Praise for String Bridge
From Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl and Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds:
The last novel that moved me and engaged me to this extent was Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, 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.
From Talli Roland, best-selling author of The Hating Game, Watching Willow Watts and Build a Man:
What an engaging read. I started in the morning, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished. 'String Bridge' follows the story of Melody, a frustrated wife and mother who somehow finds herself miles away from the person she used to be -- and from the person she wants to become. Author Jessica Bell paints a claustrophobic vision of life where domesticity becomes a ever-diminishing prison cell. With gripping prose and terse dialogue, 'String Bridge' is a powerful debut novel from a very talented writer.
From Magdalena Ball, author of Sleep Before Evening and founder of The Compulsive Reader:
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 ... Jessica Bell's String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.
From Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie, Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal:
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.
From Glynis Smy, author of Sticky Sandwiches:
Warning: Do not read String Bridge—unless you have plenty of spare time. Jessica Bell hooks the reader with a storyline so powerful it consumes you. I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. ... The book is peppered with undertones of what could be and just as you are sitting comfortably, Bell pulls the rug from under Melody’s feet making the reader sit up wondering ‘what happens now?’
From Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl and Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds:
The last novel that moved me and engaged me to this extent was Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, 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.
From Talli Roland, best-selling author of The Hating Game, Watching Willow Watts and Build a Man:
What an engaging read. I started in the morning, and I couldn't put it down until I'd finished. 'String Bridge' follows the story of Melody, a frustrated wife and mother who somehow finds herself miles away from the person she used to be -- and from the person she wants to become. Author Jessica Bell paints a claustrophobic vision of life where domesticity becomes a ever-diminishing prison cell. With gripping prose and terse dialogue, 'String Bridge' is a powerful debut novel from a very talented writer.
From Magdalena Ball, author of Sleep Before Evening and founder of The Compulsive Reader:
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 ... Jessica Bell's String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.
From Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie, Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal:
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.
From Glynis Smy, author of Sticky Sandwiches:
Warning: Do not read String Bridge—unless you have plenty of spare time. Jessica Bell hooks the reader with a storyline so powerful it consumes you. I read this book in one sitting. I could not put it down. ... The book is peppered with undertones of what could be and just as you are sitting comfortably, Bell pulls the rug from under Melody’s feet making the reader sit up wondering ‘what happens now?’
I give this book 5* for its beautifully crafted, descriptive sentences alone. A fantastic debut novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Praise for Twisted Velvet Chains
From Jolene Perry, author of The Next Door Boys:
I sat down to read a few of the first poems in this book and couldn't put it down. Jessica Bell is an incredibly talented poet, pulling me in after only a few pages. I love how INTERESTING her use of language is and how full of emotion her poems are.
From Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch:
A rich, haunting journey into the darker side of mothers and daughters and the emotional trauma left behind from mental illness in a parent. Bell's poetry lifts the gauzy veil of imagined happiness and allows an honest look at the raw, edgy emotions surrounding the deep corners of memories some are too afraid to face. I was blown away by the layered imagery and use of music. Don't be fooled. It doesn't take a physical instrument to create chords within your heart. These poems do that. It's worth every moment of reading.
From Clarissa Draper, author of crime fiction:
Twisted Velvet Chains by Jessica Bell--a collection of various styles of poetry including haikus. And I loved them all. I literally could not put it down and read it in one sitting. However, this book is not for the faint of heart. If you looking for happy poems that make you want to skip around your backyard pond and sing naked. This book may not provide what you need. Well, the naked part maybe. The book is written in four parts and throughout I hoped the end would be the light at the end of the tunnel, the happy ending. But I was wrong. And perhaps that's why it was so powerful. The book represents life--real life. Where there aren't always happily ever afters. There's just dealing and truth and understanding and forgiveness.
From Angela Felsted, writer, musician and poet:
Reading Jessica Bell's poetry is like eating a steak dinner. It's filling and gives you something substantial to chew on.
In Twisted Velvet Chains, Jessica Bell covers all the bases. She doesn't just tell us what it's like to grow up with a bi-polar mother, she shows us by exploiting tactile details. The smell of tape, the sound of a guitar string, the stickiness of chewing gum, the "innocence" of a French kiss. A must read for anyone who loves vivid, passionate, visceral poetry.
Praise for Twisted Velvet Chains
From Jolene Perry, author of The Next Door Boys:
I sat down to read a few of the first poems in this book and couldn't put it down. Jessica Bell is an incredibly talented poet, pulling me in after only a few pages. I love how INTERESTING her use of language is and how full of emotion her poems are.
From Michelle Davidson Argyle, author of Monarch:
A rich, haunting journey into the darker side of mothers and daughters and the emotional trauma left behind from mental illness in a parent. Bell's poetry lifts the gauzy veil of imagined happiness and allows an honest look at the raw, edgy emotions surrounding the deep corners of memories some are too afraid to face. I was blown away by the layered imagery and use of music. Don't be fooled. It doesn't take a physical instrument to create chords within your heart. These poems do that. It's worth every moment of reading.
From Clarissa Draper, author of crime fiction:
Twisted Velvet Chains by Jessica Bell--a collection of various styles of poetry including haikus. And I loved them all. I literally could not put it down and read it in one sitting. However, this book is not for the faint of heart. If you looking for happy poems that make you want to skip around your backyard pond and sing naked. This book may not provide what you need. Well, the naked part maybe. The book is written in four parts and throughout I hoped the end would be the light at the end of the tunnel, the happy ending. But I was wrong. And perhaps that's why it was so powerful. The book represents life--real life. Where there aren't always happily ever afters. There's just dealing and truth and understanding and forgiveness.
From Angela Felsted, writer, musician and poet:
Reading Jessica Bell's poetry is like eating a steak dinner. It's filling and gives you something substantial to chew on.
In Twisted Velvet Chains, Jessica Bell covers all the bases. She doesn't just tell us what it's like to grow up with a bi-polar mother, she shows us by exploiting tactile details. The smell of tape, the sound of a guitar string, the stickiness of chewing gum, the "innocence" of a French kiss. A must read for anyone who loves vivid, passionate, visceral poetry.
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