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The One Where Finding It is ON SALE!

Hello my lovelies!

Just popping in to say OMG FINDING IT IS ON SALE FOR $1.99!! It’s currently on sale on B&N and Amazon.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Jackson Hunt is my favorite book boyfriend from the Losing It series. I know! I know! Garrick has an accent and Cade is the sweetest guy EVER. But Jackson is a mystery, and as Kelsey says in the book, “Women love a mystery. But only if we think we can figure it out.”
Jackson is strong and brooding, but he can also be silly and fun. And more than anything… he’s a good person. I can’t wait for you all to read his novella, Seeking Her, in January!
And if you’re new to the entire series, I have GREAT news! Just in time for the holidays, we’re releasing an a boxed set of the Losing It series, which includes the e-books for Losing It, Faking It, Finding It, and the novella Keeping Her. The Losing It bonus scenes from Garrick’s POV that I posted on my blog will also be published for the first time in this omnibus edition! All in all, it’s over ONE THOUSAND pages of awkward humor, swoony men, and happy endings for just eleven bucks!
But right now, in honor of Jackson and Kelsey and this fantastic Finding It sale, I think it’s time for a giveaway!
So… help me spread the news about Finding It, and you could win:
*A grand prize which includes a signed Finding it Paperback and this awesome journal>>>>>
The journal will include a personal note from me, and has been signed by the following best-selling authors: Me (obviously), Jennifer L. Armentrout, Katy Evans, Colleen Hoover, Abbi Glines, Tammara Webber, Molly McAdams, Tina Reber, Rebecca Donovan, KA Tucker, Jay Crownover, Nyrae Dawn, Michelle A. Valentine, KA Linde, Jillian Dodd, Sophie Jordan, Lisa Desrochers, Christina Lee, Michele Scot, Toni Aleo, and KA Robinson.
(Pretty awesome, right?)
*Ten people will also win an e-book copy of Finding It
So, if you want to win, check out the rafflecopter below! <3 <3 <3

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The One Where Hunt Gets Protective

Hello my loves!

 It’s Friday Flash Fiction time!

 Every Friday, I’m going to make a post on my Facebook page calling for writing prompts. You can pick any character from my books– main characters like Garrick or Cade or minor characters like Rusty and Spencer. Comment on my post with that character’s name and then a place or object for a prompt. Heck, you can even post things like songs or pictures. Anything you’d like to see me write. Then, I’ll pick one and write just a fast and fun little snippet to post here on my blog.

So far we’ve had one for Max/Cade and one for Bliss/Garrick. So, I figured it was only fair to do Hunt and Kelsey this week.

Today’s prompt comes from Susi: Hunt in Naples with pizza.

So, without further ado, here’s my Flash Fiction Friday entry #3

WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR FINDING IT.

WARNING PART TWO: This is unedited. So, if there are errors, don’t judge me.

NOTE: This is NOT an excerpt from Finding It or Seeking Her. This is special, original content just because I love you guys.

It’s the simple things in life that comprise the difference between existing and living.
I had a lot of practice existing. Just scraping by. Surviving.
Waking up with Kelsey’s blonde hair tickling my chest? Living.
The way she kept glancing at me between snapping pictures of the Naples street? Living.
Staring at her between bites of the single best slice of pizza I’d ever tasted? Definitely living.
Kelsey snapped another picture, and her eyes met mine. I didn’t bother looking away. I was way past pretending I wasn’t obsessed with her. The sun glinted off her golden hair, and she looked at me through long lashes. She bit her lip to stifle a smile, and snapped another picture on her phone.
My eyes were trailing down the smooth column of her neck, studying the way the angles of her collarbone gave way to the soft curve of cleavage that peeked out of her shirt, when Kelsey said, “Uh-oh.”
On high alert, my eyes snapped up. “Uh-oh? Uh-oh what?”
She looked across the table at the lone slice of pizza in my hand.
“We’re done, right? You can eat that while we walk?”
She stood up, hastily gathering her things from their table on the café sidewalk.
“Uh, sure.”
I reached for my wallet, but she threw down some cash, and grabbed my elbow. I barely had time to snatch what was left of my pizza before she was tugging me away.
“What’s got your panties in a twist, princess?”
She rolled her eyes, but then glanced over her shoulder and picked up her pace. I looked backward too, no longer in a joking mood. What had her in such a panic?
Tension climbed up my spine, and I focused scanning the area around us for threats. I didn’t see anything.
“Kelsey, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Kelsey,” I warned.
She sighed. “Remember when you told me to stop taking pictures of possible mafia members?”
A smile pulled at my lips.
She continued, “Well, I didn’t listen. And now some giant dude with pythons for arms is glaring at me because he saw me taking pictures of him.”
I laughed. “And what? You think he’s going to come after you? Murder you and dump your body in an alley?”
“Maybe.”
“Oh man, don’t look now.”
“What?” she paled.
“He’s coming after us. We need to run.”
“He’s what?”
She whipped around, her hair fanning out around her. I took one look at her wide-eyed gaze and burst into laughter.
She searched the crowd for a few moments, and when she saw no suited man following us, she smacked my arm.
“That’s not funny!”
I laughed harder. She threw her arms up and turned away from me. I used her elbow to pull her back and sideways into an alley.
“What are you doing?”
I pressed her back against the brick building and murmured into her neck, “Hiding you from the mafia.”
She scoffed, and I could hear the sarcasm before she even spoke. “Oh, yeah. You’re intentions are completely protective.”
I opened my mouth against her pulse point and tasted her sensitive skin. She shivered, her hands clenching on my shoulders.
“I’m always protective of what’s mine.” 

The One with Super Cool Visitors

So…. This happened.

Finding It had a FANTASTIC release day on Tuesday. I cannot even begin to describe how overwhelmingly wonderful it was to see all the pictures from people picking up their copies. In particular, the search for the Super Special (or as Twitter fondly called it “Golden Ticket”) Target copies was one of the coolest things  the coolest thing EVER! If you don’t know what I’m talking about, read this.
And I think I’m still kind of in shock about seeing all three books together. It’s a crazy, amazing thing, and it doesn’t feel real. And so many people have messaged me to tell me how much they loved the book. An overwhelming number have called it their favorite of the series, and every time it loosens one of those scary-release-day-knots in my stomach.
If you haven’t picked up your copy of Finding It yet, I hope you’ll check out the Signed Special Edition at Target. Not only does it have my signature, but also a deleted scene. And more than that, Target has been really fantastic about supporting New Adult authors and the category as a whole. And I think we all hope that will continue! If you’ve got your copy, I can’t wait to hear what you think of Kelsey’s story! And Jackson, too, of course! Especially since he’s getting his own novella (Seeking Her) in January! It’s a sort-of-prequel. And by that I mean, it picks up a few weeks before the opening scene of Finding It with all new material, and then the last half of the novella overlaps with the beginning of Finding It, meaning you’ll get those early scenes from his POV.
But enough about me…
As fantastic as this release week has been so far, I’m actually popping in to tell you about another new release! One of the best things about being an author is getting to meet other authors (most of which I TOTALLY fangirl over). Two such amazing authors that I’ve had the pleasure of meeting are Steph Campbell and Liz Reinhardt. And when we discovered that we were sharing a release day, we decided to do something special!
They’ve just released the newest novella in their Lengths series, Riptides. If you haven’t read this series, you need to jump on it ASAP! Though this one can be read as a stand alone, FYI. It’s all about Enzo, a super hot surfer dude. And MAN… can I just say that I TOTALLY have the hots for Enzo! Here’s a little more about his story:
 

Enzo Rodriguez doesn’t take much seriously–unless it involves waves, boards, or good beer.

When too-hot-to-handle Jessica Mills strolls into his life, Enzo is willing to forego all of those things for every second he can spend with her.

But Jessica has a huge secret–and when it’s revealed, it not only crushes Enzo, but has the last person he wants to ask a favor of–his brother-in-law Adam–bailing him out of jail.

Enzo is convinced that the only way to mend his bruised ego and heart, is to pack his bags and leave the turbulent waters of Silver Strand…for good.

 
And in honor of this new book, I’ve invited Liz and Steph to the blog to answer some fun questions! Here’s the interview below: 
 
1. So I know you guys probably get this A LOT, but I just had to ask because I’m so curious. What’s the BEST part of writing with a partner? And the WORST? How do you decide who writes what? Is one of you the slave driver of the bunch? Give me all the juicy details!

 

Liz: We DO get this question all the time…but you’re lucky we like you, because we’re gonna give you all the deets! Best part: STEPH CAMPBELL. Seriously, my best friend and heterolifemate. Steph and I have gone through the very best and very worst of publishing together, and it’s been sheer, total joy to get to do this with her. Sometimes I go into a cold sweat thinking that I ever did this WITHOUT her. She inspires me with her gorgeous writing and is a kindred soul to bounce my ideas and passions off of. Steph never, ever says ‘no’ to any wild/crazy idea I might come up with, and I am always shaky with excitement when she calls and says, “I know this might be crazy, but maybe we should write this…”
The worst part? Steph and I both come from Irish Catholic backgrounds and we’re moms, so we deal with a lot of pre-programmed life guilt at all times. When you write your own book, you put on your big girl pants and do what you need to do. And you accept the criticism as gracefully as you can. But when there’s another person depending on you, it’s incredibly upsetting when you don’t do well. You feel very, very responsible, even when you know full well you did your very best. I never want to let Steph down, and that drives me to work extremely hard on our projects.
STEPH:  I’m sort of a control freak, so to have found someone (Liz) that I trust so implicitly not only business wise, but with my art has been amazing and unexpected.
I’d definitely say I’m the slave driver of the pair. I tend to do more of our outlines and calendering and the detail type work. Liz has learned to laugh at me and/or roll with it when I get mildly obsessive. As for who writes what, it varies and we’ve tried it all the ways! In one book, we split characters and each wrote one, no deviation. In another, we wrote whichever character and whichever scene we were feeling that day and skipped all around. It’s fun to try different things with each project, and we *hope* we’re doing it in a fairly seamless way to where you can’t tell who is writing at any given point. 🙂
2. One of the things I feel like you guys do so well is character and family. Everyone has their own unique traits and yet they fit together so well. So, what I want to know is for the main characters in your books (especially Enzo from Riptides), what high school yearbook superlatives would they have won?  (Ex: Most likely to Succeed, Friendliest, Most likely to be a Reality TV Star, etc)
Why thank you, Cora!
Deo- Most Likely to Have a Restraining Order Against Him for Constantly Hugging
Cohen- Most Likely to Be Sweet on the Streets, Alpha in the Sheets
Adam- Most Likely to Kick Ass and Take Names…While Solving Scientific Mysteries
Enzo-  Most Likely to Break Free from the Family Business
Whit – Most Likely to Disappear After High School and Become a Tattooed Freak
Hattie – Most Likely to Take Over (and Organize) the World…All of It
Genevieve – Sexiest Heels for EVERY Occasion
Maren – Most Likely To Defend Her Man in the Zombie Apocalypse
3. If we could bring Enzo to life for a day, what would you three do together? Or would he abandon you all to go surfing? 😉
Liz: Wait. Will children read this blog? Bwahaha! Just kidding ;)! Enzo would take us out dancing and show us all his moves. He’d bring us to his mother’s house and we’d have a Mexi-kosher meal that would blow our minds. And, of course, he’d take us surfing! I’m a huge klutz and can barely swim, so I’d have to grip onto his big, muscled arms!
4. What Hogwarts houses would you be in? What about Enzo? Any other characters you’d like to mention?
STEPH: No question, Lydia is Slytherin all the way. Genevieve is Ravenclaw. Deo, could be a Hufflepuff spokesperson, I’m convinced. Our Rodriguez boys, Cohen and Enzo are definitely Gryffindors: loyal and chivalrous (and sexy as hell…that’s a prerequisite according to the Sorting Hat, right?)
5. ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE. *it happens* Which of your characters dies first? Who would you want by your side fighting zombies? Who goes off searching for a cure? Who completely loses it? Who is thebrains behind keeping your group alive? (Can you tell I’ve been marathoning The Walking Dead).
You and Cohen both! He’s obsessed! And would be the brains keeping them all alive, because that boy is the ultimate alpha when he needs to be! Maren would be by his side, since he’s prepared her with hours of zombie movies/what if scenarios.
 Poor Deo goes first…he’s too busy cracking jokes a la Bill Murray in ZOMBIELAND to take the attack seriously. Whit is who I want by my side, because after Deo gets eaten, she’s a killing machine hell-bent on vengeance! Ryan backs her up with all his training and skills. Genevieve loses it…she can’t wear her heels, there is no beach time, and Adam has to leave her to go cure the disease!
Hattie and Adam team up to get the cure and administer it. And those zombies don’t stand a CHANCE!

PS LOOOOOOOOOVE WD!!
6. In Riptides, we get a lot of surfing and baking (including one particularly delicious scene back in the kitchen… YOU KNOW which one I mean). Are either of you bakers? Surfers? I had an easy bake oven once… *blinks*
Liz: I am an uncoordinated blind bat who burns everything! Steph is the surfing, baking hero of my life! I depend on her for all that inspiration and knowledge. And also to feed me. And to explain how movement works. I’m very, very co-dependent. (But I’m totally willing to use my kitchen like Enzo did…so my husband is very cool with my complete lack of baking skills ;)!)
STEPH: I cheat, in that I love to bake, but I don’t have a sweet tooth at all. So I bake constantly, but pass it all off to other people to devour. 🙂 I’m from So Cal, so I’ve surfed a handful of times, but nothing major (unless you consider my lack of coordination major. Which it is. Eep!)
Thanks so much for having us, Cora! We’re both STOKED for the release of FINDING IT! 

Ahhh…. I seriously love those girls! They write such strong characters. Their books are fun and smart (my favorite kind). I hope you’ll check them out! And drool over Enzo with me! 🙂

The One with the Celebration

So, like I mentioned yesterday, I’ve officially been doing this whole “author” thing for a year now. And I love that the third and final full-length book in the Losing It series s releasing almost simultaneously with this anniversary.

It feels like I’ve come full circle. This series is ending, and a new one is beginning.

So, I figured we should celebrate!

And when my publicist and I sat down to talk about what we wanted to do to commemorate the occasion, the theme seemed obvious.
FIRSTS.
This is, after all, the end of the first year containing my first series, which opened with a book about first times, followed by a book about two people confronting their demons for the first time, and ending with Kelsey’s first time out on her own.
So here’s what you need to know:
What you can win: A signed set of LOSING IT, FAKING IT, and FINDING IT. And I’ll let you choose whether you prefer the US or the UK set, that way you can get the ones that aren’t readily available wherever you live. 🙂 AND…. the winner will also receive something very special, of which there are only two. I have one, and you will get the other. That would be… Hamlet the demon cat.
Stuffed, of course. (Doesn’t he look so stinking angry? Adorable). Starting with my last signing in Seattle, I adopted a stuffed version of Hamlet, complete with an “Awkward people need love, too” bracelet for a collar. I bought one for me to take to signings, and another to giveaway. Here’s your chance to have a Hamlet of your very own (including his bracelet collar). And if I can figure out a way to sign him, I will. 🙂
How to win: Earn one entry for the usual stuff– Tweeting, Liking, Following. Earn TEN entries by telling us about one of your awkward or funny FIRSTS in the comments. You can tell up to four stories (each in a separate comment) for a total of 40 entries.
I realize not everyone is ready and willing to bust out stories of their awkward first times (nor does everyone have an awkward first time… lucky bastards). So, that’s why all kinds of firsts are on the table. You can tell us about a first kiss, first date, first time meeting the parents, first time making a colossal fool out of yourself in any romantic capacity. Really, we’re flexible. We just want to celebrate with some laughs.
So, to give you an example, I’ll spill one of my firsts!
FIRST SERIOUS RELATIONSHIP
I’d been in a few relationships before, but this is the first one I really counted. The others had either been too short or not that serious. This guy was different though. He was older, and it went beyond the usual puppy love of my middle school days. (He was actually my first french kiss, too, which occurred in my bedroom with a friend of ours playing video games a few feet away. My head was in his lap, and he leaned over me and gave me a spiderman-esque upside down kiss, which was not nearly as seamless as it appears in the movie. My nose was shoved up against his chin, and I remember thinking only I would manage to have my first kiss upside-down). 
Anyway, long story short: About three weeks into this new and different relationship, he showed up to school with a stuffed animal and chocolates. I asked him what it was for, and he said our one month anniversary. Now, I knew positively that it was not our one month anniversary. In fact, he was a full ten days off. I was head-over-heels, and had been counting the days. But the guy was just so cute and sweet that I agreed and didn’t say anything. He looked all hurt because he thought I had forgotten (when really, he was just bad at math).
We proceeded to celebrate the wrong anniversary for the entirety of our relationship. And to make it worse, he was one of those overly sweet guys that wanted to celebrate our anniversary every. single. month. And each time, it killed me. I was a bit of a commitment-phobe even at that age, so combine that with my know-it-all-hermione-granger-wannabe personality, and it was practically torture. To this day, I’m so weird about anniversaries.
I can’t remember if I actually ever told him either. Wherever he is, let’s all hope he’s not working any job that requires he be good with numbers. 🙂

Well, there you go! So tell us about your firsts! Give me your awkward, weird, and humiliating stories, and I shall give you my unfettered adoration (just don’t expect me to celebrate anniversaries).

WARNING: This giveway is only lasts until release day! So, make sure you enter now!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The One with the Anniversary

One year ago, today, I self-published LOSING IT.

One year.

MIND. BLOWN.
Most days I’m too busy trying to catch up and do all the things I need to do that I don’t really think about how drastically my life has changed, but today is a day for retrospect. And it’s kind of overwhelming.
Before I started writing full-time, I was a high school teacher. I’d thought it would give me time to write, but I have this problem with over-committing, so I’d gotten myself pretty busy. In a move that likely made my father’s blood pressure spike, I decided to resign from teaching. I was working two other unpaid jobs in publishing in order to build my resume, as well as getting my Masters in Creative Writing. Both jobs promised to pay in the future, but I would have to get by with no paycheck for a while.
In my first month post-teaching, I wrote Losing It. Then I put it aside to go back to my Masters. I made it to the fall living off the last off my teacher salary and my savings. But as I approached the end of what I could handle financially, I decided to take a long shot and self-publish Losing It. At best, I thought it would buy me another month or two before I needed to figure out what the hell I was doing with my life.
Instead, it turned my world upside down.

In just over 24 hours, it hit #1 on B&N, and I was left pinching myself. The week that followed was the craziest, most stressful week of my life. And it’s been a wonderful whirlwind ever since.

In the last twelve months, I have:
  • Written two books, two novellas, and started several other projects.
  • Visited my book in bookstores
  • Signed tens of thousands of signatures
  • Traveled all over the country (and to two other countries) to meet my AWESOME fans
  • Met long-time online friends and some fabulous authors
  • No, seriously. I’ve met some amazing authors (and managed to keep my fangirl scream to a small shriek).
  • Found an agent that rocks my face off, and the sweetest editor in the world, who cares about my characters as much as I do.
  • Moved TWICE.
  • Twitter and Facebook are part of my JOB.
  • And I can now write full time.

It’s just absurd to think of how much has changed. When I wrote Losing It, I was adrift like Bliss. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life, and I was always feeling like I was the butt of life’s joke. To quote Bliss (and well, by extension me): “There’s only so many times you can handle someone asking about your fall back for when things don’t work before you start thinking that maybe the fall back should just be your plan.”

I wasn’t ready to quit, per say. But I was tired. And Losing It had felt like my last ditch effort to prove I could do this.

I guess, I just wanted to say… It’s been a wonderful year. All thanks to you guys. It’s still SO CRAZY when I see pictures of people with my books or talk to people online. It’s baffling to me that other people actually read my stuff, and they care. They care enough to drive hours to a signing. They care enough to write me awesome letters or make cool things for me. They care enough to take time out of their day to talk about my books. 

I owe everything to you. Absolutely everything. 

Seriously. I cannot even begin to describe how much I adore you guys. Everytime I do a Facebook or Twitter giveaway, I plan to only give away one copy. But then I always end up giving away two or three. I read your messages, and I literally battle urges to just give away all the free things! I feel the itch to say, “Of course, I’ll do a signing here and there and everywhere! I’ll just come hang out!” You all mean so much to me, and I just wish I knew a better way to give back. The signed edition of Finding It at Target is one way. Now, anyone close to a Target can snag a special copy.
But I know there are plenty of readers out there that aren’t anywhere close to a target. So, I knew I needed something more.
So in that vein, I stumbled across a website recently called Libboo. The idea behind it is to reward the fans who go out of their way to spread the word about my books, as opposed to doing random giveaways where the odds are stacked against everyone.
Essentially, Libboo puts the odds in your favor (woot… HG reference, FTW). It allows me to put up rewards like free swag or signed bookmarks. Then all you need to do is open an account and spread the word about my books on social media via Libboo. You earn points or “buzzes” when people follow your links. Every week, I set a reward number limit and a threshold. This week (through Sunday), the first 20 people to hit 20 buzzes can win either signed bookmarks or one of my “Awkward people need love, too” bracelets.
Some weeks the rewards will be general, like this week. Or the prizes might be bigger and more selective– a giftcard for the top 5 buzzers or a skype hangout with me for the week’s top spot. The point is… no more gaining points on rafflecopter for a “maybe” win. Libboo is the best way I could find to pay you all back for how awesome you are.
I hope you guys will join me on Libboo. And if you have suggestions for rewards you’d like to see on the site, please do let me know in the comments.
So, cheers, friends! To our anniversary.
P.S. There will be a rather fun contest coming tomorrow in honor of year two in my writing journey (and you know… that book that comes out on Tuesday). 🙂 It will only last until release day, so don’t forget to check back.
<3

The One with ONE More Thing You Need to Know About Finding It

Okay… So I know it was like six hours ago when I made that post about “Everything” you need to know about Finding It.

Well… I LIED.

Not on purpose. I just didn’t have the go ahead to spill this particular news. BUT NOW I DO!!

News that I have been teasing about for MONTHS. And now… I can finally share. Back in July and August, I was juggling A LOT. Final revisions on Finding It, the release of Keeping her, moving from Texas to NY, and my sister was about to pop out a fourth kid (Yes, fourth. She’s crazy brave like that).

And on top of that… I was doing this:

What are those? You might ask. Well, that’s the first box of what was 10,000 sheets of paper. More specifically, 10,000 copies of the title page of Finding It for me to sign.
To give you some perspective, this stack is probably around 500-600. And on average, I could sign about 100 every 45 min to an hour (depending on how interesting the TV show was that I had on in the background).

 

And I signed them all. Every single one of them. My hand hurt. My back hurt. My neck hurt.
And a few of them, I signed with a little something special. Out of those 10,000 copies there are a handful that are completely unique (even to each other). They each have a different little inscription, and most are in a different color. Here’s one of those super special ones:
Now where are those 10,000 signed sheets of paper going? I’m glad you asked…
A signed Special Edition for Target. That’s where. Not only will you be able to walk into Target and buy a signed copy of my book (while supplies last), BUT… the special edition also contains an exclusive deleted scene involving swimsuits, a game of chicken, and haikus. 🙂
AND… if you happen to snag one of those extra special copies that has something more than just my signature, send me an email to coracarmack(at)gmail(dot)com with a picture, and I’ll mail you some signed swag, too! AND… because really these copies are SUPER special, I’ll even do one better. If you find one of the special copies and email me, I’ll put your name in a future book.
Not too shabby, right? Just keep in mind, 10,000 copies sounds like a lot, but when they’re divided up and sent to all the Targets across the country, they won’t last long. So you’ll definitely want to go nab yours ASAP after the release date (October 15th).
Well… that’s the last of my major Finding It news. I’m so happy to finally share this news with you guys. Sitting on it has been KILLING ME. And please, if you see Finding It out in the wild during release week, snap a picture and tweet or facebook it to me! I’ll love you foreverrrrrr!
And before I go for the night… I just have to say THANK YOU. THANK YOU X A THOUSAND. It is so unbelievably crazy that this is even happening. I don’t even have the words to express how much this means to me. And none of it would have happened without you guys. Heck, five years ago, I was working at Target to make ends meet while I went to school. It’s hard to fathom how much has changed since then. Many of you took a chance on LOSING IT just under a year ago. I was a nobody with no following, and you guys championed me in a way that I’ll never ever be able to thank you enough for.
You’ll never even know all the ways in which you changed my life just by buying that book or by telling a friend or posting about it online. And everyone who has bought one of my books since… Target certainly wouldn’t give a flip who I was if it weren’t for you all. All I can say is… YOU. ARE. POWERFUL. The market is changing, and you as the reader have more influence than you ever have. So please know that each time you buy a book or push it on a friend or post on your blog, you’re changing someone’s life just like you did mine. And we are so grateful for it.

The One with Everything You Need to Know About Finding It and The Secret to Life and Free Things!

Aahhhhhhh friends! We are a mere TWO WEEKS away from the release of FINDING IT.

Can you believe it???

I’m so pumped!
And giddy!
And kind of alarmed because this is the end (kind of). Finding It is the last full length novel in the Losing It series. We’ll still have Seeking Her in January, but that’s a novella. And in case you missed in yesterday, I’ve got a new series slated to start next year about Texas and Football and Swoony romance.
But there’s something crazy about this being… the end. 🙂 Especially because Finding It is releasing almost one year to the day from day I self-published Losing It. I’ve got a big post planned for that anniversary, so I’ll save the weepiness until then, but yeah…
So, anyway, there’s lots of fun FINDING IT things happening, and I want to make sure you know them all.
FIRST: I’m giving away things!!! I just got in a box of these bad boys, and I’m ready to do some damage!
So, here’s how you win. For the next two days (Tuesday and Wednesday), you can Tweet, Facebook, Instagram, Tumble, and/or vine why you want to read FINDING IT. You can do it more than once and on as many of the above platforms as you want! (But be reasonable… you don’t want to lose your followers by tweeting seven bajillion times). Make sure you tag me in your post  and hashtag #FindingIt so you’ll be eligible to win. I’m on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Vine. I don’t have a tumblr, but if that’s your preferred posting place, just tweet or facebook me a link to your Tumblr post (or leave it in the comments below).
Thursday morning, I’ll pick at least two winners to win signed copies of the US paperback edition of Finding It. You’ll be the first fans to hold a copy in your hands! So that’s it. Post. Tag me. Tell me why you want to win!
SECOND: Whether you win or not, you can read a pretty massive excerpt of FINDING IT on my facebook page. The first six chapters, which comes out to a whopping 66 pages, can be read here! AND… we’re even going to increase that by another chapter every Tuesday until release day!
THIRD: If you pre-order the book, you can enter your information and proof here, and you’ll get an exclusive sneek peek at SEEKING HER, the companion novella to Finding It that releases in January! All you need is either an order number or a picture of a receipt or order history.
FOURTH: No more official stuff. I just wanted to take a moment to say how excited I am to be sharing this story with the world. Kelsey… that girl gave me a lot of problems. She’s abrasive and wild and unpredictable. But hers is a story that I absolutely wanted to tell. As a writer, the very first thing I figure out about a character is what he or she wants. I figure out what they desire most, and then I let that dictate their actions. When I sat down to figure out what Kelsey wanted, I found that she didn’t know any better than I did. She wanted to know. Desperately. All her other friends knew what they were doing and what they wanted to do with their life, and she was just floating. So I set out to write a book about a girl who wanted to want something. The only question was what? The ever-ambiguous “It” in the title. Kelsey isn’t the easiest character to love, but I think she’s real. I know her. Have been her on occasion. And I hope she’ll help at least a few people out there realize that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. That’s natural. That’s normal. But you also can’t let your life be stagnant because of it.
Okay. That’s all my rambling on Finding It:
A few other important tidbits!
1. The Keeping Her mass market paperback released today!! You can get it for just $3.99!
2. I’ve got lots of Events coming up! Including Austin, Houston, Miami, and Richmond! Make sure to check out the Events tab here on my blog for more info!
3. I love you.
Okay. Now it’s really the end.

 

The One with the New Series!

Yep. You read that title right… A NEW SERIES.

I feel like we’ve been sitting on this news FOREVER. Though really, it hasn’t been that long. It all started back in June at the Harper Collins party at Book Expo America. I was hanging out with my editor, agent, publicist, a few other authors, and some bloggers. A few of us had grown up in Texas, so we got to chatting about how Texas is practically a foreign country.
And talk turned (as it inevitably does with Texas) to football. Like how pretty much EVERY school in Texas has a hand sign associated with their mascot. My high school (like the University of Texas) was the longhorns (Hook ‘Em). My university was the Bears, and I remember vividly sitting in my orientation group being introduced to the “bear claw.” They took it seriously. You had to have the shape exactly right, and there was a special motion and a group phrase and everything. Sure, teams outside of Texas have these things on occasion, but in Texas, it is an art form.
Then, of course, there are the mums. I didn’t realize until I graduated college and got out of Texas that everyone else in the world didn’t wear mums for homecoming. Don’t know what a mum is? You’re not alone. Essentially, they are these giant flower ribbon things that a date gives you for homecoming.
And with mums… the bigger, THE BETTER.
Again, Mums are an art form. It takes a lot of work (and many safety pins) to wear those suckers without them completely stretching out your shirt or causing a wardrobe malfunction. Then, of course, everyone hangs their mums on their wall as keepsakes. I had mums with stuffed animals and bells and christmas lights. One even played music.
Such is the world when you grow up in Texas.
In the midst of this conversation, I mentioned in passing that I really should write an NA version of Friday Night Lights because I am intimately familiar with that world.
I grew up in small town Texas with a coach for a father. My dad coached football and basketball and track and tennis (like I said… SMALL town). For as long as I can remember, my life revolved around Friday nights. One of my earliest memories was tumbling down the bleachers at a game and busting up my knees.  I remember being that girl in middle school who had to explain to all the other girls what a first down was. And my poor sports-obsessed father gave birth to three girls. So all of us had a first hand look at what it was like to be the coach’s daughter.
Spoiler alert: It makes for some dating difficulties. Like when your dad makes a rule that whoever is dating you has to do push ups anytime a whistle blows.
(Thanks Dad).
Fast forward a month and a half to mid-July and the RWA conference… I’ve just turned in a pass of Finding It, and my agent and I have turned our eye to what’s next. In true overkill-Cora fashion, I send my agent a massive email with like, oh, a dozen different book ideas, most of them series which means it was many more than just a dozen. (This is why I love Suzie. She’s the best, and didn’t even blink an eye).
So, we sit down and talk about them and make plans to pitch some things to my editor Amanda when we go to dinner that night. One of those dozen books was an idea about the daughter of a college football coach. 🙂
That same night at dinner, we’d been sitting down for maybe, oh, two minutes before my editor looks at me. She smiles and says, “So once upon a time you mentioned the idea of an NA Friday Night Lights.”
As it turns out, I didn’t even have to pitch the idea. She was already sold.
Thus the Rusk University series was born. I’ve got three books planned with three swoon-worthy football boys. I cannot WAIT to introduce you to them all!
But mostly, I’m excited to write Dallas’s story. It’s a unique life, living with football as a sibling. Sometimes you resent it. Sometimes you love it. But it’s always, always in your blood.
Time for me to jump back into that world. 🙂 Wish me luck!
And just because I LOVE YOU ALL! Here’s a tiny little tease:
Two things in Texas are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both. 
 

The first book is currently set to release in May, and you can already pre-order the paperback! And the e-book!  You can also add it on Goodreads!

P.S. I know, I know! May is SO far (only really… it isn’t considering I’m still writing the book). But I guess it’s a good thing FINDING IT releases in just over two weeks and Seeking Her releases in January. That should tide you over a bit. 🙂

The One with JLA’s Massive Contest

OMG YOU GUYS.

AMAZING THING. HAPPENING NOW.

Okay, so Jennifer L. Armentrout is doing this EPIC contest. Seriously EPIC. And I’m participating as a judge! Whoo-hooooo!
Here’s the gist of it: Out there in the world some fantabulous book lover is going to sit down and write some fanfiction using books by JLA, me, Sophie Jordan, or Laura Kaye (or some combination there of). Fanfiction (in case you didn’t know) is using copyrighted characters from a published book and creating your own story (just for fun). And in fanfiction, pretty much everything goes. You could have JLA’s characters meet character’s from Laura’s book. You could have Bliss and Garrick become dragons like in Sophie’s YA series. You could write a scene that’s missing from one of our books. You could write our characters ten years in the future or have them time travel. Literally… ANYTHING. GOES.
Once you have your fanfiction, turn it in! And if we choose it as the best entry, you could be heading to New Orleans next year for the RT Booklovers Convention (only the most fun convention… evah!)
So there’s my spiel. Now I’ll let JLA tell you all the details.
See… Here she is! Telling you the deets. 🙂



conheaderhotel
2014 RT Book Lover’s Convention will be in New Orleans. For those who’ve never had the pleasure of attending the RT Convention, it caters to both writers and readers. It’s nearly a week long event where you can mingle with other readers, writers, and most likely, your favorite authors. You can attend panels focused on readers and you can attend panels that are for writers. Not only that, you get to meet top agents and editors. A lot of agent/editor referrals come from events like RT.  And there’s parties, awards ceremonies, slumber parties, Teen Day, and a GIANT BOOK fair with hundreds of the hottest authors.
And did I mention it’s also in New Orleans?
So I got to thinking. How could I come up with a contest centered around one of the hottest events in the biz?
And so I did.
Fan Fic Me all the way to the 2014 RT Convention
Contest Prizes?
Grand Prize
You will be flown into New Orleans on Tuesday, May 13th 2014 (if flying is required) and you will be able to attend all the RT events and panels through the 17th of May, leaving on Sunday.
Your hotel will be covered.
Your registration, valued at $495 will be covered.
You will be at RT, hanging with readers and writers.
1st Runner Up
Signed books from Cora Carmack, Laura Kaye, Sophie Jordan, me, and a slew more, plus goodies
2nd Runner Up
Signed books from Cora Carmack, Laura Kaye, Sophie Jordan, me, and a slew more, plus goodies
 
  • How do you enter?
Put your writing caps on, kiddos. To enter this contest you will need to fan fic one of the books below to enter. You can mix and match books, characters. You can flip a POV of a scene or you can create a whole new one. What you write is up to you. You just cannot exceed 1500 words.
Once you’ve written your fan fic, please submit it to this email: RT2014contest@hotmail.com
You must include the following items with your submission. If not, your submission is automatically deleted.
1. Your full name and full address
2. Date of Birth
3. Email address where we can get in contact with you
 
If you are unable to provide any of that information, the submission will not be accepted. No exceptions, guys! We have to very age and location. 
 
  • How this will work?
All entries must be received by November 12th or before we receive a 180 entries. Website will be updated with submissions.
Entries will be judged by an all star cast of New York Times Bestselling authors, an agent, a member of RT Book Reviews, Two super popular bloggers, and the most important judge:  a reader.
Judges:
NYTimes Bestselling Author Laura Kaye
NYTimes Bestselling Author Sophie Jordan
NYTimes Bestselling Author Cora Carmack
Agent Extraordinaire Kevan Lyon
RT Web Editor Elissa Petruzzi
Stacey O’Neale from Fantasy Book Addict
The Team behind Mundie Moms
The. Reader.
And me.
 
 
 
The Winners will be announced on January 12th, 2014
 

Short Story Guidelines

  • Cannot exceed 1500 words.
  • Books you can fan fict can be any book written by the below authors: Me (under my real and pen name), Cora Carmack, Laura Kaye, and Sophie Jordan
  • Blow our minds.

Rules/Disclaimers/And other important stuff you NEED to read

  • Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Entries under this age will be null and voided. No exceptions. I cannot be responsible for a minor attending this event.
  • Entry cannot exceed 1500 words and must be submitted by November 12th 2013 or before 150 entries have been received. Website will be updated with number of entries.
  • Upon entering the contest, you are agreeing to attend RT 2014 in NOLA. Please do not enter this contest if there is even a small chance you will not be able to attend due to any reason. I will be paying for the flight, the hotel, and the registration. Most of these are nonrefundable. If you back out, that’s a lot of money down the drain.
  • Author, Judges, and RT Book Convention hold no liability for anything in this contest. So that means by entering, if you win and the airline loses your luggage or, in your excitement, you jump over your couch and break a leg, we are not responsible.
  • This contest is not sponsored by RT Book Reviews and is solely financed by Jennifer L. Armentrout.
  • By entering, you are a giving me the permission to share your short story through any venue I see fit. I will not be publishing the stories for financial gain, but story may be shared in a promotional or other way related to the contest.

For International Peeps
Originally, I was only going to limit the contest to US and Canada entries, simply because of the cost of international flights and all the other things to take in consideration: passports, potential customs issues, entry and exit of the states, and all that jazz. That’s a lot of money and a lot of responsibility. However, I have come up with an alternative. Please see the guidelines before for International entry. DO NOT enter the contest unless you can accept the guidelines. I do not want to award this prize to a winner who cannot attend the event due to International travel issues.

  • An international winner will be awarded a $700 voucher toward airfare (the approximate cost of a US city to US city flight), and the winner will be responsible for the remaining cost to travel into the US. Before entering this contest, ask yourself if you have the funds to cover the rest of the trip. Check out rates. Get information. DO NOT enter if you cannot purchase the rest of the ticket.
  • International winner must have a valid passport and meet all traveling requirements that are set forth by the United States Government.

 

This is a prize package that averages between $2,000-$3,000 when its all said and done. It’s huge. It’s epic. It’s going to be a hell of a lot of fun in New Orleans.
Your hotel room is already booked.
Your flight is waiting for you.
Your registration is pending.
So what are you waiting for?
That’s all the info from Jen! Make sure to check out her original post on her blog and ask any questions you may have there!
But be advised! We’re only taking the first 180 entries, so you better get cracking!
In Awkward <3,
Cora

The One with Another Novella

Hello my loves!

I am back at my new home in New York (which is STILL covered in boxes… I procrastinate) after a fabulous weekend in Seattle.

Seriously. If I hadn’t just moved to New York, I would be looking at places in Seattle right now. I was THAT in love with the city. If you’ve never been, you should definitely put it on your list of places to vacation someday. I, myself, can’t wait to go back. Hopefully for a longer trip this time.

The Seattle signing was amazing. I met so many wonderful fans and had a blast chatting with them all. I also got to meet a few authors I love for the first time (like Kristen Proby. Adore her). Thanks so much to everyone who came out. Loved loved loved it.

And now for the good stuff. An announcement… When we sold Garrick and Bliss’s novella, Keeping Her, to Harper, we also sold a second novella.

I’m happy to announce that second novella now has a name and a release date! It will be from the point-of-view of Jackson Hunt, the hero of FINDING IT.

In some ways it is a Pre-quel to Finding It. It starts before the events of that book, but then about half the novella will overlap with Finding It and give you scenes from that book in Jackson’s POV. It was a blast to write. And I love Jackson like WHOA. And I can’t wait for you all to read Finding It! Just a little over a month (Oct 15th), and you’ll be able to! So don’t forget to add that book on Goodreads and buy it when it releases!
And once you’ve read FINDING IT, you’ll be able to pick up the novella, SEEKING HER on January 28th 2014 for only $1.99! You can pre-order it here!
And if you’re a blogger who wants to participate in the cover reveal later this year, make sure you’ve joined by blogger mailer list that is at the top of my sidebar on the upper righthand side of the blog. That list will guarantee you get contacted for future cover reveals and announcements. 🙂
And now… I’ll leave you to imagine Jackson Hunt’s abs and celebrate. 🙂
UPDATE: P.S. I’m attending the Houston Book Rave Event on Nov. 2nd, but if you can’t be there, you can still order SIGNED books! Don’t miss your chance to get signed copies of Losing It, Faking It, and Finding It! http://houstonbookrave.blogspot.com/p/on-line-book-sales.html?m=1