Percy Jackson is back in the sequel to The Lightning Thief. I had not read the net two books in the series because I felt I should go back and re-read the first, but now I have and so I read the next two. In this book, Percy has almost made it through a year at school without any incidents. But on the last day of school he has a bad dream about his friend and satyr, Grover, and then gets into a fight with some nasty monsters and sets the school on fire. After heading back to Camp Half-Blood, Percy discovers that Grover is in serious trouble. But things are wrong at the Camp and Chiron, the training master, has been fired for supposedly poisoning the camp. Now Tantalus, who used to reside in Hades, is in charge. When Percy tells him of Grover, he does not send Percy as Percy plans, but sends Clarisse instead. So Percy does the only thing he can think of, he sneaks out with his half brother/ cyclops, Tyson, and his friend and daughter of Athena, Annabeth. Soon they are battling monsters, stealing the Golden Fleece, and fighting for their lives. In this action packed adventure, Riordan does not disappoint with the stories he started in Lightning Thief.
Iris Greenwold receives a mysterious present on her birthday, a copy of Bulfinch’s mythology. She discovers that the greek gods no longer live on Olympus, but rather in her hometown. Soon she is sharing oysters with Poseidon, jamming with Apollo, and meeting Zeus. But what does it all mean? Is she here to help them or are they here to help her? That is never really clear in the book and I can’t tell if there are going to be more in the series or if this is a standalone. While it is a cute premise I was a little disappointed that there was not a clearer resolution.
(Because That's My Name)
Until five years ago, if you had asked me what I wanted to be in life, you'd have gotten about a million different answers. Here's what I might have said, in roughly chronological order: teacher, fashion designer, intellectual property lawyer, world-famous architect, environmental biologist, actress, historic preservationist, restoration architect, celebutante, princess (hey, Wills is still single!) and web designer. Of course, all the time when I was harboring these other "dreams" there was writing. Not whole books or anything, but little story ideas and the occasional awful poem. It was never anything I believed could be a real career.
Then, five years ago, all that changed. I was at a kind of standstill in my life. I was living at home, working for my family and temping on the side (let's just say that if I never have to enter another insurance claim into a computer again, I'll be a happy girl). I started reading more and more, found authors that I just fell in love with. Johanna Lindsey. Julia Quinn. Rachel Gibson. Elizabeth Bevarly. Karen Marie Moning. I read them obsessively, and that gave me the hope that I could do that if I wanted. I could write--and sell--a book!
It took a couple of false starts, but by the end of the year I had finished my first manuscript--an historical romance that wound up finaling in the Romance Writers of America's prestigious Golden Heart contest. But the historical market was in a lull, so I decided to try my hand at chick lit. Two manuscripts and a bunch of contest finals later the chick lit market followed historicals into a lull. Then I got THE idea. The one that would defy all trends, all market lulls. GROWING UP GODLY was born. (And later re-born as OH. MY. GODS.)
OH. MY. GODS.
If Phoebe Castro can keep her grades up and have another stellar cross-country season, her dream of attending USC with her best friends is only a track scholarship away. She’s made all her plans, so it’s a complete shock when her mom announces she’s marrying a mysterious stranger and moving them half-way around the world – to Greece.
Phoebe’s stuck on a secret island in the Aegean attending the super-exclusive Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster and the kids are anything but your average students—they are descendants of the Greek gods, super powers included. hat’s right, Greek gods are no myth! If Phoebe thought high school was hard, she knows this is going to be mortal misery.
Securing that scholarship seems like Phoebe’s only ticket out of Greece, but training and maintaining her grades will be grueling, even without sabotaging step-sister from Hades and a gorgeous guy – what a god! –who just might be her Achilles heel. One thing is for sure – summoning the will to win and find her place among the gods could be Phoebe’s toughest course yet.
What I'm Working On Now
Besides the millions of other ideas roaring through my head, I'm currently writing the sequel to OH. MY. GODS. in which Phoebe continues her adventures on the secret island of Serfopoula. (I wish I could say more, but there would be major spoilers involved!)
Hugs,
TLC
OH. MY. GODS. (Dutton) May 2008
teralynnchilds.com
Percy is back in the their installment of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Things have gone from bad to worse and now the goddess Artemis has disappeared just like Annabeth. A quest is set down by the Oracle, but Percy is not one of the ones who gets to go at first. But thanks to a malady that befalls one of the questors, Percy gets to go. This book is there things really come to a head. The gods cannot ignore the fact that Kronos is rising again. They need the heroes more than ever, but one of them could mean their end forever. We meet more gods in this book including Apollo, Artemis, and Aphrodite. The gods are just as capricious as they were in the original tales, but it seems so much harsher in a modern setting set against the kindness of Percy. This book feels like it is really launching the series. The first two were exposition somewhat and to give readers a taste of Percy, but in this one it feels like the main course. Now there is a purpose and reason to what is happening and it is up to Percy to go out and do some pretty hard stuff. I can’t wait for the next one (and I won’t wait as long to read it!)
Your book sounds so fun, Tera! I can't wait to read it. And congrats on launching so well into writing! Your first MS finalling in the GH is the stuff of legends.
xxo!
TLC, how wonderful to read more indepth about your past, and what you're up to now. And yes, Wills is still single, so don't give up hope on becoming a princess! :)
I'm so excited about your book coming out...in fact, I mentioned it to a group of AP English students recently who are studying Greek lit, and got a room full of smiles!
You are one of those rare people who really could have been ANYTHING you wanted. I'm so glad you chose to be an author! :)
I agree with Steph! Can't wait to see your book on the shelves, TLC!!!
OK... LOVE That cover! Found you from my good friend Steph Hale right there above me.
From a girl who got an A in Greek Mythology class in college and who also, in 8th grade, wrote a report on Athens (and actually cut out the pages from an encyclopedia for pictures in my report -- who knew there were copy machines?) I do believe this story sounds GREAT! So much fun!!
Serfopoula? Very intriguing name for a mysterious island. I'm wondering if there's a sister island: Marcopoula? Marco! Polo! Ok, you probably got that already.