Storytelling with Purpose

In every era, writers emerge who dedicate their craft to more than storytelling. They create work that amplifies hidden truths, elevates unheard voices, and reminds communities of their strength in times of hardship. Rebecca Wells Phillips is one such writer.

With a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism and English from Carson-Newman University, Rebecca combines her journalistic eye for detail with the compassion of a storyteller who writes to make a difference. Her writing spans nonfiction, memoir, and fiction, but at the heart of it all is one central mission: to spark awareness, empathy, and change.

Rebecca’s books and stories invite readers to sit with difficult truths while discovering hope, resilience, and the courage to imagine a more equitable future.

A Defining Work: Hurricane Helene – Resiliency After the Storm, Part One

Rebecca’s most recent project, Hurricane Helene: Resiliency After the Storm, Part One, is more than just a historical account—it is a living document of pain, recovery, and community resilience.

Written over eight months of intense research, interviews, and reflection, the book chronicles the devastation unleashed on September 27, 2024, when Hurricane Helene made landfall in Western North Carolina. The storm destroyed homes, claimed lives, and left thousands displaced. Yet, in its wake, everyday people stepped up to protect their neighbors, rebuild communities, and navigate the long road toward recovery.

The chapters, including An Ocean in the Mountains, Local Heroes, and One Disaster from Homelessness, are as much a tribute to human endurance as they are a call to action. Rebecca honors the victims, highlights unsung local heroes, and raises urgent awareness of America’s housing crisis—an issue that storms like Helene only magnify.

This book does more than document tragedy. It reminds readers that storms—literal and figurative—are coming, and resiliency must be part of how we prepare, respond, and recover.

Where Readers Can Find the Book

Rebecca ensures her work is widely accessible to both local and global audiences:

• Online Retailers: Available at RebeccaWellsPhillips.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

• Local Businesses: Stocked at trusted shops and community favorites including Carolina Mountain Pharmacy, Maggie Valley Biker Wear, Champion Eye Center, Country Casuals, The Moose Café, Firestorm Books, Noir Collective, and Gardens Tattoo Studio.

A portion of book proceeds is donated to storm survivors and Beloved Asheville, a grassroots nonprofit that uplifts marginalized communities. With every purchase, readers contribute directly to both storytelling and community rebuilding.

Beyond Helene: A Diverse Writing Portfolio

Rebecca’s writing life is multi-faceted, with each project speaking to different aspects of the human experience.

• Memoir: In Hating Self and Loving Self, written as Boo Black and released in November 2023, Rebecca explores personal identity, growth, and the lifelong struggle between self-doubt and self-acceptance.

• Fiction: Under the pen name Rachel Bleu, she authored Butterfly Blossoms, a bold adult LGBTQ novel that amplifies underrepresented voices with honesty, creativity, and heart.

• Short Stories: Rebecca’s pieces “Homeless Again” and “It’s Only a Dream” are published on Reedsy.com, where they have reached global audiences. These stories highlight themes of displacement, fragility, and survival—echoing her ongoing focus on resilience.

Whether she’s writing historical nonfiction, memoir, or fiction, Rebecca threads her works together with the same vision: stories can transform how we see ourselves, each other, and our world.

Writing for Social Change

Rebecca is more than an author—she is an advocate who uses her platform to shed light on systemic issues that affect communities nationwide. Hurricane Helene tackles the immediate devastation of a natural disaster, but it also speaks to the larger housing crisis, climate change, and the vulnerability of populations already living close to the edge.

Her work insists that readers not only empathize but also act. By choosing her books, audiences are participating in a larger conversation about climate resiliency, affordable housing, and equity in recovery efforts.

This focus on change echoes through all her works, from memoirs that confront inner conflict to fiction that amplifies LGBTQ voices. Each project challenges readers to see the world differently and take steps toward compassion and justice.

Educational and Professional Foundation

Rebecca’s background in Broadcast Journalism and English from Carson-Newman University sharpened both her research skills and her ability to write with clarity, impact, and nuance. Journalism taught her the discipline of accuracy and objectivity, while English provided the foundation for creative expression.

This blend allows her to write nonfiction with both factual credibility and emotional resonance, ensuring that her books are not only informative but deeply human.

Community Connection and Local Support

One of the most striking aspects of Rebecca’s work is how deeply embedded it is in her community. By partnering with small businesses and independent retailers across Western North Carolina, she ensures her books are rooted in local culture while still reaching global audiences online.

Shops such as Firestorm Books, Noir Collective, and Maggie Valley Biker Wear aren’t just retail outlets—they are community hubs. By choosing to place her work in these spaces, Rebecca emphasizes accessibility and community support, ensuring that her words circulate within the very places she writes about.

Partnerships and Proceeds: Giving Back

Rebecca understands that storytelling and tangible action must go hand-in-hand. That’s why a portion of her book sales supports Beloved Asheville and storm victims directly. Beloved Asheville works to lift marginalized communities through creative grassroots efforts, providing food, shelter, and advocacy to those in need.

By purchasing Rebecca’s book, readers are not just consuming a story—they are actively participating in healing and resiliency efforts for real people impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Why Rebecca’s Work Matters Today

We live in an era defined by uncertainty—climate instability, housing crises, and social inequities affect communities across the globe. Writers like Rebecca Wells Phillips are essential because they remind us that behind statistics are real people: neighbors, families, and communities.

Her ability to connect the local with the national, the personal with the systemic, makes her work both intimate and universal. Through her storytelling, Rebecca turns disaster into dialogue, and dialogue into a call to action.

An Invitation to Read and Reflect

Rebecca Wells Phillips is not just an author; she is a chronicler of resilience, a voice for the vulnerable, and a catalyst for awareness and change. Her book, Hurricane Helene: Resiliency After the Storm, Part One, invites readers into the raw realities of disaster while leaving them with hope for recovery. Her memoirs and fiction remind us that identity, love, and healing are equally worthy of exploration.

Her works can be discovered online or in local shops, ensuring accessibility for everyone. Each purchase supports not only Rebecca’s mission but also the broader community, turning literature into lifeline.

Explore her catalog, find upcoming events, and connect with her latest projects at RebeccaWellsPhillips.com.

For those seeking stories that matter—stories that inspire, challenge, and create change—Rebecca Wells Phillips is a writer whose voice will resonate long after the final page.