Interview: Rose Marie Murphy talks about the Price of Desire
Rose Marie Murphy is a seasoned hospitality and real estate professional and the author of the captivating new book, The Price of Desire. Having spent many years working closely with people from all walks of life, she is a true ‘people person’ who thrives on making others smile and feel completely at ease. Driven by a deep-seated dislike of injustice, Rose has always been someone who will fiercely fight to put things right, a core value that powerfully shapes the themes of her writing. Looking back on a remarkably busy and vibrant life, she draws on her rich and professional history to craft stories filled with heart, tension and truth. Rose talks to NZ Booklovers.
Can you tell us a little about your book?
The Price of Desire follows Rose, a young married woman who emigrates from England to New Zealand in the 1970s with her husband and two young children.
As Rose attempts to settle into her new life, she begins a job where she meets Jack, her boss, who is also married. Drawn in by his charm, she becomes increasingly captivated by him. Their attraction develops into an affair, and the story explores the emotional and practical consequences that follow.
What inspired the book?
The idea for this story had lived quietly inside me for almost fifty years. I had never consciously returned to it or given it serious thought until one morning I woke with the whole story suddenly present in my mind. In that moment, the path forward felt clear: I had to write it down.
What was your process when writing?
I began typing for hours at a time, following the rhythm of the story as if the book itself were dictating the words. I wrote whenever I could find a spare moment — morning, noon, and night. Sometimes, I would wake in the early hours with new thoughts shaped by my dreams, ready to return to the story.
If you had to include a soundtrack to accompany your book, what songs would you choose?
Goodbye My Love, Goodbye – Demis Roussos
The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face – Roberta Flack
The Look of Love – Dusty Springfield
Homeward Bound – Simon & Garfunkel
If you were casting the main characters in the movie version, who would you choose?
Keira Knightley and Damian Lewis.
What did you enjoy the most about writing the book?
The greatest enjoyment came from the writing itself, and from the memories it awakened along the way.
What did you do to celebrate finishing The Price of Desire?
A weekend away, dinner and a beautiful bottle of wine in the hotel restaurant.
What's next on the agenda?
Another book? There may well be another story in me. If it arrives in the same unexpected, compelling way as The Price of Desire, then who knows where it might lead?
