29 April 2015

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM CORA CARMACK

HERE’S THE SCOOP!

Fans of Cora Carmack’s Rusk University, we have a SUPER exciting announcement:

   ALL CLOSED OFF Coming 2016


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)

#WhenitHappened banner

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 Formhttp://goo.gl/forms/4VRjWgZYSW

HeadshotABOUT 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. 

Links:


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RELEASE DAY BLITZ + PROLOGUE: Contingent by Livia Jamerlan


IT'S LIVE
Amazon US: Kindle
Amazon UK: Kindle
Amazon CA: Kindle

Braelynn and Peyton are finally headed down a path without torment—until he allows someone else to come between them.
With the remnants of her broken heart scattered, Braelynn begins to piece herself back together, piece by ragged piece.

Peyton has dark secrets of his own. Secrets that leave him no choice but to walk away from the only woman he’s ever loved. 
But his desire for Braelynn has him fighting between what he wants, and what he needs to do to keep her safe.
Love can only withstand so much. The connection between Braelynn and Peyton has been tested before—could this be their breaking point?


Prologue– Peyton Present


Present
I had lost her.
And not like before. Not like when she pushed me away and I’d refused to leave. This time, I had lost all of her.
Her heart.
Her adoration.
It was all gone.
The love she’d had for me vanished. Her eyes changed when she looked at me; the brilliance in them faded.
I had betrayed her in the worst possible way.
Braelynn was the only woman I’d ever loved. She was the one who changed my entire life. All I’d ever wanted to do was protect her, and I had spent months trying to do just that. I wanted to keep her away from my past—away from secrets that could hurt her and destroy us. But instead, I’d stomped on our relationship, dragging her heart through the mud in the process. Her pain and her heartache were entirely my fault.
She might never forgive me for what I did.
The day he showed up at my office changed everything. I shouldn’t have let him blackmail me but I was caught off guard, and the only thing I’d wanted to do was shelter Braelynn from harm’s way.
I watched as she sat on the couch, her loose tendrils covering the tears that dripped from her eyes. The cut on her lip had swollen in the past thirty minutes. Her eye was bruising, turning shades of blue and purple with each passing second. The sling that the paramedics had placed over her body was supporting her right arm. She held her head low while talking to the authorities. Her hands were coated with his dried blood.
She glanced in my direction and her eyes told me everything.
With that one look, I knew I had lost her.
Forever.
***
Melissa tapped on my glass office wall. Looking up, I noticed her point to the elevator and give me the thumbs up. I need to give my secretary a raise for putting up with the unstable man she works for, I thought to myself.
It had been a little over a month since I last saw Braelynn. She had ignored every one of my calls and she wouldn’t speak to me. Any time I tried to see her she avoided me, and the few short times I did bump into her, she wouldn’t even look at me. Her green eyes had always been the conduits to her emotions. Without being able to look deeply into them, I had no inkling how she felt.
She’d given me no choice but to lie to get her here. She would be pissed but at least she had come. There was one thing Braelynn never did half-assed, and that was her job. She took pride in what people thought of her in the workplace. So I had Melissa reach out to her and explain that there was an old case she had worked on while at PH Esquire, and the client would only speak to Braelynn.
She took the bait.
She looked beautiful in a tight gray skirt and orange blouse. I tried to hide the grin that I knew was spreading across my cheeks. Her heels had slammed against the marble floors before stopping at Melissa’s desk. I assumed she’d want to talk to this previous client and leave as quickly as possible. When Melissa began to explain that there was no client, her face whipped in my direction and her nose crinkled with anger. She tossed her bag on Melissa’s desk and marched towards me. I loved this fiery vixen that couldn’t hold her tongue and braced myself for her anger.
“I have a job across town!” she shouted, stomping into my office. “I have cases I need to review. I have a schedule I need to maintain. What do you want?”
“You!” I stood, resting my hands on my desk. It was a simple answer. She was what I wanted. What I needed to get back.
“I did not get stuck in rush hour traffic to hear this.” She marched over to my desk and mimicked my pose on the opposite side. “Do not summon me with some bullshit excuse again. I am not your dog, Peyton. I do not come when you call!” She stood and twirled back towards the door.
“You do not walk away from me!” I knew how to push her buttons. If she walked out of my office now, it would take me months to get her back.
She looked back, and her eyes pierced through me with hatred. “We are over. I don’t know how many more ways I have to paint it for you, Peyton,” her finger pointing between our bodies, “but I can’t do this anymore. You lied to me for months. I cried myself to sleep so many times. And for what? Because you were a coward!”
I walked around my desk, meeting her in the middle of the office. “We. Are. Not. Over. That will never be true. We’re never going to be over because I won’t allow it. Get that through your head. I won’t ever get over you, so us being over is irrelevant.” I lifted my hand to touch her cheek, but she pulled away.
“We’ve done this song and dance before.” Her voice cracked with the pain I’d caused her. “I can’t go back to living that way.”
“How many times do you want me to apologize?” I reached for her forearm and she didn’t stop me.” Come back to me, Braelynn. Forgive me.”
“Please stop . . . ” She looked at my hands on her skin. I knew she felt the electric current running through us because where our fingers connected, I felt the same current.
“I love you.” It was all I could say.
“Stop. I’m tired of your mind games. I cried for so long, thinking of everything I could have possibly done wrong. And it was you, not me.” She yanked her arm away. “I’m not a toy that sits on your shelf to play with when you’re bored and horny. I am not the girl who will run back to you because you said you were sorry and that you love me. You want me to forgive you, earn me! Until then, there is no us.” She paraded out of my office.
If she wanted me to earn her, I would.
Braelynn belonged with me.


  

Consensual (Consensual #1)
Amazon US: Kindle I Paperback
Amazon UK: Kindle I Paperback
Amazon CA: Kindle 

Coherent (Consensual #2)
Amazon US: Kindle I Paperback
Amazon UK: Kindle I Paperback
Amazon CA: Kindle I Paperback

Contingent (Consensual #3)
Amazon US: Kindle
Amazon UK: Kindle
Amazon CA: Kindle

y-B47c__Livia Jamerlan is the author of Divided. She is also a hopeless romantic who is always looking for her next love story to pop in her head. Though Livia kept a journal throughout her early life, she never thought about pursuing a career in writing. She always used it as form of therapy, pouring her heart out into words. It wasn’t until a story developed in her head that she decided maybe she could write a book. At first it was just an escape from reality, but now she uses it as a power to put all her feelings, hopes, and fears on paper. Deciding it was time to tell her story, she began to write. With each passing day the story grew, characters were formed, and what seemed like a hobby at first has now become a passion for Livia.

She is a New Jersey Native who loves spending time with her husband and two dogs Buddy and Daisy. When she is not writing or hiding behind her Kindle, you can find her with outside, gardening, at a local shopping center enjoying some retail therapy, or enjoy a pepperoni pizza

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BLOG TOUR: Anissa's Redemption by Zack Love

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Title: Anissa's Redemption
Author: Zack Love
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Romance
Cover Design: Ashley Byland

Anissa Toma fled war-torn Syria after narrowly escaping the massacre of her Christian family by Islamists. Fortunate enough to rebuild her shattered life in New York City, the young refugee gained admission to an elite college, where she excelled. Her beauty, brains, and purity soon captured the interest of two powerful men: Michael, an activist working to establish Antioch, the first Mideast Christian state, and Julien, her professor and one of the city’s wealthiest bachelors.

As Anissa's saga continues, the refugee-turned-rising-star must navigate between Michael and Julien, while trying to help her surviving relatives and other vulnerable Christians in Syria. As she gets closer to both men in a complex and evolving love triangle, can she unlock Julien's traumatic childhood to open up his heart? Or will Julien find greater solace from his nightmares and other demons in the sessions with his intriguing therapist? What will Michael do for Antioch and for Anissa, and what will Julien's role be? How far will each person go to help Anissa's remaining family and other persecuted Christians at risk in Syria? Find out in this stunning sequel to "The Syrian Virgin".



The Syrian Virgin Series 

 

Book One: The Syrian Virgin
Amazon US Kindle I Paperback 
Amazon UK Kindle I Paperback 
Amazon CA Kindle I Paperback

Book Two: Anissa's Redemption: Amazon US I  Amazon UK  I Amazon CA 

And I’m also torn about Julien. I think I’m falling in love with him, even though I really don’t know anything about him, except that he’s incredibly smart and successful and has horrible nightmares. But I know nothing about his family, his childhood, his past loves, or anything else for that matter. And every time I’ve tried to ask about even the most basic details of his childhood, he manages to change the subject or turn the focus to me. All he has ever told me is that he grew up in Mexico, and was extremely close with his mother, who died of cancer shortly after he graduated from high school. That’s literally all I know about a man who is becoming an obsession – a man I want to love even more than I realized I could love.

My relationship with him is so important – not only because he seems like a potential soul mate (if I could just get him to open up more), but also because of what he has done, and can continue to do, to help my family and community. Last night I tried to bring us even closer by offering him a priceless token of my love and gratitude, but he refused to accept it from me, which left me feeling strangely rejected and unsure about him again. I’ve been wondering whether he wouldn’t take my necklace because he’s afraid he won’t stay with me over the long term.

I just wish that I didn’t feel so much weaker and more vulnerable than Julien. Will there always be a giant power disparity between us because I need his help so much? And I know nothing about him... Am I really falling for a man who is almost a complete stranger?


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Zack Love graduated from Harvard College, where he studied mostly literature, psychology, philosophy, and film. After college, he moved to New York City and took a corporate consulting job that had absolutely nothing to do with his studies. The attacks of September 11, 2001 inspired him to write a novelette titled “The Doorman” and heightened his interest in the Middle East. A decade later, that interest extended to the Syrian Civil War, which provided the backdrop for his latest work. In late 2013, Zack began releasing his unpublished works of fiction and became a full-time author. He has published comedy, psychological and philosophical fiction, and romance. Zack enjoys confining himself to one genre about as much as he likes trying to sum up his existence in one paragraph.

CONNECT WITH ZACK: Facebook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads

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LIFT: Authors Raising Autism Awareness - Week 4

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The last week of LIFT is here! What an amazing ride the last month has been, raising awareness, acceptance and action on behalf of families living with Autism.
And if you missed the LIFT t-shirts, there’s still a chance! Reserve yours in our “round two” LIFT order today! Don’t be left out when we have LIFT selfie day!

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This week’s MegaGiveaway highlights and benefits Autism Speaks, the largest Autism organization in the world, fighting for research, legislation and services for ASD families.
And our LIFT "anchor" authors, bringing it home this last week with amazing prizes:


COVER REVEAL: Afraid to Fly by S.L. Jennings

AfraidtoFly-highAfraid To FlyThe Fearless Series: Book TwoS.L. Jennings

I’d like to tell you that I’m ok.That the meaningless sex with countless women has somehow numbed the pain. That it’s deciphered the constant confusion in my head. Eased the self-hatred that sinks into my gut every time I look in the mirror.I’d like to tell you that time heals all wounds.That we evolve and grow into well-adjusted, stable adults, set on a path to right the world’s wrongs. That we are not our past…we are not our pain.
I want to tell you all those things. Hell, I want to believe all those things. But I’d be lying. I’m good at that. Living a lie is the only way I truly know how to survive. But the day I saw her, I stopped surviving. I stopped existing. And for the first time in 24 years, I started living.
She brought me back to life. Set me free and sent my soul soaring. Made this useless shell of a man feel like…something. Something whole and real and good.She saved me. Although she believes I wasn’t even worth saving.

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I was already loosening my tie as I stalked toward her and said, “Clothes off, boots on and get on your knees.”
Velvet didn’t waste a second. She slipped out of her one-piece in a swift movement and sank to the floor. The moment I felt her take me into her warm mouth, it was like a thousand pounds had been lifted from my shoulders.
A long time ago, long before I should have, I learned to separate the physical from the emotional and mental. I told myself that just because my young body had been stolen from me and manipulated in ways that would make even the toughest man cry out in agony, I didn’t have to feel it. Not deep down inside. I didn’t have to accept what was being done to me. So I pretended to be somewhere else. I pretended to be someone else. I let my mind drift to thoughts of my parents, imagining what they may have looked like, dreaming about happy smiles and warm hugs and kisses on my cherub-like cheeks. I painted pictures of family vacations at Disney World and barbeques in the backyard. I told myself that we would have a dog named Buddy. Mama would tie bandanas around his neck, and Papa and I would take him for walks and play Frisbee with him at the park.
I had built an imaginary fortress, and in it, nothing could touch me. I was safe. I was happy. And I was loved. That was what I told myself, and that was what I held onto everyday since to survive.
As I grew older, and was no longer held captive by the physical pain, I was left to face the emotional hurt that no one could see. I was like a pariah to the family that had taken me in. We were related but they didn’t know me, and what they did know about me was deviant and disgusting. Too awful to talk about. So I suffered silently in my mind until it became necessary to tell myself lies.
Lies like the ones I was telling myself right now.
I want this. I need this.
I’m totally normal.
There’s nothing wrong with me.
Being a man means having sex with as many women as possible.
These women desire me because they need me. They love me.
They love me.
She loves me.
It was the only way I could keep doing this. The only way the shame and disgust and self-hatred didn’t keep chip-chip-chipping away at the fragments of that broken boy. The boy that had grown up to be a shattered man. The man that couldn’t be mended.


The Fearless Series: Book One Fear Of Falling
fofI can’t remember the last time I felt completely safe. Security seemed more like a luxury to me, reserved for those who were fortunate enough to have picture perfect childhoods. For those who didn’t bear the ugly scars that keep me bound in constant, debilitating fear. I’ve run from that fear my entire life. But when I met him, for once, I couldn’t run anymore.
He scared the hell out of me in a way that excited every fiber of my being. It wasn’t the tattoos or the piercings. It wasn’t the warmth that seemed to radiate from his frame and blanket me whenever he was near. It was just…him. The scary beautiful man that threatened to alter 23 years of routine and rituals, and make me face my crippling fear.
My name is Kami and I am constantly afraid. And the thing that scares me the most is the very thing I want.
“Don’t worry,” he smiled, pulling me into the hard warmth of his chest. “I’ve got you. I’ll always catch you when you fall.”
And just like that, Blaine had staked his claim on the untouched part of me that no living soul had ever moved. He had captured every fear, every reservation, and crushed them in the palm of his inked hand.




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About the author
S.L. Jennings is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance, reality TV junkie, obsessive coffee drinker and collector of crazy.

 

       





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28 April 2015

BLOG TOUR + REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: Paradise City by CJ Duggan


There's bound to be trouble in Paradise . . .

When her parents decide a change will be good for her, seventeen-year-old Lexie Atkinson never expected they'd send her all the way to Paradise City. Coming from a predictable life of home schooling on a rural Australian property, she's sure that Paradise will be amazing. But when she's thrust into a public school without a friendly face in sight, and forced to share a room with her insipid, hateful cousin Amanda, Lexie's not so sure. 

Hanging out with the self-proclaimed beach bums of the city, sneaking out, late night parties and parking with boys are all things Lexie's never experienced, but all that's about to change. It's new, terrifying . . . and exciting. But when she meets Luke Ballantine, exciting doesn't even come close to describing her new life. Trouble with a capital T, Luke is impulsive, charming and answers to no one. The resident bad-boy leader of the group, he's sexier than any boy Lexie has ever known. 

Amidst the stolen moments of knowing looks and heated touches, Lexie can't help but wonder if Luke is going to be good for her . . . or very, verybad?


This is the first book of CJ Duggan I have read and was intrigued to start with Paradise City. 

The story kicks of when Lexie's is presented with an opportunity to escape a small town to what is outside of her normal, spending time with her estranged family in a new town and new public school. However the not so warm welcome from her cousin Amanda, certainly doesn't kick off the not so nice beginning Lexie was expecting. 

Through Lexie's POV, within a new town dosen't come without drama, especially when Amanda's involved. With Lexie's positivity and trust towards others, she tries to make a go especially trying to fit in at a public school after being home schooled back home. 
That's when she meets Ballantine, the bad boy of public school that she is certainly intrigued to find out more about. However it dosen't come without mischief to all hours of the night and falling into detention. With the attraction for one another, Lexie is excited to see where Paradise city goes...or will she want to return home.

With the additional cast members throughout the book, Boon intrigued me the most, I hope he receives his own book. Overall, a great first book of the Paradise series. 

3.5-4 Star Review




Amazon US: Kindle I Amazon UK: Kindle  I Amazon CA: Kindle 





      CONNECT WITH CJ: 
o   Twitter: @CJ_Duggan & @HachetteAus
o   Instagram: @cj_duggan & @hachetteaus