The gods need heroes. They always have.

I wrote for 10 years before I even started the 'Percy Jackson' series.

Have you ever noticed how parents can go from the most wonderful people in the world to totally embarrassing in three seconds?

Freak is easily spooked. Flesh-eating monsters tend to scare him away. So do fireworks, clowns, and the smell of Sadie's weird British Ribena drink. (Can't blame him on that last one. Sadie grew up in London and developed some pretty strange tastes.

Tantalus made a wild grab, but the marshmallow committed suicide, diving into the flames.

I woke to a bucket of ice water in my face. “Sadie! Get up,” Zia said. “God!” I yelled. “Was that necessary?” “No,” admitted Zia.

How does it taste?” Carter wondered. Zia smiled. “Stick out your tongue.” To answer Carter’s question, the tattoo tasted like burning car tires. “Ugh.” I spit a blue gob of “order and harmony” into the fountain.