S7-EP9: Rodney Phillips on Dissension, Conflict, and the Courage to Finish 37 Years Later

Some stories don't die. They wait. At 19 years old, Rodney Phillips began writing a novel about conflict — about how a single disagreement can fracture trust, unravel loyalty, and ignite consequences no one can control. Then life happened. Career. Coaching. Fatherhood. Leadership. And the manuscript — handwritten in notebooks and on furniture store layaway cards — sat untouched in a filing cabinet for 37 years. Until one quiet weekend in an empty nest, he opened the drawer. In this powerful episode of Spirit Talk Show: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups, Rodney shares the journey behind Dissension: A Disagreement That Leads to Discord — a gripping cartel thriller set in Miami that explores loyalty, betrayal, ambition, communication breakdown, and the fragile line between order and chaos. We explore: What 19-year-old Rodney understood about conflict How 37 years of life experience reshaped the story Writing strong female characters in male-dominated worlds Loyalty versus blind obedience — and where the line sits The psychology of disagreement and fractured trust Why unfinished dreams don't disappear — they wait Rodney reads the prologue of Dissension, and we dive into the emotional core of a story that spans decades — both on the page and in the writer's life. This episode isn't just about publishing a novel. It's about reopening a drawer. It's about finishing what you started. It's about proving it's never too late to return to the dream that once defined you. Dissension is currently ranked #9 on Goodreads under Spy Thriller. Learn more about Rodney Phillips and his work at: https://RodneyPhillipsAuthor.com Because sometimes the storm you wrote at 19… is the one you're finally strong enough to finish at 56. Spirit Talk Show – Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups Hosted by Doyle Follow Spirit Talk Show on social media: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spirittalkshow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doylespirittalkshow/ X: https://x.com/doylespirittalk  Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/spirittalkshow  www.spirittalkshow.info  If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and share it with someone who might need it. Sponsored by Incogni — they remove your personal data from broker sites automatically so strangers cannot buy your information. Get protected: https://deal.incogni.io/spirittalkshow