About D Murphy Ryan

One of five siblings, D Murphy Ryan grew up writing in the suburbs of Philadelphia – a city of neighborhoods and home to some of the most unique characters that ever lived. The spirit of Philadelphia infuses its residents, even well outside the city. So, no matter how many times their sports teams choke in the clinch, Philadelphians never say die. D Murphy Ryan internalized that spirit, learning to overcome adversity and push on against all odds.

Being shy made her a natural observer, and when she couldn’t connect or felt uncomfortable in the real world, she created a realm of her own. When life kicked her around, she’d write. Stories of anguish or magic, creepy tales of horror or heart-warming fables of redemption, they’d pour from her pen, cramping her hand and staining her fingers as she filled notebook upon notebook, endless snippets and character studies and experiments in atmosphere. The personalities she encountered came to life on the page. And in those stories, no matter how dire their circumstance, they nearly always found their Happily Ever After.

Waitressing forced her out of her shell – a little – and a stint as a photographer’s assistant pushed her further as she traveled across the U.S. and encountered other artists, some famous (Six degrees of Kevin Bacon anyone?) some not so well known. She even went to Prague to establish a studio in the early 90’s where she was forced to communicate without language. Studying to become a Montessori teacher, she volunteered in the evening, teaching adults to read. At loose ends, and still teaching by day, her love of music and singing drove her onstage where she performed semi-professionally throughout the Philadelphia region. Dreams of pushing on and making it in opera or Broadway filled her head, but marriage and children altered her path.

Now, bouncing plot bunnies off her two sons and long-suffering husband, she’s at last embracing the one dream she never thought she’d be brave enough to attempt: Author. The pages of her life created the fodder for this latest chapter, resulting in multiple completed novels including the Golden Heart^® finaling Out of the Shadows, and the Contemporary Romance Writers’ finaling novels The Kiss, Jackass, and Bastard.

The textures of Philadelphia have imbued D Murphy Ryan with a love of character that enrich her stories with realism. Relaying her characters’ tales and providing that Happily Ever After is as natural to her as breathing – and if one or two is an underdog, or a heartbroken Flyers fan, well, art does have a way of imitating life.