Interview with Cerece Rennie Murphy, author of “Order of the Seers”

Cerece Rennie Murphy lives and writes just outside of her hometown, Washington, DC and is currently working on the sequel to her first novel, Order of the Seers. In addition to completing the Order of the Seers trilogy, Ms. Murphy is also developing a children’s book series entitled Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday and a book on understanding marriage/relationship advice for single women entitled More than the Ring.

To learn more about the author and her upcoming projects, visit her website atwww.crmurphybooks.com.

Visit her on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/CRMurphy/356404784423476

On Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/cerecermurphy

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

I don’t know if this is my favorite quote, but it is one I think of often.  It’s from Marianne Williamson and says “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure…As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Every time I feel overwhelmed with fear, I remember these words and it straightens my back.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

It’s so funny that you should ask me this question now because I just finished writing down a list of things I am most proud of accomplishing as part of my 40to40 list (forty things I want to do to celebrate turning 40 this November). A central theme on that list is the peaceful home I have created with my husband.  I am really proud that our marriage and our home is a place of joy and stability for us and our children. I think second to my family is probably being a person that has persevered through some very difficult circumstances.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Yes, it started with The Rape of the Lock by Alexander Pope.  It’s a very old poem about a guy who cuts off a lock of hair from a woman with whom he is infatuated.  Pope takes this insignificant occurrence and turns it into an epic event.  It’s brilliant.  To this day, it’s one of my favorite poems.  That poem taught me what you could do with words.  It taught me that with enough talent and creativity, you can turn the mundane into something magical.  I started writing poetry shortly after Ms. McCarthy introduced us to that poem my freshman year of high school.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

About half way through writing Order of the Seers I thought, “You know, I might have something here.  I might actually be a writer.” My first short story, Spirit to Flesh, was a Twilight fan fiction piece based on a Hallmark movie called The Love Letter.  While it was an absolute joy writing it, because the plot wasn’t my own idea, I didn’t really think of myself as a writer.  Coming up with the story for Order of the Seers on my own made me look at myself differently.

What inspires you to write and why?

Things that I want to know and understand better.  With Order of the Seers, I am really interested in exploring the question of our true potential, what it was, what it is and what it could be.  That’s at the core of the trilogy.  With my next book series, a children’s book collection called Enchanted: 5 Tales of Magic in the Everyday, I want to explore the little lessons in life that we take for granted everyday and the connections between our childhood and our adulthood.  The book series is very much inspired by my own experiences as a parent and the unique opportunity parenthood offers to rediscover the world through a child’s eyes with the benefit of all the wisdom of your own adulthood.  Finally, I want to write the single woman’s relationship guide, More than The Ring, because I owe a lot of people for the marriage that I have now.  Without going into too much detail, let’s just say I had very bad relationship and marriage role models. That dysfunction played out all through my teens, 20s and early 30s in a variety of ways (both romantic and non-romantic) that were not edifying.  But I had the advice and support of my mother and a lot of wonderful people who supported me while I took the time I needed to grow into an adult woman.  More Than the Ring is my way of completing the blessing of advice and wisdom that so many people shared with me.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

I don’t think about genre at all when I am writing.  I think this is probably very wrong, but I don’t.  First, I have to get the story out and it has to make sense and be good.  I have a science fiction series, a children’s book series and a relationship advice book planned for the immediate future.  I am lucky that the books I have in my head fall loosely into readily recognizable genres, but if they didn’t, I don’t think I would care. To me, the story has to be what it’s going to be.  As a reader, I know that a skilled writer can take me anywhere and I will follow.  So to me the question is, am I a good enough writer to do what this story requires.

I haven’t had the experience of having to force a story to go in a direction just to fit a certain genre expectation, but I imagine that would be a very depressing experience.  Plus, my characters really don’t cooperate if I try to make them do anything other than exactly what they want to do.  But now that I understand more of the publishing business, I do realize that figuring out how to market a book that crosses genres would be a big challenge.

Do you intend to make writing a career?

I intend to finish the Order of the Seers trilogy and write the other books that I mentioned earlier.  I also have an idea for a novel that I don’t want to write, but I think I might have to anyway.  After that, who knows?  I never expected to write anything longer than a poem, so at this point, I’m barely qualified to say what my career will be long-term. But I am ok with that.  I’m just grateful for this journey.