I'm sure that many of you have noticed my undying admiration for an author by the name of Cora Carmack. I've read and reviewed nearly all of her books, and I also possess an unhealthy obsession with her fictional university. Because of this infinite love for both Cora and her Rusk University series, I am endlessly pleased to help her announce the release of the fourth book in her series!
Those of you who have read her previous books... we're finally getting Stella's story. We've asked and asked and asked, and we're finally receiving what we so desire. Stella's book will be called All Closed Off. Of course, I'm absolutely shaking with the need to hear about Stella and Ryan. However, this book will be more than just a romance. This novel is already very close to my heart because of what Stella went through at the end of All Broke Down. I don't want to spoil, but I will, for the sake of what I have to say.
Rape is a serious and important issue that needs to be talked about. Rape is ingrained in the fabric of our culture and society. We normalize it and brush it off and blame the victim and allow perpetrators to walk away. We mis-define it, teaching young girls that it doesn't count if you're drunk or it doesn't count if you led him on or it doesn't count if he was your friend. We narrow down the scope of what rape is: you can't be raped if you're a male, you can't be raped if you didn't actually say "No," you can't be raped if you have a lot of sex. We make people doubt that they were raped, make them hide in on themselves, make them avoid getting help. We teach children "don't get raped" instead of "don't rape." We blame clothes for the actions of people. Everything in our culture favors the perpetrator.
This has to stop. One of the best ways to start this cultural turnaround is by talking about it. By educating people and making people more aware of the struggles that our society places on a victim. We unfortunately live in a society that continues to assault the victim by failing to provide comfort, assistance, and justice. This book will be a fantastic way to take a big leap in a long battle. I'm insanely proud of Cora Carmack for taking this topic on and for giving victims of rape everywhere a voice.
So without further ado, here are some words from Cora herself.
HERE’S THE SCOOP!
Fans of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:
ALL CLOSED OFF, Book 4 in the Rusk University Series, is coming!!!
Check out this message from Cora!
*WARNING: This letter contains spoilers for All Broke Down. If you haven't yet read that book, read at your own peril.*
*SECOND WARNING: this letter talks about fictional characters as if they are real people. Sorry I'm not sorry.*
*THIRD WARNING: The letter below broaches a serious topic that could be a trigger for some people*
Hello beloved readers!
The first person who read one of my Rusk University books was my older sister. I gave her All Lined Up when I finished, and her first question was "Are Ryan and Stella going to be together?"
At the time, I told her no. I had plans for both of them that included their own storylines. I thought they were too much alike. They'd make great friends. They might even hook-up, but in the end... I couldn't envision anything serious for them. So I actually rewrote some of their scenes trying to make that aspect of their connection more obvious. And still, when All Lined Up released, amidst the chatter about sweet Carson and sassy Dallas, I had people asking if Stella and Ryan were next. I denied it again (and again and again).
But sometimes in writing, the stars align and a character will become bigger and more real than you could have possibly imagined. It's a wonderful experience, but in Stella's case it was also incredibly heartbreaking. While I was writing All Broke Down, the news was inundated with information about the Steubenville rape trial and other tragedies and injustices like it. Tragedies where women have been violated first by an attacker, then by judgmental and hateful people, and finally by a justice system that repeatedly fails survivors of sexual assault. Having grown up in Texas, where too often football stars are treated like gods and can get away with just about anything, it hit particularly close to home. And since All Broke Down featured a passionate activist heroine, I felt compelled to reference this chronic dark underbelly of elite sports.
I can remember vividly sitting on my couch, brainstorming how I would incorporate such an event into the book. I had thought the assault would happen to an unknown character, and maybe I would focus on the way it divided the team and the school and the town. But like I said... Sometimes a character will become bigger and more human than I anticipated. And it sounds crazy, but in my mind, I felt Stella push her way forward and say, "Mine. This is my story." I immediately began to cry. Sob, really. Because I loved her as a character. She was hilarious and strong and didn't take crap from anyone. She was everything I always hope to be. And I didn't want her to go through that. Even as I cried, my brain began to tell me that it made sense. Stella was vibrant and enjoyed a wild party. She was not afraid of her sexuality, and she had no problem with casual sex. She was the kind of girl that probably had a reputation. The kind of girl who could be heinously and violently taken advantage of, and people would STILL blame her. Because she was in the wrong place, wearing the wrong clothes, behaving in the wrong way. But just because it COULD happen to her, didn't mean I wanted it to. But once again, Stella was there in my head saying, "Someone needs to tell this story. And I'm strong enough to do it. Let me." And when Stella chose her story, she also chose the man I'd been adamant wasn't right for her. Because as it turns out... Those two characters who I thought were too alike aren't so alike anymore. And Stella needs Ryan to help her hold on to that vibrant and strong girl she was before.
So I let go of all the plans I had for her, and allowed her to tell me her story, which is about more than just sexual assault. It's about the aftermath. Depression. Shame. Guilt. Anger. Injustice. Victim-blaming. Slut-shaming. It's about the way that kind of event can change everything-- how you relate to people, how you think, how you dream, how you love. It's about the way the rest of the world moves on to the next big tragedy, and you're still left holding the broken pieces of who you used to be, with no idea how to put them together again or even if you want to. It will be the most difficult story I ever tell. And the most important. Because it’s a story that belongs not just to Stella, but to millions of people around the world. It’s a story that belongs to a new person every 107 seconds*. And that’s just in the United States. Think about that for a moment. 107 seconds. Stella’s story won’t be any easier to read than it will be to write. But I hope you’ll help me drag this story into the light.
So now I’ll step off my soapbox and just tell you about the book…
ALL CLOSED OFF:
Stella Santos is fine.
Maybe something terrible happened to her that she can’t even remember. And maybe it drives her crazy when her friends treat her like she’s on the verge of breaking because of it. Maybe it feels even worse when they do what she asks and pretend that it never happened at all. And maybe she’s been getting harassing emails and messages for months from people who don’t even know her, but hate her all the same.
But none of that matters because she’s just fine.
For Ryan Blake, Stella was always that girl. Vibrant and hilarious and beautiful. He wanted her as his best friend. His more than friends. His everything and anything that she would give him. Which these days is a whole lot of nothing. She gets angry when he’s there. Angry when he’s not there. Angry when he tries to talk and when he doesn’t.
When Stella devises an unconventional art project for one of her classes all about exploring intimacy—between both friends and strangers—Ryan finds himself stepping in as guinea pig after one of her subjects bails. What was supposed to be an objective and artistic look at emotion and secrets and sex suddenly becomes much more personal. When he hits it off with another girl from the project, Stella will have to decide if she’s willing to do more than make art about intimacy. To keep him, she’ll have to open up and let herself be the one thing she swore she’d never be again.
Vulnerable.
*****
ALL CLOSED OFF will be releasing sometime in early 2016. I don't have a date yet for several reasons. The first and most important, is that I want to do this story justice. And as such, I have no intentions of rushing the process. Secondly, I'll be returning to indie publishing for the remainder of the Rusk series. As you can probably tell, this story means a great deal to me. And by having the ultimate control over everything from timing to editing to price, I'll be able to ensure that I'm able to create exactly the story I envision. Unfortunately, that means you won't be seeing the paperback of ALL CLOSED OFF on the shelves in most stores. Nor is it currently available for pre-order. But I hope you'll add the book on goodreads, follow me on social media, and/or join my newsletter. I promise to shout it all over the place when I have a set release date or pre-order links.
Thank you for listening as I told you the evolution of Stella's story. When it's finished, I hope you will feel as passionately about it as I do.
All my best,
Cora Carmack
*Statistic from RAINN (Rape, Abuse, Incest National Network)
And an opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s…
Stella’s experience is only one story of many. She was with someone she trusted when it happened, and the only memories she has are pieced together from her own blurred recollections and the things people have told her. Not everyone’s experience with sexual assault is the same. Each person reacts, copes, and overcomes differently. And while this book is about one specific character’s journey, I would like to tell as many sides of this story as possible. As Stella grapples with her thoughts and emotions she’ll be searching for advice, for comfort, for a place where people understand her and can identify with what she’s experiencing. There will be room for truth within the fiction, and if you’d like that truth to be yours, this is your chance.If you have a story like Stella’s, and you want your voice to be heard….
If there’s something you wish more people understood about what you’ve gone through….
If there’s something you’d like to tell people struggling with a story like yours…
I’d like to give you the opportunity to add your voice to Stella’s. Use the hashtag #WhenItHappened and let your voice be heard on your own by posting on your own social media, or if you’d rather I share your words fill out this google document and tell me your story. You can fill out this form anonymously or not. I’d like to begin this discussion now because April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But my hope is to include as many stories as possible within the book itself.
So many have stories of #WhenItHappened. Your voice and your story deserve to be heard. I’m listening.
#WhenItHappened Google Form: http://goo.gl/forms/4VRjWgZYSW
ABOUT Cora Carmack:Cora Carmack is a twenty-something New York Times bestselling author who likes to write about twenty-something characters. She's done a multitude of things in her life-- boring jobs (like working retail), Fun jobs (like working in a theatre), stressful jobs (like teaching), and dream jobs (like writing). She now splits her time between Austin, TX and New York City and spends her days writing, traveling, and spending way too much time on the internet. In her books, you can expect to find humor, heart, and a whole lot of awkward. Because let’s face it . . . awkward people need love, too.
And this is Nichol again. I'm not sure how many of you have read this far, but I just wanted to include more statistics. I actually did nearly a year long research paper on rape culture and the need for better education about sexual assault last year. So I have plenty of statistics that I'd like to share with you guys. If you have any questions about sources, let me know and I can let you know where the statistic is from.
- 1 in 7 women and 1 in 33 men in the United States have experienced an attempted or completed rape in their lives.
- FBI reports estimate that a woman's chance of being raped in a year is 1 in 1,100, though that doesn't account for underreporting.
- The American Psychological Association estimated that, in reality, women have a 1 in 55 chance of being raped.
- 60% of adolescent males in th United States found it acceptable to force sex on a girl in one or more situations.
- 66% of boys and 57% of boys accept rape if the victim already got the perpetrator sexually excited.
- 54% of all female victims were reaped before the age of 18.
- 22% of rapes that occur before the age of 18 are also before the age of 12.
- 1 in 4 female college students experience a rape or attempted rape.
- 90% of rapes on campuses are acquaintance rapes (by someone who the victim is familiar with).
- Less than 5% of college rape victims come forward about the rape.
- 84% of women do not report their rapes to the police.
Website ** Twitter ** Facebook **Newsletter **Author Goodreads
