Renée Greene Murphy, born and raised in South Setauket and now a resident of Smithtown, will be hosting her very first book signing at Barnes and Noble this Saturday, November 18, to celebrate the release of her new children’s book Your Heart’s Voice.
The story follows a young character named Jade who learns about intuition and making good choices through the “voice in her heart”. This voice is representative of a child’s intuition of right and wrong. Throughout the story, Jade makes a series of decisions with the help of her heart’s voice, which all turn out to be the right ones, making Jade feel good about herself and happy about her decisions. The situations Jade is confronted with in the story are familiar types of decisions children make in their day-to-day lives.
“While this is a children’s picture book it can also be used as a parenting tool for behavior,” says Murphy. She wrote the book with children and parents in mind. “It’s for ages five and up, but because we all have the gift of intuition it’s a gentle reminder to people of all ages that we have this gift and to use it wisely. My aim is to help others.”
Murphy’s story teaches children to understand how to identify the feeling of intuition, or “your heart’s voice” and how to use it. It also helps parents focus on their kid’s intuitive awareness. Children who understand their intuition, and see it result in good outcomes, will begin to feel confident in making their own decisions. Your Heart’s Voice enforces self-awareness, breeds self-trust, and can begin to implement independence in children. The importance of intuition is often underestimated for children of young ages, however when harnessed and nurtured can aid them out of dangerous situations and lead them to quick problem solving.
The creation of Your Heart’s Voice began back in 2016 after Murphy’s second child was born. She had always been interested in writing a children’s book and noticed there were very few that described what intuition is like for kids.
“I always relied on my intuition growing up to help guide me throughout life from a very young age,” Murphy described. “I wanted children to learn about their intuition, what it means and how to best use it.” After a few drafts, Murphy put the book aside to care for her growing family.
She picked it back up when the story became personal for her a few years later. “My beautiful little brother, Robert Greene, tragically died in a car accident in St. James in May 2022 at only thirty-three years old. To say we’ve been devastatingly heartbroken is an understatement,” explains Murphy. “Grief is complicated and painful beyond belief. I found writing helped in a very small way. So, I went back to writing my book six months after he passed and decided to add my brother as a main character as well as dedicate it to him.” Robert is seen in the story as Jade’s uncle, who ultimately is the character that tells Jade what her “heart’s voice” truly is. In 2022, it took Murphy a short two months to complete her book.
“It’s a memorial for us now, that I will cherish forever.”
Renee explains that the process of writing Your Heart’s Voice was therapeutic for her; however, the prospect of helping children make good choices for themselves throughout their lives was a driving motivation.
“I’ve had children say to me after hearing my book that they now try to listen to their ‘heart’s voice’ to help them make the right choice during the day. That is why I wrote this book. I saw a need and I wanted to fill it, while hopefully helping as many people as I could along the way.”
This coming Saturday, Renée Greene Murphy will be at the Barnes and Noble near the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove at 11:30 a.m. to sign and sell copies of Your Heart’s Voice.
“I believe books are the foundation of learning. Children are our future, and I’m proud to say I’m a part of that in a positive way.”
