All Broke Down by Cora Carmack Blog Tour & Giveaway

All Broke Down

Cora Carmack

Rusk University #2

Release Date October 28, 2014

  

In this second book in New York Times and USA Todaybestselling author Cora Carmack s New Adult, Texas-set Rusk University series, which began with All Lined Up, a young woman discovers that you can't only fight for what you believe in... sometimes you have to fight for what you love.

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

Environmental issues, civil rights, corrupt corporations, and politicians you name it, she's probably been involved in a protest. When her latest cause lands her in jail overnight, she meets Silas Moore. He's in for a different kind of fighting. And though he's arrogant and infuriating, 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.

5 Pickle Smooches

Rusk is a private school.  Expensive and privileged.  People here tend to just assume that you come from a background like them ... - Silas

I am officially in luffs with the Rusk University series!  All Broke Down, the second book in the series, sealed the deal ... I'm hooked!  Cora's writing is solid, witty, and evokes the feels!

Silas and Dylan meet in jail of all places.  He sees her as the seemingly privileged, beautiful good girl and she sees him as the gorgeous yet troubled bad boy.  While their first impressions are spot-on in some respects, there is more to them both than meets the eye.

Silas is one screw up away from losing his spot on the Rusk University football team which means losing his scholarship.  Graduating from Rusk is Silas' only hope for making his former life a distant memory.  It doesn't help matters when his past shows up in the present and threatens to destroy everything he's built.  Out of desparation, maybe even lust or maybe even something else, Silas turns to Dylan for help.

I completely connected with these characters.  Every emotion they experienced and shared, I was right there with them.  The chemistry between Silas and Dylan is smokin' hot and beyond that ... Silas is just in a league of his own.

As much as I loved All Lined Up (and I did love it!), I loved All Broke Down so much more!  Cora kicked the steam factor up a notch or two and, well, it is Silas!  Yes, there is emotional turmoil and, yes, there is angst but Cora also brings the LOL's and I LOVE that!

Dear World ... In case you missed it, Silas Moore is jaw-dropping, mind-blanking, word-fumbling gorgeous.
And he made me a sandwich.
I think that means I'm winning.
At everything. Or maybe that's just the marijuana. - Dylan

If you're anything like me, you have a million books on your kindle and your TBR has more than enough reading material to last most people a lifetime!  That is the *only* excuse I have for not picking up a Cora Carmack book sooner.  I mean, seriously ... you only hear great things about her books ... it's just a matter of deciding to read one.  And I'm so glad I did!  And I'm so glad that I started with this amazing series!!

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, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller.

Links:

Website ** Twitter ** Facebook ** Author Goodreads

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Delinquents (Dusty #2) by Mary Elizabeth and Sarah Elizabeth

The innocent girl with a delinquent heart has to live with her bad choices. Secret hope and hurt feel like falling while she learns how to breathe again, but there's still freedom in trouble.

The runaway with blacked-out eyes is losing his grip. Crushing two hearts in one fist, his addiction bends rules and breaks deals, but the boy born for bliss isn't going anywhere without a fight.

Love is knowing they should stay away, but love is illogical at best.

She's afraid to let go.

He won't let her.

This is how silliness and foolishness grow up.

Here, forever is a lie.

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Teasers:

5+ -Love is fucked-up, but love is all there is.-  SMOOCHES

I don’t care where he’s been or what he’s done.  I’ll love bloody knuckles and a filthy conscience just as much as clear blue eyes and the warmest laugh.  High as a kite or in tears on his knees, he can be gone as long as he’s right here.  I don’t care.  I just want him back.

In Innocents, Mary and Sarah left us with a gaping hole in our hearts.  Delinquents is book two in the Dusty series and innocent love isn’t so innocent anymore. 

I love a boy who can’t get his shit together, but without him I can’t breathe.

GAHHHH these kids have wrecked me!  Dusty and Bliss are so self-destructive and I couldn’t help but watch it all unfold with bated breath.  Bliss is addicted to Dusty to the point that she is aware that she enables him, but can’t be the one to save him, for risk of losing him completely.  It doesn’t matter what he does… the drugs… the girls…  Bliss will take him in whatever form she can. 

When I’m in bed and Thomas is out doing whatever it is that he does, it’s all I have to remind myself that he wasn’t always this way.  There was a time when we were innocent and genuine, and young, stupid in love.

Dusty, Dusty, Dusty. I feel so attached to him.  Yes he is an asshole to the nth degree.  He treats Bliss and his family like complete shit.  I get all of that.  But I love him to pieces.  Watching his story unfold, seeing all of the pivotal moments that could have lead him down a better path, left me with a huge soft spot for this delinquent.  Being inside of his head, I feel like I know his heart.  I can see past all of the mistakes to the boy who is hurting…  To the boy that fell helplessly in love with the girl he couldn’t have… the boy who wants to be good enough to love her in the light, but is so far gone that he can’t dig himself out of the gutter.

..she’s my shelter, and knowing you’d die without someone isn’t romantic.

Bliss is the one person who truly gets Dusty.  She accepts him wholly and loves him without restraint.  But, that love comes at a great price.

Dusty loves me too hard, too deep, too far, but it’s the kind of madness I crave.  It hurts but it’s familiar to me and comfortable like home, because loving this person has hurt for as long as I can remember.  It’s how I know I’m doing it right.

Dusty and Bliss are lost in an endless cycle of addiction.  Their struggle is raw.  It is real.  I guarantee, you knew a Dusty and Bliss growing up.  Maybe it was you.  The girl so infatuated with her first love that she can see nothing else.  The boy who turns to drugs to escape his life and never finds his way back. 

That’s the thing about this love.  It’s a thousand times stronger than both of us, even together, and the deeper this boy pushes, the better falling feels.

It’s been said that this book “glorifies drug abuse,” when in fact it does quite the opposite.  Mary and Sarah have woven together a heartbreakingly beautiful story that yes, is centered around addiction, but in no way is it romanticized.  Dusty and Bliss don’t have an easy love.  One is addicted to drugs and a girl that is out of his reach.  The other addicted to a love that will never fully be hers.  This story is not filled with ponies and rainbows.  It cuts deep.  It hurts.  It bleeds. 

“You hate me?” he whispers harshly in my ear.  “I wish I could hate you, Bliss, because this”—he squeezes me harder—“this is killing me.”

If you love great writing and a good story that touches you to your core, I highly recommend the Dusty series by the Elizabeths.  This has become one of my favorite series!  I can’t remember another that made me FEEL as much as this one.  I am addicted… to this amazing story and the poetic writing of Mary and Sarah.  Do yourself a favor and READ. THESE.  BOOKS!

Love never taught me how to swim.  He taught me how to cling to him, and all I want in this moment is to pull him under with me… Love is sinking, and it’s taking us both.  Love is knowing this is just as much my fault as his, because I allowed it.  I invited it when I pushed his patience at every turn.  I made love lie.  I made love a secret when he begged me not to.

5 ++ Smooches

The truth is not easy.

My truth:  I love a lost cause.  I love a failure, and I lost myself in him when I was nine years old.

There are two sides to every story, and this story is no different. In Innocents, we first met Bliss and Dusty and I fell in love with these two as they fell in love with each other. Delinquents is a continuation of their story and it gutted me.

Dusty's downward spiral into drug use continues as does the unhealthy relationship between the two teens.  Dusty may be addicted to drugs but Bliss is addicted to Dusty and their dysfunctional, co-dependent relationship.

I accept his drug-induced bullshit, because buried in that craziness is our own kind of love.  Nothing compares to that.  But love is battling cocaine for love's attention.  She's created a trio out of our duo.  His drug is the other girl. - Bliss

Delinquents is told from both Bliss and Dusty's points of view (and a bonus third POV that ROCKED my world!) so we see it all.  We see how Bliss' desire to keep their relationship a secret impacts Dusty and is a big reason he falls deeper into drugs.

Whatever the reasons, love still won't try for me, but she'll lie for us without missing a beat.  She sneaks and distorts and covers unflinchingly, and it's flawless now.  It's laughable how unaware everyone is at this point.  It'd be funny if I wasn't the secret. - Dusty

And we see how Dusty's self-destructive choices make Bliss want to remain in their secretive world.

I'm generally not a fan of books with addiction but the way Mary and Sarah tell this story, the way they bring cocaine to life in this book, it lured me in.  Don't get me wrong, they certainly don't romanticize it or make it desirable ... they just make it work and weave a story that is raw and real.

I try to remember the last time I looked at my girl through non-addicted eyes.  I've been lit through each I love you, spun through each touch, and drunk-waste through each don't ever leave me.  All the affection I've ever shown this girl has been habit-stained and guilty.  She never had a chance against a monster like me.  - Dusty

Delinquents had so many moments that had me holding my breathe, reading through tear-flooded eyes.  As hard as some of the events in the book were hard to get through, I loved every moment of this story.  The writing is lyrical magic and I hung on every word.  This series is definitely not for everyone.  It's sad and depressing and really makes you want to hurl your kindle against the wall out of frustration.  In spite of this sadness, it is a beautiful story that I would recommend to anyone who can appreciate the beauty of heartbreak.

Group Read Feedback:

We read the Dusty series with the girls in our blog group read.  Here is what a few of them had to say!

Paola: I know you all know that I'll give 5 stars 10 stars all the stars for Dusty and Bliss ! I Love love love them.

Dena: Omg Dusty Dusty Dusty I can not believe how addicted to this series I was! I couldn't put it down, this will be one of those stories that will stay with me a long long time! Loved it!

Liz:  5 stars!! Beautifully written and gut-wrenching beyond words. If you want to get lost for awhile this is the book (series) to read. Your heart will never be the same...mine isn't. A Dusty disciple for life.

Mary Elizabeth is an up and coming author who finds words in chaos, writing stories about the skeletons hanging in your closets. Known as The Realist, she is one half of The Elizabeths--a duo brave enough to never hide the truth.
Mary was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night. Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."--Jeremiah 17:9

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True Love Way Cover Reveal

Some days are brighter than others, but Penelope Finnel has learned she can be invisible behind the colored lenses of her heart-shaped sunglasses.

Her mind is her own worst enemy, and simply waking up in the morning is risky. For a girl like her, staying in bed is easier. Especially when the day comes to start school in a new town with new kids who don’t understand that the clouds are not the only reason everything is so gloomy.

Dillon Decker is a typical boy from a typical small town who radiates light and happiness. Under the hovering glare of her father, Dillon leads Penelope around on his bicycle’s handlebars, hoping he will be the cure to her madness.

But as time goes by and when friend turns to lover, and lover turns to caretaker, how much can either of them endure before they’re swallowed whole?

This is a story about rollerblades and moving trucks, trading candy for smiles, and passing notes across lawns.

First love and the struggle to keep it sane.

The true love way.

Then the screen door opens and slams shut again, and standing beside the light Nazi is Penelope. Her hair is up now, and from what I can tell she’s not chewing gum anymore. Her knees are dirty, and her shoes are untied. The Discman isn’t on her hip, but her green sunglasses are still on her face, even though it’s nighttime.
Suddenly Mr. Finnel’s voice scares me out of my own head. “What are you looking at, boy?”
Definitely over six feet tall, the daughter Nazi isn’t leaning against the porch post anymore. He’s standing in front of his daughter, blocking my view of her.
I straighten my spine and speak too loudly, too quickly. “Nothing!”
He laughs at me again, but his eyebrows are more serious than ever. From behind her father’s arm, Penelope peeks out. I can’t see her eyes through her glasses, but I know she’s looking at me. I can’t stop looking at her.
Mr. Finnel’s laughter stops. “See something you like, boy? Do you think I’m cute?”
“Wha … what … no,” I stutter. My heart stops. He hates me.
Finally, she speaks, soft-spoken and small. “Don’t embarrass me, Dad. You’re so embarrassing.”
The heart Nazi puts his arm over his daughter’s shoulders and leads her down the steps to the walkway leading to the Chrysler.
“The boy next door is weird, Pen. Don’t talk to him,” he warns her with amusement in his voice. “He offered me bolts.”

Mary Elizabeth is an up and coming author who finds words in chaos, writing stories about the skeletons hanging in your closets. Known as The Realist, she is one half of The Elizabeths--a duo brave enough to never hide the truth.
Mary was born and raised in Southern California. She is a wife, mother of four beautiful children, and dog tamer to one enthusiastic Pit Bull and a prissy Chihuahua. She's a hairstylist by day but contemporary fiction, new adult author by night. Mary can often be found finger twirling her hair and chewing on a stick of licorice while writing and rewriting a sentence over and over until it's perfect. She discovered her talent for tale-telling accidentally, but literature is in her chokehold. And she's not letting go until every story is told.

"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure."--Jeremiah 17:9

WEBSITE ☆ AMAZON ☆ FACEBOOK ☆ TWITTER ☆ GOODREADS

Vanquish Blog Tour

Warning: Graphic sex and violence. Age 18+ only

It is recommended to read after Deliver, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Her life is like a prison cell.

A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside.

Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe.

He belongs in a prison cell.

The 6x8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside.

But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break.

And he just found a sexy new toy.

Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next.

But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

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Heather's Review

5- "eat a dick" smooches!!!

Once again, Pam Godwin delivers!(haha I am awesome!)  Vanquish is the second book in the Deliver series.  It can be read as a standalone BUT Deliver freaking rocks, so you should definitely read that first! Don’t read Vanquish if you do plan to read Deliver because it contains spoilers.  I am going to avoid discussing the plot too much, bc I can’t find a way to do that without ruining the experience.  So, this will be a little different from my usual review.

They both carried a million cracks beneath the skin… it was hard to see which of them was more broken.

We learned in Deliver how sick and twisted an individual Van was.  He is a former sex slave trafficker with a new lease on life.  But, will someone as depraved as Van know what to do with it?  Let’s just say old habits die hard.

 

On to Amber… Amber is a former beauty queen with a slew of her own issues.  She is an agoraphobic, anorexic, hermit.  Her fears are beyond all rationality.  Yet, Pam manages to bring them to life.  I found myself living her fears right alongside her.  Panic attacks and all!

He might’ve had the upper hand, but he couldn’t control the mess in her mind.  If he planned to keep her around, he’d damned well better be prepared.  She was going to make his life a living hell.

For such a fragile little thing, Amber still manages to be a sassy badass and I loved that!  She let Van have it, when she wasn’t falling apart.  

Their relationship has so many dynamics.  They are enemies, lovers, at times friends… Van is her captor and she his slave… he her punisher and she his saving grace.

Vanquish is different from Pam's other books, but equally as brilliant!  The woman takes the most taboo... for lack of a better word, fucked up subjects and writes them so eloquently.  Her writing is flawless.  You do not just read a Pam Godwin book.  You experience it.  Truly.  Heart racing, blood pumping, full on adrenaline rush.  I am addicted...

Hope had a way of leading a guy on, offering tantalizing glimpses of possibilities and enticing him to the edge of belief.  But it didn’t put out.

Selene's Review

 

5 Smooches

Every human being had a cruel side, but as she looked into the blackness behind his eyes, she didn't see a face of varying traits.  She saw the entire man.  He was cruelty incarnate.

I went into Vanquish blind.  I knew it was a continuation of the Deliver series so I expected more of same.  Yeah, I was totally wrong.

Vanquish was not at all what I was expecting.  If you've read Pam's prior books - Beneath the Burn and Deliver - you are, no doubt, familiar with her brilliance.  And while Vanquish definitely falls in the brilliant category, I found it to be a completely different kind of brilliant.

Vanquish took me on a journey of discovery and pure fascination.  Where some writers tackle difficult subjects and merely scratch the surface, Pam digs DEEP.  Her words create such vivid imagery, bringing this story to life.  

In the end, I have to confess I was shocked as shit with Vanquish.  I loved it though.  Loved every word.  Loved every surprise. Loved every twist and turn.  And *GASP* I loved Van.  I will leave you with that.

He stalked toward her, mirroring the tilt of her head, knees and shoulders loose, and his gaze holding her prisoner. A breath away, he paused, soaking in the subtleties of her tipped-up chin, parting lips, and glossy but resolute eyes.

With the next breath, he launched, hands on her jaw, fingers spread around the back of her head.

His elbows dropped, shoulders raised, and he yanked her to him, lifting her on tiptoes, guiding her mouth, taking it. His grip twisted through her hair as he drew in her upper lip and shoved her against the fridge, following her with the weight of his body.

The kiss went fucking wild, their lips mashing in a frantic battle. His tongue plunged her mouth, attacking, thrusting in and out, possessing her movements, owning her. Breath for breath, lick after lick, he ate at her mouth, tasting, devouring.

He dropped his hands to her breasts, squeezing ruthlessly as he rolled his cock against her cunt.

His tongue tingled, his skin burned, and his head swam. God, she was a drug, and he was so fucking high.

She gripped his biceps, bit at his lips, and threw her arms over his shoulders, her fingers scratching the fuck out his back. He shuddered, loving it, but he was in control.

Reaching back, he grabbed her wrists and slammed them above her head. Their bodies ground together, his forearms pressing hers to the fridge, their tongues dancing and clashing. Chest-to-chest, hips fused together, he flexed his ass, dry humping her like a horny teenager.

Jesus, fuck, he didn't care. He wanted her.

He leaned back to study her face and found strong smoldering eyes, sharp breaths, and swollen wet lips. Whatever she saw in his expression made her mouth chase his and her fingers curl around his hands. They kissed endlessly, fueling the fire and pushing his control long past the point of discomfort before pulling back and starting all over again.

When he broke the kiss with a hand on her jaw, they panted as one, mouths open and so close their bottom lips brushed. She peered at him through lowered lashes, and he stared back in awe. What trembled between them wasn't an if? Or even a how hard? Those were foregone. The question they shared was simple.

Ready?

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

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