New York Times’ bestselling author and international speaker Cecil (Cec) Murphey has written or co-written more than one hundred books, including the runaway bestseller 90 Minutes in Heaven (with Don Piper) and Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (with Dr. Ben Carson). His books have sold millions of copies, have been translated into more than 40 languages, and have brought hope and encouragement to countless people around the world.
Some of his more recent releases include Hope and Comfort for Every Season (June 2010, his 119th book), When a Man You Love Was Abused: A Woman’s Guide to Helping Him Overcome Childhood Sexual Molestation (May 2010), Words of Comfort for Times of Loss (January 2010), 60 Seconds to Greatness (with Eddie Long, January 2010), and When God Turned off the Lights and Christmas Miracles (both fall 2009 releases). At this time he has one more book scheduled for release in 2010—Knowing God, Knowing Myself—and five books scheduled for release in 2011.
In addition to his many books, Cecil has written hundreds of articles that have appeared in a variety of publications. He stays busy as a professional writer and travels extensively to speak on many topics such as writing, recovery, spiritual growth, caregiving, significant living, male sexual abuse, and more.
Inspiration:
Although Cec Murphey has written books on many different topics, his recent primary areas of focus are Spiritual Growth, Christian Living, and Caregiving.
For those countless Americans who seek spirituality without relying on God, Cec believes their focus misses the mark. “Many people I meet work hard at being perfect. They don't want anyone to see their weaknesses or failings. They want us to like them for the image they try to project and not for who they really are. This is precisely the crux of the dilemma. Our quest for spirituality must lead toward developing greater knowledge of and intimacy with God.”
For Cec, growing spiritually is not just about doing more things or attending another conference. These so-called mountaintop experiences are snapshots in one's spiritual life. Cec used to think that if he did more, God would respond more favorably. But unfaith always peeked around the corners.
While some people believe that reading their Bible more, praying, or attending added services are the solutions to deeper spirituality, Cec thinks this is a mistake. “My struggle is with the lifestyle will of God. And this lifestyle comes only through developing the qualities that make us more like our Creator.”
Cec Murphey’s hope is that by sharing his path and discoveries, he can help you grow effectively, too.
Ghostwriting:
"I like you and I like the way you write. Why don't you write something for us?" He was the vice-president of a publishing house and Cec was the banquet speaker at a writers’ conference in 1989. The result of that conversation was the publication of Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story. It has now sold close to two million copies and has been translated into over 14 languages.
In 1990, Ben Carson and Cec wrote Think Big as a follow-up book, and it has sold over one million copies. Both books are required reading in a number of high schools and colleges.
As a ghostwriter, Cec takes other people's materials and writes books for them. Some carried his name; others did not. (Ghostwriters are often noted with the word "with" below the author's name).
Why does Cecil Murphey ghostwrite? This is what he says: “It is rewarding for me to help others tell their stories of inspiration and growth. When I see the faces of children challenged to be more than they could ever imagine by a dedicated teacher like Salome Thomas-EL, I am gratified to be a part of telling that story.”
Cec’s first ghostwritten book appeared in 1981 from Revell. It was called In Tune and was the autobiography of singer B.J. Thomas. He followed it with No Mountain Too High for Stan Cottrell, an ultra-marathon runner. After that, Cec ghosted more than thirty books for people such as Dr. Michael Youssef, the flamboyant pianist Dino, and Franklin Graham. (Graham's Rebel with a Cause won the 1995 Gold Medallion award.)
The same year that Gifted Hands came out, so did With Byrd at the Bottom of the World (Stackpole) that Cec wrote for explorer Norman Vaughan, the only surviving member of Admiral Byrd's 1928-1930 historic trip to Antarctica. The book is still in print.
In 2003, Kensington released I Choose to Stay: A Black Teacher Refuses to Desert the Inner City that Cec wrote for Salome Thomas-EL. Arnold Schwarzeneggar wrote the foreword and Reader's Digest condensed it in their February 2003 magazine. The book has been optioned for film. Salome and Cec collaborated on a new book called The Immortality of Influence, released in 2006 with a foreword by the actor Will Smith.
At the end of 2006, Harvest House released the autobiography of Seattle Seahawks running back (and MVP) Shaun Alexander called Touchdown Alexander. It sold 50,000 copies in its first four months. Touchdown Alexander recently received the Retailers Choice Award at the International Christian Retailers Show. |
