Book Has Rules Of Engagement For The Journey To Womanhood

Shaneen Murray is the author of “The Girl Code Rules of Engagement, A Girl’s Guide to Staying on Code.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHANEEN MURRAY.
Shaneen Murray is the author of “The Girl Code Rules of Engagement, A Girl’s Guide to Staying on Code.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY SHANEEN MURRAY.

Book Has Rules Of Engagement For The Journey To Womanhood

By Tia Carol Jones

Shaneen Murray set out to write a guide for bachelorettes who are 40-plus years old seeking love and romance. During the pandemic, she was on the Clubhouse app, and she went into a room for writers. She spoke with the man who was moderating the room and he suggested they talk offline.

Gerald Moore, Sr. gave Murray some valuable feedback and it helped her shift the focus of her writing project to a book for young women between the ages of 16-30. Because she had mentored young women in the past, she knew it was an audience that she could relate to. The result was her book, “The Girl Code Rules of Engagement, A Girl’s Guide to Staying on Code.”

After tweaking the manuscript based on Moore’s feedback, Murray was able to finish the book six months later. The book was released in November 2023. Young women who the book was geared toward told Murray they loved the book and felt like they were hearing from a big sister. Since the book was released, however, women of all ages have read it and responded to it positively.  

Murray said the book is loosely based on her experiences and the experiences of her girlfriends and other women. One of the key takeaways of the book is that a woman is a girl first and all women will travel to womanhood.

“For the young women, they should know they are not alone, that we all do understand certain situations, certain feelings. There are just certain things that are universal to all of us, young and old. We really are on this journey to womanhood together,” she said.

The other takeaway is that for older women, the learning never stops and there are always opportunities to become a better version of themselves, with the goal of being the best version of yourself.

Murray wanted to highlight some of the situations she experienced and provide the kind of mentorship she wished she had when she was growing up. She wanted the book to be as authentic and wanted it to have a certain vulnerability. Murray said she was afraid to hit the publish button because of the vulnerability in the book, as well as owning and speaking her truth.

“Nobody can tell my story but me now, despite any other stories that might be out there, this is the real version,” she said.

Murray self-published the book through Amazon. It was all uncharted territory for her. She did have mentorship and guidance from Moore and Duke Wright, who are both authors. Having those mentors give her guidance was helpful to her when it came to the publishing process.

The entire process has been exciting for Murray. She is stepping into a whole new area as an author and an entrepreneur. She has received great feedback from people about the book. She is learning her place in the author world, and she is looking forward to making more connections.

“I feel like I have something really good here. I feel like I have a really great message that needs to get out there,” she said.

The book is available on Amazon, but it can also be purchased directly from Shaneen Murray by emailing magentadreamsllc@gmail.com. People can also follow the book’s Instagram and Facebook pages, @thegirlcoderules. To see the book trailer, visit https://www.instagram.com/reel/Czd6jIwrPF4/?igsh=OTJsYzU2Zmxqb241.

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