May 16, 2014

BLOG TOUR AUTHOR INTERVIEW & GIVEAWAY: All Lined Up (Rusk University #1)


I'm incredibly excited to hold a spot on the blog tour for Cora Carmack's brand new novel, ALL LINED UP, organized by Inkslinger PR! Read on for an interview with Cora and then enter the giveaway for 5 signed copies of All Lined Up! And, don't forget to check out the other stops too.

All Lined Up (Rusk University #1), by Cora Carmack
Published May 13, 2014
Publisher: William Morrow
Genre: new adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble

 

Read my 5-star review here

(Synopsis) 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 know how to walk away from the attraction they feel.


And, now on to the fun stuff...

An Interview with Cora Carmack

Thank you so much for talking with me about ALL LINED UP, Cora. I can imagine this is an exciting time for you, having seen one series come to completion and a brand new one kick off. Back when you were getting ready to publish LOSING IT, did you ever see yourself here? What has been the biggest surprise to you in your career so far?

Oh goodness, no. I mean, I hoped. There's always that hope, but it feels like this far off, intangible thing. It still feels that way most days. Until I see my books in a store or a hold a new in my hands, and it sort of shocks me all over again.

So, let’s talk football. ALL LINED UP is about the daughter of a Texas college football coach. You’ve mentioned that YOU were the daughter of a Texas football coach. Is Dallas perhaps a reflection of a younger Cora Carmack?

Parts of her, absolutely. The biggest similarity is that by the time I graduated high school, I (like Dallas) resented football (and Texas really). I also have two sisters, so I pulled from their experiences as Coach's daughters too. (My poor Dad just had three girls, no boys).

If Dallas is loosely based on you, is there a real-life Carson out there somewhere?
Not really, no. I mean I've known and dated guys that are the same type of guy as Carson-- sweet, funny, just all around good guys. But Carson isn't based on any of them.

Dallas is a dancer. Her BFF Stella would play football, if she could. What about you? Were you a lady-jock in school? Or were you more artistic in your extra-curriculars?

I was definitely a lady jock. Basketball was my first love, though I did dance, track, cross country, and tennis, too. And I wanted to be a basketball coach until Junior year. But really, I did everything. Sports, arts, and academics. I went to a small school, and one year they did a survey to determine how many groups and activities students participated in, and I had the most out of the whole school with 41. That's probably where a little of the over-achiever in Carson comes from. :)

How many books are planned in the Rusk University series? And, will they all follow the guys on the football team, or can we hope for a book detailing Stella’s HEA somewhere along the way?

Right now I'm contracted for three. Book two is about Silas, and book three is Ryan. But I've got at least three more that I'd like to do. But, of course, whether the series continues or not depends largely on the readers and my publisher. I'm not stuck on doing just players, but I want to focus on people close to the team. Stella is definitely in the mix, and I have a book planned for her, provided the series continues. Either way, she continues to play a pivotal role in the series as a whole.

Has your dad read All Lined Up? Has he issued Dad’s My-Daughter-Is-A-Freaking-Genius Seal of Approval?

HAHA. He's read parts of it. He actually helped a lot with the football sections to help me find that right balance between technical accuracy and easy, understandable descriptions for my non-football readers.

Of your leading men so far – Garrick, Cade, Jackson and Carson – which one most closely resembles your perfectly ideal book boyfriend?

I mean... I wouldn't say no to ANY of them. But Carson is my usual type. I like funny guys who are sweet, but strong enough to not let me walk all over them. And you gotta know sports to survive meeting my family. :)

Thank you so much, Cora, for taking the time to answer my questions about you and your new Rusk University series. I’m so excited to see what else you have planned for us (like, oh I don’t know… Silas and his sexy potty mouth, maybe…)!

Thank YOU. And yes, things are definitely taking a turn for the dirty with Silas in book two. ;)


About the Author


Cora Carmack is a twenty-something writer 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 enjoys placing her characters in the most awkward situations possible, and then trying to help them get a boyfriend out of it. Awkward people need love, too. Her first book, LOSING IT, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Learn more about Cora --> Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads


Giveaway

Enter below to win one of 5 signed copies of ALL LINED UP!

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