazing natural wonders, blah, blah, blah, whatever:

We made it back to the ship just before it sailed away, but Flam definitely made an impression. I could imagine we were travelers like Odin, Loki and Honir, going from village to village, disguised as humans. Next time, I bring a compass, better shoes, and goat treats.

We sailed north from there. It’s too bad they don’t have beautiful sunrises and sunsets in Norway.

Once north of the Arctic Circle, we got to visit a reconstructed Viking longhouse in the Lofoten Islands.

It’s a working farm, so we got to see some cows. They were so done being cows:

Also piglets. Very cute piglets:

Then we headed inside the longhouse itself, which was, as advertised, long.

I quickly found the thane’s throne and asserted my dominance as lord of the manner:

Fear me. Fear my hat.

We found some carvings of the gods protecting the hearth:

Odin with his ravens, obvs.

I’m guessing Frigg, since she was opposite Odin.

And when you are in a Viking longhouse, always pay attention to the nearest illuminated exit in case of emergency:

We continued north all the way to Honnigsvag, the northernmost town in Europe at the very top of Norway. Along the way, we got our fill of amazing scenery and I got a very good sense of what it must have been like for the Vikings, living in such an amazing but harsh land:

By the third day, we were ‘waterfalled out.’ We just couldn’t take any more pictures of the gorgeous cascades of snowmelt from the tops of the mountains.

This one is called the Seven Sisters, though I’m not sure how they came up with the number seven. I guess the Five and a Half Sisters Plus a Minor Dribble didn’t sound as good.The captain of our ship swore that the cliff in the middle of this waterfall looks exactly like a whiskey bottle, though I dunno — that may say more about our captain’s drink preferences than the waterfall.

And in every town we came to, we saw lots of Frank Sinatra crossing signs:

I guess that’s why they play his music in the Hotel Valhalla elevators. Those Norwegians really love Sinatra.

Becky even caught a glimpse of the Northern Lights. It was daylight for like 20 hours a day, so it wasn’t the best time of year, but she was looking up from our balcony on the ship one night and spotted a glow that she thought was the moon. Then she realized the moon was in a completely different part of the sky. So here’s the best shot she could get of the aurora:

And here’s a Midnight Sun sunrise:

We had a great trip and I learned a ton of stuff! Now we are back at home feeling so done with travel. I am almost as tired as Speedy:

Thanks, Norway, for being awesome and giving us Viking stories to write about! I am now all fired up for the release of Magnus Chase 2: The Hammer of Thor, coming out in October!

 

Here is the latest, most updated details for my October tour. Hope to see you guys at an event!

 

 

Tuesday, October 4th

6:00 PM ET

An Unlikely Story

111 South Street

Plainville, MA 02762

508-699-0244

http://www.anunlikelystory.com

 

Wednesday, October 5th

Books-A-Million

Brookwood Village

757 Brookwood Village

Birmingham, AL 35209

205-870-0213

http://www.booksamillion.com

*Wristbands to go on sale 10/4. For more information

www.facebook.com/booksamillion/events

 

Event location:

7:00 PM CT

Vestavia Hills High School Auditorium

2235 Lime Rock Road

Vestavia Hills, AL 35216

 

Thursday, October 6th

Parnassus Books, Salon@615 Special Edition

3900 Hillsboro Pike, Suite 14

Nashville, TN 37215

615-953-2243

http://www.parnassusbooks.net

 

Event location:

6:15 PM CT

War Memorial Auditorium

301 6th Avenue North

Nashville, TN 37243

 

Friday, October 7th

Prairie Lights Bookstore

15 South Dubuque Street

Iowa City, IA 52240

319-337-2681

http://www.prairielights.com

 

Event location:

7:00 PM CT

Englert Theatre

221 E. Washington Street

Iowa City, IA 52240

319-688-2653

www.englert.org/events

 

Saturday, October 8th

Red Balloon Bookshop

891 Grand Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55105

651-224-8320

http://www.redballoonbookshop.com

 

Event location:

7:00 PM CT

The O’Shaunessy

St. Catherine’s University

2004 Randolph Avenue

St. Paul, MN 55105

 

Sunday, October 9th

Elliott Bay Book Company

1521 Tenth Avenue

Seattle, WA 98122

206-624-6600

http://www.elliottbaybook.com

 

* Tickets go on sale on August 26th.

 

Event location:

6:00 PM PT

Town Hall Seattle

1119 8th Avenue

Seattle, WA 98101

206-652-4255

 

Monday, October 10th

Barnes & Noble #2784

200 E. Northern Lights Blvd.

Anchorage, AK 99503

907-279-7323

 

Event location:

7:00 PM AKDT

West High School

1700 Hillcrest Drive

Anchorage, AK 99517

 

*Wristband distribution begins on 10/4 with purchase of book. Details at facebook.com/BNAnchorageAK

 

Tuesday, October 11th

Vancouver Kidsbooks

2557 West Broadway

Vancouver, BC V6K 2E9

604-738-5335

http://www.kidsbooks.ca

Venue: TBC

Tickets go on sale: August 22nd

 

Event location:

6:30 PM PT

The Hellenic Community Centre

4500 Arbutus Street

Vancouver, BC V6J 4A2

604-266-7148

http://helleniccommunity.org

 

Wednesday, October 12th

The King’s English Bookshop

1511 South 1500 East

Salt Lake City, UT 84105

801-484-9100

[email protected]

http://www.kingsenglish.com

 

Event location:

7:00 PM MT

Juan Diego High School

300 11800 S

Draper, UT 84020

    

Cool news, audio fans! Award-winning actor Kieran Culkin has been cast to narrate Listening Library’s audiobook editions for THE HOTEL VALHALLA GUIDE TO THE NORSE WORLDS and MAGNUS CHASE, BOOK TWO: HAMMER OF THOR! You might know Kieran from his roles in SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD, IGBY GOES DOWN, and HOME ALONE—he’s also recently had his Broadway debut in Kenneth Lonergan’s “This Is Our Youth.” I can’t wait for you to hear his narration! The audiobooks will be available simultaneously with the print and ebook editions.

The Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds comes out August 16. This is a companion book for Magnus Chase. It’s not a novel. It’s a guide for new einherjar who have just arrived in Valhalla and need to know about the Nine Worlds, the hotel, the monsters they might face, and of course the gods. Funny narration about all things Norse. Cool illustrations. Great information. No reborn warrior should be without it!

You can listen to a sample of the audio here.

Magnus Chase 2: The Hammer of Thor will be published October 6. More Magnus! More Blitzen and Hearthstone! More Samirah! And now, with 85% more Loki and Thor! Plus a few marvelous surprises and awesome new characters.