Meet Rebecca Phelps | Novelist & Mom

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rebecca Phelps and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rebecca, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
Oh boy, there have been so many times in my career that I’ve been tempted to throw in the towel. Every setback can feel like a freefall. I started in LA as an actress, then transitioned to screenwriting, and finally to novel writing. And while there were several successes along the way, it never really felt like…enough. You know what I mean? But through it all, I just knew that I had a story to tell, and that story was worth telling. Every time I said, “Forget it, this is too hard,” I’d be back at the computer the next day working on the next project–the next pilot, the next novel pages. When I finished my first novel, Down World, I really didn’t know if it would be published, but I knew it was worth being published. And so I sent my baby out into the world and hoped it would be well received. Did it happen right away? Of course not. But sometimes success takes time. Thankfully, my publishers at Wattpad Books discovered it and believed in it. And now Down World is in bookstores, soon to be followed by the rest of the trilogy, Yesterworld and Everworld. It’s been a crazy ride!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The Down World books are young-adult stories with a sci-fi twist. With the help of her crush, a teen girl discovers portals to the multiverse beneath her high school…and realizes her “dead” brother is actually alive and trapped inside them. What sets them apart is the balance they strike between being coming-of-age stories that are really grounded in character arcs, relationships, first loves and heartbreaks, family drama…and, well, portals to other dimensions. It’s rare in young-adult literature for books that are marketed as “sci-fi” to also be so approachable for people who don’t normally read sci-fi. Did this make the marketing a little more challenging? Yeah, I think so. One of the most common comments I get on Down World is, “I don’t usually read sci-fi, but I actually liked this.” Which makes me chuckle.

But I knew this was the story I wanted to tell–one that is inspired by my own relationship with my brother (although admittedly without the portals). While it wasn’t the easiest road to take–trying to pave a new path in a well-known genre–I’m really proud to be able to say that my books stand out from the pack. You have to take risks to make an impression.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LOL, I’m a mom. “The best time ever” for me includes lots of 31 Flavors and possibly a hot-dog stand. That said, when people visit, the one thing I love doing is showing them my “secret” hike. Okay, fine, I’ll tell you. It’s Fryman Canyon, but we enter from the back and wind our way up this tiny path to the main trail, just off Laurel Canyon, then head towards Coldwater. I’m a transplant from Chicago, but I’ve lived here longer than I lived there at this point. And yet I am still awed every time I see that view of the valley from the path in front of Tree People. It just doesn’t get any prettier.

After that, the beach, of course. Bring lots of sand toys, the extra big towel, the sunscreen. And don’t forget to grab an Ahi Tuna burger at Malibu Seafood before you head back up the 405.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely owe so much of my success to my husband and kids. That phrase “work/life balance”– you know the one that can feel like a total oxymoron? Yeah, I’m still not sure how that one is supposed to work. It seems more like a relay race where you hand the baton to your partner when you just can’t do anymore. And especially when it comes to writing novels, you’re playing the long game. It takes years to write a novel, rewrite it, try to get it “perfect,” try to get it published, and even then it’s years before you can actually walk into a Barnes & Noble and visit your book. All of this takes time and patience, and, yes, understanding from those around you. I wrote Down World in 40-minute chunks first thing in the morning while my husband got up with our first baby and took care of her. By the time I was writing the sequels, there were two kids who needed to be watched, driven to ballet class or Taekwondo, given lunch or dinner. I couldn’t have finished it all without some help.

Website: https://linktr.ee/DownWorldNovel

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccaphelpswriter/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DownWorldNovel

Other: TikTok: @rebeccaphelpsauthor