New bio update...and an oops :)

I was making some changes to my Blogger profile a little while ago and posted my latest bio in the "About Me" section...and then was shocked to see the whole thing appeared in the profile segment of every blog I publish. Wow. That's not what I intended. :)

So...here's the updated bio. I'm going to post it only in this space because having it everywhere is unnerving. :)

Katherine Murray is a writer, editor, mom, and nana who loves the earth and all beings living here. The author of many nonfiction books (including Green Home Computing for Dummies, published by John Wiley & Sons in 2009), Katherine mixes pastoral care with contemplative writing and feels that healing our relationship with the earth is integral to personal and societal healing. She is currently writing “One Self, One World: Meditations on Belonging to the Earth” and offering the contemplative retreat, “The Language the the Earth Speaks,” which helps participants uncover their personal responses to the earth’s call for care. Katherine’s essay “Water as Healer,” is part of the collection Water: Its Spiritual Significance, published by Fons Vitae (2009) for the Louisville Festival of Faiths. With an M.Div from Earlham School of Religion, Katherine has served as a hospital chaplain and facilitator of healing groups. She is a member of the Society for Environmental Journalists and writes about earthcare both as practical and spiritual practice. Katherine’s work is available online through her blogs (Practical Faith and Narrative) and you can follow her on Twitter at http://twitter/kmurray230.

Green Home Computing for Dummies: Finished!

Well, it was a whirlwind, but we're done--Green Home Computing for Dummies will be appearing soon on a bookstore shelf (and on amazon.com and every other bookselling site on the planet) soon. What a blast I had working on this book! I have been wanting to write a green book for the last few years, and I'm grateful to Woody Leonhard (my coauthor) and to Wiley for giving me the opportunity. This is just the beginning--I want to do much more writing about ways we can make a big, positive impact for the planet and for each other. :)

Several great new projects are already in the works...stay tuned for news about Office 14, fundraising revisions (yay!), and new possibilities for technology and beyond...

Lots of New Work & Go Green!

[Update: March 1, 2009] Hello and happy (almost) spring! I wanted to let you know about a few new resources I posted this morning. reVisions Plus has a new set of communication tips (for March) based on riding the wind of change in your organization or business, and over on BlogOffice, you'll find a new 3-Minute Quick Guide to Creating a Glossary in Word 2007. (It's easier than you might think!)

Also, some project news: I just finished writing Learning Web Design with Adobe CS4 for Emergent Learning/Pearson and am working on Green Home Computing for Dummies with Woody Leonhard right now (awesome book! I am absolutely loving this project). There are so so so many ways we can cut back on the energy we use; it's really exciting and empowering. I'll post more about this as time goes on, but here's a quick little green tip for you:

Green tip: You can start saving energy easily--with just a couple of clicks--by changing the power management settings in Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 7, and on your Mac (see the Energy Saver dialog box) so that your system uses less energy and goes to sleep sooner rather than later. (Note: Sleep mode in Vista is much better and more reliable than Stand By mode in Windows XP.)

Just Published!

I just published a new book called Awareness: An Owner's Manual, offering gentle ideas and meditations for tuning in to personal awareness and finding clarity, peace, and a greater sense of who we are deeply, beneath the external circumstances of our lives. Click here for a preview of the new book. :)

How did you spend your summer vacation?

I think I say this every year, but it amazes me how quickly the time goes--especially in the summer! I hope you had a good, relaxing few months of bliss, wherever you live. :)

Summer here has been full, as always. Here are some of the projects and ideas I've been fascinated with over the last several months:

• Social networking for nonprofits
  
• Product development, management, and launch of a research-based pilot for education
  
• Collaboration across time, space, and industries
  
• Writing about mindfulness and peace in work, life, identity
  
• Initiatives truly designed to serve (as opposed to grab market share)
  
• Relaxing into a sense of the good ideas arising now

All in all, a wonderful summer. I'm thankful. How about you?

Life Is Fun

Well, I discovered tonight that I've been remiss in updating this resume blog. My writing is continuing to flourish (thanks to Peter for that wonderful word!) and I love it more than ever. Here are a few of the milestones in the few months since I've posted. I am working or have worked on the following projects recently:

Managing editor of The Educational Forum for KDP

Creating social networking solutions for nonprofits

Design, layout, and proofreading for Earlham School of Religion

Monthly newsletter and web content for Microsoft

Work in pastoral care at a local hospital

Volunteer work transcribing Thomas Merton's handwritten notebooks

Retreat facilitation (coming fall 2008!) on contemplative living at Bethany Spring

In addition to these life-enriching activities, I am actively writing "Gentle Conversations: Nurturing the Art of Deep Connection," and working on two other projects that spring from the center of my heart (one is a book on guided meditations related to loving the earth and another is a reflection on Sri Ramana's Forty Verses of Reality).

It is a rich summer full of creative expression--such a blessing! I've never been happier. What inspiring things are you working on right now? (Comments welcome!) :) k

Want to be interviewed?

[Update: November 4, 2007] I've just added the second set of interview questions for the Conversations survey. These questions focus on conversations in community, spirituality, and care of the earth. Here's the link: Conversations survey, part 2. Thanks for helping!


Hi! I'm beginning to research a new project on the dynamics and effects of conversation. I've created a simple survey--would you be willing to participate? It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes. All responses are confidential (I don't ask anything scary, anyway) and if I choose to quote you, I'll send you an e-mail message asking your permission first.

Here's the link, and thanks for helping!

Click here to take the Conversation survey

Another new book!

[Update: October 2007]This is the first Plain & Simple book I've had the pleasure to write: Microsoft Expression Web Plain & Simple. Expression Web is the new Microsoft Web page design software, created to replace FrontPage and offer standards-based Web page creation simply and easily. The book is a visual guide that teaches the basics so you can create professional looking pages whether you're new to Web design or just switching over from another program.

Word 2007 Inside Out is loose in the world!

This huge book that is literally packed with great information about Word 2007. Writing this book was an adventure that I'm sure many Word users can relate to. The new user interface simplifies things, right? Well, it's also deceptively simple. Researching and writing this book was a bit like falling down the rabbit hole. The more you explore, the more there is to find! In any event, it's a great book--it's selling well. Check it out when you get a chance.

Writing for CNET's TechRepublic

I've been having a blast writing some Office-related articles for Jody Gilbert over at CNET's TechRepublic. They have a great series of "10 ways..." articles. It's a fun, informative format. Here's a few that I've written, but there are lots more on a variety of topics. See the list by going here.

• 10 ways to format Excel data so people actually understand it
  
• 10 ways you can tweak Word to fit your working style
  
• 10 Word features you can skip
  
• 10 things you can do to give your PowerPoint presentations a heartbeat