The Ex Files (and by default, Forever an Ex) has been optioned to become a movie. That is another reason why I’m happy I did revisit these characters. While the author has little to say about the movie script, writing this story gives the producers and the other powers that be more to work with . . . so we’ll see what happens. (The Hollywood process is a long, long, long, long journey. So no, I have no idea when the movie will be finished or when it will come out.)
Well that explains why I wrote this novel, and really, I’d love to end this author’s note right here because the next part gives me such anxiety that sometimes I break out in hives. It is hard to write acknowledgments because I will inevitably leave out someone by accident. Like the time I acknowledged my nieces who’d helped me spread the word about my novel. My mother called me and said, “You forgot Ciara! Why did you leave out Ciara?” I tried to explain that yes, Ciara is my niece, and yes, I didn’t include her, but that was because she didn’t help me spread the word about my novel, being that she was only four years old at the time. I’ve been traumatized since. So all I say about the people I love is that I’m acknowledging all of you. And that I love you. And that you know that already and don’t need validation in a book. That goes for all of my friends and family!
Whew! Now that that’s over with, I can get on to my professional acknowledgments. I’ve been published by a major publisher since 2000, and I’ve spent most of those years with Simon and Schuster. I just celebrated my tenth anniversary with Touchstone Books, an imprint of S&S, and ten years is like one hundred years in publishing. Seriously, very few authors are blessed with such longevity, let alone as a writer with one publisher, so this is a special time for me. This hasn’t been an easy journey. Right in the middle of my career, the digital market exploded, making bookstores close and taking away the opportunity for people to buy print books with ease. Honestly, for the past several years, it’s felt like my career has been touch and go—some years more touch than go. But the thing is, Touchstone has stayed with me and I am grateful to the entire team. I’m very excited to be working with two new people at Touchstone: Susan Moldow, my publisher, and my new editor, Lauren Spiegel. I am thrilled about Lauren—she’s a writer’s editor, the kind who will get down in the ditches with you and help you figure out your whole crazy story. Thank you, Lauren, for helping me make Forever an Ex a better, tighter novel. (And as much as I love this book, I cannot wait for the next!) And then there’s Shida Carr, my publicist for the past ten years. There are no words to completely say what I think about Shida so I’ll keep it simple: Shida, you’re the best in the business . . . period! It’s because of you that I’ve been able to hang on during these tough times and I have a feeling that it’s all about to pay off. So a major thank-you! And to everyone else at Touchstone: Sally, Meredith, and those in the editorial, publicity, and marketing departments: the fact that you believe in me means the world. I’m blessed to be rolling with Team Touchstone.
That’s what I call the inside team but there’s also the outside team, who are equally important. Just as I’ve only had two publishers, I’ve only had two agents. And I must be living right because how can one person possibly end up with the best publisher and the best agent? Not possible, right? Wrong. Liza, I don’t think there’s anyone who believes in me more than you do, with the exception of my mother. But mothers have to believe; agents don’t. It could be all about business. Not with you, though. Every time I speak with you, I hang up and feel like I can conquer the writing world. Thank you for all that you do, but most important, thank you for how much you believe! And to everyone else at Liza Dawson Associates, from Jamie to Monica and Havis, thank you all for never getting tired of me and my calls and emails.
Thank you to Courtney Parker for the hookup and for believing in this project. And thank you, Malik Yoba, for the same.
My sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.: What can I say about the world’s greatest sorority? Of course I love my other Greek sisters, but there is nothing like the love I’ve been shown by my sorors. To all the Deltas who’ve been supporting my work from the beginning to the ones who had never heard of me but are supporting me now: my gratitude goes from here to infinity. I thank you, thank you, thank you! (I do have to give one special soror shout-out. Well, maybe not one, more like three: Essie Jeffries, who has supported me since I was self-published; Stephanie Perry Moore, whose first words to me—“I’ve been praying for you for a year”—still touch my heart; and Suzzanne Douglas Cobb, for just believing in me. Thank you, sorors!)
Finally to all the readers out there: I wish I could list each and every name, but the good news is that that list is growing once again so there are not enough pages. :-) For years you’ve been there and I am so grateful. I wouldn’t have a career without you and I am well aware of that. So thank you for supporting me and for getting into these crazy characters as much as I do. And to one of my special readers who just happens to be a soror, Denise Dowdy: What would my life be like if I hadn’t sat next to you that day at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books! You know you rock, right?
So now that I’ve finished this note, I can begin work on my 2015 novel. Wait until you hear about this one . . .
TOUCHSTONE READING GROUP GUIDE
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Forever an Ex
FOR DISCUSSION
1.How does Asia reconcile her faith and her relationship with Bobby? Does her faith seem sincere to you?
2.Asia keeps her friend Noon separate from Kendall and Sheridan, yet all three seem equally important to her. How would Asia be different without Noon, or without Kendall and Sheridan?
3.Caroline admits to Asia that she planted the idea of moving to New York in Angel’s mind, yet Asia keeps that information to herself. What would you have done in her situation? Would you have moved to New York or allowed Angel to go?
4.After Angel catches Asia and Bobby together, Asia has trouble understanding why her daughter is upset, asking, “How had I become the villain?” How might she have handled the situation better? Do you think she becomes a better parent by the end of the novel?
5.While Angel, Tori, and Christopher seem to have made it through their parents’ drama without too many problems, how can Bobby, Caroline, and Asia work together better in the future? What about Quentin, Brock, and Sheridan?
6.Sheridan sees her ex-husband, Quentin, with his former lover Jett and informs Harmony, Quentin’s fiancée. What would you have done in her position? Do you agree with Brock that it was none of her business?
7.How would Sheridan and Quentin’s relationship be different if he had left her for another woman?
8.Pastor Ford gives a sermon on keeping secrets and declares that not all secrets are bad. Have you ever kept or told a secret and wished you hadn’t? If you could go back and change the situation, how would you handle it differently?
9.Do you agree with Pastor Ford that Kendall needs to forgive herself, not Sabrina, in order to live a full life? Would Kendall have built a relationship with Sabrina and her daughter, Ciara, had Sabrina lived? Why or why not?
10.How do you feel about Kendall’s relationship with D’Angelo when they first get together? Do you think she would be better off with someone who is not so connected to Anthony and Sabrina? Or does his knowledge of her past help her overcome it?
11.D’Angelo says all of the roads in his life have led him to God, especially when he has had “a gun in [his] hand.” What do you think he means? As with Asia, consider how his lifestyle conflicts with his faith.
12.Each woman learns her own lesson and moves on from her ex by the end of the novel. What about the men in the novel? What would it take for Quentin, Anthony, and Bobby to learn their own lessons?
13.Each chapter of The Ex Files, which features Sheridan, Kendall, and Asia seven years earlier, shifts between the main characters’ points of view while this novel tells each character’s story before moving on
to the next. Why do you think Victoria Christopher Murray changed the format for this novel? Which style do you prefer and why?
A CONVERSATION WITH
VICTORIA CHRISTOPHER MURRAY
Why did you wait so long to revisit Sheridan, Kendall, and Asia? Is this a story you had planned to tell from the beginning?
I never planned on writing this sequel. In fact, I’m not that crazy about sequels. I know that’s hard to believe given all the sequels I’ve written, but my sequels are usually a response to the marketplace rather than what’s in my heart. I wrote Forever an Ex because The Ex Files was optioned to become a movie and I was asked to submit more “material.” So, compared to my other novels, it was tougher for me to write Forever an Ex. In the end, I was really happy that I went back to see what was going on with these ladies—and the men in their lives. And I’m really anxious to see what they’re going to do with the movie.
Do you have any plans to continue writing about these characters? Are the ladies finally over their exes?
I hope this is the end. I want to discover new people, new characters, and take my readers on new journeys.
If you were to write The Ex Files today, would you change anything?
No. Absolutely not. Once I’ve written a novel, I put that story to bed. That was the story at that time; that was the best that I could do at that time.
What is the message you want your readers to take away from Forever an Ex? Has that message changed at all from The Ex Files?
You know, I never write to a message . . . I just write stories. That’s it. I feel so great that readers take away messages, but the messages come at the end. The messages are not part of my writing at the beginning.
The scene when Angel walks in on her parents having “tech sex” was uncomfortable on many levels. Are scenes like this difficult to write? Why did you feel it was important to have the relationship come to a head in that manner?
That scene wasn’t uncomfortable for me to write at all. I’m just taking dictation for the characters when I write, so that was Asia’s drama, not mine. LOL. Asia lived her life recklessly without regard for other people and I wanted her to have to face her own demons. There is one thing that’s true about Asia: she loves her daughter. I wanted her to contend with losing the true love of her life. Also, in this world that we live in now, all of this technology lends itself to these kinds of situations. While I made up that scene with Asia, I bet it’s happened in real life. More than once. More than a hundred times. I have friends who have sent pictures to their husbands only for their children to find those pictures on their iPads. I hope that scene will encourage adults to be more careful.
Are any of these characters more difficult to write than others? Why?
No, no characters are more difficult than others for me. I’ve written about terrible people. But those people are not a part of me. They’re the characters I create; they’re not me. So I don’t have the kind of connection that would make it difficult for me to write them. All characters—good and bad—make up a good story.
How does your faith influence your writing? Is Pastor Ford based on any of your spiritual advisers?
Pastor Ford is completely based on my pastor, Dr. Beverly “Bam” Crawford. From the beginning, she’s been in my novels and she’s there as the voice of reason, the voice of God. When I joined Dr. Crawford’s church in 1995, my relationship with God flourished and it was because of her teachings and her preaching that I wanted to write. She released my gift. My faith will always be part of my writing because my faith is a part of me. I always tell people that regardless of what career I had chosen, everyone would not only know about but they would also see my faith. So the fact that it shows up in my writing is no big deal to me. It’s just who I am. My faith is my center.
You also write novels with ReShonda Tate Billingsley. How is the process of collaboration different from writing alone? Do you prefer one more than the other?
At this point in my career, I prefer writing with ReShonda. With more than twenty books on the shelves, it’s hard to come up with new, stimulating plotlines. But when I write with ReShonda, though we have to come up with stories together, I am challenged to keep up with her. The way we work is that I write a chapter, then she responds to it, then I respond, and so on. We never know what the other is going to do, so it’s a refreshing way to work. Every chapter is exciting. I love writing with her.
What are you currently reading? Does what you’re reading ever influence your writing? Have any books in particular made an impact?
I just finished reading what is probably one of the most important fiction books that’s been written in years: Anybody’s Daughter by Pamela Samuels Young. That book is amazing and every woman needs to read it with a young girl. Google it! As far as what I’m reading influencing my writing, I have my own voice so I can read and write at the same time and I do. I don’t have a lot of time to sit down and read, so I read daily on the elliptical machine. (That keeps me exercising!) But reading motivates me, challenges me to get better. I read for entertainment, but I learn from everyone. If I want to be a great writer, then reading is my job.
What is the best part of being on tour and getting to meet your readers?
I love touring, especially when I tour with ReShonda. Meeting readers inspires me! Readers are always so grateful that we’ve come out to visit them, but they have no idea how happy I am to meet them. Readers have no idea how they encourage us. Touring keeps me on top of my game and I love it. Many publishers and authors say touring doesn’t work, but I don’t know why—it works for me and ReShonda.
You have written both adult and young adult novels. How are they different? Which do you prefer?
I actually enjoyed writing young adult more than I thought I would and I wish I had the chance to continue. With my YA books, I knew that I was doing something important, something that was more than just entertainment. I did want my YA books to deliver a message. I did want the young girls to see characters who looked like them so that they could learn lessons. But while I love writing YA, my heart will always be with my adult novels.
ENHANCE YOUR BOOK CLUB
1.Read The Ex Files to see how Asia, Kendall, Sheridan, and Vanessa first became friends. Discuss how each of the characters has—or hasn’t—changed.
2.Take some time at the beginning or at the end of your book club meeting to check in with your fellow readers. Lend an ear and support your friends; you may be surprised to find out what else you have in common.
3.Pastor Ford wants Kendall, Sheridan, and Asia to share their lessons with the world. Think of what you have learned through your relationships and experiences with love and share with the group.
4.In honor of Kendall’s passion for her work, have a spa day! Find a local spa and enjoy some relaxation time with your friends.
About the Author
Rochelle Scott Design and Photography
Victoria Christopher Murray is the Essence bestselling author of more than twenty novels including: The Ex Files, Lady Jasmine, and The Deal, the Dance, and the Devil. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female), Murray is also a two-time NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Fiction. She splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington, DC. Visit her website at VictoriaChristopherMurray.com.
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This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2014 by Victoria Christopher Murray
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First Touchstone trade paperback edition June 2014
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Interior design by Aline Pace
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Forever An Ex Page 34