is an Oklahoma author of fiction and non-fiction books, rock and roll reviews and a variety of print and online essays. She was raised by feral hillbillies in the foothills of the Ozark mountains.
Now I Lay Me Down
From the author of ‘Ezekiel’s Wheels’ and ‘It’s Not That Hard To’ comes the true crime novel Now I Lay Me Down. Ten years ago, two little girls went for a walk down a dirt road and never made it back home. Their brutal murders sent a sleepy Oklahoma community into a spiral of grief and sparked the largest investigative pursuit in OSBI history. Pressure mounted when the investigative team ruled out an exhaustive list of suspects and the remains of another young woman were discovered in a smoldering fire. The untested Assistant District Attorney, not long out of law school, found herself heading up a “War Room” assembled by officials to catch the killer. This is the true life story of three murdered girls and the Oklahoma woman who pursued their killer.
Ezekiel’s Wheels
Shell Foster’s relationship with Leonard Harris began on a whim. Their liaison was a rebound after the mercurial dissolution of her first marriage. Both Shell and Len understand after three years together their union is on the brink of collapse. Shell resigns to leave quietly but Len is determined to fight.
As the tension between the two escalates, Shell prepares to make a weekend road trip to find the legendary Hornet Spooklight – a supernatural phenomenon that has haunted the Ozarks for generations. The local Cherokees are aware of the tragedy that belies the mysterious light and refuse to go anywhere near. But Shell’s infatuation with the legend draws from a spiritual inheritance she does not yet fully grasp. She is descended from the family of a young Cherokee named Rachel Reese who traveled the Trail of Tears generations before and whose fate remains entwined with the light.
A legion of bad omens on the road to the spooklight caution Shell away, yet she continues on the journey with Leonard in tow. When Shell and Leonard finally encounter the iniquitous light they find themselves hurtling toward a fiery reckoning.
It’s Not That Hard To . . .
A bona fide essay collection wherein the author bleeds brutal truth upon the page. It’s Not That Hard To chronicles one woman’s strange existence, including an unconventional childhood in rural Oklahoma, the transition from attorney to novelist, single motherhood, atomic relationship bombs and a sublime spiritual journey. Should none of these descriptors appeal to you directly, just go on and read the book if you desire to feel better about your own life.
About the Author
Raised by feral hillbillies in the Oklahoma foothills of the Ozark Mountains, F.M. Phillips self-published her first work of fiction at age eight. Since that time, her greatest passion remained the written word. Phillips worked as an attorney until she left active law practice to write the debut fiction novel, Ezekiel’s Wheels.
The peculiar story channels inspiration from the historical account of The Trail of Tears as well as from Native American legend surrounding the Hornet Spooklight. Ezekiel’s Wheels propels the reader on a spectral road trip to the haunted badlands between love and possession … and steps out for a look over the edge.
In addition to fiction, Phillips pens short stories, essays and music reviews for a variety of online and print magazines.