Today we are very excited to share an Author Chat with Crispin Boyer, Author, of the Zeus the Mighty series conducted by Junior YABC staff member, Nathan Reid. Read on for more about Crispin and his latest book:
About: Zeus the Mighty: The Epic Escape from the Underworld, Book 4:
A dark land filled with shadows and strange noises. A multiheaded beast standing guard. A new, sly ruler with a few tricks in store. A lack of Mutt Nuggets to fill Ares the pug’s belly … The Olympians of Mount Olympus Pet Center have never faced a challenge quite like this. With Zeus the Mighty trapped in his palace by an all-seeing guard dog named Cerberus, it’s up to his gaggle of gods and goddesses to figure out how to rescue him. Once the Oracle speaks, the critters know they must venture deep into the belly of the vast Underworld to find the powerful relic that can free Zeus. But with so many new faces along the way, who can they trust? Will their quick thinking and teamwork be enough to save Zeus and themselves? After all, they found a way in, but can anyone really escape the Underworld? Join Zeus the overconfident hamster, Athena the wise cat, Ares the treat-loving pug, Poseidon the proud pufferfish, Demeter the loyal grasshopper, and Hermes the daring chicken on another laugh-out-loud adventure through Greek mythology. And don’t forget to check out the other books in the series : Zeus the Mighty: The Quest for the Golden Fleas (1) Zeus the Mighty: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur (2) Zeus the Mighty: The Trials of Hairy-Clees (3)
~Author Chat With Crispin Boyer ~
~Interview Questions Created by Nathan Reid, 10 yrs. old (Hamster and Greek Myth Enthusiast!)~
Nathan: Why did you choose to write the Zeus the Mighty series?
Crispin: The idea came from my boss at NatGeo Kids. Fiction is a new thing for National Geographic—they were focusing on fun books about science, history, nature, bugs, boogers, dinosaurs, stuff like that, and those books are still the core of their lineup. But they wanted to start a line of fiction books that were fun to read but also could teach a thing or two. My boss had the vision of a hamster who thought he was Zeus, king of the Greek Gods, who lived in a pet-rescue center in Athens, Georgia. She left the rest up to me, and I’ve had a lot of fun filling in the details.
Nathan: Why did you choose those specific pet store animals to be each Greek god?
Crispin: That’s a great question! My editor saw Zeus as a hamster—a little animal with big ambitions. I knew Zeus’s Olympian friends all had to have similarly distinct personalities. I knew I wanted Poseidon, who’s a rival for Zeus (and his brother), and my Poseidon had to live in the aquarium tank. So the trick was getting him out of the water at night to go on adventures. That’s where his diving helmet came in. I knew I wanted Demeter, goddess of the harvests, and a grasshopper made sense for her. Plus she needed to be Zeus’s size or smaller, because she lives with him in his “palace” on Mount Olympus, tallest shelf in the pet store. I knew I wanted Ares, a god of war, and he should be a dog. I figured a pug would make a fun, fearless force of chaos! (My other choice was a greyhound, but they’re too big to fit into the tight spaces where Zeus has his adventures—another consideration for my animal choices.) Finally I needed Athena, goddess of wisdom, to balance everyone out. A silver cat made the most sense. All these animals really believe they’re Greek gods; they’re not pretending. But they’re still animals, with the same animal instincts and abilities. So that means Athena can see in the dark, Demeter can fly, and so on. I wanted to make sure I had a good mix of animals with abilities that complimented each other.
Nathan: When you were a kid did you read any books like Zeus the Mighty?
Crispin: Yes! I read everything I could get my hands on. I loved adventures with a deep lore similar to the Zeus series, such as the Lord of the Rings books and mysteries like Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Encyclopedia Brown. I also loved science fiction: Anything from Arthur C. Clarke or Isaac Asimov.
Nathan: How many books do you plan to have in the series?
Crispin: There are four books available so far, and I just finished writing the fifth one, which will come out next year. I’ll wrap up the cliffhanger left at the end of the Escape from the Underworld.
Nathan: Who is your favorite character in the book and why?
Crispin: Hermes, but for a selfish reason. She’s modeled after one of my chickens. Some backstory: I live on a farm in Hawaii. We have a donkey, two cattle, four sheep, four geese, and about 30 chickens. One of our hens is my little minion—she follows me everywhere. So naturally I had to put her in the book as Hermes. She has so much personality—very chatty, curious, friendly. The illustrator for the Zeus series, the unbeatable Andy Elkerton—based Hermes’s appearance in the book off my hen in real life.
Nathan: Who is your least favorite character and why?
Crispin: Phineas, the soothsayer from the first book. He’s only my least favorite because he’s the most complicated, and I can’t really explain any more without spoiling his story arc. As you and other readers of the series know, Phineas has a secret identity. Keeping track of Phineas and his dialog was critical to avoid spoiling his secret, so he presented quite a writing challenge.
Nathan: How long did it take you to write the latest book?
Crispin: It takes me about a month to write the first draft, and then each book goes through four revisions (sometimes more), where I get feedback from my editor and tweak and tweak and tweak to make the story as fun as possible. This process takes about six months. Then the book goes to the illustrator, who brings the characters to life. The whole process–writing, revision, and art–takes about a year.
Nathan: Which Zeus book is your favorite so far?
Crispin: The first, because it’s the book that established the world and the first round of characters. Plus, I just really love the scene with the Harpies, where Zeus stumbles around in the dark, looking for the light switch as they divebomb him. It was a fun scene to write, thrilling and a little scary. That book took the most work, the most revisions and editing. Originally I had outlined a lot more characters and plot twists—too many for one book—so my editor wisely helped me trim it down and save some of the characters and surprises for the later books.
Nathan: What is your favorite Greek Myth?
Crispin: The Odyssey, which is a collection of myths in one epic journey of an ordinary mortal who’s having the worst voyage of his life. That adventure may make an appearance in an upcoming Zeus book. Stay tuned!
Nathan: Do you have plans for a new series? Will it be like the Zeus series?
Crispin: Right now I write all Zeus, all the time, but once I finish the series I would love to tackle something space- or sci-fi related. Maybe Zeus in space. He could travel in Poseidon’s dive helmet!
Title: Zeus the Mighty: The Epic Escape from the Underworld, Book 4
Author: Crispin Boyer
Publisher: Under the Stars/National Geographic Kids
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Age Range: 8-12 years
Additional Books in the Series:
Zeus The Mighty: The Quest For the Golden Fleas, Book 1
Greek mythology meets cute talking animals in this first adventure in a hilarious new middle grade fiction series, starring Zeus the mighty … king of the gods … ruler of minions … HAMSTER, and the crazy crew of critters of the Mount Olympus Pet Center.
Welcome to the Mount Olympus Pet Center, which sits high on a hill in Athens … Georgia. The owner, Artie, has a soft spot for animals that need a forever home, and she has rescued a menagerie of creatures, each named after a powerful god or goddess. But these animals aren’t just pets with cool names …
Meet Zeus, a tiny hamster with a mighty appetite for power. His cage sits atop a high shelf so he can watch the other pets from above. But being king of the gods is a tough job: You’ve got to issue orders and decrees, make sure to stay in tip-top shape by running on your exercise wheel, and most importantly, lead your minions on epic journeys. And Zeus the Mighty has one giant task in front of him: Find the “Golden Fleas” and solidify his position before the other gods rebel.
Get ready to laugh, cheer, and learn with this adorable and quirky cast of characters in their unforgettable first adventure — a reimagining of the tale of the Golden Fleece.
Zeus the Mighty: The Maze of the Menacing Minotaur, Book 2
Leap into the world of Zeus the hamster and his gang of gods as they solve the mystery of the labyrinth in the second book in this hilarious modern-day take on Greek mythology. Our story begins in the depths of a winding labyrinth, the domain of a fearsome Minotaur who threatens all who live on Mount Olympus. Can Zeus the Mighty save the day? The critters are back and on the quest of a lifetime! Join Zeus the overconfident hamster, Athena the wise cat, Ares the treat-loving pug, Poseidon the proud pufferfish, and Demeter the loyal grasshopper in this laugh-out-loud adventure. Welcome to Mount Olympus, a pet supply and rescue center that sits high atop a hill in Athens, Georgia. By day, the pets there do what all pets do: Chew on a bone or curl up for a catnap. Under the careful watch of their Greek history obsessed caretaker, Artie, the pets listen in to her favorite podcast, Greeking Out, each night. But under the cover of nightfall, Zeus and his cohorts spring free from their cages and pursue quests bestowed upon them by the magical all-knowing Oracle of Wi-Fi. And once again, she has spoken: There’s a threat in Mount Olympus Pet Center, and it’s going to take guts, smarts, and strength to triumph. Join Zeus and his friends on this rollicking romp through a winding labyrinth (the center’s duct system) and Greek mythology.
Zeus the Mighty: The Trials of Hairy-Clees, Book 3
Our story begins with a challenge: The Trials of Hairy-Clees are only for the bravest and most awesome gods of all. Who among them will become the ultimate champion?
The pets of Mount Olympus Pet Center are a true team: They conquer epic quests as easily as Ares the pug scarfs down Mutt Nuggets and they vanquish enemies who are pricklier than the spines on Poseidon the pufferfish. But when a chicken named Hermes shows up one day, things take a turn, and before the team knows it, the Oracle has spoken and the mysterious Trials of Hairy-Clees begin! Who will become top god? And can Zeus learn to share the limelight to fight alongside Hermes?
Join Zeus the overconfident hamster, Athena the wise cat, Ares the treat-loving pug, Poseidon the proud pufferfish, and Demeter the loyal grasshopper on another laugh-out-loud adventure through Greek mythology.
