Writerly Wednesday ~~ Two Wonderful Women Winners

I've got two friends who are sharing their winner's story with y'all today. You all know Kim Richardson by now. Learn a bit more about her journey to publication -- a path filled with pot holes, detours and road hazards. It's a story of determination to succeed which (just like her book's plot) ultimately drives her to victory!

From a recent article about Kimmi...

"The path to publication can be a gauntlet beset with trials that test a writer's endurance. Many writers give up. Jan O'Hara, of the popular, award-winning site for writers Writer Unboxed, said:

These days, getting and staying published requires a larger skill set than understanding point of view, plot and character. Rather, most would say it requires grit, determination and tolerance for life in the public eye. When I look for models of writers who possess those traits, I think of Kim Michele Richardson, author of The Unbreakable Child. (Kim's had) one of the most arduous struggles to publication I've yet encountered.

Kim writes:  Few will know about my path to publication. By sharing my journey I hope to inspire other writers to stay the course."  
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Read the rest of Kimmi's article in the Huffington Post. It will inspire you and maybe just make you see your own journey to writing success in a different light. The prize goes to those who refuse to quit fighting. And you can quote me (and probably Kimmi) on that!

The Unbreakable Child available HERE at Amazon.

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And now, here's friend Jessica Bell with news of her literary endeavors come to fruition:

Bell grew up in Melbourne, Australia, the child of two gothic rock musicians who had successful independent careers during the '80s and early '90s. She spent much of her childhood travelling to and from Australia and Europe, experiencing two entirely different worlds, yet feeling equally at home in both environments. She currently lives in Athens, Greece and works as a freelance writer/editor for Hellenic American Union, Cengage Learning, Pearson Education, Education First and Signature Manuscripts. Jessica Bell's poetry and short stories have been published in various anthologies and literary magazines. Additionally, she has written various English textbook materials and is also a singer/songwriter/guitarist. Ms. Bell's experience as an Australian living in Greece has greatly influenced her writing.

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If you're looking for something new and different to sink your eyeballs into, check out Jessica's book, STRING BRIDGE, which launches on November 1, 2011. If that's not exciting enough, there will be a new companion website for the book...with a music-related surprise!

Some lucky readers will also win free Advance Review Copies of the book this summer just by "liking" publisher Lucky Press LLC on Facebook! (Established online and print book reviewers may request ARCs of String Bridge by contacting Lucky Press, LLC June 2011.)


STRING BRIDGE is categorized as Women's Contemporary Fiction and Literary Fiction. Here's a blurb:
Jessica says about her book (and you can find out more about her and her projects at her site HERE and at her Alliterative Allomorph): "I wrote String Bridge because I want to break into the women's fiction market and steer it away from the stereotypically glorified woman that is most commonly portrayed today. Not every women in this world lives without regret, knows exactly what she wants, and has the courage to put every essence of her being into achieving her dreams. Not every woman is inspirational to others. Not every woman can leave her comfort zone to better her future. But, so what? Does that mean a less strong-minded woman doesn't have an interesting story to tell? Definitely not." 

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, and she realizes she's been seeking fulfilment in the wrong place.

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String Bridge first page excerpt:
by Jessica Bell, copyright 2010. All rights reserved.

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See the String Bridge trailer here, and listen to the music too! Can you guess who's singing those lovely haunting lines?
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NOW, TELL ME HOW YOU ARE ONE OF THE "WINNERS" IN THE WRITING GAME TOO. (Yes, small and baby-step progress definitely counts!) :D

If music were wind, I would live in a hurricane. If it were a mother, I would sleep in her soothing womb. If I were music, I would simply be me, shrouding my existence in a monsoon. But I am not music, even though my name, Melody, suggests I could be. The closest I get to "being" music, is playing it, living it, embracing it as if it were the organ most vital to survival. I might say it was my heart. But no...I can't give it a name, because it's more like a sixth sense.

Music is the shadow of thought. A muse for grief. An unending moan. A manic pandemonium that roams through rhyme and mimics my soul through mime. It masquerades selfish woes, masks my hollow lifestyle like warm humming cellos. It's a blend of folly and secretive gen, acoustic vignettes--motionless, yet moving.

Music is not meek; it's neurotic, like me...