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Hello dear readers and friends!

I would love to be able to tell you that I’m here with an update on my publishing schedule for the year. I’ve had a lot of emails and messages and tweets asking me about upcoming books—both Inflict and All Closed Off. I’ve cherished each message because it means you care (and that’s AMAZING), but mostly your questions have gone unanswered. For that, I am so sorry. As you might know, I had originally intended for Inflict to release this month. That was my hope, my wish, my determined intention. But I’ve been having some health issues, things I’ve put off for a while because I was too busy with this or too busy with that. And now they have unfortunately caught up with me.
My 2016 so far has been filled with doctor visit after doctor visit. I’ve kept quiet, waiting for the day when I would have a diagnosis, so that I could have a better idea of what my life will look like over the next few months and hopefully offer you a more concrete answer as to when my next books will be out. I had hoped that day would be today after I had my latest specialist appointment yesterday. But unfortunately, I still don’t have a diagnosis. Just another guess among many and a referral to a different kind of specialist.

So while I don’t know what’s wrong with me or what kind of treatment I will eventually need (and what toll that will take on my schedule), I do know that I cannot promise anything right now. Inflict will not be releasing this month (which you probably guessed considering it is January 20th). All I can say is that it’s still on my mind and in my heart, and I’m working on it as often as I am able. But for right now, I’m in a limbo of sorts, and my books are there with me. So in answer to all the questions I’ve gotten about release dates, the only response I can give you right now is… I don’t know. As someone who NEEDS to have a plan, I hate that answer. I hate giving it to you. But I am unfortunately running very low on answers of all kinds at the moment, so it’s all I have.
I truly adore you all. You bring joy to my life through messages and comments and reviews and posts about cats. You encourage and uplift me without ever knowing you’re doing it. But now I have to ask you for some time. Time to figure out my body and my life in addition to words on a page. When I know more—about books or my health—I promise to share. But for now, I would prefer not to hypothesize about either for my own sanity (trust me, I’ve had my fill of hypothesizing already). As of this moment, I have no plans to cancel any signings or appearances, and hopefully will not have to at all. And you’ll still see me here on social media occasionally. I’m not tucked away on my deathbed somewhere; so don’t let the vague nature of this status scare you. Thank you for reading this, for reading my books, and for hopefully understanding the delay.

*throws out cute boys and cats for all of you* *unless you’re a dude who doesn’t like cute boys, then have some spunky chicks and footballs and… stuff*

Life Update UPDATE – March 22

I am afraid that I still don’t have any news for you about release dates. Nor do I have any concrete news about a diagnosis. I was pretty vague then because I had hoped that I would have answers soon and would be able to come back and give a more comprehensive answer about what is going on in my life. Clearly that is not the case, so here is what I can tell you. Primarily, the issues I’ve been experiencing are vision related, which is why they’ve affected my writing schedule so drastically. I have unexplained central vision loss and distortion in my left eye, along with double vision in both eyes, and stubborn, long-lasting headaches. The good news is after a battery of tests on my eyes, they’ve not found any sign of degenerative eye diseases. So the next step was to look to my brain. I had an MRI and MRA, both of which came back clear– also good news. So the final hypothesis from my doctor was that I had increased intracranial pressure that was putting pressure on my optic nerves causing the vision issues and headaches. To confirm that hypothesis, I had a lumbar puncture (aka spinal tap), which unfortunately (or fortunately… I don’t really know any more) came back showing a normal pressure, complicating that theory. So, I’m still in limbo. I wish that I could offer a more concrete answer with regards to release dates. At the moment, I’m just taking things a day at a time.

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

This is going to be short and sweet because I’m spending time with my family and working like crazy on Roar and Inflict. And I figure you’d all understand! But as I consider all the things I’m thankful for, right near the top of my list are the readers that allow me to chase my dreams. P.S….That means YOU! I’m thankful that every time I fall into doubt and fear, there’s a tweet or a message or an email that lifts me up out of that mire. I’m thankful for your patience as I work on multiple series at once. And I’m simultaneously thankful for your impatience because every time someone asks me about Inflict or Stella and Ryan or Brookes or the new YA– I’m reminded that people care about my words. And just that is enough to help me push forward on days when I’m tired or blocked. I’m thankful for the readers I meet at signings, the ones who make this solitary career feel vibrant and joyful and honestly like a dream.

I will never have the words to say how grateful I am for all of you (which is a bummer since, you know, words are supposed to be my thing). You give me so much support and encouragement and inspiration, and I just want to be able to give a little bit back to you. So, for this week’s Thankful Thursday, one lucky winner will get SIGNED paperbacks of Losing It and All Lined Up, as well as a $25 gift card to the book retailer of their choice (Amazon, BN.com, iBooks, etc).

This giveaway is open internationally, and there are lots of ways you can enter – just check out the Rafflecopter below. 🙂

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you haven’t read any of my books, both Losing It and All Lined Up (the first books in their respective series) are only $2.99! Or if you’re looking for a gift to give this holiday season, consider sharing my books with a friend. 🙂 Also, Inspire is FREE with a Kindle Unlimited subscription for approximately one more month.

And if anyone asks you what YOU want this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with a Rusk sweatshirt. It can keep you warm in the absence of Carson, Silas, and Mateo! 😉 AND if you buy two or more items from the Rusk shop between now and December 1, you get free shipping!

Plus we’ve been tweaking my website – there are some new titles added to the Foreign Editions page, an updated FAQ, and some new info on both the Events and Extras pages. So be sure to take a look around!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, wherever you are and whatever you celebrate!
In Awkward <3, Cora

Ahh! Hello friends!!!

I’ve been pretty silent lately. Life has been busy. I spent two weeks in Australia for vacation and a signing (which was AMAZING and exhausting), and then as soon as I got back to the States, I moved apartments. And BOY did I have a lot of books to move. I’m also finishing up a first draft of my first ever YA fantasy book, which you can read more about here!

Many of you have been incredibly patient as you waited for news about new books from me, and I apologize for making you wait. But 2015 has been a year of ups and downs for me. I’ve gone through a massive reading slump, followed by a writing slump that put me off my game and off my schedule. Those frustrating things have been sprinkled with awesome things like the new YA series and ALL PLAYED OUT being named one of Amazon’s best romances of 2015 . Slowly, but surely, I’ve been getting back into the swing of things, and I’m so excited to be able to reveal not only the cover for my next book, INFLICT, but also a brand new cover for INSPIRE, the first book in the series!

Don’t get me wrong. I loved the old cover. But considering Kalli and Wilder have some of the sexiest scenes I’ve ever written, we thought the outside of the book should have a sexy cover to match. Because who doesn’t love a sexy cover? And we also wanted to make sure my romance books are clearly defined as I prepare to branch my career out into Young Adult fiction as well.

So without further ado, we’ll start with the brand new INSPIRE cover! Designed by Regina Wamba from Mae I Design (OMG. She’s amazing!)

In case you haven’t read INSPIRE, here’s a little more about it:

INSPIRE
by Cora Carmack
A Muse novel

Kalliope lives with one purpose.
To inspire.

As an immortal muse, she doesn’t have any other choice. It’s part of how she was made. Musicians, artists, actors—they use her to advance their art, and she uses them to survive. She moves from one artist to the next, never staying long enough to get attached. But all she wants is a different life— a normal one. She’s spent thousands of years living lie after lie, and now she’s ready for something real.

Sweet, sexy, and steady, Wilder Bell feels more real than anything else in her long existence. And most importantly… he’s not an artist. He doesn’t want her for her ability. But she can’t turn off the way she influences people, not even to save a man she might love. Because in small doses, she can help make something beautiful, but her ability has just as much capacity to destroy as it does to create. The longer she stays, the more obsessed Wilder will become. It’s happened before, and it never turns out well for the mortal.

Her presence may inspire genius.
But it breeds madness, too.

Don’t be frightened off by the paranormal nature of this book! I promise it is still very much a romance at its heart. And since Wilder is completely human, it still has lots of the NA goodness you find in my contemporary books. Did I mention it might be my sexiest book ever? Because it is. Also… can we talk about the new cover model’s tattoos? Because SWOON.

Inspire is currently available to borrow FOR FREE on Kindle Unlimited!  The e-book cover of Inspire should switch over very quickly, but if you want to order a paperback of the old cover, you should do so now. It sometimes takes time for them to switch things over to the new cover, so you’ve got a little bit of a window to snatch up the original before it’s no longer available.

And now for the first time EVER, you can also get INSPIRE in audio! If you’re anything like me, I am ADDICTED to audiobooks. I listen to them while I’m driving or getting ready in the morning or eating lunch. So if that’s your jam, check it out!

NOW ARE YOU READY TO SWOON SOME MORE?

Because the INFLICT cover is also ready, and it’s my favorite cover of any of my books ever (Sorry Mateo and Nell! I still love you and your adorableness on the APO cover). From the moment Regina sent me this cover, I was OBSESSED. She barely had to make any adjustments because it was amazing from the very beginning. It perfectly captures the tone of this book, and it makes my heart ache just looking at it!

Are you ready?

ARE YOU SURE?

DRUMROLL, PLEASE…….

AHHHHHH. Isn’t it gorgeous? I am SO in love with it! Huge thanks again  to Regina at Mae I Design for the photography and mad design skills! And thanks to the gorgeous models Jenessa and Michael, who gave me so many amazing photos to choose from!

And because I know many of you have been dying for more about Kalli and Wilder after the end of INSPIRE, here’s the cover copy of INFLICT to give you a better idea of what’s coming in book two!

**DEFINITE SPOILER ALERT IF YOU HAVEN’T READ INSPIRE! BEWARE! **

INFLICT
by Cora Carmack
A Muse novel

Wilder Bell made a dangerous bargain…
For a chance at love, he gave up his life.

History knew Kalliope as an ancient Greek muse, but to Wilder, she was simply the woman he wanted to fall asleep with every night and wake up next to every morning. He made a deal with Hades, but the only thing the Lord of the Underworld deals in is death. Now Wilder is wasting away in a cold and wretched afterlife, waiting for Kalli to come for him. She will come. He has to believe that. Because the alternative is worse than death.

Kalliope lived her entire existence knowing that she was both a blessing and a curse to anyone she encountered. Wilder was no different. She loved him, and she got him killed. Now to get him back, she’ll have to face a scheming god, a perilous task, and death itself. But before it’s done, the Underworld will take more from her than she ever thought possible.

To be made whole, all must first be lost.

I am so, so excited for this book. Getting to write about my version of the Underworld is pretty much the coolest thing ever, and there are so many twists and turns still left in store for Kalli and Wilder. And so many sexy times too (OF COURSE).

INFLICT will be releasing in January 2016. Sorry, I still don’t have an exact date for you, but I promise to let you all know as soon as I am able. The best way to make sure you never miss major news from me is to sign up for my newsletter. Or follow me on social media! You can find me on my Facebook page, my Facebook group Cora’s Crew, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. You can also add INFLICT on Goodreads.

Are you ready for January? There’s so much coming. SO MUCH. Keep an eye on my social media and newsletter in the coming months for sneak peeks of what’s in store for Kalli and Wilder!

P.S. In other Cora news, check out my events page for signings coming up in 2016! I’ll be in Dallas, Savannah, Denver, and more!

In Awkward ❤️, Cora

A few weeks ago, my street team organized an awesome All Played Out Read-a-thon, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to revisit some of my favorite Rusk couples! I started out with a bonus scene about Carson and Dallas, which you can read HERE. Then I wrote a bonus scene about Silas and Dylan, which you can read HERE. And finally, last but certainly not least – a bonus scene about Mateo and Nell!

This scene is an expansion of sorts on the epilogue. And I’ve included both Mateo AND Nell’s POV.

*Please note: This is unedited. Sorry for any mistakes! ♥*

TORRES

Watching her, I feel proud and terrified all at once. That stage is her field. And her uniform—black robe, white collar, colored ropes marking her accomplishments, and square cap—it’s all strangely sexy, even that loose fitting robe. Because I know how easy it will be to slide my hand beneath it.
Not that that’s something I should be thinking about when I’m sitting next to Nell’s mother. Nell’s badass mother who could give Coach Cole a run for his money in the scary department.

I watch Nell climbing the steps up onto the platform where she’ll receive her diploma, and I swear my heart is lodged in my throat. We’re all clapping, and I want to yell, to scream—that’s what people would expect. Hell, it’s what I expected. I was looking forward to trying to spot the blush on her cheeks when I made sure everyone in this place knew that she belonged to me.

But now that it’s happening… I can’t seem to make a sound. She just… she’s everything I ever wanted. More, actually. And things are moving so fast. She’s graduating. I’ve got one more semester with her while she works, then the summer, and then she’ll be starting graduate school. And I just have to believe that what we have is strong enough, real enough to last.

“I knew I’d be on the verge of tears. But I didn’t expect it from you,” Her mother says, her smile sly.

I laugh, and it comes out hoarse, like I really had been crying. “I won’t tell if you won’t.”

As she shakes the dean’s hand and accepts her diploma, I finally find my voice enough to shout, “Yeah! That’s my girl!”

Her eyes flick up in my direction in the stands, and instead of blushing, she blows me a kiss, and I’m grinning like a fucking maniac.

“You’re not what I expected,” Nell’s mom says.

“Better, I hope. Because your daughter is never getting rid of me now. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“She’s a smart girl. It’s her say that matters.”

On reflex, I start to reply that she’s more than smart… she’s a fucking genius. But I’m not sure how her mom will react to that particular endearment. So I smile and nod, and sit impatiently as hundreds of other graduates from Nell’s program cross the stage.

A brutal hour later, I see Nell outside, chatting with some of the people she knows from her classes. I run up behind her and scoop her into my arms. She squeals when I swing her around.

“Mateo!” Her fingers grip my forearms where they’re wrapped around her middle.

I set her down and she twists in my arms and leans in to hug me. I dip closer to her ear and say, “I’ll never get tired of hearing my name come out of your mouth.”

“Mateo,” she says again, a touch of warning in it this time, no doubt because her parents are behind me and my hand might be a little too close to her ass. But what can I say? I missed her.

Teasing, I slide my hand down another inch. “You know saying my name is never the way to get me to back off.”

She peels my hands off her body and laces our fingers together. “Later. Dinner with my parents. Then maybe we can spend some time in the library.”

I lift a brow. “The library, huh?”

“Well… I’m only at Rusk for one more semester. And I seem to recall one more list we never completed.”

“Does this list have six things on it?”

She grins. “It does.”

I don’t care that her parents are watching. I tug her forward and kiss her hard. Then whisper in her ear, “I love you, girl genius.”

****
NELL

It’s dark by the time we’ve finished celebrating with MY parents and returned them to their hotel room. I tell them that Mateo is taking me home, but we both know that’s not true. Excitement bubbles up in my belly at the thought of where we’re heading. Books and Mateo are pretty much my favorite things ever. And Mateo in the library? Irresistable.

But I Mateo doesn’t head to the parking lot nearest the library like I expect. Instead he chose one near the quad in the center of campus.

Suspicious, I narrow my eyes and ask, “What are you up to?”

Grinning, he puts the truck into park and pushes open his door. “Who me?”

“Mateo Torres,” I shout through the closed door. “You know how I feel about surprises. I like to know what I’m heading into.”

He rounds the front of the truck to open to my door, and he takes his time gripping my hips and helping me slide off the seat to stand in front of him. He says, “I definitely know all that. Just trust me… okay?”

Trust. I take a deep breath. I’ve trusted him with just about everything else in my life, I can give him this too. I’d give him just about anything.

He laces our fingers together and pulls me out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. We walk through the center of campus, past dorms and educational building, and we come to a stop at the very center of campus where the university seal is set into concrete and surround by flowers and trees and fountains. The seal has the original founding date of the university, along with the founder, school crest and school motto in Latin.

Confused, my eyebrows furrow and I look up at my boyfriend. He’s not one to typically care about school history. But he stops with us standing right at the center of the seal.

“Care to fill me in?” I ask.

He pulls our hands between us, his thumbs rubbing back and forth over my knuckles.

“You said that you like to know what you’re heading into. And that’s what I’m doing. I’m telling you what you’re heading into. We might have met here at Rusk, and it might be one the main things we have in common. But we won’t be here forever. In fact, you’re going to be leaving really, really soon. And before that happens, I need you to know that I’m in this. That this place won’t just be where I fell in love with you.” Those words never fail to make my heart beat faster, to make my stomach swoop with anticipation. He squeezes my hands and continues, “Someday, this is going to be the place that I ask you to spend the rest of your life with me. Then we’re going to get married because I won’t let you say anything but yes, and I’m going to bring you here and we’re going to climb Big Daddy Rusk, wedding dress and all.” Tears crest over my cheeks at the same time that I choke on a laugh. “And then a long time after that, we’ll bring our kids here, and we can stand on this seal, and tell them what this place means to us. That this school changed our lives by bringing us together. That’s where we’re heading. I may not know what will happen in a month or a year or five years down the road… but I know that.”

I can’t seem to get any words out. I’m a blubbering, crying mess, and let’s just blame on graduation and my family and this being a REALLY emotional day. So without words, I settle for throwing my arms around his neck and kissing him. And kissing him and kissing him until I can’t breathe.

His hands are tight on my hips, pulling me close against his large body, and it’s all so surreal. I cannot believe this man loves me. And that I love him. And that in all the chaos and horror and unknown in this wide world, we have somehow found this good and perfect thing together.

It defies all reason.

A whistle breaks us apart, followed by the glaring flick of a light over our faces. My eyes widen.

A security guard. Jumping out of a golf cart, heading our way.

Mateo grips my hand tight, and starts pulling me away, first at a fast walk and then a run.

“Why are we running?” I say, between huffing breaths.

“Did I not mention that the seal is part of the Sweet Six? They have a regular patrol that sweeps by to run people off.”

“Oh my God, you pervert! After all those sweet things you said, you wanted to have sex on that seal!”

He chuckles, pausing in our escape to grab me around the middle and swing me around, before setting me back on my feet and pulling me into a run once more.

“Oh, we’re gonna get that seal. But don’t worry. We’ll leave that part of the story out when we tell our kids.”

A few weeks ago, my street team organized an awesome All Played Out Read-a-thon, and I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to revisit some of my favorite Rusk couples! I started out with a bonus scene about Carson and Dallas, which you can read HERE. Next up: Silas and Dylan!

This scene is in Dylan’s POV, and it takes place after the events of All Played Out (not really any spoilers though). In it, I reintroduce a “character” that’s going to play a bigger role in the series moving forward.

Note: This scene is unedited. So any mistakes are my bad.

*********************************DYLAN**************************************

As I walk up the steps to Silas’s house, I hear a crash inside, people yelling, and then something shatters. My heart turns over in my chest, and I take the last few steps at a run.

Within the space of a few heartbeats, my mind conjures up all the likely causes of that crash. Silas is fighting again… but with who? Or maybe one of the guys was hurt in practice, and it made him clumsy. Or maybe it’s a burglar. I don’t bother knocking before I push my way inside, and then my heart doesn’t just turn over. It drops into my stomach like it’s been tied to an anchor.

The house is in shambles. Chairs overturned. The stuffing has been ripped out of one of the cushions on the couch. A lamp has been knocked off a table, and the glass from the broken light bulb surrounds it in a halo that glitters when the sunlight from the open door hits it. It reminds me of the scenes in movies where someone’s house is ripped apart because the bad guy is looking for something. And for a moment, I think of last week when Torres jokingly accused Brookes of working for the CIA for like the third time. That *was* a joke, right? Surely.

Dozens of scenarios run through my head, each one more elaborate and unlikely than the one before.

“Damn it, Moore! Grab him!” That was Brookes.

I turn toward the source of the noise in the kitchen, and catch sight of Torres sitting on the dining room table, laughing his ass off. And when I step through the archway into the room, I see why.

No CIA nonsense. No fighting. No injuries.

Nope. Just my incredibly gorgeous boyfriend, wrestling on the floor with an extremely hyper dog. The dog, a brown and gray Labrador/Cattle dog mix that I recognize from our local shelter, can’t seem to decide whether it wants to escape Silas’s grasp or lick his face, so he alternates between the two. If I remember correctly, this was the dog Silas named Bo Jackson the first time he helped out at the shelter with me. I watch as my boyfriend lays there, eyes and mouth tightly shut, hands pre-occupied with a squirming body, while the dog slobbers all over his face. I can’t stop the laugh that bubbles up in my throat, and then all attention snaps toward me.

A slobbery Silas on the ground, laughing Torres on the table, and a stern Brookes, who was picking up the larger glass pieces of whatever it was that had broken before I entered the house.

“Uhh… hey baby.”

I’m not used to seeing Silas look ridiculous. Intimidating? Always. Sexy? Enough to give me heart palpitations. But the expression he wears now—part embarrassment, part little boy with his hand caught in the cookie jar—is an entirely new Silas for me.

I cross the kitchen and kneel down beside him, and the dog goes wild, panting and wagging his tail, pushing his paws against Silas’s stomach to try and reach me. I scratch behind his ears, and he makes this adorable mewling sound in appreciation. After about a minute of scratching and petting, he settles down enough that he relaxes against Silas, laying his head down on his chest.

“Who knew Captain Planet could work miracles?” Torres says. “Should make that whole saving the world thing easier.”

I ignore him and focus on Silas. “Want to tell me why Bo Jackson is here tearing up your house instead of at the shelter?”

“I can’t get anyone to take him,” he says, and he’s strangely adorable in his defensiveness. “I keep trying to push him on people, but everything thinks he’s too big or too hyper.”

“That’s because he is too hyper,” Brookes mutters under his breath.

“I couldn’t stand looking at him in that cage anymore. And… this dog… he’s a part of our story, you know? He was just a puppy when I went to the shelter with you the first time. He reminds me of what it was like to fall for you, and I can’t just let him rot away in that place.”

“Awwww!” Torres says behind me, swinging his legs back and forth beneath the table like a child. “Did you hear that Brookes? That monster is part of their story. Who knew Moore was such a softy?”

“Shut up, Torres.” I’d thought the words had come from me, I’d certainly been ready to say them, but it’s Brookes who actually says them. “Like you’re not just as whipped as he is.”

“Hey! I didn’t bring home a dog who destroyed our house. I think I’m still winning here.”

“I went to the bathroom,” Silas says in exasperation. “How was I supposed to know he’d rip everything apart if I left him alone for a minute or two?”

My eyes widen. “He did all that damage in two minutes?”

“It was really more like ten,” Brookes explains.

“He’s a fast little sucker. it took us a little while to catch him.”

Unbelievable. Three college athletes can’t catch a dog.

“Well, he’s not really an indoors kind of pet. He needs space to run and play. Why didn’t you put him in the backyard?”

Silas glares at Torres. “Because there’s still a part of the fence that’s down, and Torres over there refuses to let us fix it.”

“Hey… if you can get a dog for sentimental reasons, I can like that broken fence. It’s part of *my* story.”

Brookes dumps the larger broken glass pieces in the trash, grabs a broom, and tosses it at Torres. “You’re both idiots. And the two of you can clean up the mess he made and decide how to keep him from making it again. Just figure your shit out.”

Brookes stalks out of the kitchen and Torres whistles. “Someone is moody. Think he’s jealous of the complete and utter perfection that is my love life?”

I roll my eyes, and rather than answering, I lift Bo Jackson into my arms so Silas can stand. He goes to the sink, splashing water on his face to clean off the slobber, and when he looks back at me, his long hair is stuck to his forehead and cheeks, and he’s back to being unequivocally sexy.

He crosses to me, and though he lifts a hand to scratch at Bo’s ears, his eyes never leave mine. There’s a vulnerability in his gaze that he only rarely shows me. And each time, it grips my heart so hard I think it might break.

“It was very sweet of you to want to take care of him.” He leans closer, until his forehead presses against mine, Bo wiggling between us.

“I just… when I think about our future. I picture a house with a yard. Maybe a kid or two… and this dog. I just do.”

“If football doesn’t work out,” Torres says, “You could always try for a career with Hallmark.”

“Shut up, Torres.” This time—the words come from both me and Silas.

Hopping off the table, he lifts his hands in surrender. “Yeah, yeah. Fine. Nell’s about to get off work anyway.”

As Torres leaves the kitchen, Silas yells after him, “That fence is getting fixed, Teo! Deal with it.”

His friend waves off his words, and slips out of the room, leaving just the two of us in the kitchen.

“I love you,” I tell him.

“Yeah?” He scratches a little harder at Bo’s ears, and the dog croons.

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t freak you out? With all the future talk?”

Rather than answering, I reach up and wrap one hand around his neck to pull his mouth down to mine. His answering kiss is hard, they always are after he’s let himself be vulnerable with me. He kisses with abandon, with a brutal passion that takes my breath away. Whatever his flaws are, you cannot say that Silas Moore doesn’t throw his whole heart into whatever he does.

Bo whines in complaint when he gets squished too hard between us. And when he jerks, I can’t keep hold of him with the one arm that’s not pre-occupied with Silas. He jumps to the floor and takes off. I try to go after him, but Silas tugs on my hair, slanting his mouth over mine again.

“We’ll catch him in a second. I’m not quite done with this pretty mouth.”

There’s a thud in the living room, and then another crash. After one last lingering kiss, Silas groans and curses as he pulls away.

“He’s part of our story,” I remind him, just a slight note of teasing in my voice as I plant one more quick kiss on his lips.

“Yeah, well, I was hoping fucking you on the kitchen counter could be part of our story.”

I laugh and push him away. “Another time.”

Then together (with one of his hands slipping down to squeeze my ass), we head off in search of Bo Jackson. Our dog.

It’s that time again…time to announce the newest batch of Carmcats!!

I know I say this every time we do the street team application thing, but you guys…..this was SUCH A HARD DECISION.

Once again, I was absolutely floored by the amount of diversity and talent within the applications. With each new application I read, I grew more and more distraught because I KNEW I would have to make some cuts but I didn’t know how. And it doesn’t help that I’m the most indecisive person EVER. It soon became glaringly obvious that I needed to call for back up.

With help from some of my publishing peeps, we narrowed it down as much as we could. But even then…. it wasn’t enough. In fact… I eventually ended up expanding the number of people we planned for the team because it was just too hard. And even then… I still had to say goodbye to some applications (and people that I love). People whose names I recognize from regular chats on twitter or Facebook. People that I ADORE. And I’ll never be able to tell you all how hard that was. But please know that if you didn’t make the team… I likely agonized over it. For days probably. Every time I would strike a name off my list… I would inevitably add it back in twenty minutes later. We especially had a lot of AMAZING international applications this time around. But for logistic and financial reasons, I’m limited in the number of international people I can choose. But in the end, I think we put together a team that I’m really proud of and excited for.

And I hope that you all will consider reapplying whenever it’s time for Stella’s Book!

So, without further ado….the new Rusk University/All Played Out/Cora Carmack Street Team!

Megan Gallt
Stephanie Gibson
Amber Noffke
Kristen Chandler
Lori Wilt
Yvette Cervera
Brooke DelVecchio
Katie Stutz
Krista Davis
Yesi Cavazos
Lenore Mullican
Brittany Berger
Momo Xiong
Katie Anderson
Jen Fisher
Ana Rodriguez
Pavan
Kassidy Carter
Jenni McDaniel
Zara Hoffman
Mary Hinson
Carmen Seda
Michelle Tan
Emilie Couture
Sydney Laws
Kayla Ritenour
Genesis
Ashlei Davison
Ashley Willard
Jamie Arkin
Patricia
Rebecca Hughes
Teresa
Kimberly Dodd

If you made the team, OMGCONGRATULATIONSILOVEYOUTHANKYOU!!! I’m out of town this weekend for Apollycon, so you likely won’t hear from me for a couple days. But as I mentioned in the application post, we’re doing something different this time around, and we’ve assigned all new members a mentor! A big to your little, if you will. So while it might take me a few days to get organized and reach out to you all, you might hear from your big or see them lurking around figuring out more about you.

And again, if you didn’t make the team this time around, PLEASE know that I love and adore you, and it KILLS me that we had to let some of you go. If I’d had my way, we’d just have one gigantic team of AWESOMENESS. <3

To say thank you for applying….how about a little #AllPlayedOut teaser? 🙂

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“I need you to add something else to your list.”

I raise my eyebrows and ask, “What?”

What was this about? Surely this isn’t about the Sweet Six thing again, not after how poorly things went in the stacks.

“I want you to add ‘Have the best orgasm of your life.’”

I drop his pen. I very nearly drop my spiral.

“You want … what?”

“You heard me, Nell. Now add it.”

He’s back to the dominant Mateo that comes out when he’s kissing me, and the ache he’d started back in the library flares to life between one breath and the next. I reach for the pen, but I’m too distracted by what this could mean.

So we’re not over? He still wants me? How could he still want me? My heartbeat speeds up as I mentally dissect our evening up until this point, and when it takes me too long to find the pen, he growls, “Oh, fuck it. Add it to the damn list later.”

He grabs the spiral and tosses it into the passenger seat. I sit up, and he pulls at the stretchy fabric on the thigh of my yoga pants, letting it snap back against my skin.

“Take those off.”

*evil grin*