Speaking Of – A lush landscape of humanity crossing time periods, genres, and settings real and imagined. This book celebrates a distinct and relatable writing style and offers emotion, wit and depth as one becomes a traveller, a companion to lives that have passed and those yet to be.
“This is a beautiful piece of writing.
It is observational, descriptive, thought provoking and fully realised. There is an intuitive mind at work and a subtle curiosity here that values the reader. It rewards them with a bouquet of delightful stories that beguile and charm with equal measure.”
~ John O’Regan, Journalist/Broadcaster/ Lecturer RTE/LCCR – Eclectic Celt, Ireland
“Your writing – weaves into the gardens of fine Irish wordsmiths. Yer a talented wee divil, so keep ‘dippin the pen’ and dream up more yarns, more of your lush images – that have stirred memories and emotions.” ~ Will Millar (Founder of The Irish Rovers)
“Our book club devoured Mary Murphy’s first book, ‘The Emerald Diaries’, and we can’t wait to get our mitts on ‘Speaking Of’. Mary has a way of connecting with the reader on a deep level to the point where the characters jump to life, right off the page, to sit with us as the story unfolds. The room gets very crowded.” ~ Lori K, New York Book Club
“The illustration on the front cover of ‘Speaking Of’ depicts a faux-fur blanket, strewn carelessly over a tired green velvet armchair, perhaps an ancestral hand-me-down. I’m imagining the reader competing for this space with a four-legged friend, both of who have napped as often as they’ve read there. The warm amber background invites the reader to find their own cozy nook and explore what this book offers.
“Each page is inspiring, stimulating the reader’s imagination, and I enjoyed the diversity of Murphy’s gifted writing styles.” – Whistler Independent Book Awards Evaluation
Speaking Of was selected as a Fiction Shortlist for both the 2024 International Page Turner Awards as well as a shortlister for The International Book Awards 2024. It is a mighty honour, to be among the luminous company of Amy Tan, Sue Graften, Heather Graham and Bob Odenkirk.
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These stories take place in Ireland, United States, Greece and Scotland; including multiple timelines (past, present and future), adding to the distinctiveness of the individual tales.
Wander back to a simpler, but more secretive, time when Neala meets Imogen and unspoken love unfolds over a lifetime. Meet our future selves, resisting globalized government control and a world of hologram consciences that want independence. Follow a charlatan from her humble mining town beginnings to her unceremonious career-ending visit from an old friend. Delight in a painter’s dreamscape of swans, and the bickering banter of Irish spirits across a graveyard. More stories await you… dive in!
Five snippets from the sixteen lusciously eclectic works within the pages of "Speaking Of"
Where did this title and these stories come from, you ask?
This is a question I am frequently asked concerning my book releases and song lyrics. Below is a brief explanation of the content within this book, should you be interested.
Speaking Of: The Title
The first story I wrote for this book was, This Black Earth Speaks. I loved the idea of those below-ground speaking. Then, I decided to introduce story titles and occasional chapter titles with ‘speaking’ as in, Neala Speaks, Delilah Speaks, etcetera. This book is muti-genre, and I soon realized this thread would be a lovely way to connect the dots, to tie the contents, even though the genres are quite divergent. Subsequently, while speaking with my daughter, Fiona, I said, “Oh, speaking of flowers … ” and a light went off. Speaking Of. There now, that is the title for my new book.
Speaking Of is Mary Murphy’s fifth book release.
This immersive, multi-genre writer does not shy away from diversity of thought but rather embraces the challenges that it sets forth. Included in Murphy’s portfolio is the novel, The Emerald Diaries-Secrets of an Irish Clan, and a children’s fairy book series, Away with the Fairies, books One, Two and Three (prequel Adventures of Nash the Dash).
Mary is also a prolific musician. She has written, recorded and released ten full-length albums, and is co-owner of Dove Creek Recording Studios.
Her releases have been hailed as “superlative and engrossing” by reviewers and readers alike. Ms Murphy, born in Wexford, Ireland, is the mother of two grown children and lives on Vancouver Island, Canada, with her husband Paul, a dog named Norah, and a cat named Turtle.
