The One with NAThanksgiving!

Hey Loves!

(Cue unrelated gifs because I'm too busy to find ones that make sense).

I am deep, deep, DEEP in the writing cave at the moment. (Cue at least one on topic gif representing how I'm feeling at the moment).

But I wanted to pop in an say HAPPY THANKSGIVING (almost)! And to say that you can now get e-book copies of the entire Losing It series for like eleven bucks. YEP. THAT'S RIGHT. There's an e-book boxed set of the whole series, just in time to push some awkward on everyone you know for christmas. :) 

And in honor of the release, I'm giving away a few copies! Just enter the rafflecopter below:




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And as if that were enough awesome, there's also an e-book boxed set of six of Harper Collins New Adult books! The boxed set contains Wait for You by J. Lynn, Losing It by ME, Taking Chances by Molly McAdams, A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers, Rule by Jay Crownover, and Foreplay by Sophie Jordan. I seriously love ALL these books, and you can't beat this price!

So, I'm totally going to give away some of those too!

But first, I want to take a minute and say how very thankful I am that New Adult is enough of a "thing" now that a major publisher is willing to do a boxed set like this. It's been a long journey from the time that I chose to self-publish Losing It because traditional publishers weren't open to NA. It's been a long journey since we all celebrated when the term started appearing in articles and in deal announcements.

We've come a long way, guys, and I am so thankful. Not just because I was lucky enough to have my books be a part of this explosion of awesomeness, but because I still believe whole-heartedly that we need NA stories. I've said this before, but when I was in college, I would have given anything to be able to easily find books about characters dealing with the transition to adulthood. At it's heart, one of fiction's chief purposes is to reach out to readers and say, "You're not alone." And in a period of life that is often stressful and joyful, terrifying and transformative, lovely and lonely-- I know there are readers out there who need these books. And there are authors who need to tell these stories.

So, this thanksgiving I'm thankful that twenty-somethings can now go to Barnes and Noble or Target or Books-a-Million, and they can find books about how difficult it can be to find yourself in a chaotic and challenging world.

I'm thankful for New Adult books and New Adult readers!

And even if Thanksgiving isn't a "thing" where you are... well you can still celebrate with us. Because we've already established that anything can become a "thing" if enough people believe in it.

Enter the giveaway below for your chance to win this New Adult bundle. And if you're so inclined, spread some NA love this week by thanking your favorite NA authors! And do it under the #NAThanksgiving hashtag, so we can all join in!


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The One Where You Can Work With Me!

Hello out there! Calling all aspiring authors!!! I have awesome news!

So you guys might not know this, but before I started writing full time, I had my hand in few projects with books. I was a YA book blogger, an MFA in Creative Writing Student, and I worked remotely for a small indie publisher and a literary agency.

I always wanted to be an author, but I also loved everything about books and knew the best way to give myself a step up into this career was to learn as much as I could about every facet of the business. Now, these days I only write. Between deadlines and signings, there just isn't time to do anything else but be an author. And though being an author is a dream come true, I can't deny that I sometimes miss other aspects of my previous jobs.

One of the best feelings in the world was to be able to find an unpublished manuscript that I loved and do my best to take it from manuscript to published book. By nature, I am a book pusher. I love recommending books to friends and family (and complete strangers).

And now I have an opportunity to do that one more time! If you're an aspiring writer, you might be aware of the incomparable Brenda Drake. An author and a blogger, Brenda also goes out of her way several times a year to run contests to help connect writers to potential agents and publishers. One such contest is known as Pitch Wars.

Here's the low down on how it works: Brenda has assembled a team of published and soon-to-be published authors along with industry professionals to act as mentors (and yes, I am one of them)! If you have a finished manuscript, you can submit your pitches to up to FOUR mentors for consideration. Each mentor will choose one manuscript (along with two alternates) that they believe in to take on to the next stage of the competition. As mentor, I'll work with my chosen author on both their manuscript and their pitch to help them get ready for the Agent round where esteemed literary agents will request the work that interests them. Alternates will be advised just on their pitch and first page.

This contest has the potential to propel you from aspiring writer to agented writer and then to published author, should your work be chosen. More than that, it's a chance to have someone like me, who's already on this path, guide and advise you on the next steps to take. Writing can be a lonely business. I cannot overemphasize how awesome this contest is! There are tons of fantastic mentors to choose from, so you'll definitely want to visit all of their blogs to find out which mentor is the best for you!

Here's what you need to know about me:

BIO:

Cora Carmack is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Losing It series, and one of the early pioneers of the New Adult category.  She's a twenty-something author who likes to write about twenty-something characters finding their way through this wacky and wonderful thing we call life. She's also a giant nerd. Fair warning.

WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR:

• My primary category is New Adult, since that's what I do, but I'm also an avid YA reader. I'm open to both for the purposes of this contest. 

• For YA: I read all subgenres: Fantasy, Contemporary, Historical, etc. In particular, I'd love to see unique YA High fantasy, magical realism, and/or contemporary with a literary or humorous bent. I tend to prefer stories with a romantic element, though it doesn't have to be the primary plot of the story. Some favorite YA books of mine in various subgenres are: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly, The Girl of Fire and Thorns series by Rae Carson, anything by Jennifer L. Armentrout, The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson, anything by Ally Carter, and Grave Mercy by RL LaFevers. Character is the most important thing for me when reading. I want to know who your character is, what drives them, and what sets them apart from everyone else. And the name of the game in YA these days is UNIQUE. It's a crowded market, and to make me pay attention, I have to feel like your story is something I've never seen before. 

• For NA: I write NA contemporary romance, so that's obviously something I'm open to. Character and voice are absolutely key in New Adult. Dialogue needs to feel realistic to the age of the characters. It's not enough for the characters to be college-aged, they need to be dealing with issues that are prominent for people transitioning from their teenage years to adulthood. I love humorous NA because there's just not enough of it out there. I'm also a sucker for a book with artistic/creative elements (Theatre, film, music, dance, art, etc). Like YA, NA contemporary romance is a saturated market, so I'm not likely to request anything that sounds like a recycled version of something that's already out there. It would take a really unique premise to make me choose something in the whole bad boy/broken girl healed by a relationship cliche. I'm looking for something with strong romantic elements, but also an interesting premise outside the romance. This does NOT have to translate to sex. I could care less how much or how little sex there is in your NA. Not to be a broken record but I just care about your story being UNIQUE. I'm totally up for non-contemporary NA-- paranormal, scifi, etc-- though I'd be most interested in NA speculative fiction with a prominent romance and fantasy grounded in reality. Some of my favorite NA is by authors like J. Lynn, K.A. Tucker, Colleen Hoover, Lisa Desrochers,  and Jeaniene Frost.

What I'm NOT looking for:

• BABIES. I love those cute, cuddly little buggers as much as the next person who gets to play with the adorable thing and then send it home to it's mommy. But I am not the right person for books with pregnancies or happily ever after baby-filled epilogues. 
• Books where someone cheats and it's totally okay. I can't say I will NEVER enjoy a book that has cheating in it, but I've yet to find one that didn't make me want to tear out my hair, so there's that. 
• Heroines with no backbone. I'm not saying your heroine can't have insecurities or weaknesses or make mistakes. But they need to have a backbone about something. If they suck at love, fine. But make them passionate and hardcore about a job or a hobby or whatever.
• Ironic as it is, I'm a romance writer who's not much of a romantic. I'm cynical and independent. So, I'm not likely to connect with characters whose only want in life is to fall in love. 
• I'm a character-driven author and reader, so I tend to prefer books with one POV where I can really delve into that character, though I can handle two POVs in a romance. But if you've got more than two POVs, each of those characters better be A-MAZING, or you'll lose my interest fast. 

Now, if you made it through those massive descriptions, here are some other things you can expect from me as a mentor:

• Harry potter references. Possibly sprinkled with the occasional mention of Doctor Who, The Vampire Diaries, Hunger Games, Battlestar Galactica, and/or Game of Thrones. 

• Gushy fangirling over everything I love in your manuscript. Probably with a whole bunch of these !!!!!!!!

• Honest and realistic advice on your manuscript and your career. This is a tough business, and plenty of fantastic writers never see their work published. I'm not going to tiptoe around issues or challenges in your manuscript. This is a business, and we will definitely treat it as such. As your mentor, I'll be thinking like an agent, an editor, a publicist, and a reader, and we'll aim to make your book as successful as possible in each of those areas. 
• If I like your work, I can promise I'll be an advocate of your work long after this contest ends. Sorry. You'll be stuck with me. :)
• On the flip side, I'm a working author. I write 4-6 books a year and travel extensively for signings, events, and conferences. I sought out Brenda for this contest because I want to help the next class of emerging authors. And I'm SO excited to get started. BUT... I don't have the time to hold your hand every step of the way. So, if you feel like your manuscript still needs a lot of work (or you just know you're a needy person), you might be better off with another mentor. 
• I'll also be tweeting under the #Pitchwars hashtag on twitter some more likes, dislikes, and insight in the days leading up to submission day. So make sure you're following me!

If I haven't scared you away yet... AWESOMEPANTS. Here's the schedule for the contest: 

• 11/20 Mentor’s post bios and wishlists
• 12/2: Submission Window
• 12/3 -12/10: Mentors read their applications
• 12/11: Mentor’s announce their picks
• 12/11 -1/17: Mentors work with their writers
• 1/22-1/23 Agent Round

NOTE: Pay attention to that submission window up there. It's one day only! So, you'll definitely want to be following Brenda's blog to make sure you read all the submission guidelines and don't miss any pertinent information leading up to submission day. 

And now, for the SUPER exciting part... the agents! I can attest to the awesomeness of several of these agents personally, including my own SuperNinjaAgentofAwesome, Suzie Townsend. 

1.       LouiseFury – Bent Agency

2.       SuzieTownsend – New Leaf Literary

3.       NicoleResciniti - The Seymour Agency

4.       JohnM. Cusick – The Greenhouse Agency

5.       SarahLaPolla – Bradford Literary Agency

6.       VictoriaMarini - Gelfman Schneider Literary Agency

7.       JessicaSinsheimer - Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency

8.       Pamvan Hylckama Vlieg - Foreword Literary

9.       QuinlanLee - Adams Literary

10.   JenUdden – Donald Maass Literary Agency

11.   EmilyKeyes – Foreward Literary

12.   Brianne Johnson – Writers House

13.   CarlyWatters – P.S. Literary

14.   LanaPopovic and Natasha Alexis - Zachary Shuster Harmsworth

15.   MollyJaffa – Folio Literary Management

16.   EvanGregorgy - Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency

And last, but certainly not least, check out the list of mentors! You only get to pick FOUR mentors to submit your work to. So, choose carefully. Pay attention to their likes and dislikes. Give yourself the best possible shot of getting chosen by choosing the mentors who seem most compatible with your work! 

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And now... go forth and prepare! I wish you all the luck!! Can't wait to hear all about your work!

The One with the Seeking Her Cover

MY LOVES!!!

It's time for a new cover reveal! 

FINDING IT has been out just over a month and some of you might be feeling a little bit like this... 

The good news for you for you Jackson Hunt fans is that you haven't seen the last of him! On January 28th, there is a novella releasing from his point of view! 

It's a sort of prequel. It starts a few weeks before the opening of Finding It, and then overlaps with the beginning of that book. So you'll get both new content and a few Finding It scenes from his pov. 

WARNING: DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T READ FINDING IT. SPOILER ALERT. 

SERIOUSLY. THERE ARE SPOILERS. 

PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. 

Here's the official copy: 

SEEKING HER by Cora Carmack

A few months after being honorably discharged from the military, Jackson Hunt is still struggling to adjust back to the real world. He needs to get a job and find a sense of normalcy if he’s going to keep his own demons at bay. The job that falls into his lap, though, is anything but normal. 

Bodyguard (and baby-sitter) to spoiled-rich-girl Kelsey Summers isn’t exactly what he’d been looking for, but it’s a chance to travel, to get away from the home that has felt stifling ever since his return. It would be a pretty sweet gig if it weren’t for the fact that Kelsey’s father doesn’t want Kelsey to know she’s being followed. Hunt feels guilty (and a little bit creepy) as he watches her from afar. She’s vibrant and infuriating, exciting and reckless, mysterious and familiar. When he sees her falling into the same patterns that he suffered years ago, he decides it’s time to stop watching and help her instead. But getting to know her is more difficult than he thought, especially because the more he knows her, the more he wants her.

AND NOW FOR THE COVER...

ISN'T IT SO PRETTY? I love the colors and Kelsey, and everything about it.

And... one more Klaus gif because REASONS. 

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

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The One With Foreplay

It's Friday Flash Fiction time!


On select Fridays, 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.

Today's prompt comes from Cohlina: Bliss and Garrick in the bar where they first met


So, without further ado, here's my Flash Fiction Friday entry #4

(This week was a hard choice... there were SEVERAL awesome prompts. Feel free to repost your prompt next time if yours didn't get picked). 

WARNING: DEFINITE SPOILERS FOR LOSING IT.

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

NOTE: This is NOT an excerpt from LOSING IT, KEEPING HER, or some future book. This is special, original content just because I love you guys.



P.S. The book that gets mentioned is Foreplay by Sophie Jordan, which just released this week and is awesome!

I fiddled with the little black straw in my drink, and resisted the urge to tug on the disastrously short mini-skirt that I swore I would never wear. The bartender came up to check on me, and asked if I wanted another. I shook my head, wanting a clear head for the evening.

It wasn’t the same Bartender Boy as that night, but it might as well have been. He was the same type—all smiles and winks and too charming for me to feel comfortable.

Maybe it was the anticipation making me crazy, but I swore I could feel it the second he caught sight of me at the corner of the bar. A zing of electricity shot down my spine, sparking low in my belly. I didn’t sit in our old table, wanting him to have to work a little bit.

Still... sitting on the barstool, I felt on display.

But I didn’t mind. Not for him.

I felt the barest touch against one of my curls before the seat beside me was filled. His long fingers picked up a napkin before placing it back on the bar carefully. I smiled down at the book in my hands. I hadn’t read more than one paragraph since I sat down, too distracted, but he didn’t know that.

“That must be some book you’re reading,” he said, his accent smooth and sinful.

I looked up at his gorgeous face and the blue eyes that captured me all those months ago, and the butterflies in my stomach lurched forward, splatting against my ribcage like moths that didn’t know any better but to dive toward the light.

“It is,” I answered with a smile. “Very… interesting.”

He leaned forward to catch the title of what I was reading, and his jaw went slack. He’d expected Shakespeare, no doubt, and I’d been eagerly awaiting his reaction to my slight detour from our history.

The way his gaze darkened when it swung to me told I’d made the right choice. He leaned closer, and his knee brushed the bare skin of my thigh, and I had to close my eyes to keep my reaction under control.

“Tell me what this interesting read is about. Let me guess… something forbidden?”

His voice dropped low, and I’m suddenly remembering every stolen kiss— from the first in this very bar to the one in the theatre and in my apartment and the computer lab. I’m remembering every other time those dark eyes were directed at me, so full of passion and restraint.

Only there was far less restraint in his eyes tonight than I remembered.

I bit my lip, wanting to make him wait for it. “Not a forbidden love. Not this time.”

His eyes narrowed on me. “Then what is it about, love?”

My legs go weak at the endearment even after all this time.

Knowing it would drive him crazy, I didn’t meet his gaze. Instead, I latched on to Bartender Boy, who caught my stare and started moving my direction.

“It’s about a really hot bartender.”

When Bartender Boy was a few yards away, a low rumble sounded in Garrick’s chest, and he pulled me off the barstool and against his chest. When his lips crashed against mine, I figured the game was pretty much over, so I threw my arms around his neck in acceptance.

His tongue split my lips as his hands wandered down. One ghosted over my hip and down to my thigh, fingering the short hem of the blasted skirt he’s so obsessed with.

He pulls my bottom lip between his, scraping his teeth against it.

“I am bloody tired of fighting bartenders off of you,” he breathed against my lips.

I rolled my eyes. “Like any of them would stand a chance against you.”

He must have liked the sound of that because he tugged me in for another hard kiss before pulling me away from the bar and toward the table that had set everything in motion.