Friday, November 11, 2011

String Bridge Chart Rush and My 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 Sidewritten and performed by the author herself, for free! And please read my review of String Bridge at the end of this post. Also, my interview with Jessica will be here on Monday.



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:

To purchase the eBook:

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.




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

Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!

 
From the back cover:
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 own 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, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfillment in the wrong place.


My review:
String Bridge explodes with emotional conflicts to the very end. Melody’s story is an exercise in decision making, guilt, and in yearning.
Melody’s bipolar mother and her own self worth all threaten to send Melody off the deep, deep end. She believes that she is living a socially acceptable existence. But the strong desire to play her guitar is overwhelming at times. From panic attacks to believing there is a family curse, Melody must come to terms with what she really wants out of life and with her insecurity. Her husband Alex agrees that she should start playing her music again. This makes their marriage stronger until, you guessed it; Jessica throws a hammer into Melody’s happiness.
I loved Jessica's descriptions; they made me feel as if I was standing inside the book covers walking through it with all of the characters. Her voice is amazing. I found myself wishing and hoping that I could develop my voice as well as she has. The characters are flawed, but isn’t that what we want when we read a novel? They are real people with real problems, not some perfect smerfect types.
I do have to mention that this is a book for adults. It does contain swear words which I had to skip over. But her story, her music, her poetic voice are exceptional. The original metaphors made me want to start adding them to my own WIP.
Jessica is a powerful writer who intends on keeping her readers glued to their seats or bathtubs or wherever they do their reading.
On Monday please come back and enjoy an interview that I did with Jessica. You’ll be glad you did.






13 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for this lovely review! :o) I'm so glad you liked it, Robyn! :o)

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  2. Great review! I appreciate your insight into Jessica's book. Wishing Jessica all the best.
    Hugs to you, amigo!
    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Karen

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  3. Hi Robyn and Jessica. String Bridge book sounds like an emotionally charged book. Good luck, Jessica.

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  4. I think this is an excellent review! You gave me just enough to wet my appetite and make me want to read more even though this would definitely be outside of my normal reading parameters.

    Missing you, my friend!

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  5. I purchased my copy and my review of her CD goes up next week!

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  6. Great review, Robyn! (I skipped over the swear words too. )

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  7. This was a terrific review Robyn! I'm intrigued :)

    Hope you are doing well my friend. How are the kids? It's been crazy here these past few weeks. I'm looking forward to getting back on track here with the blog.

    Sending hugs always, Kel

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  8. It sounds like a powerful book with the emotions and voice. I look forward to reading it.

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