Jill Ireland -- Author of "Alphabitch Soup"

Jill Ireland knows words. She grew up in a home where her parents, both of them actors, often quoted Shakespeare. They were wordsmiths, she said, and as a result, she likes words too -- all words -- using them like spices, including curse words if they express an appropriate sentiment.

“Alphabitch Soup”, the first of Ireland’s self-published romps, comes complete with a full range of dialogue from literary look-ups to punchy but fun and raunchy profanity. But be warned, because as you read this novel there will be some surprising trips along the way, including the recognition that the author must be a bit of a romp herself.

Ireland readily admits that she is much like Charlie Hutton, her central character who is transported back in time in the story to the Victorian era and that the beginning of “Alphabitch Soup” is semi autobiographical. In particular Ireland attaches her extreme high energy levels to Charlie.

“Sitting still is like death to me,” Ireland said, “and movement is happiness. I had very much the same schedule as Charlie did in the book… (As a result) I wanted a modern day woman without a constricted life to be put into a restricted, misogynistic world. That was the challenge, the adventure and the comedy. This is not even a serious book although it could be thought provoking when it comes to the attitudes between men and women from different eras. The question is, how much is intrinsic and on a deeper level and what are our genuine differences in society?”

The story raises a lot of women’s issues and Ireland, or rather Charlie, pounces on them alpha-style in both worlds when they do. The question for the reader to decide is just how Charlie’s adventures and misadventures have affected her future. And that is about as serious as this books gets.

Beverly DeLorenzo, a reader who claimed it a great escape novel commented, “I admired Charlie’s ability to embrace each situation and make the best of it.”

Ireland, too, said the book is not quite a fantasy because Charlie’s lifelike attitude reminds us that we are capable of far greater things but fear prevents us from doing it. Her character simply does not have that governor to stop her and everything stems from that fact.

The only criticism most readers have offered is that it could have been shortened without a loss of the story’s intent. “Alphabitch Soup” is truly meant to be a fun read and it achieves that level. Ireland’s characters seem real and believable, the adventures very plausible, and the possibility for a sequel…well, almost demanding.

As for DeLorenzo, she’s curious as to what will happen next because for her, part of the fun was that it felt as if Ireland was sitting right next to her telling her the story.

She explains, “Jill’s energy and passion for life was so evident in the book! My (personal) experience of her is that she is thoughtful, fun, intelligent and puts herself wholeheartedly into whatever she decides to do.”

But then so does Charlie, of whom you can expect nothing less.

*****

To find Jill Ireland’s E-book “Alphabitch Soup”, go to Amazon.com. To find out more about the author, go to her artwork web site at www.JillIrelandArt.com.