LITERARY AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
Pura's books have won or been finalists for various literary awards &Â have been the recipients of special merit from professional reviewers.
Awards include the Kobzar, the Dartmouth, the Rone and the Word Guild. Professional Reviewers include Readers Favorite, RT Book Reviews, Publishers Weekly and USA Today.
LITERARY AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
READERS FAVORITE
11 BOOKS BY MURRAY PURA HAVE RECEIVED "TOP PICK 5 STAR AWARDS" FROM RF READERS FAVORITE: Beautiful Skin/Petals/The Wings of Morning/All My Beautiful Tomorrows/Zo/Ashton Park/Ride the Sky/Grace Rider/The White Birds of Morning/A Sun Drenched Elsewhere/Abigail's Christmas Miracle
LITERARY AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
RT BOOK REVIEWS
TWO BOOKS BY MURRAY PURA HAVE RECEIVED STELLAR ENDORSEMENTS FROM RT REVIEWS - RT REVIEWS 4 1/2 stars = GOLD PHENOMENAL – IN A CLASS BY ITSELF: The Wings of Morning and Whispers of a New Dawn
LITERARY AWARDS & PROFESSIONAL ENDORSEMENTS
KOBZAR LITERARY AWARD
Murray Pura has been a finalist for the Shevchenko Foundation's $25,000 Kobzar Literary Award for his novel ZO
DARTMOUTH BOOK AWARD
Dartmouth Book award finalist for novel MIZZLY FITCH
A lighthouse keeper looks back on his life by the sea. The novel is primarily set on the Atlantic Coast in the 1920s.
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RONE AWARD
Rone Award Finalist for novel WHISPERS OF A NEW DAWN
A family rooted in non-violence and pacifism deals with the tragic events of December 7th, 1941 while living near Pearl Harbor.
WORD GUILD OF TORONTO LITERARY AWARDS
Word Guild Award Winner Best Historical Novel for The White Birds of Morning
A family struggles to survive the Nazi invasion of Russia and Ukraine in WW2 without losing their values or their humanity.
WHAT’S NEW
May 27th, 2020
This year there has seen new editions of Hawk, The Preacher Man, and The Bride From Virginia City (formerly with Barbour & entitled, by them, A Bride's Flight From Virginia City, Montana). There have been two brand new releases: The Amish Menorah and Other Stories (a short story anthology comprised of 6 authors, including me) and ISLANDS: Far On the Ringing Plains (co-authored by Patrick Craig and myself). Both have been warmly welcomed by readers and reviewers. Check in here to find out what new stories are coming your way in the second half of 2020!
WHO I AM
and what I write
I was first published in my teens and I was already happily writing away prior to that major life event lol. Today I work with several different publishers, both indie and traditional, and I work in a number of fiction genres: romance, western, historical, Civil War, Amish, fantasy, action & adventure, literary fiction, inspirational and more. For me, the challenge is not only to entertain the reader within the genre they're engaging (like a romance) but to transcend the genre as well, so the story is more epic in scope, and touches on all sorts of aspects of the human experience. I invite you to pick up one of my novels today and immerse yourself in its unique and fascinating world.
You create life. That’s what happens whenever an author writes a good story.
PURA
Quotes
SYNCHRONICITY
born on the 25th of january
because i was born on Bobby Burns Day (some say Robbie Burns or Rabbie Burns), the birth date of the famous Scottish poet ("Auld Lang Syne" and "the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray") my parents gave me Scottish names (Murray & Andrew) . . . mom insisted my birth date was providential (what we'd now call synchronicity) and that i'd be a writer . . . and indeed the passion to write was there from the virtual beginning, for as soon as learned my letters, I began to hand print and publish my own books and stories, first for mom, but then for my peers . . . and wherever I've lived (Canada, USA, Scotland, the Middle East) the poet and novelist has always been a creative force in my life . . . my faith is in my stories and all my struggles and questions too, as well as my joys and the things that fill me with wonder . . . and i've always been blessed with the most wonderful readership and audiences . . . join us and enjoy the stories along with thousands of others around the world . . .
FAQ ABOUT MURRAY PURA
Things People  Often Want To Know
WHAT PUBLISHERS DO YOU WORK WITH?
I'm grateful to be connected with HarperCollins, Harlequin, Baker, Barbour, MillerWords, Harvest House & Elk Lake Publishing.
HOW MANY BOOKS DO YOU PUBLISH A YEAR?
It depends on the number of contracts I'm offered or what opportunities arise to produce a fiction or non-fiction work. Generally, however, I release 2-3 books every 12 months. The calendar year of 2018 will be different because a number of titles are being re-released in newly revised editions with different covers and different publishers.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING & HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH YOUR IDEAS FOR YOUR STORIES?
I guess it was always in the blood because I began writing stories for my mom when I was about 9 or 10, and then stories for my peers when I was in high school. I was first published when I was in my teens and I was paid for that story too (I still have the check stub). My first novel in print was Mizzly Fitch, coming out in a new edition in 2018, and my first novel released in the USA (though not my first book) was A Bride's Flight with Barbour. And my ideas? Well, at least 50% of fiction comes from real-life experience, so I write about what I've lived and what I've seen. Travel helps, meeting new people and getting to know old friends better contributes, reading, film, art, relationships - really all the stuff of all my days and dreams and nights, all my fears and my tragedies and my joys, all my hope and all my faith and all my struggles go into the stories I create, regardless of the genre.
stories that free
Toby Mac
Your story could be the key that unlocks someone else's prison. Don't be afraid to share it.
GETTYSBURGÂ Â I was riveted to this story from page one as the heroine, Clarissa, was introduced. She was spoiled, feisty, opinionated, courageous and enchanting. The rich history of Gettysburg was not sacrificed for the sake of a novel as the characters faced the dangers of secreting people away in the Underground Railroad and later faced the conflict at Gettysburg with its staggering death toll. As the story closed, the portrayal of time following the battle at Gettysburg was masterfully done. (Maria R) AMAZON REVIEWS
AMAZON REVIEWS
REVIEWS
POEMS
the trees burn at my feet
and it is not only branches and limbs
but all the years they stood over me
that vanish with them
in brightest fire
in whitest smoke
THE AMISH MENORAH & OTHER STORIES
ISLANDS
HAWK
MAY 2020
Six authors. Six stories. All unique. All different from the norm in Amish fiction. All beautiful. All bright with faith, all dark with struggle, all strong with hope.
APRIL 2020
Three men who embrace the Mennonite faith go to war in this first of three novels. One won't bear arms but the others will, breaking away from their roots and dealing with the consequences in order to defend their nation and families and the women they love.
MARCH 2020
The year is 500 AD. A journey rife with magic, mystery, faith and danger is about to begin.
SOME OF MY BOOKS & STORIES
judge a book by its cover
Here are some of the cover images of a number of my published works.