MURRAY, Victoria Christopher

PERSONAL:

Born in New York, NY; married; husband's name, Ray (deceased). Education: Hampton Institute, B.A., 1977; New York University, M.B.A., 1979. Religion: Christian.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Inglewood, CA. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Walk Worthy Press, 33290 West 14 Mile Rd., Suite 482, West Bloomfield, MI 48322. E-mail—VECM1@aol.com.

CAREER:

Businesswoman and entrepreneur, 1979-97; founder of a financial services agency.

MEMBER:

Delta Sigma Theta.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Gold Pen Award for best inspirational fiction, 2002, for Joy.

WRITINGS:

Temptation (novel), Professional Business Consultants (Los Angeles, CA), 1997.

Joy (novel), Walk Worthy Press (West Bloomfield, MI), 2001.

Truth Be Told (novel), Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2004.

Contributor to Blessed Assurance: Inspirational Short Stories Full of Hope and Strength for Life's Journey, Literally Speaking Publishing House (Washington, DC), 2003. Regional editor, Black Issues Book Review. Contributor to Quarterly Black Review.

ADAPTATIONS:

A sound recording of Joy was released by Recorded Books, 2002.

WORK IN PROGRESS:

Grown Folks Business.

SIDELIGHTS:

Victoria Christopher Murray was a successful businesswoman, deeply involved with her religious faith, when she decided in the late 1990s to begin writing fiction. Murray was inspired to write by her personal relationship with God, and when she began her first novel she did not know that her work would find a genre waiting for it. "I did not know I was writing what people would later say was Christian fiction," the author said in a Good Girl Book Club online interview. "Though an avid reader, I had never read a Christian fiction book in my life—I didn't know the genre existed. I just wanted to write a book like many of the others on the market and put God in the middle of it." Murray has since written several popular novels that address difficult personal and professional decisions, not only from a Christian perspective but also from an African-American Christian perspective. The heroines of Temptation, Joy, and Truth Be Told are all black women facing challenges with the help of the Lord.

Murray self-published her first novel, Temptation, in 1997. Eventually the book attracted an agent and was picked up by Walk Worthy Press, a Christian publisher that distributes through Warner Books. Temptation is a timeless story of marital infidelity, but with a twist. The fictitious husband and wife, Kyla and Jefferson Blake, are both devout Christians and devoted parents to their only child. Kyla discovers, to her dismay, that her best friend, Jasmine, is jealous of the strong bond between Kyla and Jefferson. Jasmine seduces Jefferson, and the novel's plot centers on how Kyla and Jefferson seek divine help to preserve their marriage. InBlack Issues Book Review, Sharita Hunt suggested that Murray's novel "reflects the values and struggles of our times." In the New Pittsburgh Courier, Tawanda W. Johnson declared, "Do your spirit a favor and read 'Temptation.'… The way in which the couple deals with the affair is refreshing."

A self-starting businesswoman must confront dark times in Joy. Anya Mitchell is running her own company, engaged to a handsome and successful writer, and facing a bright future. The fabric of her life begins to fray, however, when her "perfect" relationship shows flaws. When Anya is violently attacked by a stalker, her attempts to come to terms with the crime cause deeper rifts between herself and her fiancée. Anya seeks strength in her Christian faith and resolves her many issues through prayer and reflection. "There is a clear need for African-American Christian fiction," observed a Publishers Weekly critic, who added: "It is likely many readers will savor this novel of romance, intrigue and faith." Melanie C. Duncan said in Library Journal that Murray's book explores "the depths of faith in a manner sure to please fans." And according to Nicole Bailey-Williams in Black Issues Book Review, readers of Joy "will walk away feeling refreshed and uplifted by Anya's triumphs and joys."

Murray has said that her novel Truth Be Told was inspired by a conversation she had with her husband about sins of the past coming back to haunt the present. Although her husband died while she was writing the book, she held true to his vision. In Truth Be Told, Grace Monroe has recently been elected to the Los Angeles city council on a platform of moral reform. Excited about her new mandate, Grace is shocked to discover that her husband has concealed the fact that he fathered a child by another woman. The disclosure of the scandal will harm Grace's image—but how else can she come to terms with the new little boy in her life? To complicate matters, Grace's sister, Starlight, is a motivational speaker whose advice lacks Christian foundations.

Murray told Ericka P. Thompson in the Indianapolis Recorder that finishing Truth Be Told was difficult in the wake of her husband's sudden death. "I did not want to ever write again," she said. "Three weeks after his funeral I returned to the book. I didn't recognize what I had written so I had to start all over.… I realized during that process that I could get through anything. And even though I tried to walk away from writing my heart wouldn't let me go."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Black Issues Book Review, March, 2001, Sharita Hunt, review of Temptation, p. 24; November-December, 2001, Nicole Bailey-Williams, review of Joy, p. 58.

Call & Post (Cleveland, OH), August 19, 2004, "Victoria Christopher Murray Releases New Novel, 'Truth Be Told,'" p. SH5.

Library Journal, September 1, 2000, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Temptation, p. 186; February 1, 2002, Melanie C. Duncan, review of Joy, p. 80.

New Pittsburgh Courier, June 30, 2001, Tawanda W. Johnson, "'Temptation,' a Christian Novel, a Must-Read," p. B3.

New York Beacon, June 5, 2002, p. 20.

Publishers Weekly, October 1, 2001, review of Joy, p. 35.

Recorder (Indianapolis, IN), June 18, 2004, Ericka P. Thompson, "A Conversation with Author of 'Truth Be Told,'" p. C6.

ONLINE

Good Girl Book Club Online,http://www.goodgirlbookclubonline.com/magazine/ (December 16, 2004), interview with Murray."

Victoria Christopher Murray's Home Page,http://www.victoriachristophermurray.com (December 16, 2004).*