Hiding in Plain Sight!

When I was a kid, I would often get tongue-tied. My brain would jump four steps ahead of my mouth and my thoughts would come out in a jumbled mess. It was a mix of a stutter and stammer. When I hit a rough patch in school, usually once or twice a week, I would’ve given my right arm to become invisible and to disappear into the woodwork.

Oh, I still stutter once in a blue moon, but it’s much less of a problem.

I can still relate though to the idea of becoming the Invisible Man. It came back to me recently when I picked up fellow blogger Ilsa Rey’s new novel, Wish I Was Here: Even When Invisible, There’s No Place to Hide. I was a few pages in when I learned that high school senior Ana, the main character in the young adult novel, had taken an Invisibility Pill to escape the bad guys. I couldn’t help but think of all the things I would’ve done in her situation.

The ideas came back to me like I had never left my school-aged self. Here’s my list:

–Hide from any visitors. Sorry but Brian isn’t here right now. Leave your number and maybe he’ll get back to you in ten years!

–Travel for free. It might be tough finding an empty plane seat, but I would make it work. Plus I think I could find plenty of extra room on the train or a cruise. The Caribbean anyone? Last one down the waterslide is a rotten egg!

–Sneak into movies. I would get movie theater popcorn whenever I wanted. Oh look, someone splattered the butter. It wasn’t me.

–Sneak into the Pentagon or the White House.I would find out the truth about the mysteries of the Universe. Area 51 anyone? Is Elvis still alive wandering the Earth as an Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail hiker? Do Pop Rocks (remember them from the 70s and 80s) mixed with soda really make your stomach explode? You know, real world problems.

–Prank my friends. I would become the new Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Running for her life

Unfortunately Ana has a tough go of it. She has no time to play around like me. She’s running for her life, trying to find out who kidnapped her best friend and fellow geek, Isaac. Here’s more from the Amazon blurb on her book:

“When masked men come for her genius best friend, Isaac, she swallows the invisibility pill he gives her and avoids being kidnapped alongside him. Though Ana escapes, she must find Isaac for an antidote within one week. If she doesn’t, she’ll remain invisible forever, which could mean insanity and death.

To make matters worse, the kidnappers are after her next. If they can’t get what they want from Isaac, they’ll extract the invisibility formula from her veins.

Desperately searching for clues, Ana finds hidden messages from Isaac, including a love letter she never saw coming. Her feelings are further muddled when rookie cop Ben, her former crush, comes looking for her, believing she’s responsible for Isaac’s disappearance. Though Isaac swore her to secrecy about the invisibility pill, Ana’s time is running short. She must decide whether or not to get Ben’s help by telling him the truth, even if it means betraying Isaac’s trust.”

I don’t want to spoil the story, but oh, the plot thickens.

See me now!

Ilsa’s story is fascinating. She manages to pack a number of surprises and turn of events into the tight story. Every time I thought I had it figured out, it would go off in a different direction. I found myself saying “Oh, I didn’t see that one coming or that one too” throughout the book.

Yes, Ilsa and Wish I Was Here keeps you on your toes.

As the first book in the Wish Trilogy, I’ll be interested to see where Ilsa takes her readers next. I’m hoping that Ilsa includes the formula for Isaac’s Invisibility Pills in the next book. I have so many Invisible Activities that I want to try.

Use my skills for good and become an Invisible Guardian Angel? Invisible Exercising? No one wants to see an old man like me gasping for breath, running on the side of the road. Invisible Road Trip? Now that would be a riot. “Oh, I’m sorry officer, it’s not a self-driving car. It’s just me Brian!”

Where can you get it!

Wish I Was Here will be launching on December 23. You have four ways to get the new book. You can pre-order via Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can also order directly from Black Rose Writing. It’s $2 cheaper and, if you use the code SEASON20, you get an additional 20% off

Finally, you can also reach out directly to Ilsa via her email ilsareyauthor@gmail.com to get an autographed copy or to inquire on group rates for middle or high school students. Yes, books like Wish I Was Here make great Christmas presents.

Congratulations Ilsa on a wonderful story and good luck on the book.

. . .

Some more thoughts on invisibility:

–“Sometimes the heart sees what is invisible to the eye.” –H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

–“I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me.” –Ralph Ellison

–“There is nothing invisible in this universe! There is only our lack of eyesight!” –Mehmet Murat ildan

–“The true mystery of the world is the visible, not the invisible.” –Oscar Wilde

–“The battles that count aren’t the ones for gold medals. The struggles within yourself – the invisible, inevitable battles inside all of us – that’s where it’s at.” –Jesse Owens

. . .

• Ilsa Rey’s Blog
• Ilsa Rey Autograph Copies – ilsareyauthor@gmail.com
• Black Rose Writing
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble