Rick Riordan Stands Atop Mount Olympus as Final Percy Jackson Book "The Last Olympian" Arrives

Rick Riordan didn't get much sleep last night. Despite being the author of a series steeped in magic and mythology, he doesn't have a superstitious routine the night before his latest work hits stores. "I really don't. Not the night before. I'm on pins and needles the whole night and I have to confess I don't sleep well, but there's nothing that I do that's lucky or anything like that. I just cross my fingers."

Today, fans finally get their hands on Riordan's fifth and final installment in the adventures of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians." Already a bestseller at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, Riordan says "The Last Olympian" will put a wrap on the story. "You'll find out what happens to all the main characters, Percy, Annabeth, Grover, all the gang," says Riordan.

The former school teacher latched onto ancient Greece and its gods, realizing its influence in many of the stories we read and watch today. Riordan says "Greek mythology has everything you could possibly want in the story. It's got magic, mystery, monsters, action, romance... Everything you want is there."

Before writing his first Percy Jackson book, Riordan brought it to life as a bedtime story for his son. The plot follows a young boy who discovers he's the modern-day son of the Greek god Poseidon. Percy's earthly handicaps, ADHD and dyslexia, come from impairments suffered by Riordan's son. "I wanted Percy to be a character he could relate to. In the books, those are indicators that you may also be a demigod. The dyslexia means the words float off the page because your brain is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD, well, that's your battlefield reflexes so your always looking around for monsters."

Disney Hyperion, which publishes the Percy Jackson series, plans a massive promotional blitz as it aims to turn this franchise into the next Harry Potter. A multi-city tour begins today for Riordan in Austin, Texas where BookPeople will turn its parking lot into Camp Half Blood, a haven for demigods in the books. Other stops for the author include Houston, Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco, New York, Boston, St. Paul, St. Louis, Raleigh, Miami, Atlanta, Dayton and San Antonio, Riordan's hometown.

His publisher will also giveaway a Disney Cruise, where on-line entrants must answer three questions related to the Percy Jackson series. This spring, schools and libraries have been conducting Percy Jackson and the Olympians Mythology Bee's with the grand prize winner receiving a trip for four to Greece this summer to meet Riordan.

"The Last Olympian" wont be the last time fans will experience adventures in Riordan's world. In about a year, he says he'll launch a spin-off series, covering the next generation of demigods. "So I wont be saying goodbye to the characters completely, which I'm relieved for."

He also plans to visit the set of "The Lightning Thief" Thursday. 20th Century Fox purchased the film rights to the Percy Jackson series. Production recently began on the first story in the series, due next February, with Pierce Brosnan and Uma Thurman playing key characters. Riordan says he's a very visual thinker and imagined the story's in movie terms, but he never thought they would end up on the big screen. "It's succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. Its incredibly gratifying."