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NEWS & EVENTS

Excited to announce that Iceman Awakens is a Silver Finalist in the Benjamin Franklin IBPA Best New Voice in Fiction award!

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So I just did a Tedx Talk
Saturday Oct 21, 2023
I spoke on saying yes to the mountains in life based on how Ötzi has challenged me to step into my fears. Click on the Tedx Talk link above for the YouTube video.

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How far will an author go to get a story? About 9ooo ft above sea level!
Read my newest blog

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Fall 2023 Line Up At
Barnes and Noble
Oct 28 - Fredericksburg 
Nov 11 - Frederick, Maryland

New Teacher Workbook pdf
Available Nov 18, 2022
Complete with guided reading questions and classroom activities. Limited hard copies available at Anniversary Celebration at Open Book in Warrenton 6:30-8:30 pm

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We went international in Oman! Here is a glimpse.. of the prologue, watch the 10 minute sneak peak here: https://youtu.be/BBfcldPIuwU to know what to expect in our Live Chat with SHARON KRASNY tomorrow, March 29th at 12 noon EST or 8PM Oman Time.

Returning to a fantastic
Barnes and Nobles Grand Opening
Book signing
Woodbridge, VA
April 30

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Fantastic day Saturday, February 26 at Barnes and Noble signing Iceman Awakens. Surrounded by so many amazing books was simultaneously humbling and exciting! Watching people mingle with books was even better. They came and told me their dreams, listened to my story, and left with smiles and lots of books. The service at this store is personal and lovely. Find them on my Shop Local link.

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Join us on Instagram @tigermurty this Saturday November 20 - we're going live!

What secrets does a 5000-year old ice man have to reveal? Join award-winning author Sharon Krasny and me this Saturday, November 20th at 10:00 am Pacific (1:00 pm Eastern) at @tigermurty for an IG Live discussion about Sharon’s amazing novel Iceman Awakens, inspired by the 5000-year old ice man Ötzi discovered in a glacier in the Swiss Alps in 1991!
So grab a cup of your favorite tea and join the multi-talented Sharon Krasny and me for a fascinating IG Live discussion about Iceman Awakens and the Copper Age of humanity this Saturday, November 20th, 2021 at 10:00 am Pacific / 1:00pm Eastern at @tigermurty!

#teawithtiger #icemanawakens #sharonkrasny #copperage #ötzi #otzi #historyoftechnology #historybooks #booktalk #historicalfictionbooks

Iceman Awakens is now in Shelbyville, IN at Three Sisters Books and Gifts! Checkout the Shop Local tab for contact information.

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Book Group Chats

I'm very excited to announce that I have started Zooming with Book Groups, who read my book together. We have had a lot of fun.  

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We discuss:

-behind the scenes tidbits

-themes, and roles in the story

-fact within the fiction

-ending with a reading from a section.

If this sounds like something your book group would like to do, please contact me.

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A second edition with Discussion Questions will be available shortly.

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Next Book Group Zoom is in Warrenton, VA Aug 6

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Contact me and we can Zoom!

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How an ugly mummy, tattoos, my friend's 11 year old daughter and Brad Pitt helped me finish my first novel.

 

I can't remember when or how my fascination grew with this 5300 year old mummy, but his mystery has changed a major trajectory of my life.  All of the possibilities that existed in the unknown about Ötzi captured my attention especially when murder was involved.

My friend told me her 11 year old daughter was crazy about Ötzi. A fourth grader tried to learn everything she could about what seemed on surface to be a distorted, ugly corpse.

When I started this project in 2015, only academic and National Geographic articles were produced. Now pages of search results exist dedicated to studying him, debating his demise, copying his tools. The man's story was begging to be heard once again.

So much is known about his last two meals, his clothes, his medicinal remedies, but only speculation surrounds who he really was and what brought him to that mountain.  To date 62 tattoos have been counted on his body, so I google Ötzi's tattoos and found Brad Pitt. Apparently he has the famous outline of Ötzi's mummy inked on his forearm together with a quote by Nietzche regarding the absurdity of life juxtaposed to "Invictus" a poem by Henley. The absurdity of life quote finishes with a loathing of human fraility. Invictus, however, speaks of courage in the face of darkness and the unconquerable spirit of humanity. My story aligns with the later as I do fully believe in the indomitable power of the human spirit.

In Ötzi I found diversity and unity. The timeless hope that we would have what it takes to face whatever lies ahead. Life doesn't promise the perfect Hollywood ending, but we can count on the unchangeable nature of change. We may get knocked down or set back, but through courage we find the way to stand. Once we do stand, no one will knock us down in the same way again. This timeless character embodies our need to feel connected. In Ötzi we find that common ground wondering if all this really matters. Whether a child or a celebrity, we ponder possibilities and begin to wonder.

Here's a link to a youtube video about Ötzi's tattoos

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Expert Help and Plenty of Thanks
This book has been enriched and made so much better thanks to my expert primitive bowmen John Strunk from Spirit Longbow and Carson Brown from Echo Archery.
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Both men were very generous with their expertise and time advising me on the hunting scenes. I learned a lot of information about archery and have a great deal of respect for these men as historians, craftsmen, hunters, and gentlemen.

They offer classes in making your own longbow or primitive bow making along with archery supplies that are handmade and high quality. They can be reached at their respective websites: Spirit Longbow and Echo Archery

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An Encouraging Word
I would be remiss if I didn't say a special thank you to Lee Owsley, owner of Latitudes in downtown Warrenton, Virginia.
Many years ago, Lee and I were in a writing group together. From that time on, each time I saw Lee she would ask about my writing and introduce me as a writer to other customers or sales associates in her store.
Those little words of encouragement went a long way in helping me believe that maybe it was true - that I was a writer. It didn't take much on her part except to remember, but Lee made me feel special and she made me feel authentic as a writer.
You can visit her Latitudes Fairtrade store online at
and remember to always take a page out of Lee's book by letting know someone you believe in them!
 
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