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 the Author:
Cora
Carmack is a twenty-something writer 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 enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations
possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it.
Awkward people need love, too. She is the
New York Times and
USA Today bestselling author of the
Losing It series.
Author Links:
One Friday night a few weeks ago, I was out with Karen of Teen Librarian Toolbox and her wonderful children. This, actually, is quite a common occurrence. Our usual MO is to meet for dinner (preferably Italian food from Tony's because FIVE DOLLOR CALZONES) and then drive together to the flagship Half Price Books where all four of us wander the aisles to find bookish goodies. This particular night, the Tween was delighted to see a display of Maggie Stiefvater's The Dream Thieves which has been present since Maggie's visit during the book tour in 2013. I remarked that I'd never finished reading The Raven Boys, and boy, the look of betrayal on Tween's face! Tween and I get along swimmingly, but she couldn't believe that a book that meant so much to her was one I had become bored with after 70 pages and put down. 
