Meet the Author: Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan's first book, "Big Red Tequila", was published in 1997. It became the first book in a popular series won the top three awards in the adult mystery genre.

On a whim, Riordan told his son a story about the adventures of Percy Jackson, a boy who was half-human and half-god, living in modern-day America. When he finished, Riordan's son urged him to write the story down. That story became "The Lightning Thief," the first of Riordan's best-selling Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The series has become so popular that the fourth book, "The Battle of the Labyrinth", began with a one million copy print run. For its May 2008 release, kids lined up at bookstores around the country.