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Amy J. Murphy

Goodreads Author

Born

New Orleans

Website

http://www.amyjmurphy.com

Twitter

selatyron

Genre

Science Fiction

Member Since

July 2014

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Amy J. Murphy is not a Jedi. (Although she’s married to this Scottish guy that claims to be one.) Nor is she a powerful mutant with adamantium claws and super-fast healing, or leader of the human resistance battling to overthrow cyborg overlords.

But, she is a fantastic liar.

She discovered this power at an early age and chose to wield it for good instead of evil (even though the evil part remains highly tempting.) With this power, Amy writes books about space opera featuring kickass heroines. These books are sometimes confused for military science fiction which is an easy mistake to make. She’s ok with this as her debut novel, Allies and Enemies: Fallen, was a finalist for the 2016 Dragon Award for Best Military Science Fiction or Fantasy N ...more

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you come up with character names?

Amy J. Murphy I have a few different methods. I guess the short answer is: the name can come from anywhere. To be honest, it's one of my favorite things to do. Some…moreI have a few different methods. I guess the short answer is: the name can come from anywhere. To be honest, it's one of my favorite things to do. Some times I even hoard the names just because I like them. I squirrel it away in a notebook or in a list on my iPhone. Then, when I get stuck I dig through my stockpile. (The names Tove and Asher were two such names.)

I look for names that evoke a mood or general sense of what I want the reader to get from the character. Even if a reader may not realize what the literal root for a name is, she gets what the character may be like from the sound of the name. I like using a device where a name tells you a clue about that person's character in short-hand form.

Modern story-tellers like George Lucas do this all the time. Sometimes it's pretty obvious too:

For example, consider "Luke Skywalker". The first name is an "everyman" type of name (at least from the point of view of American culture). The surname evokes a sense of hopeful optimism combined with a sense of action and drive. It's an action hero name.

I came up with my other "action hero" name in "Asher Corsair" using Lucas' methodology for inspiration. The origin of "corsair" was a type of sailing vessel that was used by pirates or privateers. It's been borrowed for everything from company names to combat aircraft. (The WWII aircraft, an F4U, was especially badass looking IMHO). I found it especially fitting that the character Asher Corsair came from a planet that was strings of islands where the population were largely sea-fairing. (The fact that Asher had made himself a type of space pirate captain was a happy accident.)

Other times, when I've taken inspiration from a culture on Earth, I look at the naming structure for familiar names and surnames to use. For instance, the culture of the Ironvale in the Allies and Enemies series is losely based on ancient feudal Japan. The Splitdawn have a Norse influence.
Another thing I like to do is look at the Latin root of a word for meaning. (I'm kind of a geek like that.) I build a name (or sometimes even an alien term) based off a Latin root meaning.

For instance, the surname "Veradin". The word "veritas" which is Latin for "truth". So I played with the spelling until I liked the look and sound of it.

Another thing I strive for is naming rules that apply to each culture I invent. It doesn't always work, but I try to keep consistency to fit the theme. For instance, a member of a servant class bound to a particular House will assume that House's surname with the prefix "pra". So, Kelta's full name is "Kelta pra-Corsair." It's a sign of loyalty as well as servitude for a particular class of people. The Earth equivalent would be a valet or lady's maid serving a family of the aristocracy.

I know we're talking about names, but I've also used obscure dictionaries to come up with slang terms. "Bricky" which is a slang term in my book series to mean brave or fearless was borrowed from a 19th-century dictionary of slang used by Londoners.

While on the topic of "made up" words (and names), it used to upset me to see reviews and complaints that I used "made up" words in my books. All words are made up when you think about it. Some you know already because it's your natural language and some you make sense of out of context. To me, that's part of the fun. (less)

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What books are on your summer reading list this year?

Amy J. Murphy Salvation Day by Kali Wallace
Cry Pilot by Joel Dane
Salvaged by Madeleine Roux
Stars Uncharted by SK Dunstall
Stories and Spilled Tea by Michael J Martin…moreSalvation Day by Kali Wallace
Cry Pilot by Joel Dane
Salvaged by Madeleine Roux
Stars Uncharted by SK Dunstall
Stories and Spilled Tea by Michael J Martinez
Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero(less)

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Combine Editions
Amy J. Murphy’s books

Average rating: 4.03 · 1,448 ratings · 162 reviews · 11 distinct works • Similar authors

	Fallen (Allies and Enemies, #1) 3.90 avg rating — 581 ratings — published 2015 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Call of Courage: 7 Novels of the Galactic Frontier by C. Gockel (Goodreads Author), Allen Kuzara (Goodreads Author), Amy J. Murphy (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 240 ratings — published 2019	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Orphans In the Black by Amy J. Murphy (Goodreads Author), C. Gockel (Goodreads Author) (Editor/contributor), Lindsay Buroker (Goodreads Author) 4.01 avg rating — 202 ratings — published 2017 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rogues (Allies and Enemies, #2) 4.16 avg rating — 157 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Exiles (Allies and Enemies, #3) 4.25 avg rating — 105 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Allies and Enemies: Empire, Book 5 4.41 avg rating — 29 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Legacy (Allies and Enemies #4) 4.25 avg rating — 28 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Allies and Enemies Trilogy Box Set: Books 1-3 4.38 avg rating — 16 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Allies and Enemies: Endgame, Book 6 (Allies and Enemies Series) 4.78 avg rating — 9 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Simple Thing 3.50 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Amy J. Murphy's Blog

Space Invasion Panel SFF Con 2020

Check out my recent panel at SFF Con 2020.

Space Invasion

From sci-fi weapons to ships, what makes a good futuristic battle force? What are some of the most iconic sci-fi militaries, and what makes them stand out?

Panelists: James S. Aaron (moderator), Rick Partlow, S.J. Schauer, Jonathan Brazee, Amy J. Murphy

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XYe85kaY4ig

Series by Amy J. Murphy

Allies and Enemies (4 books)
by

Amy J. Murphy (Goodreads Author)

4.01 avg rating — 887 ratings

Amy is Currently Reading

Amy Murphy is currently reading

Instant Pot Pressure Cooker Cookbook: 575 Best Instant Pot Recipes of All Time (with Nutrition Facts, Easy and Healthy Recipes)

by Rachel Collins

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 10, 2019 03:21PM

Amy Murphy is currently reading

The Maid

by Kimberly Cutter (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Sep 24, 2019 05:38PM

Amy Murphy is currently reading

Stories and Spilled Tea: Collected Works

by Michael J. Martinez

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 27, 2019 08:53AM

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Amy’s Recent Updates

Amy Murphy is now friends with Kim Rendfeld
Dec 14, 2025 06:21PM · like
Amy Murphy has read Queen of Chaos (Sequoyah, #3) by Sabrina Chase (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 23, 2024 10:49AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Queen of Chaos by Sabrina Chase. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Queen of Chaos by Sabrina Chase <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Amy J. Murphy (?)

“Understanding is the quest that drives us all,”
― Amy J. Murphy, Fallen

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“Age has cured me of the foolishness of youth. You become so much less reckless when the comfort of your hips and knees decides how you spend your days.”
― Amy J. Murphy, Rogues

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“We love our children, but we cannot live their lives for them. We cannot lead them.” Kelta patted her wrist. “We must let them make their own mistakes and hope they survive them. We hope that at the end of the day, they find the right Path.”
― Amy J. Murphy, Rogues

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Amy’s Quotes

“In that moment, she hated his quiet patient tone, hated the stench of the incense, and hated the beauteous pity painted on the faces of the women on the walls. Their expressions contained serene understanding; their eyes seemed able to peer into her soul. She found their forgiveness suffocating. And above all, she hated the tiny niggling thing in her that wanted to know more.”
― Amy J. Murphy, Fallen

tags: female-hero, military-science-fiction, sci-fi, science-fiction, space-opera, spaceship

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“Thing to know about the Reaches....It’s always trying to kill you. Even the empty places between the stars."
Asher Corsair, Allies and Enemies: Rogues”
― Amy J. Murphy, Rogues

tags: sci-fi, science-fiction, space-marines, space-opera, space-pirates, spaceships

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