The Pulpwood Queen
About the Author
Kathy L. Murphy (formerly Patrick) is a one-woman phenomenon in the worlds of literature, literacy, and literary promotion. Starting with one book club in a tiny Texas town, she now manages what is literally an empire of book clubs, 700-plus in the United States and
15 foreign countries…and counting!
The Faulkner Society cannot imagine a better role model for developing writers, youngsters at-risk for illiteracy, and dedicated
readers. And how is that she has accomplished so much? She makes
reading fun and she knows that no appearance is too small for her if it furthers her mission: universal literacy.
Her events are fun…women wear tiaras and their dress-up best and vie for tiara titles. And now men are getting the message that reading
can be fun, especially as part of Kathy’s book clubs she organizes for
men. And that’s especially good news since men of all ages are
the most at-risk group.
She has a natural knack for marketing her brand and she gets results.
Kathy can show others how to build their marketing platforms, too.
If you have doubts, look at her record.
Key Accomplishments
- Only Two-Time Winner of The Lucile Michel Pannell Award given for outstanding children’s programming by The National Women’s Book Council presented at Miami American Bookseller’s Association and respectively at the Chicago American Bookseller’s Association conventions. where she gave acceptance speeche at the Children’s Author Breakfasts.
- Opened the Original Hair Salon/Bookstore, Beauty and the Book in the country in Jefferson, Texas in 2000.
- 2000, founded and operates the 700-plus chapter book club, The Pulpwood Queens, nationally and in 15 foreign countries making it the largest “meeting and discussing” book club in the world.
- Featured on Oprah Winfrey’s OXYGEN Network on a show entitled Dallas Style, along with Beyoncé’ and Destiny’s Child.
- Featured on the front full page of the Sunday Calendar Section of the Los Angeles Times in a feature called The Tastemaker followed by a two-page full spread story.
- Featured on The Bob Phillips Texas Country Reporter Show, The Joan Hallmark Show, HGTV, and has regularly been featured on the ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX cable Networks and other various television shows
- Kicked off Diane Sawyer and Charlie Gipson’s READ THIS Book Club on Good Morning America and had their film crews in Jefferson, Texas three times.
- Recipient of The James Patterson Pageturner Award in 2007 for an individual going beyond the call for promoting literacy.
- Business Woman of the Year awarded by the Women of Jefferson, Texas
- Rotarian of the Year awarded by The Rotary Club of Jefferson, TX.
- Featured front page of the Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, and the Shreveport Times. Features in the Wall Street Journal and other local, regional, and national journals.
- Cover with stories in the Houston Press, Texas Monthly, Texas Co-op and Power Magazine, the Texas Observer, D Magazine, Charm Magazine, Skirt Magazine, Newsweek, Time, Book Magazine, and Oxford American Magazine.
- Author of The Pulpwood Queens’ Tiara Wearing, Book Sharing Guide to Life published by Grand Central Publishing was was listed in 2008 TOP TEN TEXAS BOOKS OF THE YEAR and endorsed by 16 library associations including The Texas Library Association, (Keynote Speaker Closing Speaker that year), Kansas Center for the Book, Kansas Library Association, Mountains and Plains Library Association and was Keynote Speaker at all those mentioned above State Librarian Luncheon. The book now has been optioned for a film by DreamWorks to be distributed by Disney.
- Keynote Speaker at Austin College Fundraising Luncheon, The Dallas Arboretum Fundraising Luncheon, The Dallas Women’s Club.
- Kathy L. Murphy’s (formerly Patrick) had a first book tour during which she covered ten states, more than 7,000 miles and spoke to more than 27 bookstores, television and radio stations including Good Morning Atlanta with the First Lady of Atlanta, GA.
- Her recent book tour included speaking engagements with her book clubs in Jackson, MS, Atlanta, GA, then a Keynote at Pawley’s Island the South Carolina Country Club, to Spartanburg, SC and its Seven Reads School programs.
- Featured at the Mid-South Bookseller’s Convention of which she was on the Children’s Board, American Bookseller’s Association, The Association for Journalists and Publishers in New York City, The Louisiana Book Festival, The Tennessee Williams Book Festival in New Orleans of which she was the closing Keynote Speaker, The Writer’s League of Texas opening Keynote Speaker at their agent’s conference in Austin, TX, The Texas Book Festival, The Arkansas Book Festival, Decatur Book Festival, Book Marks Festival in North Carolina, The Southern Festival for the Book in Nashville. She speaks regularly to book clubs, libraries, churches, and been invited to speak at many Main Street Conferences by various Chambers of Commerce. She has conducted seminars on How to Get Publicity, including a keynote for the Avinger, TX Chamber of Commerce Banquet, and a Keynote Opening speech at East Texas Book Festival.
- Other appearances have included those as: Keynote Speaker at First United Methodist of Gilmer, TX, Christmas Tea and featured author at PubSense Summit 2015 in Charleston, SC, Keynote at Chanticleer Book Festival in Bellingham, WA and Grand Marshall of Oil Festival in her hometown this year.
- She is Past President of The Rotary Club of Jefferson, New Generations and Literary Chair, fundraising for their Dolly Parton Imagination Library Project in Marion County, TX, which sends books to children born in our county once a month until they start Kindergarten to get them reading ready. She was former New Generations Chair and President-Elect for Rotary Club of Hawkins/Holly Lake Ranch, TX.
- Former Junior High and High School Youth Leader and Staff Parish Chair for The First United Methodist Church of Jefferson, TX and founder of their BOOKS ALIVE Author/Book Program of fundraisers for the church. Former Youth Director for Junior/Senior High Youth at First United Methodist Church of Hawkins, TX.
- Taught Life Writing Classes at First United Methodist Newgate Mission in Longview, TX.
- Featured with United Methodist Communications website and magazine as METHODIST OF THE MONTH internationally and featured recently in CROSS CONNECTIONS.
- Also featured in her first ever documentary For the Love of Books, filmed entirely in Jefferson, TX during her annual Pulpwood Queen Book Festival called Girlfriend Weekend. The film was winner of Audience’s Choice Award for BEST FEATURE FILM at The Phenom Film Festival in Shreveport/Bossier City,LA.
- Former book reviewer for Charm Magazine put out by the Longview News Journal in Longview, TX
- Up and coming feature in Texas Highways November 2016 issue.
- Currently full time college student working on Art BFA degree in Mixed Media at The University of Texas @ Tyler.
www.facebook.com/Pulpwoodqueen