91传媒

Baseballer to bestseller

Paul Phillips, 鈥�82, didn鈥檛 plan to go to college. Nobody else in his family had done it, but a clandestine visit to campus led him to baseball coach Howard Fetz鈥檚 office and the rest was history.

He joined the Mountaineer baseball team as an outfielder in 1979 and never looked back.

Phillips鈥� time at 91传媒 led him to a career as an Army officer and a job in the Pentagon, as well as master鈥檚 and law degrees. More than that, though, he learned to dream big.

鈥�91传媒 gave me a good start,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t gave me the foundation to go forward and do some things. Life would have turned out quite differently if I hadn鈥檛 stumbled into the opportunity to attend Eastern, and I鈥檓 so very pleased that I did.鈥�

His writing skills grew as a public relations officer for the Secretary of Defense and through a master鈥檚 in journalism, but the inspiration for his most successful endeavors came from the courtroom. He鈥檚 been a judge in Wyoming since 2017.

Phillips authors a series of legal drama novels that currently rank in the . His first, published in November 2020, is titled 鈥淢isjudged鈥� and ranked No. 8 of all books on Kindle, and No.1 among legal thrillers and mystery series. It鈥檚 the No. 1 legal thriller and No. 1 political thriller in print, as well.

Before it became a hit, though, Phillips鈥� manuscript got more than 100 rejections from publishers. When it was accepted by Seven River Publishing, they required that he write three more to make a four-part series.

鈥淎 year and a half later here we are,鈥� he said.

Like his time at 91传媒, Phillips stayed the course even when it got rocky.

鈥淚 would not have stayed in school if I hadn鈥檛 been on the baseball team,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 was floundering on the education side, and frankly on the baseball field too, but there was a group of guys I enjoyed being part of, and that kept me there while I began to figure out what I wanted to do.鈥�

A few English classes and one key conversation with a professor planted the seeds of Phillips鈥� law career and entrance into writing. Finishing his undergraduate degree allowed him to progress as a military officer. With a gift to the 91传媒 Foundation, he hopes to nurture the next generation of students and student-athletes.

鈥淲hatever I am, it wouldn鈥檛 be the same without the experience I had at 91传媒,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he hope is that with a little donation of thanks, there鈥檚 another guy or gal out there who doesn鈥檛 really know what the future holds, but if you can provide something鈥攆acilities, activities, an environment they can learn in鈥攖hey enjoy some success and failure that will prepare them for what鈥檚 ahead.鈥�

Phillips met his wife on campus, too. Ann (ne鈥檈 Simmons) Phillips earned her associate degree in 1983. Their daughters enjoy advantages that Phillips never had as a first-generation college student.

鈥淚 got a letter after my first year of law school saying most people with my grades don鈥檛 finish or pass the bar, but I was working full-time, going to my daughters鈥� soccer games and dance recitals,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 do well in college, but I had no idea what to expect there. People who don鈥檛 come from an education-oriented family don鈥檛 have an advantage, but if you can get through it and get into life, if you鈥檝e been paying attention, and if you work hard and listen, you鈥檒l find that you can be a success.鈥�

These days, he spends evenings and weekends writing on legal pads or adding thoughts to a Notes app on his phone鈥攑rogress toward the next installment of his book series.

鈥淚鈥檓 writing all the time,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 always making notes about something.鈥�

Rather than writing a mystery from start to finish, Phillips said he skips around, writing a courtroom scene or a more reflective section depending on how he鈥檚 feeling. He outlines the plot first, and then creates a draft.

鈥淭he hardest part is coming up with an idea,鈥� he said. 鈥淐oming up with plots that are realistic and courtroom-centric is the hardest part.鈥�

After he has a draft, he adds twists and revises the storyline. He said he almost always changes the ending. The surprise twist in his second book, 鈥淥ne and Done,鈥� wasn鈥檛 part of Phillips鈥� original outline, but the added drama caught readers鈥� and reviewers鈥� attention.

He pointed out that although he draws inspiration from his day job, the comparisons aren鈥檛 exact.

I didn’t go into this thinking I’d have three books selling in the top 100 on Amazon, but it happened. Dream Big.

-Paul Phillips, ’82

鈥淚 certainly know my way around a courthouse and try to make the books as realistic as possible, but I don鈥檛 use any local events or characters,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not Sam, Gillette is not Custer, but we are sort of the whole of our experiences. I see stuff everyday that could be fodder for books.鈥�

And he plans to continue gathering story ideas for the foreseeable future.

鈥淚 enjoy being a judge and serving the people of northeast Wyoming,鈥� Phillips said. 鈥淲riting is still a hobby, so I plan to continue doing both. If I gave up the day job, writing would turn into a job and I鈥檓 not sure I would enjoy it as much.鈥�

Phillips calls himself an 鈥渁ccidental author,鈥� and he鈥檚 also an accidental Mountie. He wasn鈥檛 recruited to play baseball. He was visiting campus with a friend, and walked into Howard Fetz鈥檚 office. Coach Fetz told him to enroll in classes that fall.

鈥淚 showed up in September and spent four years trying to convince him to put me in. If I hadn鈥檛 taken that left into his office鈥� Hopefully there are people on campus this year who will encounter those moments that make a big difference in their lives,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 go into this thinking I鈥檇 have three books selling in the top 100 on Amazon, but it happened. Dream big.鈥�