Guess the True Statement & Win Jessica Bell’s Thriller, WHITE LADY! (Statement #61)

To celebrate the release of Jessica Bell’s latest novel, WHITE LADY, she is giving away an e-copy (mobi, ePub, or PDF) to the first person to correctly guess the one true statement in the three statements below. To clarify, two statements are lies, and one is true:

Jessica Bell moved to Greece when she was ...

a. 31

b. 19

c. 21

What do you think? Which one is true? Write your guess in the comments, along with your email address. Comments will close in 48 hours. If no-one guesses correctly within in 48 hours, comments will stay open until someone does.

Want more chances to win? You have until October 31 to visit all the blogs where Jessica will share a different set of true and false statements on each one. Remember, each blog is open to comments for 48 hours only from the time of posting.

If you win, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to download the book.

Click HERE to see the list of blogs.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

*This novel contains coarse language, violence, and sexual themes.

​Sonia yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she’s rehabilitating herself as a “normal” mother and mathematics teacher, it’s time to stop dreaming about slicing people’s throats.

While being the wife of Melbourne’s leading drug lord and simultaneously dating his best mate is not ideal, she’s determined to make it work.

It does work. Until Mia, her lover’s daughter, starts exchanging saliva with her son, Mick. They plan to commit a crime behind Sonia’s back. It isn’t long before she finds out and gets involved to protect them.

But is protecting the kids really Sonia’s motive?

Click HERE to view the book trailer.

Click HERE for purchase links.

Jessica Bell, a thirty-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and the direc

Author Jessica Bell

tor of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca. She makes a living as a writer/editor for English Language Teaching Publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, MacMillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

Connect with Jessica online:

Website | Retreat & workshop | Blog | Vine Leaves Literary Journal | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks so much for stopping by today for Jessica’s tour. Can you guess the correct age? Good luck to all those who enter.

*NOTE: The situation remains the same with my mother-in-law. We are just thankful for the hours and minutes we have with her and at this posting hope those continue for another day. Thank all of you for your kind words, thoughts and prayers. I’m still not on the internet except for a few minutes here and there to check emails. Miss ya and see you soon.

Bitter Like Orange Peel On Tour and Giveaway

It’s my pleasure to be participating in author Jessica Bell’s Xpresso Book Tour for her latest release, BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL.

Here’s a brief synopsis of BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL:

        Six women. One man. Seven secrets. One could ruin them all.
Kit is a twenty-five-year-old archaeology undergrad, who doesn’t like to get her hands dirty. Life seems purposeless. But if she could track down her father, Roger, maybe her perspective would change.
        The only problem—Roger is as rotten as the decomposing oranges in her back yard according to the 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 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 named her daughter after “Intravenous.”
        Against all three women’s wishes, Kit decides to find Roger.
Enter a sister Kit never knew about.
        But everyone else did.

BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL (by Jessica Bell) published Nov. 1st and is listed in the adult, contemporary genre. It can be found on Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

As part of the Xpresso Book Tour, Jessica is offering an awesome giveaway. More details on that in a bit. First, Jessica joins us to talk about the top 10 books (and authors) which have most influenced her life.

Welcome Jessica.

I couldn’t sing the praises of the following books more if I tried. These are the books (in no particular order) that shaped me as a writer. Some influences date back almost 20 years ago, and some are recent. But all have left a permanent mark on my writerly soul.

Housekeeping, by Marilynne Robinson:

       My most favourite literary line of all time comes from this novel: “It was the kind of loneliness that made clocks seem slow and loud and made voices sound like voices across water.” Can you hear the loud, slow clock ticking? Its echo crossing a flat lake trying to reach the disappearing voices of loved ones you wished existed? The still and stifling warm air at dusk? Your heartbeat in your ears? The emptiness in your chest? The melancholia you can’t seem to place? An amazing comparison to loneliness, don’t you think? The clocks, the voices, the loudness of heartache. *sigh* ...

Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

       I’m fascinated by true stories. I’m even more fascinated by true crime stories. And I’m even more fascinated in true crime stories written in the style of narrative non-fiction. If you are too, this is a classic, and definitely worth the read. It’s gripping!

The Robber Bride, by Margaret Atwood

       This is the book that encouraged me to write from different points of view. It’s a brilliant piece of work. One of those books that stains your brain forever.

The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood

       Um ... how could anyone NOT love this book?

The Boy in The Striped Pajamas, by John Boyne

      Confession. After reading this brilliant book I’d always wanted to write a book from the point of view of a child. And so I did.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee, by Rebecca Miller

       This is the type of book that doesn’t have much of a plot, but is somehow a page turner. I think it’s because of the amazing characterization. And character development is my top priority when I write, so this book has always stayed with me.

The Stone Gods, by Jeanette Winterson

       My mouth was watering after the first couple of pages at the amazing poetic prose. Writer envy galore.

Just Kids, by Patti Smith

       I’ve always been a fan of Patti Smith. Not only is she a musician, but she’s an amazing poet. This is her memoir. And it is a tearjerker.

Short Cuts, by Raymond Carver 

       Minimalism at its best. No one has ever succeeded in evoking so much emotion in such few words so brilliantly since, in my opinion.

Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott

       This book inspired me to write my Writing in a Nutshell series. If you’ve read this book, you know how in Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting and piece by piece it will come together.

Have you read any of these books, or any books by these authors? What did you think of them? What books are in your top ten?



Jessica, thanks for stopping in and sharing these books with us. I can see how you were inspired by these.

For those who aren’t familiar with Jessica, here’s a bit of background.

Jessica Bell is an Australian contemporary fiction author, poet, singer/songwriter who lives in Athens, Greece. She may not write fairy tales, but she can certainly exorcise the beauty within a beast. 

Jessica also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

CLICK HERE to subscribe to Jessica’s newsletter. Every subscriber will receive The Hum of Sin Against Skin for free, and be the first to know about new releases and special subscriber giveaways.

Connect with Jessica online:
website | retreat & workshop | blog | Vine Leaves Journal | Facebook | Twitter

Here’s a book trailer for BITTER LIKE ORANGE PEEL for your viewing pleasure.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Grand prize giveaway
The prize is open internationally and the winner has a choice of 3 prizes:

        * Choice 1: Paperback copies of Jessica’s novels: String Bridge (+ MP3 downloads of original soundtrack), The Book, and Bitter Like Orange Peel
        * Choice 2: Paperback copies of Jessica’s Writing in a Nutshell Series (three pocket-sized writing craft books)
        * Choice 3: Paperback copies of Jessica’s poetry books: Muted, Fabric and Twisted Velvet Chains.

To enter the giveaway, use the Rafflecopter widget below. Thanks for visiting today and remember Jessica’s questions.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Supporting An Indie Author and An Amazing Charity

It’s always a please to participating in author Jessica Bell’s virtual blog tours. This time around it’s extra special because the author is also helping an amazing charity. Here’s Jessica to tell you more.

The day I realized I’d been obsessing over my sales figures way too much was the day I closed my eyes and tried to think about the real reason I am an indie author.

Is my primary goal to make money? No. So why do I keep obsessing over my sales stats? I realized it’s because more sales means more people reading my work. What I really, really want is to be read. I want to share the one thing in this world I would cut my fingers off for. I know. If I didn’t have any fingers, I wouldn’t be able to physically write, but you know what I mean.
 
My passion for writing comes with a perpetual replacement button, attached to my side seam, just in case it becomes unraveled, and falls off, after a day gallivanting through the publishing jungle. It can be tough in there, but in the end, being an indie author is OH SO WORTH IT.
 
This made me wonder …  what’s everybody else’s story?

Then INDIESTRUCTIBLE was born.

Need motivation and inspiration to self-publish, or sign that contract with an interested small press? Have you done all the research you can, but still feel ambivalent about the idea? INDIESTRUCTIBLE: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle brings you the experiences of 29 indie authors—their passions, their insights, their successes—to help you make the leap into indie publishing.

This is not a how-to guide. This is the best of the indie tradition of experienced authors paying forward what they’ve learned, giving you information to help you on your journey. The personal essays in this book will leave you itching to get your work into the hands of readers and experience, first-hand, all the rewards indie publishing has to offer.

Not only is this anthology packed full of interesting, unique, and genuinely helpful information, and totally worth the 99c (only 99c!!!), 100% of proceeds will be donated to BUILDON.org, a movement which breaks the cycle of poverty, illiteracy, and low expectations through service and education.

Pretty amazing, huh? 

What are you waiting for? 

Buy INDIESTRUCTIBLE — support the indie author and an amazing charity — TODAY!

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE INDIESTRUCTIBLE

eBook: $0.99 USD
Publisher: Vine Leaves Press
ISBN 10: 0987593102
ISBN 13: 9780987593108
Language: English
Edited & Compiled: by Jessica Bell

Contributing authors:
Alex J. Cavanaugh <> Angela Brown <> Anne R. Allen <> Briane Pagel <> C.S. Lakin <> Ciara Knight <> Cindy M. Hogan <> D. Robert Pease <> Dawn Ius <> Emily White <> Greg Metcalf <> Jadie Jones <> Jessica Bell <> Karen Bass <> Karen Walker <> Kristie Cook <> Laura Diamond <> Laura Pauling <> Laurel Garver <> Leigh Talbert Moore <> Lori Robinson <> Melissa Foster <> Michael Offutt <> Michelle Davidson Argyle <> Rick Daley <> Roz Morris <> S.R. Johannes <> Stephen Tremp <> Susan Kaye Quinn

About Jessica Bell:
The Australian-native contemporary fiction author, poet, and singer/songwriter/guitarist, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

Connect with Jessica online:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Thanks Jessica for joining us today and telling us about this amazing book and charity.

Too many adverbs and clichés in your writing? I've got just the fix for you by Jessica Bell

Writers constantly have rules thrown at them left, right, and center. Show, don’t tell! Stop using so many dialogue tags! More sensory detail! More tension! Speed up the pace! Yada yada yada ... it can become overwhelming, yes? I used to feel overwhelmed by it all too. In fact, I still do sometimes. It’s hard enough to get the words on the page, let alone consider how to put them there.

In Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, she says that in order not to be overwhelmed, a writer needs to focus on short assignments. She refers to the one-inch picture frame on her desk and how that little picture frame reminds her to focus on bite-sized pieces of the whole story. Basically, if you focus on one small thing at a time, the story will eventually come together to create a whole. I believe the same applies to learning the craft of writing. If writers focus on one aspect of the craft at a time, the process will seem less daunting and piece by piece it will come together.

My name’s Jessica Bell, and my own struggles with feeling overwhelmed inspired me to write the Writing in a Nutshell Series of pocket-sized writing guides. So you can learn to hone your craft in bite-sized, manageable pieces. In the first book of the series, I focused on demonstrating how to transition “telling” into “showing.” 

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, I deal with another of the most common criticisms aspiring writers face: to absolutely avoid adverbs and clichés like the plague. But see, right now, I just used one of each. I also used a couple in the first two paragraphs of this post because they come naturally, and we utilize them frequently in everyday speech. But in fiction, too many adverbs and clichés weaken your prose. It’s considered “lazy writing,” because it means we don’t have to show what’s happening.

If your manuscript has too many adverbs and clichés, it most likely means that the emotion you felt while writing it is not going to translate to the reader in the same way. So how exactly can we approach the subversion of adverbs and clichés? For starters, play around with simile and metaphor when you’re trying to convey emotion, and for action, use strong verbs to show it happening in real time.

The key? Think smaller details rather than the bigger picture.

Need some help and inspiration?

In Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Subversions of Adverbs & Clichés into Gourmet Imagery, you will find thirty-four examples of prose which clearly demonstrate how to turn those pesky adverbs and clichés into vivid and unique imagery. Dispersed throughout are blank pages to craft your own unique examples. Extra writing prompts are also provided at the back of the book.

“Jessica Bell's latest pocket guide, Adverbs & Clichés in a Nutshell, will inspire you to leave bland behind and pursue your creative best. With force and clarity, she demonstrates how adverbs and clichés hobble vibrant writing. She then marks a course toward unique expression and provides workouts that will help writers at every level develop a distinctive voice.” ~Laurel Garver, freelance editor, author of Never Gone and Muddy-Fingered Midnights

Purchase links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon Ca | Kobo

Bio: The Australian-native contemporary fiction author and poet, Jessica Bell, also makes a living as an editor and writer for global ELT publishers (English Language Teaching), such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.

She is the co-publishing editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and the director of the Homeric Writers’ Retreat & Workshop on the Greek island of Ithaca.

For more information about Jessica please visit:
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Jessica, thanks for joining us today to talk about the latest release in your Writing in a Nutshell Series. Improving one's writing in manageable piece does make it easier and not quite so overwhelming.

String Bridge Chart Rush and Review

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

I’m joining fellow bloggers to help Jessica in her endeavor. In addition, I’m sharing my thoughts on this intriguing story.
  
To receive the free soundtrack, all you have to do is purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and then email the receipt to: jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com. She will then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

Here’s my take on the story.

STRING BRIDGE by Jessica Bell

This is an emotional story of a woman’s journey to find herself and what truly makes her happy.

The story will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions as the protagonist, Melody, struggles with finding her center. She had been a musician, but gave it up to be a wife and mother. In time she realized she had not only given up her dream, but also a part of herself. She deals with depression and fights to be different than her bipolar mother.

In the end through a series of tragedies, there is triumph and happiness.

Author Jessica Bell has created characters that are realistic with flaws, problems, attitudes and strength to endure. Her writing is smooth and conversational making readers feel a part of the action. The story is intense with language that some may consider brazen, but given the circumstances fits naturally.

STRING BRIDGE will hold you captive from the opening paragraph to the last sentence.

Author Jessica Bell’s website is www.jessicabell.com

String Bridge by Jessica Bell, Lucky Press, @2011, Kindle Edition, ASIN: B005Y48DF6, 1606 KB, @2011, ISBN: 9780984631742, Paperback, 288 pages

FTC Full Disclosure - An eBook was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. 

If you are not familiar with String Bridge, check out the book trailer: 

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page, yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel … String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

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

Come join the fun and help Jessica hit the bestseller list on Amazon today. Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!