Following on from Leaving Cairo’s theme of interviewing
authors who have published both fiction and non-fiction about Greece , today Bex interviews Jessica Bell, Author of “String Bridge
Here is Amazon's
description of “String
Bridge
Rewind.
Melody loves to play guitar. She almost becomes a rock star. But then she falls in love with Alex and gives birth to her daughter, Tessa.
Fast forward.
Melody loves her daughter and her husband, the music promoter. Her guitar sits dusty in the corner of her bedroom.
Skip.
Melody can't bear it any longer and plots a return to the stage, and the person she used to be. But the obstacles she faces along the way--are nothing--compared to the tragedy that awaits.
Pause.
Her desire to have an affair? Well, Button Boy is quite charming ...
Melody loves to play guitar. She almost becomes a rock star. But then she falls in love with Alex and gives birth to her daughter, Tessa.
Fast forward.
Melody loves her daughter and her husband, the music promoter. Her guitar sits dusty in the corner of her bedroom.
Skip.
Melody can't bear it any longer and plots a return to the stage, and the person she used to be. But the obstacles she faces along the way--are nothing--compared to the tragedy that awaits.
Pause.
Her desire to have an affair? Well, Button Boy is quite charming ...
*
 |
| The lovely Jessica Bell |
Q: Are any of Melody’s characteristics similar to your own?
All of the music references and
stage fright is drawn heavily from personal experience. I quit playing live
gigs because of it. To be honest, I hate it. I’m happy to be sitting alone, in
silence, in my office, tapping away at my keyboard. Although I’m still as
passionate about music as Melody is, and love to record it, to produce
something worth playing at full volume in one’s lounge room, that’s the extent
of it. I’m not at all inclined to make something of myself as a musician. All
of the references to life in Athens
Jessica successfully weaves in personal details about Melody’s family
history, making the reader empathise and understand Melody’s predicaments and
emotions.
Q: And Melody’s background – any similarities to your own that you’d
care to share?
Haha. Pretty much everything.
But only on the surface, for example, where she grew up, having musicians for
parents, being a musician, working in ELT, spending some of her childhood in
Greece, are all things I know about first hand. But I gave Melody different
experiences within a world I was familiar with.
Readers of the book will gain a good insight into the Greek psyche,
especially the male ego. It is
accurately portrayed in rapid page turning style, along with the complexities
of in-law relationships.
Q: As a ‘semi’ Greek, (Jessica is actually Australian)…do you share
any of Melody’s difficulties in your dealings with Greek men, and potential
extended family?
Not at all. My partner is a gem
and a sweetheart. But I certainly have witnessed this egocentric behaviour as
an outsider looking in.
“String Bridge Greece
Q: Do you think the Greek people view those who are not so ‘child
centric’ as wrong? Do you think it is an
anomaly in Greek culture to find people who are not so willing to sacrifice
their own life by having a child?
Maybe they used to, but I don't
think so anymore. Their eyes are opening up a bit more in this day and age,
especially in the big cities. Greeks are very family-oriented. And if you're
used to this, it's not necessarily a bad thing. And some women WANT to give up
their lives for their children. If you want that, there's nothing wrong with
that at all. There a pros and cons to every situation. But I was brought up in
a family which lived by "if I'm happy, then everyone around me will be
happy". And to me, being a mother ONLY, wouldn't make me happy. I need
things for myself too. And if that is going to make me a happy person, that
positivity is only going to reflect on my kids. My point? There are no rules to
the way in which one should bring up their kids. You need to figure out how it
works well for you. Though my way of thinking may not be an anomaly here anymore,
I do still think there are a lot of people in this country that believe it's better
to give up one's life for their kids. But as I said, if it makes them happy
that way, then so be it.
The piece de resistance for me with “String Bridge
Q: What made you decide to create a soundtrack to the book?
I wanted to do something unique,
to garner more interest in the book. So I figured I'd take advantage of my
other abilities. And I'm very happy with the way it turned out!
It’s no exaggeration to say “String
Bridge
It’s no exaggeration to say “
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions Jessica, and for
giving us an insight into what motivated you to write Melody’s story.
It can be purchased on Amazon. *****And to celebrate the fact "String Bridge" has had a makeover with a new cover design, Jessica is giving away a free soundtrack with every purchase of "String Bridge." Check out her site for more info.*******
Bio:
Additionally, she is the Co-Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, and makes a living as an editor/writer for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide, such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins, Macmillan Education, Education First and Cengage Learning.
You might like to check out the Homeric Writers' Retreat & Workshop she annually runs in the Greek
