Robert C. Murray's Blog, page 11

Free Preview: Breaking Orbit, vol 1 of the Titan Run Trilogy

What follows is an excerpt from the opening chapters of my upcoming Sci Fi Novel, "Breaking Orbit, vol1 of the Titan Run Trilogy"

Please read, share, and keep an eye on this site and my social media for when the book becomes available -- later this Fall, in both eBook and Paperback!Breaking OrbitExcerpt from vol1 of the Titan Run TrilogyOneShe gasped for oxygen but drew only hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide into her lungs, the cold and toxic mixture preserving her flesh while taking h...

"The Titan Run volume 1: Breaking Orbit" Free Preview

What follows is an excerpt from the opening chapters of my upcoming Sci Fi Novel, "The Titan Run vol. 1, Breaking Orbit."Please read, share, and keep an eye on this site and my social media for when the book becomes available -- later this Fall, in both eBook and Paperback!

The Titan Run vol. 1Breaking OrbitExcerptOneShe gasped for oxygen but drew only hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide into her lungs, the cold and toxic mixture preserving her flesh while taking her life. She could not...

Book Signing and Release Party: Regret and Opportunity

As you may have seen on my social media outlets, I am releasing a new book of poetry later this month. The early reviews are promising, and that's not just my mom saying so -- though she is on record as loving it.
To celebrate the release of the book, I am having a book signing / release party at the Washington County Arts Council Gallery Shop in historic downtown Hagerstown:


I'll definitely be there to sign the books and chat, and if there are enough people in the room at a given moment, I may...

One Quote Wednesday

I've been posting images with the hashtag #OneQuoteWednesday to my various social media presences (Instagram,

You know it's true. #OneQuoteWednesday #mustread #toread #reading #booklover #instabook #readingislife #shortstory #inheels #goodreads #reader #bookworm #bookstagramA photo posted by Rob Murray (@lefthandrob) on Mar 23,...

International Women's Day

According to my Facebook news feed, today is International Women's Day. According to the IWD website:

Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement.
And we have much to celebrate today. But progress towards gender parity has slowed in many places.
The World Economic Forum predicted in 2014 that it would takeuntil 2095 to achieve global gender parity. Then one year later in 2015, they estimated that a slowdown in the already glacial pace of pr...

Alas, poor Trash Can; I knew him, Horatio.

UPDATE: Alternatively, I am but a fool with wool upon my eyes. The poor thing was just startled and hiding against the side of my car:

 Original Post:
Granted, it appeared next to my house one morning years ago as an orphan, but I gave it a home on my back porch and fed it regularly, set it out along the curb to be emptied as needed, and the one time I decide to use it as a marker for my shoveled out parking space, some inconsiderate boob wanders along and takes the plastic trash can I've...

Finally, Rupert?

If you're a Douglas Adams fan, then you know of his oft-maligned fifth entry in the "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" series, "Mostly Harmless." In that book, a fictional 10th (which would be 9th, had Mr. Adams been writing after 2006, which wouldn't that have been wonderful?) planet lurks in the dark outer reaches of our solar system. From the icy surface of that dim world aliens observe Earth's radio and television broadcasts that have leaked out into sp...

New Year, New-ish Materials

Part of being me (an Independent Author, that is) is applying my humble design skills to my own marketing materials; using those same talents that brought you the lovely cover art you see to your right to whip up some fresh Business Cards and some Rack Cards that do double-duty as bookmarks for you, my reading public. And yes, I capitalized those two items because they are That Important to me.
Anyway, here are the designs I made up and had printed.
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Books for Sale

Bricks, Mortar, Art, Paperbacks

My books are now on sale here in Hagerstown at the Washington County Arts Council Gallery Shop. The Gallery Shop is directly adjacent to the gallery itself in the Arts and Entertainment District of downtown Hagerstown, across the street from the historic Maryland Theatre. I highly recommend stopping by and checking out all the great book, but be sure to walk out with a copy of one of my books. You won't be disappointed.

Here's the scoop:

What if? That's the question from which each of my storie...

Breaking Orbit: Writing the Future

Breaking Orbit cover art.
Note that this may change between now and publication.It's been a few years coming, but what started as nothing more than a clever elevator pitch and some character sketches is now taking real shape. I am, of course, talking about my upcoming novel "Breaking Orbit: Volume I of the Titan Run Trilogy."
It hasn't all been smooth sailing and evenings sipping at tea while crafting a story, in fact one night recently. I was so happy to finally be making progress with the se...