Author Interview: Jessica Bell, author of STRING BRIDGE

Interview with Jessica Bell, author of 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 

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And now for our super deep interview!

Katrina: Your book trailer made me cry. Tell me the story of the book trailer for String Bridge. Was it solely your creation, and when was the song written?

Jessica: Well the trailer was solely my creation but the music for it wasn’t. I fell in love with one of my mother’s songs, which I thought a perfect fit for the character arc of my MC (Melody). I tweaked some of the lyrics to fit with the story, rerecorded it with my voice, added an instrument (bass) and shortened the song so that it wasn’t too long for the trailer. Having said that though, the rest of the songs in the soundtrack I’m releasing with the book, are written and performed by me. Oh, and if you’re interested, here’s a video of the original song before fixing it for the trailer:

Katrina: Is there a parallel to the height of your musical career and the height of Melody's? What do you see as the primary difference between your respective journeys?

Jessica: Despite being a musician myself, that is not where my passion lies. I want to write. I’m fulfilled when I write. I will do anything to write. Sometimes I even forget to eat. I don’t feel the same intensity with music. I do go through phases, though, where I become obsessed and all I want to do is sing and play guitar, but this never lasts more than a few days at a time. Also, when I write music, I just feel emptier and emptier rather than fulfilled. It invokes a really strong melancholy within me, and I think I’ve subconsciously pushed music to the sidelines because of that.

Katrina: I love the musical poetry in your title, String Bridge, and the line in the book trailer about the fraying bridge to our dreams. It's such a human truth, the choice between individual dreams and family life. Did you come to any epiphanies of your own while writing String Bridge?

Jessica: What a fantastic question. Yes, I certainly did. But not in the way that one would think. I don’t have kids. But I love and adore kids. I especially love the expression of pure self-satisfaction when they learn something new and it connects to something they can relate to. I can’t imagine never having the chance to bring a child into this world. But ever since discovering that I wanted to write, and doing so consistently, I haven’t thought about children so often. So my epiphany isn’t really an epiphany, it’s a question to myself. Do I really want to bring a child into the world if I can’t see myself sacrificing time for it? I haven’t answered that question yet. I know women think they can have it all. And I’m sure we can to some degree if we really put their mind to it. But there are only a certain amount of hours in a day and there’s always going to be something that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I’m not sure I’m willing to struggle with that. Not yet anyway. Let’s hope my biological clock keeps ticking until I can finally take the plunge.

Katrina: What's been your favorite thing about working with Lucky Press to bring String Bridge to your fans? And do you have any advice for other debut authors?

Jessica: Most definitely the friendship that has developed between Janice, the publisher, and I. She has been one of the most supportive people in this whole journey. She has boosted my confidence in ways I can’t even describe. I could not have asked for a better person to bring my debut to life. My advice for debut authors: Learn the rules until you can recite them by heart. Then learn how to break them without people noticing. And ultimately, trust your instincts. I learned that one the hard way. I spent five years trying to write like other people were telling me to write until Janice came along. She encouraged me to be true to myself. Being true to myself is what got me published.


Thank you so much for the interview, Jessica, and congratulations on a great debut!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.




Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell

Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/

Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com