Invisible by Jeanne Bannon (Book Excerpt and Intl Giveaway)

Title: Invisible
Author: Jeanne Bannon
Release Date: September 7, 2011
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Format: PDF e-book
Source: Free from the author for the blog tour.
Buy It: Amazon
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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. 

Book Excerpt (Taken from the first chapter, so it's spoiler free!):

Not only am I fat, I'm freakishly tall. God only knows why, since Mom is petite and Dad is on the short side. My older sister Eva is the spitting image of Mom, fair and fine boned. I take after Dad's side, bulky, dark and thick. Dad says I must have gotten some of Uncle Sammy's genes, the giant of the Savullo family, who tops out at 6ft 4 inches. Anyway, I'm sure you‘re getting a good mental picture right about now. 

My insides drop as if I placed a foot on a step that wasn't there when I peer down at the coarse dark hair creeping from my calves to just past my knees, where it gradually peters out. Then I run a hand across the tops of my thighs. The triple bulge of my belly prevents me from a good look at my sorely neglected bikini area. Even in the blazing August sun, I wear baggy cotton Capri pants, never exposing more than an ankle. There's never been a reason to shave. My eyes mist with tears, but I pinch them away. It'll be hard enough to go out in public like this, but I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. I lift my chin in resolve and open the door. 

The whistle blows, signalling the beginning of the session. Screams of delight fill the air, as the kids jump into the pool to find relief from the 90-degree heat. 

I fasten a towel around my waist as best I can. Towels never seem large enough to wrap completely and comfortably around the bulge of my stomach. To the pool I go, treading silently so as not to draw attention. 

"Where's Lola?" Sonia, a fellow counselor, asks. 

At first I think she's joking because I‘m right in front of her. I toss her an annoyed look and don't bother to answer as I trudge past to the edge of the pool, where I pull off my towel and slip into the water.

 

"She's probably taken off," Jerod replies. He's a year younger than I am, but looks older with his muscular build and chiseled jaw line. The girls love him. "I hope she doesn't show," he continues. "Who wants to see a hippo in a bathing suit anyway?"

Sonia laughs, a little too hard and places a hand on Jerod's shoulder. 

Puzzlement and anger compete on my face. I'm standing no more than three feet away from them. I'm used to rude comments and I know what everyone thinks of me, but this is way beyond mean. The tears in my eyes spill down my cheeks and I slip under the water, hoping to wash away the evidence of my pain. Not that anyone would care, but crying could give them more ammunition; just another reason to taunt me. 

Kids bounce around me, laughing and playing. Justine stands like a sentinel, looking like a Bay Watch babe in her red suit, one hand gripping an emergency flotation device. Her steel blue eyes are focused on the activity in the pool. 

Jerod jumps in, nearly landing on my back. I barely have time to leap out of the way. My anger boils; blood rushes to my temples and pounds there, giving me an instant headache. I hurl myself at him, pushing with all my might, elbows aimed at his chest. I hit nothing but air and fly into the rough concrete wall of the pool, scraping a hole in my one piece and rubbing raw a patch of skin. Small blood pinpricks rise to the surface. 

"Hey!" I scream, bewildered. How'd he maneuver out of the way so fast? 

Jerod slips under the water and emerges at the other end of the pool in one long, slick glide. 

The steel in me comes up, anger replacing humiliation. I pull my bulk out of the water and march over to Justine. 

"Did you see what that asshole just did?" I bellow.

Justine brings the whistle that hangs from her neck to her lips and blows two sharp blasts, making my ears ring.

 

"Stop horsing around," she calls to a group of boys, who offer sheepish grins and stop instantly. 

I step forward so she can see me. "Justine?" I reach to touch her shoulder but, impossibly, my hand falls through her. 

"Justine?" I call again, louder, my voice panic-laced. With both hands, I grab her, or try to. Again, it's as if she's not there. 

My mind is swept along in a current of anxiety. What's happening? 

Then it hits me... it's me who's not there. 

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