Cara Lockwood's Blog, page 4

Help Japan!

Hi guys,

Anyone who's been watching the coverage of the earthquake and nuclear troubles in Japan know how devestating it's been for that country. I still have ties to Japan - my dad's grandparents immigrated from the land of the rising sun. I still have distant cousins living there.

I've donated to the Red Cross already, but anybody who emails (cara@caralockwood.com) or tweets me a receipt of their own donation (of absolutely any amount) at www.redcross.org, I'll enter you to win one of five signed copies of Dixieland Sushi.

I don't yet know the odds, but last time I held a contest, they were really good (meaning you enter, you had a one in three chance of winning!).

Good luck - and remember, it's for a good cause.
Cara

I'm On Fire!

Okay, not really.

But I AM in a great new book of essays about the fabulous Hunger Games trilogy called "The Girl Who Was On Fire." It's unauthorized, so that just means it's cool. Honestly, you should buy it just for the cover. I mean how cool is that? (WARNING: May show signs of being Hunger Games Triology Ultra Fan. I am a Hunger Games Geek - Would that make me a Glunger? A Heek? I clearly need to work on that).

Anyway, check out the book of essays at Smart Pop:

www.smartpopbooks.com/3371

I write about genetic muttations (if you've read the Games, you know I'm talking about Tracker Jackers and other gruesome creations) and how we might be closer than you think to engineering our own freak genetic weapons.

Here's an excerpt:

I will admit right now that I am entirely too critical of most sci-fi. I'm the one sitting in the movie theater grumbling, "that could never happen." Or, more concisely, I'll just say: "Seriously?"

Could there be some crazy disease somewhere in a lab that would turn the entire planet into brain-eating zombies or sunlight- fearing vampires? No way. Beefing up shark brains to make them super-smart predators? I don't think so. Crazed prehistoric- sized piranhas that will devour anybody with an inflatable floatie and a cooler? Please. They want us to believe this stuff?

Like take the insane DNA-spliced mutant monsters that make terrifying cameos throughout the Hunger Games. I'm supposed to believe that one day we could be ripped apart by mutant wolves with tribute eyes? Stung by poisonous and relentless tracker jackers? Or get devoured by giant lizard men?

Seriously?

As it turns out . . . maybe so.

If you want to read more, grab your copy of "The Girl Who Was On Fire" today!

Ah, summer reading...

So, I've been remiss in blogging for a number of reasons, but let's not dwell on the past, shall we? Let's move forward and think about the future - in a place where I don't procrastinate and I blog relentlessly every day.

It's nearly summer, and that means that it's time to crack open those paperbacks and enjoy a little beach reading. I love beach reading. It's my favorite kind. Add a margarita, an exotic locale, and maybe a fit pool boy named Paulo, and you've got my idea of a perfect vacat...

It's here!

Well, everybody, the Cara Lockwood drought is over. The new book is here. Can't Teach An Old Demon New Tricks is now on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. It's getting some pretty good reviews by people other than my mom. Like Booklist says I have "engaging characters" and "snappy dialogue" (Oh you bet I do!).

Romance Reviews Today called CAN'T TEACH a "Funny, passionate, and full of magic and adventure... a thoroughly enjoyable adventure that will have readers quickly flipping the pages."

Need more...

Congrats to the winners!

Congrats to the five lucky winners of the You Pick! Contest:

Angie, Kate, Mandi, Kitty and April!

Sad you didn't win? Don't worry. I'm feeling generous. Lord knows I could use some good karma these days. How about I give away five signed copies of my new book, out at the end of the month - Can't Teach An Old Demon New Tricks? Just shoot me an email at contest@caralockwood.com and I'll enter you to win. I'll pick winners on April 2. I was going to go for April 1, but I don't want to be mistaken...

Get Your (cheap) Books here!

I don't know about you, but I'm tired of winter. It might have something to do with the fact that my down-filled coat decided to explode this morning, leaving me looking feathered (sans tar). Goose down does little to enhance an all-black outfit, FYI.

So, to chase away those winter blahs, I've got a little ray of good news. Three Cara Lockwood titles have just been re-released in cheaper, mass market paperback editions. I Do (But I Don't), Every Demon Has His Day and Pink Slip Party make thei...

Happy Post Holidays!

Ah, the sound of James Brown blaring at Starbucks. It must be post-holiday time! The Christmas tunes are off, and now we're back to some odd ecclectic mix of James Brown, the Beatles and some Irish Rock Indie band I've never heard of. It's good to be back!

If you're not so happy that the Christmas music is gone or if you're still fuming about that package of coal-colored Fruit of the Loom that Santa brought you, then fear not. I've got a little post-holiday contest to lift your spirits.

Severa...

Let it Snow - Somewhere Else

I hate snow. Oh, sure, call me a killjoy. Call me unfestive. But today, after slogging through horizontal snow with two heavy bags of trash only to find my trash cans frozen shut, I just wasn't feeling the holiday spirit.

I'm a winter sissy, I admit it. I've spent nine winters in Chicago so far, and I'm still not used to the cold. I grew up in Texas, ya'll. My idea of winter is when you can drink a frozen margarita on the porch without it melting in five minutes.

But then I moved to the midwes...

It ain't easy being green...

Okay, so I was flipping through one of those random catalogs I get sent (how did I ever get on the Old Lady Pants/Clogs Catalog list? Really - am I THAT old? The day I wear sansabelt polyester pants is the day I officially have let myself go beyond recovery) and I saw these cool solar-powered Christmas lights you can hang around your house. I thought - hey, I need Christmas lights, so I'll buy these as a two-fer - a present for me and a present for Mother Earth. You're welcome, planet.

I waite...

New Moon, New Blog

Ah, well, so sorry for the lack of blogs (blogging? Blog entries? Blogosphericals? I don't know the proper vocabulary anymore). I've been busy writing (kind of) and, I have to admit, I've been cheating on this blog with Twitter. It's a heck of a lot easier to write 163 characters than all of these - what do you call them? - Oh, yes, sentences and paragraphs. I mean, sheesh. What do you think I am? A writer or something? Please. Besides, I think I've mentioned before, that I'm a big of a slack...