Victoria Christopher Murray

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Victoria Christopher Murray
Murray in 2024
Murray in 2024
BornNew York City, U.S.
Occupation
  • Author
  • editor
NationalityAmerican
EducationHampton University (BA)
New York University Stern School of Business (MBA)
Notable worksThe Personal Librarian (2021)
Notable awardsNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction (2016)

Victoria Christopher Murray is an American editor and author of over 30 books, with "more than one million books in print."[1]

Personal life and education

Murray was born in Queens, New York.[2] She received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Disorders from Hampton University[2] and a Master of Business Administration from New York University Stern School of Business.[1][3] She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta.[2]

Murray now spends her time in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles.[4]

Career

After working in business for ten years, Murray launched a financial services agency for Aegon, USA, where she worked for nine years.

Murray published her first book, Temptation, in 1997. As she continued writing, she became known for her Christian fiction geared toward African American readers, though the genre didn't exist when she published Temptation. Murray stated, "I knew that I wanted to write a book that was entertaining, compelling and put God in the middle and still have the book be a page-turner."[5] Later, Murray explained that she hated the "Christian fiction label," saying, "I think it limits our readership ... I’m not writing for people who are already in church. If I had to say who I was trying to gain, it’s people who never entered a church.”[6]

Since her Temptation, Murray has published over 30 novels.

In 2014, Murray launched Brown Girls Publishing alongside ReShonda Tate Billingsley.[3]

Awards

Awards for Murray's writing
Year Award Result Ref.
2001 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work Nominee
2006 Phillis Wheatley Award for Trailblazer in Contemporary Fiction Winner [5]
2006 Tabahani Book Club Author of the Decade
2007 African American Literary Award for Best Christian Fiction
2008 African American Literary Award for Best Christian Fiction
2008 African American Literary Award for Author of the Year
2009 African American Literary Award for Best Young Adult Fiction
2009 African American Literary Award for Best Christian Fiction
2010 Romance Slam Glam, Best Inspirational Romance
2010 African American Literary Award for Best Christian Fiction
2013 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction Nominee [7]
2014 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction Nominee
2015 African American Literary Award for Best Fiction
2015 African American Literary Award for Author of the Year
2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction Nominee
2016 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction Winner
2017 African American Literary Award for Best Christian Fiction
2017 African American Literary Award for Lifetime Achievement
2017 Go On Girl Book Club's Author of the Year
2018 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction Nominee

Publications

Adult novels

  • Joy (2001)
  • Truth Be Told (2004)
  • Grown Folks Business (2005)
  • The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil (2011)
  • Destiny's Divas (2012)
  • Never Say Never (2013)
  • Touched by an Angel, co-authored with Princess FL Gooden (2014)
  • Stand Your Ground (2015)
  • It Should've Been Me, co-authored with ReShonda Tate Billingsley (2016)
  • If Only For One Night, co-authored with ReShonda Tate Billingsley (2018)
  • The Personal Librarian, co-authored with Marie Benedict (2021)

The Ex Files

  • The Ex Files (2007)
  • Merry Ex-Mas (2013)
  • Forever an Ex (2014)

Jasmine series (1997-2017)

Seven Deadly Sins series (2017-2021)

  • Lust (2017)
  • Envy (2018)
  • Greed (2019)
  • Wrath (2021)

Teen novels

Divas series

  • Diamond (2008)
  • India (2008)
  • Veronique (2009)
  • Aaliyah (2009)

References

  1. ^ a b "Victoria Christopher Murray". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  2. ^ a b c "Author". Victoria Christopher Murray. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  3. ^ a b Reid, Calvin (2014-02-03). "Authors Launch Brown Girls Publishing". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  4. ^ "Victoria Christopher Murray". Simon & Schuster. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  5. ^ a b "Murray Wins Wheatley". Shelf Awareness. 2006-07-24. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  6. ^ Ers, Joshunda S. (2011-12-09). "Christian Fiction for African-Americans: A Dilemma". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
  7. ^ Patrick, Diane (2013-01-04). "40 Books Nominated for NAACP Image Awards". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 2022-05-30.
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