Books with author Liz Murray

Breaking night (Urban slang) staying up through the night, until the sun rises "Breaking Night" is the stunning memoir of a young woman who at age fifteen was living on the streets, and who eventually made it into Harvard. Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age fifteen, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep. When Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny and go back to high school, often completing her assignments in the hallways and subway stations where she slept. Liz squeezed four years of high school into two, while homeless; won a "New York Times" scholarship; and made it into the Ivy League. "Breaking Night" is an unforgettable and beautifully written story of one young woman's indomitable spirit to survive and prevail, against all odds.

Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age fifteen, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep.When Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny and go back to high school, often completing her assignments in the hallways and subway stations where she slept. Liz squeezed four years of high school into two, while homeless; won a New York Times scholarship; and made it into the Ivy League. Breaking Night is an unforgettable and beautifully written story of one woman's indomitable spirit to survive and prevail, against all odds.

"Breaking Night reads more like an adventure story than an addiction-morality tale. It's a white-knuckle account of survival. . . . By age 6, Murray knew how to mainline drugs (though she never took them) and how to care for her strung-out parents. She showed uncanny maturity, even as a child, and later managed to avoid that malady of teenagers and memoir writers, self-pity. . . . Murray's stoicism has been hard-earned; it serves her well as a writer. Breaking Night itself is full of heart, without a sliver of ice, and deeply moving." (The New York Times Book Review) "Liz Murray shows us that the human spirit has infinite ability to grow and can never be limited by circumstance. Breaking Night is a beautifully written, heartfelt memoir that will change the way you look your community, the obstacles in your own life and the American Dream. An inspiration, a must read." (Robert Redford) "[Liz Murray] reminds us that the greatest acts of love and failure can occur side by side; that isolation and loss can give way to accomplishment and promise. She offers the awesome hope that, regardless of its past, a life can go beyond endurance and reach for triumph. She leave us with the memory of a child who clung to and refused to surrender the dignity of her soul." (Andrew Bridge, author of the New York Times bestseller Hope's Boy) "As much as it is a memoir, Breaking Night is a primer on how poverty and drug abuse create a heartbreaking underclass of children, one that goes largely unnoticed. By the truly uplifting ending, Liz Murray has shown us the worst, and the very best, of America." (Haven Kimmel, author of A Girl Named Zippy and She Got Up Off the Couch) In the vein of The Glass Castle, Breaking Night is the stunning memoir of a young woman who at age fifteen was living on the streets, and who eventually made it into Harvard. Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age fifteen, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep. When Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny and go back to high school, often completing her assignments in the hallways and subway stations where she slept. Liz squeezed four years of high school into two, while homeless; won a New York Times scholarship; and made it into the Ivy League. Breaking Night is an unforgettable and beautifully written story of one young woman's indomitable spirit to survive and prevail, against all odds.

When NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his squad are tasked with escorting a bunch of civilian contractors into Te Urewera National Park, it seems a strange job for the army. Militant Tūhoe separatists are active in the area, and with its cloying mist and steep ravines, the forest is a treacherous place in winter. Yet nothing has prepared Taine for the true danger that awaits them. Death incarnate. They backtrack toward civilisation, stalked by a prehistoric creature intent on picking them off one by one. With their weapons ineffective, the babysitting job has become a race for survival. Desperate to bring his charges out alive, Taine draws on ancient tribal wisdom. Will it be enough to stop the nightmare? And when the mist clears, will anyone be left?

On leave, and out of his head with boredom, NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna joins biologist Jules Asher, on a Conservation Department deer culling expedition to New Zealand’s southernmost national park, where soaring peaks give way to valleys gouged from clay and rock, and icy rivers bleed into watery canyons too deep to fathom. Despite covering an area the size of the Serengeti, only eighteen people live in the isolated region, so it’s a surprise when the hunters stumble on the nation’s Tūrehu tribe, becoming some of only a handful to ever encounter the elusive ghost people. But a band of mercenaries saw them first, and, hell-bent on exploiting the tribes’ survivors, they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way. As a soldier, McKenna is duty-bound to protect all New Zealanders, but after centuries of persecution will the Tūrehu allow him to help them? Besides, there is something else lurking in the sounds, and it has its own agenda. When the waters clear, will anyone be allowed to leave?“Murray pretty much nails small unit tactics.” ‒ Justin Coates, author of The Apocalypse Drive“A fantastic blend of military fiction, a very real primordial monster, and powerful mythology.” ‒ Paul Mannering, author of Hard Corps, Hell’s Teeth, and Eat.

No longer content to rumble in anger, the great mountain warriors of New Zealand’s central plateau, the Kāhui Tupua, are preparing again for battle. At least, that’s how the Māori elders tell it. The nation’s leaders scoff at the danger. That is; until the ground opens and all hell breaks loose. The armed forces are hastily deployed; NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna and his section tasked with evacuating civilians and tourists from Tongariro National Park. It is too little, too late. With earthquakes coming thick and fast and the mountains spewing rock and ash, McKenna and his men are cut off. Their only hope of rescuing the stranded civilians is to find another route out, but a busload of prison evacuees has other ideas. And, deep beneath the earth’s crust, other forces are stirring.“INTO THE ASHES is a kick-ass thriller with twists you will never see coming! Lee Murray serves up a nail-biter of a weird-science action adventure. Brava!” —Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of DEEP SILENCE and V-WARS

Liz Murray never really had a chance in life. Born to a drug-addicted father who was in and out of prison, and an equally dependent mother who was in and out of mental institutions, she seemed destined to become just another tragic statistic. Another life wasted on the brutal streets of New York. By the age of 15, Liz found herself homeless with nowhere to turn but the tough streets, riding subways all night for a warm place to sleep and foraging through dumpsters for food. But when her mother died of AIDS a year later, Liz's life changed for ever. With no education, with no chance at a job or a home, she realised that only the most astonishing of turnarounds could stop her heading all the way down the same path her parents took. And so she set her mind to overcoming what seemed like impossible odds - and in the process, achieved something extraordinary. Told with astounding sincerity, "Breaking Night" is the breathtaking and inspirational story of how a young women, born into a world

Liz Murray was born to loving but drug-addicted parents in the Bronx. In school she was taunted for her dirty clothing and lice-infested hair, eventually skipping so many classes that she was put into a girls' home. At age fifteen, Liz found herself on the streets when her family finally unraveled. She learned to scrape by, foraging for food and riding subways all night to have a warm place to sleep.When Liz's mother died of AIDS, she decided to take control of her own destiny and go back to high school, often completing her assignments in the hallways and subway stations where she slept. Liz squeezed four years of high school into two, while homeless; won a New York Times scholarship; and made it into the Ivy League. Breaking Night is an unforgettable and beautifully written story of one woman's indomitable spirit to survive and prevail, against all odds.

FYI . . . "When You Buy the Paperback Version -You Get the Kindle FREE"Lyn is a Documentarian Storyteller - Check out her Bio on Amazon.com.***First about the book (then scroll down for some great reviews!)What is The Tuck? An exciting 'Rift in our Reality' – our perception of the way things are. You'll never look at 'the woods behind your house' the same way ever again!The Tuck (and title story) is a terrifying story that is based upon actual events involving a day in the life of a boy named Joe, when he encountered something otherworldly (something altogether hairy, and alien) in the woods behind his house. An encounter that changed his life – forever. In addition, because The Tuck was first aired as a live read in front of an audience, we have left in the narrator’s amusing comments – which made this show one of the most popular – EVER!But the excitement doesn’t end there; the author includes other stories by real people (just like you) and one very famous president, who also encountered something they couldn’t explain – something that nearly scared them to death, something that lurks in the woods, stalks us, and waits for us to enter its domain. Watch your step – you could be next!As always, Lyn’s goal is to enlighten and entertain, a trait that has earned her the title as the Dinner and a Movie author. Now read some great reviews: "I have to agree with another reviewer - I don't know if I could have held it together like this kid? The Tuck, huh? (What left him with that name imprinted on his memory?) This kid didn't just lose time, he lost the memory of it, and it haunted him the rest of his life! I don't know what he saw in the woods, but I've got a feeling he should just let it go, and count himself lucky. Better him than me." Josh M., MD"WOW! Umm . . . I love taking a walk through the woods behind my house, never gave it a second thought, until now! This kid handled himself so well, I don't know if I could have kept it together like he did. Just an amazing story - and to know it really happened. Makes you wonder what's going on in Texas? I read Lyn Murray's "One Dark Halloween Night" - also based on actual events (another great story.) Maybe Bigfoot sightings are centered around leylines or something? Maybe something interdimensional coming through? Gee! Great Read! B. Maxwell, MDIntriguing Collection of Stories, Reports and Extras Centered on Legends of Woods Monsters January 7, 2015 By Alex Prosper/Verified PurchaseCompelling layers of stories and reports weave a dark and mysterious narrative in The Tuck. Murray is a master of suspenseful storytelling and reportage, weaving together story, research, first-hand reports and data all on the topic of experiences with unknown large monsters/animals in the woods. When I lived outside Seattle these stories were not uncommon and always told with a bit of trepidation but a lot of conviction. What is behind the enduring nature of these legends? Murray explores the topic with an open-mind so that readers can drawn their own conclusions, or add this to their own piles of anecdotal research, or just enjoy this cultural fascination. Much of this content was new to me. i had no idea we had President with a Sasquatch-type sighting, so that part of the book was incredibly interesting. The first hand reports were fascinating to consider from a logical point of view, and from a paranormal one as well. This collection has fun material for Big Foot fanatics, too, including some puzzles and artwork. The best part, though, is the titled tale, wherein a narrator tells a campfire-like suspenseful tale of an encounter that offers a paranormal take on the Big Foot phenomenon. It's well told with just the right amount of tension, humor and

On leave, and out of his head with boredom, NZDF Sergeant Taine McKenna joins biologist Jules Asher, on a Conservation Department deer culling expedition to New Zealand’s southernmost national park, where soaring peaks give way to valleys gouged from clay and rock, and icy rivers bleed into watery canyons too deep to fathom. Despite covering an area the size of the Serengeti, only eighteen people live in the isolated region, so it’s a surprise when the hunters stumble on the nation’s Turehu tribe, becoming some of only a handful to ever encounter the elusive ghost people. But a band of mercenaries saw them first, and, hell-bent on exploiting the tribes’ survivors, they’re prepared to kill anyone who gets in their way. As a soldier, McKenna is duty-bound to protect all New Zealanders, but after centuries of persecution will the Turehu allow him to help them? Besides, there is something else lurking in the sounds, and it has its own agenda. When the waters clear, will anyone be allowed to leave? “Murray pretty much nails small unit tactics.” Justin Coates, author of The Apocalypse Drive “A fantastic blend of military fiction, a very real primordial monster, and powerful mythology.” Paul Mannering, author of Hard Corps, Hell’s Teeth, and Eat.