The One Where You Can Join My Team!

As we near the launch of my new Rusk University series and the release of All Lined Up on May 13th, I've been thinking a lot about introducing these new characters and this new world to my awesome readers. Such a huge part of the series is the football team as a whole. Sure, they play football and all that, but there's also a lot going on with them behind the scenes. Dating drama, scandal drama, competitive drama. ALL KINDS OF DRAMA.

Teamwork is such a huge part of the story, and so much of publishing is about teamwork too. I have people behind me like my editor, agent, and publicists. More than that though, I have you guys. You're the driving force behind everything that happens with my books, and none of it would be possible without you. 

So, I thought it was time to make that team official. 

CALLING ALL READERS, BLOGGERS, AND JUST GENERALLY AWESOME PEOPLE! 

I want YOU on the Rusk University Street Team! Yes, You!

What is a Street Team? (Great question!)

A street team is the ultimate set of super readers. I'm looking for people who've read all my books, and love my characters, and are eager for my next fictional journey! A street team helps spread the word about an authors books-- online, in person, and IN SPACE. (Okay... maybe not in space, but you get the idea.) In exchange for all that support, you basically become my people. You get all the inside info, special stuff, and tacklehugs and tequila if I ever meet you in person (The tequila is optional. The tacklehug is not.)

Interested? Here's some more details. 

Here's what's in for you: 

• Exclusive giveaways ONLY for street team members. ARCs, Swag, Signed copies, and other special stuff. Your odds of winning are MUCH better than when competing with the masses. 
• Exclusive content and news. When a new book is releasing or I'm writing a new project, you guys will be the first to hear about it! You'll also be the first people I torture tease with excerpts! 
• Swag for you! Swag for your friends! Swag for strangers you bombard on the street! You shall be the swag queens (or kings... I'm looking at you, rare and exotic male fan).
• Every active street team member's name will appear in the acknowledgments of my books. Show all your friends how important and beloved you are! 
• Membership in the exclusive Street team facebook group! Here you can chat with other fans, brainstorm promotional ideas, and hang out with me! I'll pop in for exclusive street team chats and hang outs. Not to mention I might pick your brain about books and characters you'd like to see. ;) 
• One extra lucky Street Team member will get to join me as my assistant at an upcoming signing after the release of the book! I'll take care of your flight and hotel, and we'll just hang out, meet book people, bask in our awkward goodness. 

As a street team member, there's lots of things you can do to help my books succeed. You don't have to do all of these, but these are some ways that the team can show their support. 

In person you can...

• Talk the books up and share promo material with friends, family, co-workers, and bookclubs. You can even drop off promo materials at bookstores, libraries, coffee shops, etc. 
• Buy my books the first week of release, which helps it get more visibility, thereby selling more books
• Ask your local library to order my books. Give the librarians the title, name and publisher of each book. In the same vein, ask your local bookstore to stock my books if they don't already. 

Online you can... 

• Share your (honest) review/rating of the book via Amazon, iBooks, BN.com, and Goodreads. I can't even begin to express how big a deal this is in terms of discoverability for new books. 
• Share interviews, reviews, cover reveals, and other promotional events across your social media and online platforms (Blogs, Tumblr, Facebook, Twitter, etc)
• Spread the word about my books to your online friends and followers. 
• “Like” my books and me on Amazon.com & BN.com
• Like, Retweet, and Share whenever/whatever you can!
• Recommend the books on Goodreads and elsewhere. As readers, you wield so much influence. And every little bit helps! 

Many of you already do so much of this already, for which I am IMMENSELY grateful. These little things really do go a long way to helping a book succeed! You guys are THE BEST. 

So if you love my books and are looking forward to All Lined Up (check out the goodreads page here), I'd love to have you on the team! If you want an idea of what the book will be like, you can read an excerpt here! 

To apply to be on the team, fill out the information below. Because team members will receive goodies and extras, there's a limited number of spots available. So, make your applications count! We're looking for the most excited fans who are eager to help out! 

The DEADLINE is 6PM ET on THURSDAY, MARCH 6TH!

We'll be announcing the final team sometime the next day on FRIDAY, MARCH 7TH! 

Fill out the information below, and I CANNOT wait to meet you guys and have some of you join to Rusk Team! 

*Application window is now closed*

STAY TUNED FOR THE STREET TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT! 

The One Where Dallas Falls for Carson... Sort Of.

Hey Lovelies!!!

I'm hard at work on Rusk University Book #2, but wanted to stop in for a quick update.

All Lined Up releases May 13th, which seems SO FAR AWAY... I know.

*COME CLOSER MY PRECIOUS*

Luckily, there's a huge sneak peek over on the RT Book Reviews website today! It's from relatively early in the book and is from Carson's POV. If you need a recap: Dallas is the heroine, and her dad is the university football coach. She's sworn off football and it's players, but when she hits it off with Carson, she doesn't realize he's on her Dad's team. 

*womp womp*

Carson doesn't know who she is either, and the last thing he needs is to jeopardize his spot on the team. This particular excerpt comes right after Dallas has had a rather, *ahem* unfortunate run-in with not only her ex-boyfriend, but also with another douchebag from the team. Their first meeting occurs after Carson sees Dallas screaming out her frustration at a frat party. 

So without further ado... Go meet Carson McClain! 

*HUGS*

The One with the All Lined Up Reveal!

Hello my lovelies!!! 

I am bursting with excitement to introduce you all the first book in my new Rusk University series! ALL LINED UP is a New Adult Contemporary Romance novel published by William Morrow (an imprint of HarperCollins). It is due to be released on May 13, 2014!!

   

AHHHHHHH! How crazy awesome was that?

Go ahead. Watch it again. I'll wait. :)

I love this video, and I love the cover, and I love the book, and I cannot WAIT for you guys to read it. Here's a little more info:

ABOUT ALL LINED UP:

In Texas, two things are cherished above all else—football and gossip. My life has always been ruled by both.

 

Dallas Cole loathes football. That's what happens when you spend your whole childhood coming in second to a sport. College is her time to step out of the bleachers, and put the playing field (and the players) in her past.

But life doesn't always go as planned. As if going to the same college as her football star ex wasn’t bad enough, her father, a Texas high school coaching phenom, has decided to make the jump to college ball… as the new head coach at Rusk University. Dallas finds herself in the shadows of her father and football all over again.

Carson McClain is determined to go from second-string quarterback to the starting line-up. He needs the scholarship and the future that football provides. But when a beautiful redhead literally falls into his life, his focus is more than tested. It's obliterated.

Dallas doesn't know Carson is on the team. Carson doesn't know that Dallas is his new coach's daughter.

And neither of them knows how to walk away from the attraction they feel.

“Laughter + heartache + hot sexual tension = the perfect Cora Carmack book.”

—Monica Murphy

Praise for All Lined Up:

“Feisty, sparkly, and sexy, feel the rush of falling in love all over again with Carson and Dallas! Confession: Cora Carmack's new series is my brand new addiction!” (Katy Evans, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author)

“Football and falling in love are two of the greatest things ever. It would take Cora Carmack to make them even better...ALL LINED UP is a touchdown!” (Jay Crownover, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author)

“Cora Carmack’s done it again! ALL LINED UP is a fantastically sweet and sexy new adult love story.” (Monica Murphy, New York Times bestselling author)

“Cora’s best book yet!” (Jennifer L. Armentrout, # 1 New York Times Bestselling author)

Pre-Order Links: Amazon Barnes & Noble iTunes
Links: Website Twitter Facebook Author Goodreads ALL LINED UP Goodreads

P.S. You can already read an excerpt here! 

The One with the Football Player

So... there was this thing today. I don't know if you've heard of it... the Superbowl? I don't know... it's kind of a big deal.

Depending on which team you were rooting for, you either had a really awesome or really awful night.

But regardless of your team, I thought you guys might like a little sneak peek at a football player near and dear to my heart. Carson McClain is the hero of ALL LINED UP, the first book in my new Rusk University series (releasing May 13th)! It's all about Texas and Football and what happens when college isn't the fresh start and freedom that you hoped for.

And soon (so very soon) I'll be able to show you guys the awesomeness that is the ALL LINED UP cover! We're having a video reveal on February 13th. (Bloggers, if you want to help with the reveal, sign up here).

But because I love you, and it's the ultimate day of football, here's a little snippet from the book in Carson's POV!

Don’t get distracted by a girl.

That’s Dad’s number one rule, and he’s probably right.

It’s going to take everything I have to keep my grades up here. And I don’t exactly have it easy on the field, considering I’m playing second string to Levi Abrams. The guy won two high school state championships, and still holds the high school state record for all-time leading passer. He was redshirted the year before last, his freshman year, and though he had decent numbers in his first season last year, the team as a whole had a disappointing year. 

Normally that might have given me a little hope.

But considering the university’s new coach was the one to coach Levi to those two state championships in high school, I figure I’m shit out of luck.

I’m sure one of the reasons he was hired was to get Levi back on his game.  

Which is why I give myself a break and let myself step a little closer to Dallas. I can afford to get distracted for one night. How much could it hurt?

“So what did that guy do to piss you off? You know…just so I don’t make the same mistake.”

“Unless you’re lying to me and trying to trick me into sleeping with you…you should be good.”

“So what if I’m up-front about trying to get you to sleep with me…Does that still get me yelled at?”

I expected a blush, but I don’t get one. Her face is carefully blank.

“I thought you weren’t trying to hook up with me.”

“Just keeping my options open. I like to be prepared for all possibilities.”

She rolls her eyes. “You can be as up-front as you want. I can promise I will be, too.”

There’s a devilish glint in her eye, and I wonder how many hearts this girl has broken with her honesty. Not that I’m worried about my heart. I’m more concerned with the hard-on I can’t get to subside with her so close to me.

“Then in the interests of honesty, I should say I’m trying really hard not to kiss you.”

She straightens, and the strand of hair she was lazily twirling drops from her grasp.

“Why would you tell me that?”

“So that when I slip up and break my promise, you’ll at least know I tried.”  

Eeeeep! I really can't wait for you guys to meet Carson and Dallas and the whole Rusk cast! The book is already available for pre-order, and you can add it on Goodreads here. Love you guys!!! 

And in a completely unrelated conclusion, I'm just going to leave this right here...