Football Friday: the whole Rusk University Gang + A Giveaway!

ALL BROKE DOWN has been out in the wild for about four days....and for those four days, all I've wanted to do is tacklehug each and every one of you. 

All Broke Down is book #2 in the Rusk University series, and you can order it on Amazon , Barnes & Noble , or iBooks! Or find it in your local bookstore! You can also add it on Goodreads! You've already met Silas Moore and Dylan Brenner, and now that the book is out, I thought we could just reminisce about the people we've met so far. 

I've loved writing all of my books, but in the Losing It series, everyone graduated and went their separate ways. Though they still made small appearances in each other's books, they mostly led their own lives. The Rusk series in entirely different. The secondary characters are a huge part of these books.  Each story relates in some way to the football team and the community that surrounds it. So not only do you get to know the characters BEFORE their books, you also get to see them frequently after their stories have been told. 

First there was Dallas and Carson, who you got to know in All Lined Up. Dallas in honest and spunky, and spent her life in the shadow of football thanks to her father, Coach Cole. As a couple, they fit together so well and are good friends (not just boyfriend and girlfriend). I sort of see them as the nucleus of the group. They keep everyone else grounded (and in control... mostly). 

That's Carson's job on the team too as quarterback. He's the leader, and he sort of brings everyone together. And it's a big job. He's got Silas, who is supposed to be a leader too, but has a knack for causing as much trouble as he diffuses. Then there's Torres (who might possibly be my favorite character ever). He's wild and funny and completely shameless. It's a different sort of confidence than the typical romantic hero has. Because he's willing (and quite able) to make a fool of himself on a regular basis. And there's a strange sort of charm in that. Luckily, Carson has some help keeping those two in line. His friend Ryan is a manager on the team, and though he can be a tad silly like Torres, he's usually pretty good for some straight talk. Brookes rounds out the football guys. He's quieter, his personality isn't as out there as those of his friends. But he's thoughtful, and he has a knack for reading people (I also love him). I JUST LOVE THEM ALL, OKAY? 

And then there's the coaches too! I've already mentioned Coach Cole, but I think he deserves another mention. He's this great mix of gruff hard-ass and loving supporter. He's not so good with the emotions. He's better at yelling and ordering people around, but that makes it all the more meaningful when he does show emotion. In writing All Broke Down, I also found myself falling in love with another Coach on the Staff-- Coach Oscar (or Oz). He's the strength and conditioning Coach, and he's the youngest guy on staff. As such, he feels the need to be particularly tough so the guys take him seriously. You can probably expect to see more of him as the series carries on. 

Then there are the non-football people in this cast of characters. And I love them just as much as I do my athletes and coaches. First, there's Stella. She was Dallas's best friend in All Lined Up, and she quickly won over my heart. She's just got that extra something about her. She gets along with everyone. She always knows what to say. She's pretty much the coolest chick ever. 

Dylan and Nell and Matt are three brand new additions in All Broke Down. Dylan is a student activist, and she finds herself drawn to Silas (who is her total opposite). Nell (or Antonella) is her roommate. We just get brief glimpses of her in All Broke Down, but she's the incredibly serious and studious type. Matt... ah, he's another favorite. He's this vibrant guy that knows Dylan through her activism work. As Dylan describes him, he's basically a "Disney prince. If Disney made bearded, bisexual princes." He's hilarious and spontaneous, and has some of my favorite moments in All Broke Down. 

So that's my cast of characters. But I know what you're all really wondering is... 

Who is going to get their own book? 

At this moment in time, I can promise you very few things. I signed a three book deal with my publisher, but hopefully we'll be continuing on the series for a few more books at least. But a lot of that just depends. Publishing is a business first, and the better the current books sell, the more likely the publisher is to be excited to continue the Rusk series. So if you love the books, recommend them to your friends! 

Here are a few things I can tell you: 

• Book Three is called ALL PLAYED OUT! It's set to be out a little over six months from now in May. You can already add it on goodreads here. It's about Torres and Nell. And guys... it was SUCH a blast to write (like I expected anything less of Torres). She's straight-laced and focused, and he's wild and spontaneous. And when she creates a bucket list to attempt to loosen up during her last few months before she graduates, he's the perfect person to help her step out of her normal boundaries (or you know... just blow them to smithereens). It's funny and sexy, and I can't wait for you guys to read it. 
• And just for you guys... here's a sneak peek at the VERY FIRST lines of the book (in Nell's POV): 
• "There’s a half-naked man in my kitchen. Well, honestly, he’s more like 90% naked with just a pair of black boxer briefs that fit very snugly. So, snugly in fact, that I’m going to round up to 95% naked."
  
  
  Teeheehee. You can also pre-order All Played Out now. 

• If you were paying attention, you might remember that once upon a time, I said book three was going to be about Ryan. GUILTY. I totally said that. Because it's what I thought. From the very beginning I envisioned this series having at least four books-- Dallas, then Silas, then Ryan, and then Stella. I had clear ideas for each book from the outset. Then my sister read All Lined Up as my first reader and said, "Are Ryan and Stella going to get together?" I told her no. I loved Ryan and Stella both, but I thought they were too much alike. They were just better off as friends (who okay... flirted a lot). I went back in during copy edits, and even made a few adjustment to the book to hopefully make it more apparent that that's all they would ever be. And yet, when the book hit the shelves, one of the first questions I started getting was-- "Are Ryan and Stella going to get a book?" I sort of cagily answered yes, but didn't really tell people that I had every intention of giving them separate books. I was determined. I had a vision, and I was going to stick to it! Then I wrote All Broke Down, and I started to waver. Stella ended up forcing her way into that storyline in a way I hadn't originally intended, but once the idea had come to me, I couldn't get it out of my head. And as I wrote the book, I could feel that vision I had shifting. My characters had become so large in my head, so real that they were acting independently of me. So one day I emailed my editor and said, "Okay. I was wrong. Ryan and Stella are supposed to be together." And that left me scrambling to re-imagine the rest of the series in my head. Conveniently, I had become rather enamored with Torres (as he has a tendency to steal the show a bit in ABD), so he was the perfect replacement for the Bucket List book that I had originally intended to be Ryan's. 

• So now you're probably wondering-- will Ryan and Stella get their book? And the answer is yes.  Whatever I have to do to make that book happen, I will. I promise. Ideally, it will still come through my publisher and they'll want to continue the series as I said. But whatever happens, I will make sure their story is told. Speaking of Stella... if you've read All Broke Down... you might have some questions for me. But those questions are definitely of a spoiler-y nature. So, I'm going to answer them as vaguely as I can here (highlight below to see ONLY IF YOU HAVE READ THE BOOK. WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW):                       
• SERIOUSLY DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ALL BROKE DOWN. So... like I mentioned above... I didn't originally plan for Stella's to have such a big role in All Broke Down. But I loved her so much that she just kept showing up. I don't typically plot my books. I know the beginning and a general direction, but then I let my characters lead me. But one thing that's important to me with this series is to give a truthful portrayal of Texas football... the good and the bad. And unfortunately, you only have to have kept up with the news to know that far too often athletes get away with behavior that normal people never would. And having grown up in the heart of football country, I've seen first hand the way athletes can get special treatment or the way people are willing to sweep things under the rug in the name of their "greater good" ie- the team. In particular, there's a long history of athletes getting into trouble (or more correctly, not getting into trouble) for the kind of thing that happens at the end of All Broke Down. I was writing this book while one such event was prominent in the news. And once the idea of working it into ABD occurred to me, I could think of nothing else. It gripped me. Refused to let me see the story any other way. And the moment I began to seriously consider it... I remember, I was sitting on my couch, and I just started bawling. Because I knew how and to whom it was going to occur. I tried to resist at first because I hated myself for it. Knew some of you would hate me for it too. But like I said... sometimes characters become bigger and more real in your head. Sometimes they tell me what their story is going to be. And that's what happened with Stella. The end of All Broke Down was just the beginning of what will be a long journey for her. I know that her story is left unresolved. I know that. But I couldn't pretty that up with a happy ending. I refused to, actually. I know that ending was jarring and upsetting. It was meant to be. Far too many stories like Stella's are forever left unresolved and without justice, a staggering percentage in fact. And that's the story she wanted me to tell. Not just the physical and emotional impact of the occurrence itself, but the impact of everything that happens (and doesn't happen) afterward. So if I broke your heart at the end of ABD, I'm sorry. Know that I broke my own heart first. But I hope you'll trust me to take care of this character that we all love. Trust that I don't tell her story lightly. 
• Okie dokie. Sorry. That spoiler-y thing ended up taking longer to say than I thought. STILL DON'T READ IT IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED ABD! So yeah, that's all I can promise you for the moment. Do I have ideas for other characters in the Rusk series? Yes. Can I say for certain that those ideas will become books? No. But I hope. :) 

(P.S. If you're bummed that you have to wait until May for the next Rusk University book, make sure you check out the brand new series I have starting with INSPIRE on Dec 15th! That's MUCH sooner! :) You can read all about it here).

So there you have it! Those are all the major players in the Rusk University series, and everything I can tell you about the future of these books. I hope you're all enjoying catching the #SilasVirus, and thank you so much for all your kind tweets and messages! The response to this book so far has been so overwhelming and so heart-warming, and I can never thank you enough. <3

BUT I SHALL TRY WITH THIS FINAL EPIC GIVEAWAY!!! 

Win a signed set of the entire Losing It series (including the novellas) and All Lined up! 

Open internationally. 

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The One with ALL BROKE DOWN!!! YAAAAAAY!!

IT'S HERE! IT'S HERE! ALL BROKE DOWN IS OUT IN THE WORLD FOR EVERYONE TO READ! I've spent all morning doing my own variations of a touchdown celebration....it's looked kind of like this:

 ...and this...

 ...and this...

 ....and this....

 ...but mostly this:

(I FEEL YOU, NUMBER 63!!)

If this is your first time visiting my blog and you're wondering what all the fuss is about, ALL BROKE DOWN is the second novel in my Rusk University series, and it released today! You can check it out on Goodreads, or keep reading below for more information. :D

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, education—you name it, she’s probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail for a few hours, she meets Silas Moore. He’s in for a different kind of fighting. And though he’s arrogant and not at all her type, she can’t help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it’s trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He’s met girls like her before—fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn’t think he’s broken, and he definitely doesn’t need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about, his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.

 Amazon  

Barnes & Noble 

 iBooks

Releasing a new book is always thrilling, but I feel extra eager for All Broke Down. A good girl meets bad boy story-- it's the longest book I've ever written (beating out Faking It by about 15k words) and by far the steamiest. As always, you can expect some awkward interaction, flirty dialogue, and realistic characters. Though darker than All Lined Up, you can still expect the same Friday Night Lights feel (but with more kissing). And if you haven't read All Lined Up, that's okay! Just as with all my books, they can stand alone and be read out of order.  

If you have some time today, I'd love for you to stop by the Rusk University Pep Rally on Facebook! The party started last night and we've had such a blast so far! We've got giveaways planned-- signed books, gift cards, swag and more! And we've got some awesome Guest Authors who will be popping in for visits. People like Jay Crownover, Christina Lauren, K.A. Tucker, Melody Grace, Laura Kaye, Lauren Blakely, Sophie Jordan, Monica Murphy, Tessa Bailey, Chelsea Fine, Caisey Quinn, and Alyssa Rose Ivy. (I adore all of these peeps and hope you're as excited as I am to hang out with them).  Check out this master post for links to all of the active giveaways, as well as any bonus content, deleted scenes, or teasers that have been posted in the event so far!

Thanks as always for reading! I'd love to hear from you guys today and over the next few days as you get to know Silas and Dylan! If you spot All Broke Down out in the wild, feel free to take a picture. Talk to me on Facebook and Twitter - y'all know I'm going to be glued there all day. ;)  If you're looking for ways to help support me and the Rusk University series, consider telling your friends about the book and buying your copy during release week (if you don't pre-order that is)! And if you're willing to leave a review on Amazon, iBooks, B&N, or another retailer, that can go a long way to helping a book succeed! 

Here's another little snippet of All Broke Down to help get you excited for Silas Moore!
******************************************************************************************
“You might think you need to stay away from me because I’m not your usual relationship material, but I think that’s exactly why you need me. You need to just have some fun. Be young for a little while before it’s too late.”

She sighs, flipping on her blinker with a little too much aggression, and turning onto another residential street.

“Okay.”

For a moment I think I’m just hearing what I want to hear.

“Okay what?”

“Okay, I’ll stop thinking so much.”

I wait for her to pause at a stop sign, and then I lean over and kiss her. She makes a surprised sound in my mouth, but then she hums when I drag my lips over her once, then again.

Someone honks behind us, but this time they can fucking wait. I throw my middle finger up to the douche behind us and press her back against her seat just long enough to make sure she knows she’s made a good decision.

I hear the car peel out around us, still honking, but I’m not about to let her run on me again.

When she’s making those little breathy noises again, and her hands have left the steering wheel to clutch at my hair, I slowly pull back.

“I think we’re already making tremendous advances in your therapy, Pickle.”

The dazed look on her face lasts only a few seconds before she pushes me back over into my seat and says, “God, you’re so arrogant.”

I laugh and don’t deny it.

She smooths her hair down and pulls away from the stop sign. She glances at me out of the corner of her eye every few seconds for the rest of the drive. Each look is like a shot of adrenaline and by the time she says, “We’re here,” it’s all I can do not to pin her to the seat again.

She slows to a stop behind a truck parked on the side of the road. The street is lined with cars for several hundred yards ahead of us, and a group of people is gathered in a yard a couple of houses down.

“We’re doing something with other people?” I sound like a whining kid because I’d thought I would have her to myself, that I could continue whittling down those walls of hers.

“Come on. We’re running a little late, and we still have to check in.”

I sigh and push open the door. As we get closer, I see tools and paint and hardware, and the picture begins to come together.

I loop an arm around her neck, and though she tenses, she doesn’t push me away. I lower my mouth to her ear and say, “You’re putting me to work.”

“You want to be a better leader for your team. First step to being a leader is learning to put others before yourself. Besides . . . sometimes a little work is good for you.”

“I can think of another way you could have put me to work that’s much more enjoyable.”

She does push me off then, but she’s smiling.

“I’m not talking about you and your . . . You know. This kind of work is positive. We’re helping people.”

“My way is just another kind of helping. And I promise it would be a very positive experience for all involved.”

“Just when I think I’ve got a handle on your ego, it gets even bigger.”

I grin. “I thought we weren’t talking about me and my you-know.”

She shoves at my arm, barely moving me an inch. “Oh my God. You’re terrible.”
************************************************************************************

If you're waiting on the UPS guy to deliver your book, you can pass the time by reading the first two chapters of All Broke Down, as well as all the other teasers I've released so far, HERE!

I love you all so much! Like seriously...you guys don't understand HOW much I love you.

<3 Cora

Football Friday: Meet Silas Moore + an ARC Giveaway!

We're just FOUR DAYS away from the release of ALL BROKE DOWN! 

FOUR DAYS!!! Which, as you can probably guess, has me feeling a little bit like this...

 and a little bit like this....

 and basically a whole lot of this....

If you aren't yet familiar with All Broke Down, you can check it out on Goodreads, and you can read the FIRST TWO CHAPTERS, as well as all the teasers I've released so far, here!  You can pre-order ABD on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or iTunes. AND THEN, if you need a little more incentive, those who pre-order All Broke down (in any format) and then enter their pre-order info HERE will receive an official Rusk University "Back to School" pack that includes a ton of Wildcat goodies - including a Rusk folder, swag, a pen, a temporary tattoo, and a little something special from Book 3, ALL PLAYED OUT!! (US only).

If you're new to the Rusk University series, each book stands alone and can be read without reading the previous books. But if you want to check out book one, All Lined Up, it's at a special promotional price of $.99 right now as we gear up for All Broke Down's release!

Last week, I introduced you to Dylan Brenner, the heroine of All Broke Down. This week, I'd like to tell you all about my bad boy, Silas Moore!

 

Ahh... Silas. That dude does something to my heart. If you've read All Lined Up, you might think Silas is kind of a jerkface (SPOILER ALERT: he was). While he wasn't the jerkiest jerkface in that book, he still was one of the antagonists who caused problems for Dallas and Carson. I knew as soon as I started writing him in ALU that he was eventually going to be the hero in one of the later books. I've written a lot of nice guys (Can I get an awww for Golden Boy?). And I thought it was about time I try my hand at something different. 

He makes some bad decisions. Okay, a lot of them. One of which lands him in a jail holding cell near the beginning of All Broke Down. I wanted him to be a bad boy, but at the same time, I'm not a fan of guys that treat girls badly and behave rudely. So I had to balance his issues with charm. And it was so much fun getting to dissect his behavior and learn why he behaves the way he does. Bottom line: Silas is just looking for a place he fits. Where he feels like he belongs. But that's tough when you think you're a screw-up who doesn't deserve a chance at something better. So a lot of the time, he ends up sabotaging himself. 

Another thing I'm not a huge fan of? The idea that love can fix a bad boy. That a girl can somehow turn a jerk into a decent dude with some sexy smooching. Talk about pressure, man. So rather than falling into this cliche or avoiding it completely, I decided to embrace it, and turn it just a little on it's head. When Silas finds himself in danger of losing his spot on the Rusk football team (the only place where he feels like he's worth something), he turns to do-gooder Dylan and he asks for the cliche. He wants her to fix him. But he gets more than he bargained for when she puts him to work and makes him volunteer and work with charities. In the end though, Silas is the one who has to change himself. He has to figure out his worth off the field and out of the bedroom. 

This is what I picture Silas looking like. *swoon*

But of course... being the bad boy that he is... Silas doesn't always play nice. He's sexy and take charge,  and when he decides he wants Dylan, there's nothing that will get in his way. 

And it just wouldn't be right to talk about Silas without giving you a little taste of the smexy. So here' s a little snippet to whet your appetite: 

I pull away enough to pop open another button, revealing the top of her cleavage. She shifts closer, and she’s soft everywhere I’m hard, and the friction turns my spine into a live wire.

“For the record, I still think this might be a bad idea.”

“For the record, I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.”

Her fingers trace lightly back and forth over the back of my neck, and I’m a ticking time bomb. Each stroke makes my fuse a little bit shorter, and I need to get those buttons undone before I forget about not destroying her shirt.

With an agility and speed that I was missing today in practice, I have the rest of her buttons undone and her shirt open in seconds. Her bra is this pale purple that cups her small breasts perfectly. Her narrow waist flares out into curvy hips covered by a snug skirt. I can’t decide whether I want the skirt off or hiked up around her waist.

Deciding on the latter, I grip her hips and lift her up onto the kitchen counter. There’s a certain appeal in seeing her still in those fancy clothes, but pulled and bunched and revealed however I can manage. I love to see her go from pristine to disheveled all because of me. Slowly, I push the edge of her skirt up her thighs. When I can’t move it any farther, I say, “Lift up your hips.”

She wets her bottom lip, and my cock twitches at the sight. Her nerves just kick up my adrenaline. I give her a few seconds to adjust, taking two steps back to look at her.

She snaps her legs closed and sits up straight. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to decide exactly what I want to do to you.”

She hunches over, shaking her head and laughing under her breath. “It’s like you’re trying to give me a heart attack.”

“I don’t want to give you a heart attack. I want to make you come. The question is just how.”

She tilts her head to the side and blinks at me. “How are you so comfortable with this?”

I don’t think she wants the real answer to her question . . . that I’ve been doing this for a very long time, since before I was really even old enough to understand half of what I was doing.

“I just know what I want, what I like. And if you’ll let me, I’ll help you figure that out, too. You want that?”

Tentatively, she nods. I cross to her again and slide my hands up her thighs to where I left off with her skirt.

“So, tell me what you like, Dylan Brenner.”

MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP. (If you want to see some more sexy Silas excerpts, check out ones that I've previously posted here).

I'd love it if you'd join me at the All Broke Down Pep Rally on October 27&28! It's an online party, so you can attend from anywhere in the world (in your pajamas if you so choose), and we have an amazing line-up of guest authors who will be popping in throughout the day, and there's going to be lots of giveaways and Wildcat-related fun! And in the spirit of Dylan and her charitable ways, if we get 350 people to RSVP to the event, I'll donate $350 to a local non-profit homeless shelter. You can find more details about that at the pep rally link above. But I'd love for you to attend! And bring a friend!


There's something about being so close to release day that makes me want to give stuff away...and since we're four days away, that means there's still time to win an ADVANCED copy of All Broke Down! Enter the rafflecopter below for your chance to win a signed ARC of All Broke Down and an official Rusk University tote!

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Football Friday: Meet Dylan Brenner + an ARC Giveaway!

We're less than two weeks away from the release of ALL BROKE DOWN!!! ARCs have been distributed, reviews are starting to roll in, and my excitement level is through the freakin' roof!

If you aren't yet familiar with All Broke Down, you can check it out on Goodreads. (You can read the FIRST TWO CHAPTERS of All Broke Down, as well as all the teasers I've released so far, here!  You can pre-order ABD on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, or iTunes, and you can even pre-order a signed and personalized copy from Word Bookstores (ENDS TODAY 10/17). AND THEN, if you need a little more incentive, those who pre-order All Broke down and then enter their pre-order info HERE will receive an official Rusk University "Back to School" pack that includes a ton of Wildcat goodies - including a Rusk folder, swag, a pen, a temporary tattoo, and a little something special from Book 3, ALL PLAYED OUT!!

If you're new to the Rusk University series, each book stands alone and can be read without reading the previous books. But if you want to check out book one, All Lined Up, it's at a special promotional price of $.99 right now as we gear up for All Broke Down's release!

Today, I'm excited to introduce you all to the heroine of All Broke Down: Dylan Brenner!

Dylan is a little bit hipster, with a touch of sophistication. These were my inspiration photos when I was writing her:

(Yes, I needed an outfit inspiration pic too :D ).


Dylan is the ultimate people pleaser. That's the way she's always connected with people, always found her worth. She's the perfect child to her strict and not-so-nurturing adopted parents. She's the ideal girlfriend for her (likely to be a politician someday) boyfriend. And she's a compassionate activist for those less fortunate than herself.

Then her boyfriend breaks up with her. She feels like she's suffocating in her own family. And a lapse in judgement (okay, total mind melt) gets her arrested at what was supposed to be a polite and peaceful protest. Dylan has always been respectful and straight-laced and the ultimate good girl. But she's about to learn how to live for herself instead of other people, and a certain sexy football player is out to give her a lesson in what it feels like to be a little bad.

Here are a few graphic teasers from All Broke Down to give you a little more of Dylan: 

And this one's not technically Dylan. It's Silas. But it's what he thinks about her and is one of my favorite moments in the book. *sigh*

And my favorite Dylan quote (and what could pretty much be the motto for the Rusk University series): 

"Why isn't there a reality TV show filled with hot guys doing sweaty, mouth-watering tasks? Oh, right. That's called sports." 

Now that you've met Dylan, you can enter to win a signed advanced copy of All Broke Down PLUS a Rusk University notebook! It's perfect for jotting down all your philanthropic ideas....or just writing "Future Mrs. Silas Moore"....not that Dylan does that or anything. (She totally does. Who among us can blame her?)

Giveaway is open internationally. :)

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The One with ALL the All Broke Down things!!

 Happy October, everyone! I love this month. 

October 15th will mark my two year anniversary in publishing. It's crazy to me... CRAZY... that it's only been two years. I've met so many amazing people and been so many places and loved so many characters. And thank you to everyone who buys my books and has made this dream possible.

THIS October, something especially exciting is happening on the 28th. Do you know what it is? You probably do. Go ahead, guess. If you said "the release of ALL BROKE DOWN", you're right!!!

 

Dylan fights for lost causes. Probably because she used to be one.

Environmental issues, civil rights, education—you name it, she’s probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail for a few hours, she meets Silas Moore. He’s in for a different kind of fighting. And though he’s arrogant and not at all her type, she can’t help being fascinated with him. Yet another lost cause.

Football and trouble are the only things that have ever come naturally to Silas. And it’s trouble that lands him in a cell next to do-gooder Dylan. He’s met girls like her before—fixers, he calls them, desperate to heal the damage and make him into their ideal boyfriend. But he doesn’t think he’s broken, and he definitely doesn’t need a girlfriend trying to change him. Until, that is, his anger issues and rash decisions threaten the only thing he really cares about, his spot on the Rusk University football team. Dylan might just be the perfect girl to help.

Because Silas Moore needs some fixing after all.

YOU GUYS. I feel like a broken record because I keep saying this - but I am SO EXCITED for you to read this book. It's the longest one I've written so far, and the steamiest *blush*. If you're like me, you're looking at your calendar and thinking "But the 28th is so far awaaaaaaaayyyyy." But there's a lot you can do between now and then: You can add it on Goodreads! You can pre-order on Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and iTunes! You can even pre-order a SIGNED copy through Word Bookstores!

 AND, once you've pre-ordered your copy, you can enter your information HERE and you'll get an official Rusk University "Back to School" kit, including a Rusk University folder, a pen, some temporary tattoos and more! 

A few days ago, I issued a challenge to you and said that as soon as All Broke Down got to 3800 adds on Goodreads, I would post the first chapter. And guess what? We made it! So....without further ado....I am pleased to share with you the FIRST CHAPTER OF ALL BROKE DOWN!!!

UPDATE: All Broke Down hit 4200 adds on goodreads - which means you get chapters one AND two!! :D

Chapter 1 of All Broke Down by Cora Carmack

And, if you STILL can't wait for October 28, you can read ALL of the teasers I've posted for All Broke Down so far!

From the New Adult Day FB Party: October 2 - Dylan's POV

“I really am sorry. I promise I won’t make you—”

I don’t get the rest of my thought out because he sits up on one elbow, grips the back of my neck, and bends over to cover my mouth with his. His lips are warm, and when I don’t immediately open my mouth, he nips my bottom lip. I suck in a breath, and his tongue sweeps past my lips. My whole body braces for the onslaught that is kissing Silas Moore, but this time, he’s soft and sweet and patient, like we have all the time in the world. When I follow his tongue back into his mouth, he groans. The sound vibrates against me, and the sensation echoes out over the rest of my body. I shiver, and he pulls back until I feel only his breath against me.

“I told you I would shut you up the next time you apologized.”

He slides his hand around to cup my jaw and kisses me again. Once. Twice. And a third time. Hard. Then soft. Just my bottom lip. The corner of my mouth. His lips play over mine like he’s trying to uncover every possible way to kiss me and check them off the list one by one. I open my mouth immediately when his tongue flicks out, but I taste him for only a second before he pulls away, wincing. He falls back against his pillow, and I notice for the first time that one of his cold packs has fallen on the floor, and the other is lost somewhere in the couch.

“Why didn’t you tell me you were hurting?”

“Because then I would have had to stop.” 

 Teaser Tuesday: September 30 - Dylan's POV

He lifts himself off me and stands next to the couch. When he offers his hand, I take it, and he leads me up the stairs to his room. He closes the door once he has me inside, and a trickle of nerves bubbles up in my chest.

I need something, anything to say. “I didn’t expect your room to be clean.”

He shrugs and reaches up to tuck my hair behind my ears.

“I’ve not had much in my life that is just mine. Makes you determined to take care of what you have while you have it.”

“You take care of me . . . have from the night we met.”

His hand pauses in combing through my hair, gripping tight. “Are you saying you’re mine?"


Teaser Tuesday: September 23 - Dylan's POV

He warns me, “You don’t want to give me free rein here, baby.”

“That’s exactly what I want.”

“I don’t think you understand just what I want to do to you. You don’t want to be mine, but if you gave me my way, I’d own every part of you. I’d make sure you could never look at or touch your own body without remembering what I did to it. I’d take and take and when you think there’s nothing left, I’d take a little more. I’m okay with being selfish where you’re concerned."
 

 Teaser Tuesday: September 16 - Silas' POV

I keep her steady with my hands at her waist and say, “I’ll make you a deal. A question for a kiss.”

Tentatively, she lays her palms against my shoulders. They rest there, her grip light and casual. She ponders my offer for a moment, and it drives me mad that she can do that while our hips are inches away from alignment.

“Okay then. Are you—”

I cut her off. “Not so fast, Dylan Brenner. I’ve already answered one question. We’ve got to settle up first.”

I wrap her braid around my hand like I’ve been waiting to do all night, and I use it to pull her head back just enough that I can crush my mouth against hers.


Teaser Tuesday: September 9 - Dylan's POV

I ring the doorbell again, and then raise my hand to knock for good measure, but before my knuckles meet the wood, the door is ripped backward and I hear a gruff, “What?”

I hear his question, but my brain is a little stuck on the fact that Silas is wearing only a towel around his waist and is dripping water all over the floor. I open my mouth to say something, anything, but then I get distracted watching a bead of water slope down over one pectoral muscle. He has a massive geometric tattoo that starts on his shoulder and continues onto his chest. I watch that same bead of water cut through the black lines of his tattoo and escape into the valley down the middle of his abdomen.

Then it falls below the line of his towel, and I’m just standing there, staring at the one part of his body that’s covered, and if there was an ounce of supernatural ability in me, that towel might have accidentally fallen to the ground.

But alas, I am not supernatural. Though his abs might be.

I’m still staring at his crotch when he asks, “You need something?”

“Oh!” I snap my head up, a blush exploding across my face. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to keep . . .” That’s probably one sentence I’m better off not finishing. “I didn’t mean to.”


Teaser Tuesday: September 2 - Dylan's POV

August 27 - Dylan's POV

“Dylan?”
I turn.
“He was wrong about the other thing, though.”
“What other thing?”
“If they hadn’t walked in . . . I wouldn’t have been done with you. Once never would have been enough.”
I leave.
I leave before I give in to the need to touch him again, to coax that look back to life. I leave before I fulfill my own prophecy and dive headfirst into something that could ruin me. Ruin us both.
It’s not until I’m climbing back into my car that I realize that I didn’t get my underwear back.
I drop my head against the steering wheel and groan. So much for keeping things simple. “You are in so much trouble, Dylan Brenner.”
And trouble’s name is Silas Moore.


August 20 - Silas' POV

I grip the counter on either side of her and push forward. Her arms bend until they’re trapped between our chests. I lean in until our mouths are inches apart, until I can taste her breath.

Quietly, I ask. “You want me, Dylan?”

She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth for a second, and when she lets go, it’s wet and rosy, and I want to pull it between my teeth, too.

“You don’t have to have everything figured out. God knows, I don’t. I’m just asking about right now, in this moment. Do you want me?”

Instead of trying to push me away again, the hands on my chest smooth upward. Then slowly, she slides her hands around my neck until my chest is flat against that smooth, silky shirt.

“Of course I want you. Have you seen you?”

“I see you.”

She swallows, and her eyes bore into mine when she replies, “Yeah, I think you do.”

I pull away enough to pop open another button, revealing the top of her cleavage. She shifts closer, and she’s soft everywhere I’m hard, and the friction turns my spine into a live wire.

“For the record, I still think this might be a bad idea.”

“For the record, I think it’s the best idea I’ve ever had.”


From Street Team announcement post - Silas' POV

I give in to the itch to touch her and start at her bare shoulder, dragging a finger along until I can curve my whole hand around the back of her neck.

“You’re gonna have to stop trying to analyze me. I’m really not that complicated.”

For a girl like her, analyzing is step one. Fixing me would be step two.

She leans her head to the side, and my hand falls away from her neck.

“Tell me about the fight tonight.”

And so it begins. “Why?”

“Tell me about the fight. Let me clean up your hands. And then, I promise to let you teach me how to party. Or whatever.”

I feel like I’ve just stepped into a courtroom, and am being outnegotiated.

“So we’re making deals, are we?”

She smiles. “I suppose we are.”

I reach up again, and this time she doesn’t pull away when I curl my fingers around the back of her neck. I brush my thumb over her pulse point . . . feel that thin, vulnerable skin, and fuck, beneath that bossy exterior, I can see her nerves. But they’re different now. She doesn’t look scared or uncomfortable. Her heart is racing, blood pulsing fast beneath my finger, and she’s taking these tiny sharp breaths. It turns me on in a way I don’t even understand. Normally, the skittish, inexperienced types send me running. But the thought of teaching her anything makes my jeans feel too tight. I want her on her back in my bed, legs spread wide, eyes big and blue, lips parted, mouth babbling that nervous nonsense until I make her forget what she’s saying, forget how to talk altogether.

I want to forget myself in her, too, steal some of her sunshine, and give this pristine, perfect girl a taste of what it’s like to get a little dirty.