Today, I'm very pleased to announce, I'll be interviewing Jessica Bell, author of recently released String Bridge! Please join me in welcoming her! And also, please stop by her blog and pay her a visit.
Let's get started!
So, Jessica, for anyone who didn't see my review yesterday, could
you tell us a bit about yourself and your debut novel, String Bridge?
String Bridge:
Greek
cuisine, smog and domestic drudgery was not the life Australian musician,
Melody, was expecting when she married a Greek music promoter and settled in Athens, Greece.
Keen to play in her new shoes, though, Melody trades her
guitar for a 'proper' career and her music for motherhood. That is, until she
can bear it no longer and plots a return to the stage--and the person she used
to be. However, the
obstacles she faces along the way are nothing compared to the tragedy that
awaits …
I wrote this book
because I wanted break
into the women's fiction market and steer it away from the stereotypically
glorified woman that is most commonly portrayed today and replace with pure
honesty instead. Not every woman in this world lives
without regret, knows exactly what they want, and has the courage to put every
essence of their being into achieving their dreams. Not every woman is
inspirational to others. Not every woman can leave their comfort zone to better
their future. But, so what? Does that mean a less strong-minded woman doesn't
have an interesting story to tell? Definitely not.
Can I just say that this was EXACTLY why I loved String Bridge so much! I felt like Melody was real and I could completely relate to her.
Me:
I grew up
in Melbourne, Australia, to two gothic rock
musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early
'90s. I
spent much of my childhood travelling to and
from Australia to Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet
feeling equally at home in both environments. I
currently
live in Athens, Greece and work as a freelance
writer/editor for Hellenic American Union, Cengage Learning, Pearson Education,
Education First and Signature Manuscripts. I have
published
a book of poetry called Twisted
Velvet Chains. A full list of poems and short stories published in
various anthologies and literary magazines can be found on my website.
Additionally, I have written various English textbook materials and am also a
singer/songwriter/guitarist.
In September, 2012, I
will be running The Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. The workshops are designed for
both aspiring and established writers and used primarily as a playground for
sharing a passion in an inspiring environment.
Did you always want to go with a small press?
What's your favorite part of working with Lucky
Press?
Not in the beginning.
I think like every aspiring author the dream is to get an agent and hit the
bestseller list, yeah? But that’s not always realistic in today’s publishing
climate. I soon realized that my style of writing better suited a small press
and decided to start submitting to those. Lucky Press is perfect for me and has
been amazing. My favorite part about working with them is most definitely the
bond we’ve developed. They are more than my publisher, they are my friend.
If you could pick one line or one paragraph out
of your whole novel to share with everyone, what would it be?
“I’m not sure I’m ready to wipe my
skin dry; to drown myself in a new ocean, where my desire for fleeing this
emotional cage hides like a mermaid ambivalent about growing legs.”
Wow. That is gorgeous writing.
What's
your favorite thing about your MC, Melody? Least favorite (if any)?
Favorite: that she is only human
Least favorite: that she is only human … J
Why did
you pick her story to write?
Even though
music doesn’t define me as much as writing does, it is still a big part of my
life. And the idea for the book came about when I was thinking about a time in
my life when music was all I ever wanted to breathe. Even
though my priorities had changed, I still wanted to write about the power music
has over someone who is so passionate about it. But I think music could be
replaced by any sort of passion in String
Bridge, because basically the story is about needing something more than
you need yourself.
Is there any more you wish you could have told,
but didn't?
Nope, nothing. But I
still wake up in the middle of the night wishing I could change nit-picky
things!
What draws you to the genre you write in?
I love playing around
with different words and sounds and seeing how differently they roll off my
tongue. Literary fiction is just like singing without a melody. It’s writing to
a tempo.
Are you working on anything we can read in the
future?
Yes! My
second novel, Bitter Like Orange Peel,
is about a twenty-five year old Australian archaeology undergraduate named Kit,
who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. She feels misplaced and comes to the
conclusion that meeting her father, Roger, will make some sense of her life,
despite him being worth the rotting orange rind in her backyard. Well, at least
that’s what she’s been conditioned to think of him by the three women in her
life: Ailish, her mother—an English literature professor who communicates in
quotes and clichés, and who still hasn’t learned how to express emotion on her
face; Ivy, her half-sister—a depressed professional archaeologist, with a
slight case of nymphomania, who fled to America after a divorce to become a
waitress; and Eleanor, Ivy’s mother—a pediatric surgeon who embellishes her
feelings with medical jargon, and who named her daughter after intravenous.
Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger, but in doing so,
discovers he is not the only rotten fruit.
My third
novel, Muted, is set in Arles, France, in a
totalitarian society where it is illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's
also illegal to sing without accompanying instruments. Concetta, a famous
Italian a cappella singer from before “the change,” breaks these laws. As punishment,
her vocal chords are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically perforated.
Unable to cope with living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself
in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories from her
hometown, Milan.
But Concetta's suicide attempt is cut short as someone grabs her by the throat
and pulls her to the surface. Is it the busking harpist, who encouraged her to
feel music through vibration, acting as saviour? Or a street warden on the
prowl for another offender to detain? From this moment, the reader will
discover how Concetta came to be in this position, and what will happen to her
after the suicide attempt.
Muted will explore a variety of themes such as overcoming loss, coping with
mental illness and disability, dealing with discrimination, loss of freedom,
inhibited self-expression, motivation to succeed, escaping oppression,
expression through art and music, self-sacrifice, channelling the thoughts of
the deceased, and challenging moral views and values.
Those sound great! I can't wait to read them!
Now for some
fun questions:
You're
trapped on a deserted island. Which of your characters would you bring to
keep you company, and why?
Tessa. Because she has
her whole life ahead of her and she might have more motivation to get us off
it! Hehehe …
Melody
can only eat one meal for the rest of her life. What does she choose?
Oh gosh, I think I
came across a similar question elsewhere and found it really hard to answer because
I never actually thought about what her favorite food was … Um … probably Greek
Salad. Simple, tasty and nutritious.
And finally...
Is there anything about Greek music
that Melody likes?
Probably
the way in which it makes her want to belly dance when she’s had too much wine.
Ahahaha! Love it! Thanks
again for stopping by, Jessica!
And for all of you who would like to learn more about Jessica and her novel, String Bridge, here are some links for you to check out:
