When children can’t avoid taking on the role of adult in the family, everybody pays. Jessica Bell never meant to be a rebel. But growing up with two gothic rockers as parents seemed to make it inevitable.
In 1980s Australia, Erika Bach and Demetri Vlass founded two of Melbourne’s iconic indie bands, Ape the Cry and Hard Candy. With unreserved love, they encouraged their daughter Jessica to pick up the guitar and write her own songs. But Erika’s back problem became a nightmare of pill popping, alcohol abuse, and anxiety attacks. Demetri retreated into silence for fear of triggering Erika’s drug-induced psychosis. And Jessica turned inwards, to her own reflection.
But her mirror self was a fiend, not a friend. All it took was one secret drink at fifteen, and Jessica dove headlong into depression and self-destruction to escape the madness at home. Bisexuality, bullying, risky sex, rape: Jessica had one answer to it all, and that was alcohol.
Until one day alcohol nearly drove Jessica off a cliff.
Jessica had to look at herself honestly and frankly. Why did she keep running from reality, and more importantly, herself? Dear Reflection is a creative memoir from a gifted poet, author and musician. The narrative flows like a novel, with letters to Jessica’s “Reflection” interspersed throughout. Short monologues communicate the author’s current state of mind and/or thoughts about the events portrayed in the narrative.
Jessica Bell is an award-winning author, writing and publishing coach, and graphic designer. In addition to her novels and poetry collections, and her bestselling Writing in a Nutshell series, she has published a variety of works online and in literary journals, including Writer’s Digest.
In addition to the above, she is the Publisher of Vine Leaves Press, a voice-over actor, and a freelance editor and writer for English Language Teaching publishers worldwide such as MacMillan Education and Education First. She is also the coordinator of the Writing Day Workshops which take place throughout the United States on a regular basis.
In October 2016, she became the new lead singer of the well-known dream-pop group, Keep Shelly In Athens.
For more information on Jessica Bell and her remarkable memoir, please visit the website: www.jessicabellauthor.com.
Dear Reflection: I Never Meant to be a Rebel
Vine Leaves Press
Release date: June 6, 2017
Now available for preorder: http://bit.ly/DearReflection
ISBN: 978-1-925417-55-5
Kindle release date: May 1, 2017
ASIN: B06W2KPV6S
