Cory Putman Oakes's Blog, page 2
January 27, 2016
Dinosaur Boy Saves Mars Sneak Peek #2: THE POLAR BEARS
DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS comes out on February 2, 2016!
This is Day #2 of 7 Days of Sneak Peeks! (Yesterday was Day #1). 7 days of me telling you some of my favorite things about the book! I’m also giving away this nifty prize package:
For a chance to win, just leave me a comment on this post (with your email address, so I can contact you if you win!) and/or share this post on Twitter or Facebook. You can earn up to two entries with each blog post (one comment and one share). US only please.
Today is Sneak Peek #2: THE POLAR BEARS
Sawyer, Elliot, Sylvie, and Sawyer’s grandfather (Dr. Franklin) are on board a UFO, headed for Mars in order to find Sylvie’s missing father. But, as Dr. Franklin explains, they can’t go straight there. The UFO belongs to Amalgam Labs, where Dr. Franklin works, and he had to give the lab a legitimate, scientific reason for borrowing the UFO. So he agreed to run a small errand: before they head to Mars, they have to stop by Saturn and drop off two polar bears named Harriet and Roland. There is a large game preserve on Saturn just for species that are on the brink of extinction.
Now, the Dinosaur Boy books are fictional. But, unfortunately, the danger of polar bear extinction is not. The National Wildlife Federation estimates that there are fewer than 25,000 polar bears left in the wild, and the U.S. Geological Survey projects that two thirds of them will be gone by 2050 due to global warning. (For more information on polar bears, click HERE)
Did I mention that the prize package contains a stuffed polar bear? It’s super cute.
I love Harriet and Roland, but they don’t stay in the book for long. They are safely dropped off on Saturn and the kids continue on to Mars. But while they are together, Sawyer has an important talk with Harriet – she says some things that he remembers later when he finds himself in charge of resolving a very complicated, potentially dangerous situation on Mars . . .
Which I will explain more fully in Sneak Peek Day #3 
See you tomorrow!
CPO
PS – DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS hits the shelves on February 2, but there’s still time to preorder it at your local indie bookstore, Barnes and Noble, or anywhere else you buy books.
January 26, 2016
Dinosaur Boy Saves Mars Sneak Peek #1: THE UFO
DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS comes out on February 2, 2016!
So I’m celebrating with seven days of sneak peeks! Seven days of telling you about some of my favorite things in this book. Some of them are nerdy, some of them are silly, most of them are both. I hope you enjoy them, and I hope they get you excited about the next installment in the Dinosaur Boy series!
I’m also giving away THE ULTIMATE DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS PRIZE PACKAGE!
This 9-item package includes: a model stegosaurus, a model triceratops, astronaut ice-cream, sushi-shaped erasers, a soccer ball, NERDS, a stuffed polar bear, a make-your-own UFO kit, and a signed copy of DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS.
TO ENTER THE CONTEST: just leave a comment on any of the Sneak Peek blog posts (be sure to include your email address!) and/or share the post on Twitter or Facebook. I will randomly pick a winner. (You can earn up to two entries per post – one comment, and one share – so theoretically, you can enter up to 14 times!)
Today is Sneak Peek #1: THE UFO
One of the main questions I’m getting about this book is whether it really takes place on Mars and, if so, how the three main characters (Sawyer, Elliot, and Sylvie) get there.
The answers: Yes, most of this book takes place on Mars. And Sawyer and his friends get there on a UFO, of course.
Although I guess, if we’re being picky, the giant flying saucer that they fly to Mars isn’t technically a UFO (“Unidentified Flying Object”) because it’s not really “unidentified.” We know it’s name (the Lost Beagle), we know that it’s owned by Amalgam Labs (the genetic research laboratory that Sawyer’s grandfather works for) and we know that it’s a “Model 2012, Martian engineered, Hohmann class” space craft.
(“Hohmann” refers to “Hohmann transfer orbit,” which is basically the easiest way to get from one planet to another, taking into account their relative orbits and the amount of fuel you’ll need to get from one point to another.)
The pilot of the UFO is Sawyer’s grandfather, Dr. Franklin. He has intercepted a distress signal from Mars, which he believes was sent by Sylvie’s dad, Asaph Juarez, who has been missing since the middle of Book #1. Dr. Franklin has a plan to find him, but he needs Sawyer, Elliot, and Sylvie to help him.
The problem is that the UFO is not actually his – it belongs to Amalgam Labs. And in order to borrow the UFO, Dr. Franklin has to come up with a legitimate scientific mission to take it on.
Which brings me to the polar bears . . . which I will explain tomorrow, in Sneak Peek #2.
Don’t forget to leave me a comment or share this post for a chance to win the prize pack!
–CPO
January 19, 2016
GIVEAWAY – Advanced Reader Copy of DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS
Guys!! It’s just 15 days until DINOSAUR BOY SAVES MARS comes out and to celebrate, I’m doing a giveaway of my very last arc!
Even though, as the title suggests, a lot of this book is about Mars, there is another planet that is really important to the story: PLUTO. As we all know, Pluto has been through a lot recently. Since it’s discovery in 1930, it was basically just minding it’s own business, enjoying it’s distinction as the ninth planet in our solar system, until 2006 when the International Astronomical Union decided to redefine their definition of “planet.” Under this new classification system, Pluto was demoted to “dwarf planet” status. [For a full discussion of the IAU’s decision, click HERE]
This all happened ten years ago, but judging by the number of tee-shirts available on both sides of the controversy, some of us still seem to be processing our feelings on the matter:
So, TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY: Please leave me a comment and tell me if you are TEAM PLUTO or TEAM IAU.
TEAM PLUTO: We believe that Pluto should not allow a group of scientists on a planet far, far away to arbitrarily define it’s identity. Stand strong, Pluto! You’re still a planet in our hearts.
TEAM IAU: We believe that if the tender feelings of a small chunk of rock have to be sacrificed in the name of scientific progress, then so be it. Deal with it, Pluto. Move on with your life and stop complaining.
Your chances of winning the arc will not be effected by which team you choose – I’ll be picking the winner at random. So be honest!
You have until noon (Central Time) on Friday, January 22 to pick your team! (US only please). Good luck!
November 11, 2015
GIVEAWAY! Official Mockingjay Part 2 Prize Pack!
Are you guys getting excited for Mockingjay Part 2? I AM!
And I’m even more excited I get to share some of the love! In connection with the advanced screening of Mockingjay Part 2 (happening here in Austin next Tuesday, November 17), the good people at FONS PR are letting me give away official film merch, y’all! This includes a mocking jay pin, a tee-shirt, two posters and temporary tattoos!
Click here to enter: MOCKINGJAY PART 2 MERCH GIVEAWAY
The contest goes until November 16 and you can get multiple entries (by doing things like leaving me a comment on this post, following me on Twitter, tweeting a message – you know, the usual stuff). I’ll notify the winner via email and pass on your info to Fons! US only please.
Don’t forget, this is the LAST of the Hunger Games movies, so this is literally your final shot at getting this cool stuff. For yourself, or for a Hunger Games fan you know and love
May the odds be ever in your favor!
CPO
October 16, 2015
Texas Book Festival 2015
This weekend (October 17-18) is the Texas Book Festival! It’s going to be an awesome explosion of bookishness, with over 300 authors and tons of amazing events going on. I’m still combing through the schedule trying to figure out what I should attend – there is so much to choose from! But there’s one place I know I’ll be for sure, and that’s talking about ALL THINGS WEIRD with Jacqueline Kelly on Saturday!
Our panel is on Saturday from 1:00-1:45pm in Capital Extension Room E1.014 (here’s a MAP if you need it – I know I will!) If you’ll be at the festival, I hope you can come see us! We’ll also be doing a signing after the panel.
I hope you’ll be able to attend the Texas Book Festival this weekend! And if you are, here are my some links that might come in handy:
The Texas Book Festival Main Website
The Texas Book Festival 2015 Schedule
The Texas Book Festival 2015 Authors
The Texas Book Festival Grounds 2015 Map
The Texas Book Festival 2015 Attendee Info
The Texas Book Festival 2015 Parking Info
I hope to see you there!
April 13, 2015
Cory’s TLA Schedule + Secret Giveaway!
Hello All!
This week is the Texas Library Association‘s Annual Conference (TLA). It’s being held in Austin this year, which makes it really convenient for me! I’ll be attending a couple of the events and doing two signings of DINOSAUR BOY, so I thought it might be fun to also do a SECRET GIVEAWAY!
First, here’s my schedule for TLA 2015:
Tuesday, April 14:
8:00pm: Sourcebooks TLA Party (Byrne-Reed House, Humanities Texas, 1410 Rio Grande St)
Wednesday, April 15:
10:15am: Signing DINOSAUR BOY at Pat Anderson’s Booth (#2142)
Thursday, April 16:
1:30pm: Signing DINOSAUR BOY at the Sourcebooks Booth (#1758)
6:30pm: Texas Author Meet and Greet (Hilton Hotel)
AND I’ll be doing a Secret Giveaway at each of my signings (10:15 on Wednesday and 1:30 on Thursday): the first THREE people who come and see me and use the secret codeword THAGOMIZER will receive a fun prize. Remember: the codeword is THAGOMIZER. Here’s a Far Side cartoon to help you remember it:
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at TLA!
March 3, 2015
Blast From The Past Tour!
DINOSAUR BOY is going on tour!
The awesome Jo Whittemore (author of COLONIAL MADNESS) and I are taking the show on the road! From March 9-13, 2015 we’ll be visiting some of our favorite bookstores all around Texas. Since both of our books have themes from the past, which we have brought to the present, we’re calling our tour:
BLAST FROM THE PAST!
We’ll bring the treats, the swag, and the fun. You just bring yourself (and the kids, if you have/can borrow some for the day!) Please help spread the word! We’d love to see as many of our Texas friends and fans as possible!
First Texas. Next: THE WORLD!!
Monday,
March 9
Austin/Round Rock
The Book Spot
6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, March 10
Houston
Blue Willow Bookshop
5:00 p.m.
Thursday, March 12
Dallas
Barnes and Noble – Lincoln Park
7:00 p.m.
Friday, March 13
Fort Worth
Barnes and Noble – Hulen Center
3:00 p.m.
September 10, 2014
The DINOSAUR BOY Cover!
YAY! I’m so psyched that I finally get to share this with everybody! Do you have ANY idea how hard it has been to keep something THIS AWESOME to myself?!!
The official cover reveal happened today over on KidsReads (and I did an exclusive guest post for them about what kind of dinosaurs I modeled the bad guys after!), but I thought I would talk a little more here about the cover and how it came to be.
First of all, who are these kids? Well, the kid in the front (the one with the dinosaur parts) is Sawyer Bronson, the main character. The “dinosaur boy,” if you will. The guy with the basketball is Elliot, Sawyer’s best friend since kindergarten. The kid in the hoodie is Sylvie, the new girl, who befriends Sawyer and Elliot. Why is she hiding underneath a hoodie? Well, Sylvie has a secret. No spoilers. But it’s a pretty cool secret 
Covers can be kind of scary for authors. Since they are a) mostly out of our control and b) really really important. They set the tone for the book and can make the difference between someone picking it up off the shelf and just passing it by.
Sourcebooks was kind enough to ask me for some cover ideas. I was really hoping to get all three of the main characters on there, in some way, shape, or form. My editor agreed and asked me to send her detailed character descriptions for Sawyer, Elliot, and Sylvie. After that, Sourcebooks hired a phenomenal artist by the name of Marek Jagucki and through some magical collaboration between them, the above cover was created.
I’m absolutely floored by the level of detail here. The salad! The tennis balls! A number of things that will probably mean more to you once you’ve read the book! And I think the colors are cool too. I couldn’t ask for anything more awesome and I am totally excited to share it around!
Anyway, thank you Sourcebooks and Marek for making DINOSAUR BOY look so cool! Maybe I’m a teensy bit biased by the fact that it’s on the cover of something I wrote, but I feel like one lucky author
December 10, 2013
My New Book Deal! (SQUEE!)
I’ve known about this for a little while, but now that Publisher’s Marketplace has made the announcement, I finally get to say it out loud:
I HAVE A NEW BOOK DEAL!!
Here’s the announcement that appeared in Publisher’s Marketplace this morning:
THE VEIL author Cory Putman Oakes’s DINOSAUR BOY, about a boy with the “dinosaur gene” [who] is tormented by bullies at school until they mysteriously disappear, and it’s up to him to save them, to Aubrey Poole at Sourcebooks, in a two-book deal, by Sarah LaPolla at Bradford Literary Agency (World English).
As you can probably guess, I’m a little bit excited about this!
Here’s a little bit more about the book:
DINOSAUR BOY is the story of eleven-year-old Sawyer Bronson, whose dinosaur gene kicks in the summer before fifth grade. He is forced to start the new school year as half stegosaurus, with seventeen bony plates down his back and a long tail with razor sharp spikes at the end. And when the kids who make fun of him start disappearing from school, he teams up with his best friend, Elliot, and the mysterious new girl, Sylvie, to find out what is going on. The answer will lead them to Martians. And Mexican food. And all sorts of adventures I hope you will enjoy reading about . . . in early 2015, which is the projected publication date.
I am thrilled to be joining the Sourcebooks family and I can’t wait to work with a fabulous editor like Aubrey! I am also psyched to be adding a middle grade book to my resume. It will be a new kind of crazy adventure for me, and I am over the moon! Special thanks to my amazing agent, Sarah LaPolla, for orchestrating the deal!
There will be more info to come, but for now please join me in jumping up and down and squeeeeeeeing a lot!
August 11, 2013
My Raw Vegan Adventure Is Over: PIZZA AT MIDNIGHT!
And at midnight after Day 7, my Raw Vegan Experiment officially came to an end!
I celebrated with, what else? Pizza!!!!
Nom Nom Nom . . .
