I did, however, think the process of being
published would be much more glamorous. That there would be individual
attention given to me as an author....not!
I’ve learned that I am just one in a stable of authors; all of us in the same
boat; trying desperately to get some attention for our newly published babies. I
learned quickly that promoting and marketing my book is as big a job as writing
it was. Publishers don’t do much marketing.
I also didn’t realize how incredibly hard
it would be to get my book on shelves in bookstores. This is something I’m
still struggling with. It’s much easier to convince local small bookstores to
carry your book than the big chains. So most of my sales (about 90%) have been online
through Amazon. I’ve also learned that ebooks out sell paperbacks and the
royalties are higher - at least they are from my publisher. I’m glimpsing the
future and the future is the ebook.
Sadly, I’ve come to realize that I will not
be able to quit my day job and write full-time, at least not in the near
future. But even with all these lessons learned, the biggest lesson of all was that
I realized that I write because I love to write. That I will not stop writing
because it brings me so much joy.
Blurb
Lola’s not pretty. Lola’s not popular.
Lola wishes she could disappear … and then one day she does just that...
For seventeen-year-old Lola Savullo, life
is a struggle. Born to funky parents who are more in than she could ever be, Lola’s dream of becoming a writer makes
her an outsider even in her own home. Bullied and despised, Lola still has the
support of her best pal Charlie and Grandma Rose.
Not only is she freakishly tall, Lola’s a big
girl and when forced to wear a bathing suit at her summer job as a camp
counselor, Lola’s only escape from deep embarrassment seems to be to literally
vanish. Soon after, she discovers the roots of her new “ability”.
Slowly, with Charlie’s help, Lola learns to
control the new super power. The possibilities are endless. Yet power can be
abused, too…
Then, when tragedy strikes, Lola must
summon her inner strength, both at home and at school. She has to stand up for
herself, despite the temptations and possibilities of her newfound super power.
A coming-of-age story that will warm the
heart.
Read an Excerpt
Chapter Three
I always leave Grandma Rose’s apartment
with a smile on my face and an ache in my heart. I wish my mother were like
her. How lucky for my mom to have such a wonderful, almost normal, mother. I’m
stuck with a parent in an ever-present state of adolescence, whose life’s
mission is to desperately hang onto what’s left of her looks. My mom, with her
rat’s nest of hair stacked high on her head, dyed cherry red with chunky blonde
highlights and dark brown lowlights, and extensions thrown in for good measure.
A woman can’t ever have too much hair, she’s forever saying. Giving me her
version of what passes as parental advice. I prefer Gran’s words of wisdom –
“extensions make a woman look trampy” and “dye your hair only when the white
comes in.” It seems more dignified, because I think a woman can have too much
hair.
Dad’s just as bad, with his funky jeans, Ed
Hardy T-shirts, pointy-toed boots, pierced ears, tattoos and a soul patch. He’s
going to be fifty next year, for God’s sake. The thought makes me cringe. I
live with dim-witted middle-aged teenagers.
Gran tells me all the time it’s not what’s
on the outside that’s important and I know she’s right. I suppose I’m a bit of
a hypocrite, since I’m always complaining about my weight or my height, or the
fact I don’t have a boyfriend. But I’m supposed to be obsessed with fitting in
and with my looks; after all, I’m the teenager.
It’s only a ten-minute walk home from
Gran’s. I tilt my face toward the sun, soaking in the warmth of the spring day
as I make my way along familiar streets. When I approach the park on the
corners of Whiteside Avenue and Moorehouse Drive, I stop dead. Sudden dread
causes the beat of blood to fill my ears.
There are three boys and a girl – Nino
Campese, Tyler Campbell, his girlfriend Julia and Jon Kingsbury. They’re
seniors like me and even though we’ve known each other since kindergarten, once
adolescence hit and separated the weak from the strong, the cool from the nerd,
I became prey. I was hunted by those better looking, and with more attitude,
simply for their entertainment.
I plunge my hands into the pockets of my
jean jacket and hang my head. Taking large quick steps, I tread quietly.
They’re talking and laughing and the foul scent of cigarette smoke wafts past
me in the breeze. From the corner of my eye, I spot Julia and Tyler sharing a
butt as they cling together under the large plastic orange slide. Nino’s
holding court and Tyler’s laughing at something Nino has said and Jon, well Jon
just stands there, looking bored.
Why is he with them? My heart sinks. I
thought Jon was different.
Tyler’s eyes flicker my way; immediately I
pick up my pace.
“Hey!” someone yells.
I don’t answer.
“Where do you think you’re goin’, ya fat
cow?” Nino hollers, as he jogs up beside me followed by Julia and Tyler.
“Home,” I say, not stopping.
Nino jumps into my path. “Where’s your
girlfriend, Savullo?” He sneers and spits a snotty gob at my feet.
“Lesbo freak,” Julia chimes in and flicks a
butt at my face.
It bounces off my chin with a burning
sting. I glare down at her with her hawkish nose and eyes that are too close
together. “Get out of my way,” I growl through gritted teeth and try to step
around them, but Tyler grabs my elbow, his fingers bite into my flesh and a
small groan escapes me.
“We’re not done talkin’ yet, hippo,” he
snarls.
I yank free. Tears sting my eyes and the
heat of anger and embarrassment reddens my face.
“Leave me alone!” I scream and push.
Tyler’s tall, but skinny and I manage to knock him on his ass. But as soon as I
take a step, Nino and Julia are on me.
“Leave her alone,” Jon calls. He hung back
from the action and is still standing by the orange slide.
I slam a shoulder into Julia’s face and
hear a crunch as my bulk meets her nose. Blood spurts and the purple blur of
manicured nails flash past, as she whips a hand to her face.
She gazes up at me in surprise. “You broke
my nose, you bitch!” Then she looks at Tyler with eyes that say “you better do
something about this.”
My heart beats so hard, the swishing of
blood in my ears is a roar. They’re swearing, yelling and threatening me, but
panic has taken over as adrenaline pushes into my veins, and I make out nothing
coherent.
I turn and try to run back the way I’d
come. But another hand is on me, biting the flesh of my upper arm through the
fabric of my jacket. Then a fist smashes into the back of my head. “You’re
nothin’ but a fat dyke.”
My knees smack the gritty concrete as my
legs buckle, and deep heaving sobs erupt from me. Why do they hate me?
“Where the hell did she go?” Nino asks, his
voice laced with astonishment.
“Holy shit!” Julia and Tyler exclaim at the
same time. “What the…?”
Slowly, I pivot and look at them. They’re
turning in circles, searching for me.
Jon is with them now. “She’s gone,” he whispers
in wide-eyed disbelief.
“What? How?” Nino asks.
I creep away on elastic legs.
This is a great book for teens. The voice
and style are perfect for the target audience. As an adult, I enjoyed the story
of an overweight girl who learns to love herself, and I was touched by how she
came to grips with a totally understandable need for revenge. The story moves
along at a good pace, the secondary characters are interesting and believable.
The touches of humour were a lot of fun. I think teens with self esteem or body
image issues would find this book comforting. Highly recommended.
~Author Sheila Dalton
I’ve worked in the publishing industry for over twenty
years. I started my career as a freelance journalist, then worked as an
in-house editor for LexisNexis Canada and currently work as a freelance editor
and writer.I’ve had several short stories published and won first place in the Writes of Caledon Short Story Contest. My novels, The Barely Boy and Dark Angel were finalists in the 2010 and 2011 Strongest Start Contests. One of my short stories “Thom’s Journey” is part of an Anthology entitled A Visitor to Sandahl and is available at Amazon.com.
Invisible, my debut novel, is about a teenage girl who isn’t happy with herself and wishes she could disappear. And one day she does. Invisible is available on Amazon, Smashwords, and the Solstice Publishing website.
When not reading or writing, I enjoy being with my daughters, Nina and Sara and my husband, David. I’m also the proud mother of two fur babies, a sweet Miniature Schnauzer named Emily and Spencer, a rambunctious tabby, who can be a very bad boy.
Links:
Twitter: @JeanneBannon
FB author page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jeanne-Bannon/182120961844916
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Jeanne-Bannon/dp/1466368756/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1318029462&sr=8-1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/88217
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticepublishing.com/products/Invisible-%252d%252d-Print.html
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