The 41-year-old author said she was trotting through Lincoln Park Thursday, when one of the men kicked her to the ground and the pair began to assail her with repeated kicks in attempt to rob her, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Sunday.

"They smashed my mouth into the pavement and kicked me a few times," Caldwell said. "They screamed about money, but I said, 'Guys, I am jogging and I don't have any money.' They took my iPod and ran off."

After the men fled, Caldwell attempted to run for help while carrying the remains of her shattered front teeth.

The late afternoon incident came as Caldwell's newest book, "Red Hot Lies," is offering readers a similar situation in which a female lawyer feels threatened while walking alone at night.

Police told the Sun-Times robberies in the area typically increase in late fall after darkness arrives earlier in the day.