“If you play with fire, you’re going to get burned,” according to author Melanie Murphy.
Her new book, “Embers and Ash,” which was officially announced on Tuesday, Sept. 16, is part of a four-part series that she is releasing.
The story follows Fiona Blake, who was born with the spark embedded in her very DNA, and has spent her life trying to hide her condition.
Fiona makes an impossible decision that takes her away from everything she holds dear, and is forced to confront the truth about who she is.
Murphy said her surroundings and history inspire each of her women’s fiction novels.
Before she was a multi-book author, Murphy grew up in the Island Trees School District and went to SUNY Oneonta for college. She earned her master’s degree from Queens College and immediately jumped into teaching.
Murphy, who now lives in Massapequa Park, joined the Levittown School District as an English teacher and has been at Division High School for 22 years. She currently teaches 11th and 12th graders, and she says that her students inspired her to begin writing books.
“I’ve always loved analyzing literature and writing, but I had never really written anything for myself aside from small, informal pieces,” she said. “I always share what I write with my students [in her creative writing class] and one of my students said, ‘You should go write something,’”
Murphy said she then decided to release her first book as an independent writer, “The Extraordinary Anna Parke,” in 2023.
She said the book was well received, which led to her joining a publishing house as she continued on her literary journey.
Murphy said the plan is to release a four-part series, with each book focusing on a different element: earth, wind, water and fire.
She said that although the plots are not linked, the focus on the elements in each story uniquely connects the books.
Murphy’s first book, which will be rereleased with a new title and cover as the third book in the series, focused on Earth. She released her second book last year, which focuses on water.
“Embers and Ash” has a fire element to it and another book will have thematic concepts of wind.
Murphy said she plans to hold several events following the release of “Embers and Ash,” including a launch event on Oct. 1 at the Dark Horse in Massapequa.
Murphy said each of the four books focuses on one element and is set in the State of New York.
“I love New York, so I like to take a lot of inspiration from the places that I love and know really well, and I like to incorporate that in my writing,” she said. “I think New York is such a beautiful place and there are so many different settings.”
