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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