HERE’S THE SCOOP!
Fans of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:
ALL CLOSED OFF, Book 4 in the Rusk University Series, is coming!!!
Check out this message from Cora!
*WARNING: This letter contains spoilers for All Broke Down. If you haven't yet read that book, read at your own peril. SECOND WARNING: this letter talks about fictional characters as if they are real people. Sorry I'm not sorry. THIRD WARNING: The letter below broaches a serious topic that could be a trigger for some people*
Hello beloved readers!
The first person who read one of my Rusk University books
was my older sister. I gave her All Lined Up when I finished, and her first
question was "Are Ryan and Stella going to be together?"
At the time, I told her no. I had plans for both of them
that included their own storylines. I thought they were too much alike. They'd
make great friends. They might even hook-up, but in the end... I couldn't
envision anything serious for them. So I actually rewrote some of their scenes
trying to make that aspect of their connection more obvious. And still, when
All Lined Up released, amidst the chatter about sweet Carson and sassy Dallas,
I had people asking if Stella and Ryan were next. I denied it again (and again
and again).
But sometimes in writing, the stars align and a character
will become bigger and more real than you could have possibly imagined. It's a
wonderful experience, but in Stella's case it was also incredibly
heartbreaking. While I was writing All Broke Down, the news was inundated with
information about the Steubenville rape trial and other tragedies and
injustices like it. Tragedies where women have been violated first by an
attacker, then by judgmental and hateful people, and finally by a justice
system that repeatedly fails survivors of sexual assault. Having grown up in
Texas, where too often football stars are treated like gods and can get away
with just about anything, it hit particularly close to home. And since All
Broke Down featured a passionate activist heroine, I felt compelled to
reference this chronic dark underbelly of elite sports.
I can remember vividly sitting on my couch, brainstorming
how I would incorporate such an event into the book. I had thought the assault
would happen to an unknown character, and maybe I would focus on the way it
divided the team and the school and the town. But like I said... Sometimes a
character will become bigger and more human than I anticipated. And it sounds
crazy, but in my mind, I felt Stella push her way forward and say, "Mine.
This is my story." I immediately began to cry. Sob, really. Because I
loved her as a character. She was hilarious and strong and didn't take crap
from anyone. She was everything I always hope to be. And I didn't want her to
go through that. Even as I cried, my brain began to tell me that it made sense.
Stella was vibrant and enjoyed a wild party. She was not afraid of her sexuality,
and she had no problem with casual sex. She was the kind of girl that probably
had a reputation. The kind of girl who could be heinously and violently taken
advantage of, and people would STILL blame her. Because she was in the wrong
place, wearing the wrong clothes, behaving in the wrong way. But just because
it COULD happen to her, didn't mean I wanted it to. But once again, Stella was
there in my head saying, "Someone needs to tell this story. And I'm strong
enough to do it. Let me." And when Stella chose her story, she also
chose the man I'd been adamant wasn't right for her. Because as it turns out...
Those two characters who I thought were too alike aren't so alike anymore. And
Stella needs Ryan to help her hold on to that vibrant and strong girl she was
before.
So I let go of all the plans I had for her, and allowed her
to tell me her story, which is about more than just sexual assault. It's about
the aftermath. Depression. Shame. Guilt. Anger. Injustice. Victim-blaming.
Slut-shaming. It's about the way that kind of event can change everything-- how
you relate to people, how you think, how you dream, how you love. It's about
the way the rest of the world moves on to the next big tragedy, and you're
still left holding the broken pieces of who you used to be, with no idea how to
put them together again or even if you want to. It will be the most difficult
story I ever tell. And the most important. Because it’s a story that belongs
not just to Stella, but to millions of people around the world. It’s a story
that belongs to a new person every 107 seconds*. And that’s just in the United
States. Think about that for a moment. 107 seconds. Stella’s story won’t be any
easier to read than it will be to write. But I hope you’ll help me drag this
story into the light.
So now I’ll step off my soapbox and just tell you about the
book…
ALL CLOSED OFF:
Stella Santos is fine.
Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even
remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s
on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do
what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been
getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even
know her, but hate her all the same.
But none of that matters because she’s
just fine.
For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and
hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than
friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days
is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not
there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.
When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of
her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and
strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her
subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at
emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits
it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s
willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to
open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.
Vulnerable.
*****
ALL CLOSED OFF will be releasing sometime in early 2016. I
don't have a date yet for several reasons. The first and most important, is
that I want to do this story justice. And as such, I have no intentions of
rushing the process. Secondly, I'll be returning to indie publishing for the
remainder of the Rusk series. As you can probably tell, this story means a
great deal to me. And by having the ultimate control over everything from
timing to editing to price, I'll be able to ensure that I'm able to create
exactly the story I envision. Unfortunately, that means you won't be seeing the
paperback of ALL CLOSED OFF on the shelves in most stores. Nor is it currently
available for pre-order. But I hope you'll add
the book on goodreads, follow me on social media, and/or join my newsletter. I
promise to shout it all over the place when I have a set release date or
pre-order links.
Thank you for listening as I told you the evolution of
Stella's story. When it's finished, I hope you will feel as passionately about
it as I do.
All my best,
Cora Carmack
*Statistic from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest
National Network)
And an opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s…
Stella’s experience is only one story of many. She was with
someone she trusted when it happened, and the only memories she has are pieced
together from her own blurred recollections and the things people have told
her. Not everyone’s experience with sexual assault is the same. Each
person reacts, copes, and overcomes differently. And while this book is about
one specific character’s journey, I would like to tell as many sides of this
story as possible. As Stella grapples with her thoughts and emotions she’ll be
searching for advice, for comfort, for a place where people understand her and
can identify with what she’s experiencing. There will be room for
truth within the fiction, and if you’d like that truth to be yours, this is
your chance.
If you have a story like Stella’s, and you want your voice
to be heard….
If there’s something you wish more people understood about
what you’ve gone through….
If there’s something you’d like to tell people struggling
with a story like yours…
I’d like to give you the opportunity to add your voice to
Stella’s. Use the hashtag
#WhenItHappened and let your
voice be heard on your own by posting on your own social media, or if you’d
rather I share your words fill
out this google document and tell me your story. You
can fill out this form anonymously or not. I’d like to begin
this discussion now because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But my
hope is to include as many stories as possible within the book itself.
So many have stories of
#WhenItHappened. Your voice
and your story deserve to be heard. I’m listening.
#WhenItHappened
Google Form: http://goo.gl/forms/4VRjWgZYSW
ABOUT Cora Carmack:
Cora Carmack is a twenty-something New York
Times bestselling author who likes to write about
twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life--
boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre),
stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She now splits
her time between Austin, TX and New York City and spends her days writing,
traveling, and spending way too much time on the internet. In her books, you
can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face
it . . . awkward people need love, too.
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