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Melissa A. I. Murray

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.maimurray.com

Twitter

MAIMurray

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult, Science Fiction

Member Since

July 2019

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/author_maimurray

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Melissa A. Ivanco-Murray grew up in southwest Virginia, where she developed a love of reading, painting, sewing, and walking through the woods singing to squirrels. Melissa graduated with two bachelors of science degrees in Russian with Honors and International Relations (along with a track in Nuclear Engineering just for fun) from the United States Military Academy in 2011. Her experiences at USMA as well as her subsequent service add a ferocity to her storytelling that sets her apart from other contemporary fantasy novelists. Across worlds inspired by Slavic mythology and folklore, Melissa pits realistic characters against fantastical odds they can only overcome through a combination of cleverness, creativity, and sheer grit.

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Melissa A. I. Murray Writer's block happens to me a lot. One of the reasons my first book, Destined, took me so long to write is because I would alternate between knocking…moreWriter's block happens to me a lot. One of the reasons my first book, Destined, took me so long to write is because I would alternate between knocking out a chapter or two in a week and not touching the manuscript for six months, sometimes even a year. Part of that I blamed on being in college at the time, but a large part of it would be that I just didn't have the energy for such an undertaking. So instead, I would write little things: shorter stories, poems, song lyrics. I'd play music, record a new song, paint something or sculpt something or make a new piece of jewelry. Those sort of activities are very calming for me, and they help me get back in the mode, because while I'm working on them I am also daydreaming, and my daydreams often occur in the world of my stories. Running or swimming also helps me; my characters are very physically fit as a result of all the crap I put them through, so sometimes going for a run through the woods helps me reconnect with the story. Other times, I try to view it less as "writer's block" then as a needed break. Writing isn't always easy, and it can be healthy to take some time off to recharge. I generally use chapter breaks to that effect.(less)

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What’s the best thing about being a writer?

Melissa A. I. Murray The best thing about being a writer is being able to talk about the voices in your head without being labeled as crazy...just kidding. I do, however, …moreThe best thing about being a writer is being able to talk about the voices in your head without being labeled as crazy...just kidding. I do, however, hear my characters various voices very clearly, and often when I am recording dialogue sketches--what I like to think of as the "muscle" of my stories, with the outlines being the "bones" and the chapter summaries being "ligaments and tendons"--I feel more as if I am just listening in on and recording a conversation that is occurring in real time. It feels less like I am writing than simply being a vessel for the story to happen, and perhaps that does make me a wee bit crazy, but it's my process, and it's one of my favorite things about writing. The other favorite thing, of course, is being able to unleash the entirety of my creativity on creating a world that is all my own. I love building the land of Aorea, making up species and cultures and history, fleshing out the geography, the world's mythology and legends. I often joke that the reason I'm so terrible at mental math is because I exist with one foot in reality and the other in Aorea; I have thousands of years of history for a world that doesn't exist cluttering up my brain.(less)

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Combine Editions
Melissa A. I. Murray’s books

Average rating: 5.0 · 11 ratings · 5 reviews · 3 distinct works

	Destined (Circle, #1) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 5 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
	Bound it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 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
	Hidden (Circle 2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 3 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

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Melissa A. I. Murray's Blog

Etsy Strike is Over, but…

So the strike is over, and my Etsy shop is open for business again. Having kept it in vacation mode for a week means my stats—and thus, the algorithms that drive traffic to my page—are way down. But that’s ok; I can recover. While I was in vacation mode I set up a shop on this site as well as on Ko-fi, which you can find either by clicking the fancy new button in the site header that says “Buy me

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Melissa’s Recent Updates

Melissa Murray is now friends with Megumi Voight
Sep 14, 2025 07:57PM · like

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Quotes by Melissa A. I. Murray (?)

“Antiln stretched her left hand elegantly towards the mage, her right hand still clutching her gnarled staff. 'I have followed the magic,' she said. 'My visions led me to you.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Destined

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“The trees around my home are friendly; they would not inform the other leshii of your presence. You will be safest with me. However, there hasn't been anything as exciting as an escaped sacrifice in at least a year, and you know how some birches just love to gossip.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Destined

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“Mari could have sworn she saw them nod to each other, a practically imperceptible dip of their heads, and then the air around them shimmered and blurred. The black fur melted away, the limbs morphing, the spines shrinking and straightening.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Bound

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Melissa’s Quotes

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“The sword is bound to me,' Mari explained calmly as she knelt to retrieve it. 'I am the only one who can wield it. Same goes for that bow--it's bound to Gren. We are not thieves or smugglers or servants to anyone, lanti or not. We walk our own path. We're the Destined.'
'And Ruv,' Ruv added.
'The Destined and Ruv,' Mari repeated.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Bound

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“She was peace incarnate. He wondered briefly what was meant to be, if she were the one who would have to stay.
He wondered if he could stay with her.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Destined

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“Mari pulled her dagger out of its sheath and pointedly inspected the edge. She tossed the dagger into the air, the steel flashing and spinning, then deftly caught it by the handle. 'Who says the damsel needs saving?' she asked as she slid the dagger back into its sheath at her thigh.
'Fine,' Ruv grumbled. 'I'll toss her a weapon instead.”
― M. A. I. Murray, Bound

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