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Jessica Bell

Goodreads Author

Born

in Melbourne, Australia

Website

http://www.jessicabellauthor.com/

Twitter

MsBessieBell

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Poetry

Influences

Raymond Carver, Margaret Atwood, Marilynne Robinson, Jeanette Winterso ...more

Member Since

May 2010

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell

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If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she'd give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a 30-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, award-winning poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she's written.

Being the daughter of a semi-famous rock 'n' roll duo from Melbourne, she grew up surrounded by song. For a while it seemed logical to travel the musician's path, especially when her first band, spAnk, hit it off in the Melbourne indie music scene back in the late 90s. Although she spent her years writing and recording dozens of songs she decided she als If Jessica Bell could choose only one creative mentor, she'd give the role to Euterpe, the Greek muse of music and lyrics. This is not only because she currently resides in Athens, Greece, but because of her life as a 30-something Australian-native contemporary fiction author, award-winning poet and singer/songwriter/guitarist, whose literary inspiration often stems from songs she's written.

Being the daughter of a semi-famous rock 'n' roll duo from Melbourne, she grew up surrounded by song. For a while it seemed logical to travel the musician's path, especially when her first band, spAnk, hit it off in the Melbourne indie music scene back in the late 90s. Although she spent her years writing and recording dozens of songs she decided she also had a love for the written word, and began to pursue a career as a writer.

She started as a poet, drawing from her musical background and etching her thoughts and feelings into verse. Those stanzas soon turned into sentences and paragraphs, and eventually into published books. Her literary voice is said to overflow with "lyrical descriptions, unique metaphors, tight dialogue, and an abundance of sensory detail." She has also been told she has the ability to take a seemingly ordinary three-chord type story and turn it into a main stage event.

In addition to her novels, her poetry collections (including FABRIC, which was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards in 2012), and her pocket writing guides (WRITING IN A NUTSHELL SERIES), she has published a variety of works in online and print literary journals and anthologies, including Australia's Cordite Review, and the anthologies 100 STORIES FOR QUEENSLAND and SHADOWS AT THE STAGE DOOR, both released through Australia's, eMergent Publishing.

Additionally, she is the Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal, the Coordinator of the Writing Day Workshops which take place throughout the United States, 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. ...more

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Jessica Bell’s books

Average rating: 4.19 · 1,102 ratings · 366 reviews · 51 distinct works • Similar authors

	String Bridge 3.86 avg rating — 203 ratings — published 2011 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Book 4.28 avg rating — 76 ratings — published 2013 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Bitter Like Orange Peel 3.51 avg rating — 83 ratings — published 2013 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dear Reflection: I Never Meant to be a Rebel 4.26 avg rating — 73 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Fabric 4.43 avg rating — 49 ratings — published 2012 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	White Lady 4.13 avg rating — 55 ratings — published 2014 — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Show & Tell in a Nutshell: Demonstrated Transitions from Telling to Showing (Writing in a Nutshell Series, #1) 4.07 avg rating — 112 ratings — published 2012 — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Twisted Velvet Chains 4.63 avg rating — 38 ratings — published 2011 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The best of Vine Leaves Literary Journal 2012 by Jessica Bell (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Dawn Ius (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Adam Byatt (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.83 avg rating — 36 ratings — published 2012	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Indiestructible: Inspiring Stories from the Publishing Jungle by Jessica Bell (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Alex J. Cavanaugh (Goodreads Author) (Contributor), Anne R. Allen (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.50 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2013 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Jessica Bell's Blog

NO WHINING ALLOWED by Rick Moore

In order to explain myself and why I undertook my latest recording project, I first need to do something that will no doubt sound like whining.

I was raised in a home where I was forced to burn my Christmas presents and watch my younger siblings endure brutal beatings. Had I not ended up a ward of the state and a foster child, I may well have ended up like my half-brother, who died in prison whil Read more of this blog post »

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Published on February 21, 2018 09:23

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Series by Jessica Bell

Writing in a Nutshell (6 books)
by

Jessica Bell (Goodreads Author)

4.14 avg rating — 241 ratings

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Jessica is Currently Reading

Jessica Bell is currently reading

M Train

by Patti Smith (Goodreads Author)

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Oct 20, 2015 01:05PM

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Dear Life

by Alice Munro

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Sep 01, 2015 02:09AM

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The Poisonwood Bible

by Barbara Kingsolver

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Sep 04, 2014 11:50AM

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Jessica’s Recent Updates

Jessica Bell is now friends with Christopher Hawkins
Sep 15, 2020 10:46AM · like
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing True Colours: Drawn from life: inspiring, entertaining and moving true stories and poems by Jean Gill (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 10, 2020 10:54AM · 1 like · like
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing Winter Light by Martha Engber (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 30, 2020 10:00AM · 1 like · like
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing Without: Body, Name, Country by Meg Johnson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 29, 2020 11:55PM · 1 like · like
Jessica Bell is now following Meg Johnson Author of Inappropriate Sleepover
Apr 29, 2020 11:55PM · like
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing This is How We Leave by Joanne Nelson (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 18, 2020 01:42AM · 1 like · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of This is How We Leave by Joanne Nelson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — This is How We Leave by Joanne Nelson <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jessica Bell rated a book really liked it The Christmas Tree Wish by Karen Inglis (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
A very sweet book with a wonderful message. My son loved the illustrations. Couldn’t take his eyes off them. There is something magical about this book that I can’t put my finger on. As we reached the end I got tingles down my spine as my son stroked ...more
Apr 10, 2020 11:09PM · 1 like · like · see review
Jessica Bell rated a book really liked it Not Quite Lost: Travels Without A Sense of Direction by Roz Morris (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Great bite-sized tales that ooze with charm. A wonderful wholesome read for a Sunday in the spring air and sun. Morris has a great flair for turning the ordinary and mundane into engaging drama. Entertaining and witty. Highly recommended.
Apr 10, 2020 10:48PM · 2 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Not Quite Lost by Roz Morris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Not Quite Lost by Roz Morris <iframe id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing A Plan in Case of Morning by Phill Provance (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Apr 08, 2020 12:13AM · 1 like · like
Jessica Bell rated a book it was amazing Grace and Serenity by Annalisa Crawford (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Mar 27, 2020 02:41AM · 2 likes · like

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Quotes by Jessica Bell

“If music were wind, I would live in a hurricane.”
― Jessica Bell, String Bridge

tags: contemporary-fiction, music

14 likes

“Learn the rules, then break them intelligently.”
― Jessica Bell

11 likes

“I don’t know how to pray,
but I’ve seen them do it
on TV; kneeling by a bed
in nightgowns, hands woven
like secret friends.”
― Jessica Bell, Twisted Velvet Chains

tags: poetry

5 likes

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Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Goodreads Librari...: Please remove a book from my account	3	19	Jun 11, 2014 11:27PM
ALLi Goodreads Group: * Meet the Authors & Giveaway: Nov 15th	808	424	Nov 27, 2014 08:41AM

Jessica’s Quotes

“Poetry is eternal graffiti written in the heart of everyone.”
― Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Americus, Book I

tags: poetry

1456 likes

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.”
― George S. Patton

2768 likes

“That’s what love is like: mother of the greatest bliss and stepmother of the most tragic misery.”
― Stefanos Livos, A Life In A Moment

tags: bliss, happiness, love, misery, mother, sadness, tragic

7 likes

“Learn the rules, then break them intelligently.”
― Jessica Bell

11 likes

“Think of literary fiction as a meal with intricate scents, flavors, and textures that you can’t recognize unless you chew with your eyes closed.”
― Jessica Bell

tags: literary-fiction

3 likes

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