Books in the The Bell Collection series

A rich collection of poems that take the reader on a deep tour of the psyche. Charting and moving across politics of language, Bell explores love, pain, failure and redemption from a variety of angles. Most of the poems sit at the fragile threshold of instinct and meaning, using symbol and sensation to get to the shock of denouement. From 'Spandex' to the Greek kafeneion, there are unexpected juxtapositions and discoveries to be found in Jessica Bell's 'Fabric'. This voice is equally inspired by the quotidian, Greek jargon words, and the mythic figures of Echo and Narcissus, Aphrodite, and, of course, Euterpe, the muse of music and the lyric. The interstices of the so-called ordinary with the always larger dramas of feeling and its consequences are among the subjects this young poet explores in her vivid weave of language.

Twisted Velvet Chains is a collection of poems which follows the experiences of a young woman growing up with a bipolar, drug addicted, Gothic musician mother. Each poem represents specific moments of their life that embrace vivid rich imagery, and illustrate the turmoil of emotions both experience while together. The collection is divided into four parts that flow one into the other from childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and post-death.

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 new 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.This novel is accompanied by an all-original soundtrack, written and performed by the author, entitled, Melody Hill: On the Other Side. If you purchase this book, please send your receipt to Jessica via her website, and she'll send you the soundtrack for free.

This book is not The Book. The Book is in this book. And The Book in this book is both the goodie and the baddie.Bonnie is five. She wants to bury The Book because it is a demon that should go to hell. Penny, Bonnie's mother, does bury The Book, but every day she digs it up and writes in it. John, Bonnie's father, doesn't live with them anymore. But he still likes to write in it from time to time. Ted, Bonnie's stepfather, would like to write in The Book, but Penny won't allow it.To Bonnie, The Book is sadness. To Penny, The Book is liberation. To John, The Book is forgiveness. To Ted, The Book is envy.But The Book in this book isn't what it seems at all.If there was one thing in this world you wished you could hold in your hand, what would it be? The world bets it would be The Book.

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 clichs, 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 "e;Intravenous."e;Against all three women's wishes, Kit decides to find Roger. Enter a sister Kit never knew about. But everyone else did.

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?

Muted: It's illegal to wear clothes. In some streets, it's also illegal to sing. Concetta, a famous Italian a capella singer from before "the change," breaks these totalitarian laws. As punishment, her vocal chords are brutally slashed, and her eardrums surgically perforated. Unable to cope living a life without song, she resolves to drown herself in the river, clothed in a dress stained with performance memories. But Concetta's suicide attempt is deterred, when she is distracted by a busking harpist with gold eyes and teeth. Will he show her how to sing again, or will the LEO on the prowl for another offender to detain, arrest her before she has the chance?She: A girl's brief encounter in limbo, following a suicide attempt, after being sexually abused by a priest. God in limbo is represented by She. She has been misinformed about how faith is advocated on Earth, and sends the girl back for another chance at life, in the belief that she must repent for her sin. This story explores the notion that it is blasphemous for religion to be institutionalized, because no matter what one believes, there will always be something or someone that contaminates its worth. The only faith anyone needs can be found within one's own heart and soul. *Disclaimer: This story is not in any way a direct criticism of religion, or a representation of the author's beliefs, but simply a creative exploration of the concept.