Abby & Me

by Michael J. Phillips

Fergie Simpkins doesn’t screw up often, but when he does, he screws up big. A silent partner in his marriage to Abby, his life has become one slow crawl down drudgery lane. This is exacerbated by his hatred of work colleague Harvey Solbeck. To make matters worse, temptation keeps throwing itself in his direction in the shape of his boss Beulah Palmer. It’s just a matter of time before he succumbs to her advances; and when he does he gets a bit more than he bargains for.

162 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 27, 2015

About the author

Cardiff born and bred. To quote Cerys Matthews — every day when I wake up, I thank the Lord I'm Welsh.

I write character-driven fiction. Stories about ordinary people carrying more than they let on, set in places that feel lived-in and real. I'm drawn to the quiet drama of everyday life — the things people say, and more often, the things they don't.

My influences are the writers I return to — Graham Greene, Alan Sillitoe, George Orwell, Martin Amis. Kitchen sink realism with something darker underneath. I also have a soft spot for the wonderfully obscure Arthur La Bern.

I've published four books to date — Abby & Me, Chasing Tigers, Broken Cages, and the short story collection Spare Parts. My fifth, The Mijas Cowboy, is a literary fiction novel due October 2026.

Away from the page I love Cardiff City, punk rock, guitars, Scorsese, The Big Lebowski, and a good curry.