Phoenix Child

About the Book

SHEILA GREYSON finds herself once again recounting the night of the tragic fire that took place in her New York City apartment building a little over a year ago. The fire made front-page news and the article, along with her photograph, included words like suspect, arson and murder. There was also a picture of the overzealous detective in charge of the case and the caption, “Authorities vow to bring those responsible to justice”.  The article was a huge contrast to the one printed only a month prior that praised Sheila for winning the Silas Award for Excellence in Publishing.

ANDREA SUMMERS, Sheila’s therapist and friend, listens intently. She is looking for any gaps in the story that might give her an indication of Sheila´s true state of mind. Can Sheila distinguish fact from fiction, fantasy from reality? After all, for the past year she has consistently maintained that the fire, which killed over forty people that night, came from her mouth. Sheila insists that the flames literally sprang from her lips, like gushing water from a hot spring. The question is should Andrea believe it? Could she believe it?

The bizarre events surrounding the fire are not the first that Sheila has experienced. As a child she had dreams of swimming across lakes of fire, of a beautiful woman with her hair ablaze, and of children, blackened and charred, who reached out to her in agony. Sheila would awaken from these dreams only to find her bed linen on fire or scorch marks in the ceiling and on the floor. There were instances when she would wake up and find firemen gathered around her bed, and her social worker on the phone calling another foster family and begging them to consider taking in a problem child; one with a talent for starting fires. In addition to the dreams there were other occurrences so intense that Sheila often finds herself questioning her sanity. She recalls her encounter with two strange beings engaged in battle. A winged creature with the body of a lion and the head of a bird literally snatched the life force out of the body of his opponent, a gray, sleek creature with a human body, but no face. Was Birdman a dream? Is she insane? Sheila is uncertain.

The only other person besides Andrea that Sheila trusts enough to share these experiences with is GRYPHON JAMES. A handsome and cultured man of great wealth and means, but shrouded in mystery, Gryphon has been a staunch supporter of Sheila’s as well as a dear friend for many years. Sheila could do no wrong in his eyes and she thought this was because he was a kind and caring man that was just, hopefully, a little bit in love with her. Later she would discover otherwise. Gryphon is a collector of fine art and an authority on the cultures and religions of Ancient civilizations, but that is all anyone really knows about him. Where did he come from? How did he attain his wealth? What does he do everyday at his downtown office and why is he so protective of Sheila? These are the questions that Andrea is particularly interested in especially after witnessing Gryphon’s reaction to information she receives from an anonymous source concerning Sheila.

The information includes some photographs and newspaper clippings of a woman being sought after by police for questioning about a mysterious and tragic fire. The face of the woman in the photographs is unmistakable; it is definitely Sheila’s face. However, the clippings are dated almost thirty years before she was born. Also, the name written on the back of all of the photographs is one that Sheila does not recognize, SIMONE.

Andrea suspects that Gryphon knows much more about what is going on than he will admit, so to help her friend, and for her own piece of mind, she agrees to assist Sheila in her search for answers.

About the Author

Stevee LeGree, also known as Stephanie Legree Roberts, was born in Brooklyn New York and grew up in Southern New Jersey. She is the oldest of three children and says that the events surrounding the untimely passing of her mother inspired her latest work, Phoenix Child.

Ms. LeGree holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Human Relations/Psychology and a Master of Arts Degree in Social Research. Her areas of interest include Socio-cultural relations, conflict resolution, fads and trends, and adolescent rage and violence.

Although she enjoys many hobbies, writing has always been her first love. In addition to writing poetry, screenplays and non-fiction research essays, Ms. LeGree has written several Fantasy and Science fiction works, many of which are pending publication.

Phoenix Child is the first installment in a five part series entitled, the Immortal Messenger. The author describes this work as “An adventure that delves deep into the realms of the mystical and the grotesque before, at last, revealing a fantastic and unimaginable truth.” The next book in the series entitled, NEVAEH, picks up where Phoenix Child leaves off and promises even more fabulous beasts, exotic worlds, and whirlwind adventures.

New novels by Stevee LeGree that will be released in the upcoming year include “LOA”, “Monstre’ Sacre” and “On Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Set in sultry New Orleans where voodoo, magic, myth and religion are one in the same, LOA chronicles a family, marked for death and running from their mystical and preternatural past.

“Monstre’ Sacre” or “The Sacred Monster” is a collection of short gothic, suspense and horror stories. The subject matter ranges from the surreal and deranged to the nefarious and absurd. Even the most avid readers of the genera are sure to be stirred by the tales in this exciting collection.

In “On Earth as it is in Heaven,” an innocent soul is asked by God to make a choice that will, undoubtedly, subject him to a life of pain, suffering and despair. It is a marvelous tale of human failings, frailty and faith.

Stevee LeGree now lives in Central Texas with her husband, the screen writer and poet Damon Bernard Roberts and their Daughter, Phoenix Elise´ Roberts.