DJ Murphy

Murphy Likes Water

DJ Murphy is basically a river rat.  As a kid, you would find him on the other side of the railroad tracks skipping stones on the Rock River.  A few years later finds him in a variety of small runabouts and sailboats on the Mississippi River.

River Rat may actually be too specific as Murphy is always drawn to the nearest body of water whether it's a trickling stream or the Gulf of Mexico.  Whether its the cliffs over the Pacific ocean at Big Sur or Padre Island's sandy beaches Murphy is a happy man.

Murphy now splits his time between the mountains of eastern Arizona, and the “ranch” in the Texas hill country, with regular side trips back to the big muddy Mississippi.  He likes water, and sawdust, and good reads.  While Murphy has always been involved in some kind of writing, this is his first novel.  He has a Master’s degree in social work, and training and experience with behavior modification.  He will tell you, “My dream to be a paperback writer has now morphed into writing ebooks, and that’s okay.”

Murphy’s life and work experience fuels his imagination and seeps through into his stories. He survived twelve years of education in the hands (and under the rulers) of some very strict Catholic nuns.  His work experience includes midnight shifts in an Oscar Meyer packing plant, daytime work in a Walgreens drugstore, and social work for the Iowa Department of Social Welfare.  For several years he traveled throughout the United States doing management and supervision seminars.  For nine years he taught people skills in a family practice residency program, and finally, for ten years he taught in high schools on the U.S./Mexican border.

And now Murphy does as he pleases, writes, takes pictures, plays in his wood shop, builds canoes, travels and plays grandfather to a large crew of grandkids ranging from one year to 21 years old.

This is my 15 ft Ranger, made mostly from yellow jack pine which was milled about 2 miles from our "cabin."
The lines for this canoe were taken from a Prospector model originally built in wood and canvas by the Chestnut Canoe Co. It's designed to carry big loads.  
More about this canoe's lineage at Dragon Fly Canoe Works