A Chat with Author Jessica Bell

Jessica Bell, one of my favourite people in blogosphere is launching her book, String Bridge this month!  YaY!  Let's do the happy dance for Jessica!

I have a bit of good news - I have Jessica on my blog today!

If you are a regular visitor to this blog, you will probably notice that some of the questions I asked Jessica were the usual questions I'd ask an author.  I hope that this will not bore you - but the truth is, I really wanted to know her answers to these questions.  Now, my biggest mistake was this:  I did not ask her a single question about her debut novel, String Bridge!!!  Arrrrrghhhh!  Yes, I know, I've hit my head on the wall several times already today.  Looking back, I think that the mistake was because I sent her the interview questions months before I got a copy of String Bridge.  And I wanted to ask questions after reading the book.  Now.  I need to calm myself down.  I am posting my review on String Bridge on 15th November...I'm hoping it is not too late to ask Jessica a couple more questions.  If I get lucky, the answers will be posted with the book review, how's that?

I'm happy now.  Hope you are, too.

Now, friends, let's have Jessica!

Len:  What was your job before you made the decision to become a writer?

Jessica Bell:  An English text book writer/editor for English Language Teaching materials. Still am.

L:  Do you write full time?

JB:  Nope. Whenever I can fit it in!

L:  Who are the authors that influenced your writing?

JB:  Marilynne Robinson

Margaret Atwood

Raymond Carver

Gwen Harwood

Anne Lamott

Rebecca Miller

L:  I am really interested to know this - what are your most favourite books - the ones that you will be happy to read over and over again?

JB:  Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson is the only book I have ever read multiple times. I still find new things in it too. It’s an acquired taste, though; not for everyone. You need to read it and savor it. You can’t read this book for the story. You have to read it for the sheer brilliance of language.

L:  What do you look for when reading a book? Do you pick it up because of its cover or do you take friends’ recommendations when choosing one?

JB:  I actually don’t pay much attention to covers, I think it’s the blurb which is the first thing I look at. Mind you, if the cover looks tacky and cut and pasted together in five minutes, you can forget it, unless the book was written by a friend, then there’s no chance. Might be a bit shallow, but there’re only so many hours in a day, right?

L:  (*Laughing*  Because secretly, she agrees...hahahahaha!)

L:  You write poetry and literary fiction (aside from being a Singer and Songwriter), do you have to switch from one to the other - I mean, from being a poet to a novelist and vice versa depending on what you are writing?

JB:  All of my writing begins quite raw, so no, I don’t really have to switch, because the bulk of my creativity comes when I begin to embellish the content that’s already written, and I have the same system for both fiction an poetry. I write, I tweak, I color in.

*Len whispers to blog readers:  Have you heard all about it?  Jessica did not only write a book.  She also wrote and recorded a song for it...no, let me correct that, she recorded an album!  Yes, all for her book, String Bridge!

L:  How do you deal with writer’s block?

JB:  I don’t suffer from it much because I don’t ever force myself to write. I really do think that writing when you want to is the key. The rule, that we must write every day, just doesn’t work for me. If I write every day, my creativity runs dry.

L:  Please can you tell us about the challenges you had to face on the road to publication? I’m sure a lot of our blogger friends would like to know.

JB:  Hmm … challenges … rejections, rejections, tears, tears, conflicting advice, rejections, tears, conflicting advice … need I say more?

L:  Any current projects that you are working on?

JB:  Yes, MUTED, which was inspired by a short story I wrote for an anthology called TINY DANCER. Here’s my current blurb:

It's 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,” now living in Arles, France, breaks these laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river clothed in a dress stained with performance memories. 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 savior? Or a street warden on the prowl for another offender to detain?

L:  Thank you very much once again, Jessica. Is there anything you’d like to add or tell your friends and supporters out there?

JB:  Have you crossed the String Bridge yet? Hahahahaha …

L:  Yes I have!  I have!  And I loved it!  Congratulations once again on your debut novel!

*****

How about you, blog friends?  Have you crossed the String Bridge yet?  If you haven't yet, here are the links:


Jessica's links:
String Bridge Website: http://www.stringbridge.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11502954-string-bridge

String Bridge Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rv-hRMA0kqQ
String Bridge Merchandise: http://www.cafepress.com/janicephelps/8155170
website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell
retreat & workshop site: http://hwrw.blogspot.com/

Purchase links:

eBook

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6/ref=sr_1_1_title_0_mains=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1319369262&sr=1-1

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/String-Bridge-ebook/dp/B005Y48DF6/ref=sr_1_1ie=UTF8&qid=1319370801&sr=8-1

Paperback:

Amazon.com: (Coming soon) 

Amazon UK: (Coming soon)

Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/string-bridge-jessica-bell/1030101696

Soundtrack:

iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?playlistId=465313522

Amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Melody-Hill-Other-Side/dp/B005P7ARNS/ref=sr_1_1ie=UTF8&qid=1317118328&sr=8-1

Amazon UK:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Melody-Hill-Other-Side/dp/B005P7G02A/ref=sr_1_1ie=UTF8&qid=1317118484&sr=8-1

******

Jessica's November Blog Tour:

http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/p/string-bridge-book-music-blog-tour.html