You’ve loved reading and writing since high school—was there a defining moment when you realized storytelling would be central to your life?
I wish I could say there was a spectacular light that came on, but no, I never expected to do anything with my writing because I never realized that I was a good storyteller. I wrote Hating Self by Boo Black to share my childhood with my family, but I kept it hidden for 10 years because my parents still lived in the town that had caused me so much pain.
You’ve worked on both autobiographies and adult LGBTQ fiction. What draws you to such emotionally honest and diverse narratives?
I know this sounds crazy, but my writing topics come from my dreams. Through vivid dreams, I see and hear what needs to be told. All of my books contain pieces of my life, so I figure the subjects are a reflection of my own pain and trauma.
Hating Self and Loving Self explores deeply personal themes. How do you approach telling someone else’s vulnerable life story with authenticity and care?
Hating Self and Loving Self were easy because they were about my life. However, Hurricane Helene Resiliency After the Storm was a completely different animal. Hurricane Helene destroyed so much in Western North Carolina, but people were able to come together and survive. Through my own experience, I knew how to approach potential interviewees because of what we had all shared. But it's a simple solution; treat others as you wish to be treated, and I approach all of my stories with this in mind.
Butterfly Blossoms falls within adult LGBTQ fiction. What importance do you see in amplifying LGBTQ voices through literature today?
People are scared of what they don't understand. You can see the anger that people exhibit when they see men in drag, reading books to children. Literature is something that we all hold dear and we all can understand. I believe that writing about difficult topics can soften the hardest of hearts, and open the eyes of the uneducated.
How has living in Asheville, North Carolina, influenced your creativity or writing process?
Most of my life has been spent in fear because of the color of my skin. When I moved to Asheville, I saw people of different races, genders, nationalities, sexual orientation, etc. I finally felt like I fit in because people weren't staring at me because I was black; something I dealt with daily while growing up in Tennessee. It's difficult to explain, but I finally felt normal, which led me to focus on activities that made me happy. Growing up in a predominantly white town in Tennessee had taught me all the wrong things: the "N" word and that black people were not as smart, not as pretty, not as valued, and not as loved. Asheville showed me that I am smart, I am pretty, I am valued, and I am loved.
Your degrees in Broadcast Journalism and English Literature make for a unique combination. How do these disciplines shape your storytelling style?
Carson Newman University taught me the value in the words we use. In Journalism, I learned to KEEP IT SIMPLE and always include the five W's: who, what, where, when, and why. In Literature, I learned how to tell a story concisely and thoroughly. But, my parents were always great storytellers and made people laugh.
As a journalist by training, how do you balance factual precision with emotional storytelling when writing books?
As mentioned earlier, my dreams guide me in where my focus begins. When I decided to write about Hurricane Helene, I only wanted to focus on the facts and nothing else. However, through my dreams, I discovered my book would be souless without the words of the survivors. I had almost finished with the book when I decided to interview people.
What challenges did you face early in your career, and how did you overcome self-doubt as an emerging author?
Until Hurricane Helene Resiliency After the Storm, I had been focusing on just writing without any clear direction or real commitment. But after the hurricane, I felt responsible for capturing everything that was happening around me. I knew that the book would serve as a historical reference for the worst storm in Western North Carolina. I spent around $20k of my own money to make Hurricane Helene a reality, but I've not even sold a thousand copies. Additionally, I am financially strapped and I'd almost decided to stop writing. Self-publishing is definitely not for the weak at heart.
You’ve published under different author names. How does your role change when you’re writing versus collaborating or publishing for others?
Boo Black is my pen name for my memoirs, whereas Rachel Bleu is my pen name for my LGBTQ fiction novel. I chose my legal name (Rebecca Wells Phillips) for Hurricane Helene Resiliency After the Storm because of the seriousness of creating a historical nonfiction work. Additionally, I collaborated with fellow author, Carrie Jordan Myers, with my piece called "Appointment with the Grim Reaper" for her book, The Other Side of Fear. My writing is the same in every scenario because I remain authentic in anything I do, and I do my best to write well no matter who receives the royalties.
What themes seem to surface repeatedly in your work, even when you don’t intend them to?
Authenticity, depression, suicidal ideation, abuse, racism, discrimination, destruction, and loss appear in each of my works. Although these topics are deep and disturbing, I write to uplift and to turn a bad situation into a positive outcome. In Hating Self by Boo Black, I tell my truths about being black in an all-white town, but the chapters are written as lessons learned through my experiences. I didn't write to blame, but to help others overcome their own demons.
How do you hope readers feel after finishing one of your books?
Inspired and hopeful.
Can you walk us through your creative process—from initial idea to finished manuscript?
I am naturally a planner, and I've planned everything in my life, EXCEPT writing. I dream and then I write. Half the time, I don't even realize what I've written until I read it back to myself or my girlfriend. She claims that "I'm not here" when I'm writing. However, with Hurricane Helene, I decided that I needed to create a Marketing Plan, so I googled how to do one, and followed it to the best of my ability. As far as an actual creative process, I do not have one.
What authors or books have most influenced your voice as a writer?
Michelle Obama's Becoming encouraged me and made me feel like my life was just as important and just as interesting as hers, so I published Hating Self. Iris Johansen's Eve Duncan series taught me that I can write about a horrific event and still offer hope and inspiration.
Looking ahead, what stories are you most excited to tell next, and what can readers expect from you in the future?
Everyone wants a release date for Hurricane Helene Part Two, but I'm focused on publishing Dragonfly Passion by Rachel Bleu (March 2026) and Lift Our Voice: Abuse Survivors Speak Their Truth (November 2026). Dragonfly Passion is the follow-up to Butterfly Blossoms, and Lift Our Voice arose from the current news of Jeffrey Epstein's victims.
What has your AllAuthor experience been like so far? What are some highlights?
I've been impressed with the quality of the 24 Book Mockup Banners provided every week. Many authors don't even realize that AllAuthor offers such things. I've also entered the New Cover of the Month contests, which is always exciting. However, the periodic customized tweets from AllAuthor increases my readership and helps me stand out from the pack.
