Connection by Jo Ramsey PRINT

This is a pre-order for the print version of this book, which will be available on January 29, 2010.

Connection by Jo Ramsey
Reality Shift Book One
YA metaphysical fantasy novel
novel length (60,000 words)
cover art by Winterheart Designs
ISBN# 978-0-9826023-3-1
paperback 130 pages

BLURB:
At the start of high school, Shanna Bailey doesn’t imagine her life will change. She’s always been the one everyone else puts down, even her own mother. Shanna is positive high school will be no better. But when she meets Jonah Leighton, everything changes. Though most other kids make fun of and even fear Jonah, Shanna finds him to be kind and thoughtful, and he amazes her with the things he knows. Even more amazing, he wants to teach her what he’s learned, and he wants to be her friend.

When Kaylie Sturbridge, one of the popular crowd, starts acting strangely, flipping out in school and shouting about a dark thing following her, her friends shun her. Only Jonah seems to know what’s going on, and he persuades Shanna to work with him to help Kaylie. But can the two of them rid Kaylie of the entity that wants to take over? And can Shanna trust herself enough to do what Jonah needs her to?

EXCERPT:
I wanted to go home. Spending an entire morning with Mom left me drained at best. But she clearly still wanted to be nice, and I knew we didn’t have anything at home I wanted to eat. I made myself sound happy when I said, “Sure. Thanks.”

We headed for the food court. On the way, through a throng of hungry back-to-school shoppers, I spotted Becca Foley and Kendra Johnson, two girls from school. Two popular girls who alternated between ignoring me and hassling me. Becca had her blonde hair up in a smooth ponytail held with a blue scrunchie that perfectly matched her blue V-neck shirt, which dipped low enough to show cleavage accentuated by whatever bra she wore under the shirt. She didn’t seem to mind at all showing so much. Uncomfortable at seeing it, I cringed and looked away, though part of me envied her for being able to wear the shirt so easily. Kendra’s curly black hair swept back from her face, perfectly held with a few clips that sparkled in the light, letting me see them even from several yards away. Her pink shirt and jeans mirrored Becca’s outfit. Mom saw them too. “Aren’t those girls in your class?” she asked, interested.

“Yeah,” I muttered. “I don’t get along too well with them, though.”

“You should go say hi,” she urged.

I stared at her. Even if I wanted to push my way through the crowd, those girls would never want to talk to me, except to make some snippy comment. “Mom, I just said we don’t get along. They make fun of me.”

“That’s just because they don’t know you,” she insisted. “Go say hi. It would be good if you started high school with some friends.”

“Mom, I’m the last person they’d want to be friends with,” I protested.

“I said go say hi.” Her voice rose. “You have to talk to people sometimes, Shanna.” A few people walking by turned to look at us. Mom acted like she didn’t notice, but I knew from past experience that their attention would just fuel whatever consequence she gave me when we got home. She hated having strangers’ eyes on her, and somehow when it happened, it was always my fault.

Humiliated, I felt tears coming to my eyes and tried to force them not to fall. “You don’t understand. They pick on me, Mom. They call me names. They spread lies about me. Why would I want to talk to them? I can’t.”

“If you don’t go over there right now and say hi to those girls, you’ll be grounded,” she threatened.

Despite my efforts, the tears started to fall. “I’ll take the grounding. I’m not talking to them.”

“You’re acting like a baby.” Mom grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the exit. More heads turned our way, and one woman opened her mouth as we approached her, like she wanted to say something. Mom yanked me right past the stranger, shooting her a fire-filled glare that shut the woman’s mouth again. “Forget lunch. You’re going home to your room.”

The whole way home she ranted at me about how I would never go anywhere in life if I didn’t stop being so damn shy and start talking to people. Her questions slammed into me like fists: How did I expect to make it through high school if I never spoke to anyone? How did I expect to find a date to the prom? (I didn’t. I had no plans of ever going to any kind of formal dance if I could help it.) What was wrong with me anyway? I tried to tune her out, but her loud voice drilled into my head.

“You know how important it is to be popular, Shanna Louise,” she ranted. “How do you expect to go anywhere in life without friends? You’re going into high school. You have to be part of the right group if you’re going to make it there. Trust me. I didn’t have a lot of friends growing up, and it ruined my whole life. You don’t want to end up like that. I don’t have any friends now, because you don’t have any, so I never meet any other mothers. You need to shape up. I swear, I don’t understand what your problem is.”

I didn’t care about being part of the right group. They treated me like dirt, and because of that, I didn’t even try to talk to them anymore. I’d explained that to Mom in the past, and she refused to listen. In her mind, if I made an effort, all the teasing and name-calling would miraculously go away and I’d have tons of friends. Then she could think of herself as popular, because she’d have a popular daughter.

Finally we arrived home. Clutching the bag containing my new clothes, which had ridden home on my lap, I hurried inside ahead of her, but didn’t manage to make it to my room before she entered. “Next time we see kids you know from school, you’d better speak to them.” Her voice was hard and cold.

“Not if they’re kids who give me a hard time all the time,” I said sullenly.

My cheek stung. I hadn’t even seen her hand move to slap me. “Don’t argue with me, Shanna Louise!” she yelled. “You have to start making friends or you’ll be alone your whole life.” I opened my mouth but shut it quickly when she raised her hand. “Go to your room,” she ordered through gritted teeth. “Don’t even speak to me the rest of the day. I’m disgusted by the way you acted.”

Which was nothing new. With my heart in my throat, but thanking heaven the consequences hadn’t been worse, I went upstairs, put away my new jeans and the pink shirt, and lay down on the bed hugging my paisley shirt. At least in my room, I didn’t have to listen to her.