FINDING IT BLOG TOUR by CORA CARMACK: SPOTLIGHT AND GIVEAWAY

Welcome to The Bookish Babe's stop on the Finding It Blog Tour!  I have author Cora Carmack here for an interview along with the tour giveaway. This event is hosted by InkSlinger PR.
 

Series: Losing It #3
Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: William Morrow & Company
Publication Date: 10/15/13

Sometimes you have to lose yourself to find where you truly belong...

Most girls would kill to spend months traveling around Europe after college graduation with no responsibility, no parents, and no-limit credit cards. Kelsey Summers is no exception. She's having the time of her life . . . or that's what she keeps telling herself.

It's a lonely business trying to find out who you are, especially when you're afraid you won't like what you discover. No amount of drinking or dancing can chase away Kelsey's loneliness, but maybe Jackson Hunt can. After a few chance meetings, he convinces her to take a journey of adventure instead of alcohol. With each new city and experience, Kelsey's mind becomes a little clearer and her heart a little less hers. Jackson helps her unravel her own dreams and desires. But the more she learns about herself, the more Kelsey realizes how little she knows about Jackson.

Finding It is the fourth book in the Losing It series (including the novella). How do you continue to keep the series fresh?
CC:  Well, I try to challenge myself with each book. I do something I’ve never done before or address an issue that’s unfamiliar to me or something along those lines. With Faking It, I tackled dual POV (among other things), and with Finding It I wrote a heroine who was drastically different from myself. Readers don’t like reading books that feel like the same regurgitated thing, nor do writers like writing those kinds of books. It’s typically the little things that can make a story fresh and stand out from others like it. For me, that usually comes down to the voice of the character. If each of my characters is unique, then I never have to worry about getting bored. It’s like living another life, really.


Do you control your characters, or do they ever surprise you by taking over the story?
CC:  I try my best to write organically. When I try to control my characters, that’s typically when I get stuck or do my worst work. In the beginning, I do a lot of thinking and brainstorming to figure out who my characters are and what they desire most. That desire dictates how they act in whatever situation I throw them into. Sometimes they react how I has suspected they would react. Sometimes they go completely off the map, and make me want to bang my head against various surfaces. But believe it or not… that’s the fun part of writing (once I get past the complaining).


Does Finding It have an overall message? If so, what do you hope readers take away from the story?
CC:  You know, I try to think less about a message and more about my ideal reader. I wrote Finding It for that person that’s trying to cover up fear and uncertainty with a smile. I wrote it for the person who feels broken because they seem to be the only person in the world who doesn’t know what they’re doing with their life. I wrote it for the person who’s ready to give up and lose themselves in the present by whatever means necessary (be it sex, alcohol, drugs, or pain), just so they don’t have to spend another minute thinking about a future that scares the shit out of them. The book is filled with messages, some small and some big. But mostly, I just want that girl or guy that I’ve described above to know that they’re not alone. I don’t like to call it “a message” because that implies that I have answers and actually know what I’m talking about. When truthfully, I’m often as lost and confused and scared as my characters. So rather than treating my book like a prescription for a certain problem, I want my book to play the role of a good friend.


Can you recommend a recent book you've read?
CC:  I’ve recently read and loved the Embrace series by Jessica Shirvington, Bad Things by R.K. Lilley, Isn’t She Lovely by Lauren Layne, and A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers.


Is there a particular book or author who's inspired you?
CC:  So many. Authors are my rockstars. I owe my career, my bookshelf, my personality, my childhood, and quite a few friends to the incomparable J.K. Rowling. I cannot even begin to put into words what effect Harry Potter had on my life. I’m also a massive fan of Libba Bray. When I was graduating high school and entering my own period of “New Adulthood,” I sent her a panic-ridden email disguised as a fan letter. She sent me a heart-felt and epic reply, and she’s pretty much been an idol of mine ever since.


Can you tell us about any current or future projects?
CC:  I would LOVE to. I have a new series releasing next year (the Rusk University series) beginning with All Lined Up. It’s from the POV of the daughter of a college football coach. I grew up as a coach’s daughter, so I know what it’s like to live in a world where guys hit on you just because they want an in with your dad, or on the reverse are terrified to even touch you because their intimidated by your dad.

I’m also tackling something a little different with this book (as I always like to do). So far, my books (and most of the New Adult category) have been focused on characters embracing new freedoms and having a new start. But I’ve known plenty of college students who didn’t get that freedom or new start because they went to college in their hometown. So in this first book, I’m asking, “When you strip away the freedoms and the fresh start, how is college any different from high school?” I think it’s an important question because I think there are a lot of people out there who will be able to identify with Dallas, the main character. How do you become an adult when you’re stuck in the atmosphere of your childhood? I’m really looking forward to sharing her story with the world.

The Losing It Series

(click on cover for GoodReads page)

 

Andrea's Review of Losing It  |  Andrea's Review of Keeping Her  |  Jessica's Review of Faking It 

 

 

Purchase Keeping Her:

(I receive no compensation for purchases.)

 

Amazon  |   Barnes & Noble    

 

 

Giveaway

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Finding It Blog Tour Schedule

October 13^th

K-Books-Author Interview

October 14^th

A Bookish Escape-Review Only
Reviews by Tammy & Kim-Review Only
Romance Addict-Excerpt

October 15^th

The Book Goddess-Guest Post
Made for You Book Reviews-Review Only

October 16^th

I Heart Big Books-Character Interview (Jackson Hunt)
BookGoonie-Review Only
Rumpled Sheets Blog-Review Only

October 17^th

The Book HookUp-Author Interview
Jenuine Cupcakes-Review Only

October 18^th

Stuck in Books-Excerpt
Putting Pen to Page-Review Only
Book Loving Mom-Review Only

October 19^th

Mean Girls Luv Books-Review Only
WhollyBooks-Review Only
Martini Times-Guest Post

October 20^th

The Story Siren-Author Interview
Live Read and Breathe-Review Only

October 21^st

I Read Indie-Dream Cast
A Book Lover’s Review-Review Only
Stuck in YA Books-Review Only

October 22^nd

Whirlwind Books-This and That
SMI Book Club-Review Only

October 23^rd

Scandalicious Book Reviews-Review Only
The Bookish Babe-Author Interview
Books Over Boys-Excerpt

October 24^th

3 Chicks & Their Books-Guest Post
Holly’s Hot Reads-Review Only

October 25^th

Love Between the Sheets-Review Only
Love N. Books-Review Only

October 26^th

BookNerds Anonymous-Review Only
Read This Hear That-Playlist

October 27^th

Tiffany Talks Books-Review Only
A Life Bound by Books-Excerpt

 

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.

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