Jessica from Kevin V. Symmons 'Solo'

We’re thrilled to be talking to Jessica (aka Jesse) Long from Kevin V. Symmons, latest novel Solo.  It is a pleasure to have her with us today at Pimp That Character!

Thank you for your interview, Jesse.  Can you tell us your story? 

Why yes. I was raised in Portland, Maine. My dad died when I was four. My mother found a man she thought was kind but turned out to be anything but. He and my older brother, Ryan, had a confrontation and they fell down a staircase and both died as a result. The one legacy my real father left me was my love for serious music. When I was 10 a kind and talented woman named Pauline Richards heard me sing and become my mentor and vocal coach. Her tutelage and sponsorship helped me gain acceptance at Boston’s New England

Conservatory.

Can you tell us about one of your most distinguishable features? 

My voice… may coach and teachers think that one day I could achieve greatness as a lyric soprano… Oh. I’m sorry! I know that sounded really conceited but… well I just hope they’re right!

What would I love the most about you? 

Listening to me sing 8 bars of any piece of music!

What would I hate the most about you? 

My drive! My desire to be the best! Some people call me arrogant but I call it self-assurance. I’ve found that to succeed that you can take no prisoners.

What makes you laugh out loud? 

My four-year-old daughter Ali. When I’m bummed or down she never fails to bring me back.

What is in your refrigerator right now? 

Cold spaghetti and half a quart of chocolate chip ice cream.

What is your most treasured possession? 

The 8-track tape player and collection of Verdi, Puccini and Wagner my dad left me when he died. I’d listen to it endlessly and picture his face when he smiled.

What is your greatest fear? 

Failure. If I don’t succeed as a vocal performance major at NEC my future will be bleak. I’ll spend my life as a short order cook and waitress.

Do you think the author portrayed you accurately? 

Yes… damn him. It was like that damn guy Symmons could read my mind… get inside my friggin’ head. It drives me crazy!

Who is your best friend? 

My mother Alice. I’ve never made many friends my own age. Never had the time or the interest. Second place… Pauline, my teacher and vocal mentor.

About the Author:

Kevin Symmons has a BS and an MBA. He has attended the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music and studied in France. After a successful career in business management and consulting, he returned to his first love: writing. His first novel, a spell-binding paranormal romance titled "Rite of Passage" is set in the chaotic period after World War II. It's received dozens of great reviews and was a RomCon Reader's Crown Finalist for 2013. His second effort is a contemporary romantic thriller set near his Cape Cod home, titled "Out of the Storm." Like his first novel, it is an Amazon Best-Seller and received many 5-star reviews. "Solo", an intense and ambitious women's fiction work, has been released from The Wild Rose Press, his award-winning publisher. It explores the devastating effects of privation and domestic violence on the beautiful and extraordinarily talented young heroine.

For More Information

• Visit Kevin Symmons’ website.
• Connect with Kevin on Facebook and Twitter.
• Find out more about Kevin at Goodreads.
• Visit Kevin’s blog.
• More books by Kevin Symmons.
• Contact Kevin.

About the Book:

Jessica Long has the voice of an angel. But Jesse's cold beauty masks a brutal past filled with privation and cruelty. As the talented soprano approaches her final year at New England Conservatory, she is faced with a choice: stay with her striking young lover or accept the offer of a successful Broadway producer. She chooses the latter only to discover that fame can exact a cruel price. After years of yearning, the lovers meet again - at Jesse's ragged homestead on the Maine Coast.

Matt will reveal the benefactor who's followed and protected Jesse as the lovers face a confrontation with the jealous pursuer who's tried to destroy her. One final choice awaits that may cost Jesse both Matt and her life. The Broadway impresario, a mysterious crime lord, and Matt's stunning literary agent head a cast of absorbing secondary characters. Filled with unexpected plot twists, Solo is a classic, leading the reader over a bittersweet tapestry spanning fifteen years.

For More Information

• Solo is available at Amazon.
• Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
• Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.