What do you like to do in your free time? Is there anything that particularly inspires your creativity?
Free time? What’s that? Writing one book a year doesn’t leave much free time. But I do make time for working out—I used to run marathons, but when I had my hip replaced last year, my surgeon told me my running days are over. I love, love, love to read. I’m one of those writers who’s blessed to be able to read while writing—reading doesn’t affect my writing at all. Besides that, I enjoy spending time with family and friends . . . sounds boring, huh?
How do you balance your writing career and your personal life?
That’s a great question! I was just telling a friend today that I don’t do a good job of balancing my career and my personal life. Unfortunately for me, I haven’t been able to support myself on writing my novels alone. So, I have to do many other things. Hence . . . no free time and very little personal life. I’m hoping one day this will change. Maybe when I’m sixty or seventy . . . or ninety . . .
Do you hash out your entire plot before writing your novels, or do you just start writing and see what happens?
I used to just start writing, but because I’m trying to write more than one novel a year, I now work from an outline. With an outline, most of the plot is hashed out, but most times, the characters will surprise me and change course. I always let the characters do their thing. For example, the ending of Sins of the Mother is totally different from what I’d planned—the characters took over and I let them.
What are some of your favorite books? Your favorite authors?
My all-time favorite author is Richard Wright. Some of my favorite contemporary books are: Child of God by Lolita Files, Freshwater Road by Denise Nicholas, and Abraham’s Well by Sharon Ewell Foster—just to name a few. I love books that entertain and teach me something at the same time.
What are you reading now? Do you have any recommendations?
I’m reading Mistress of the Game—the last Sidney Sheldon book. Last year was a great reading year for me—The Devil Is a Lie, by ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Be Careful What You Pray For by Kimberla Lawson Roby (she let me read the manuscript!), What Doesn’t Kill You by Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant, The Warmest December by Bernice McFadden, After by Marita Golden, Sins of the Father by Angela Benson, Orange Mint and Honey by Carleen Brice, and Gather Together in My Name by Tracy Price-Thompson. Those are just a few of the best. (I told you that I love to read!)
You do a lot of touring and motivational speaking. What do you enjoy most about these engagements? Do you connect with your readers? Do you have any favorite moments from your tours?
I really, really, really love touring. I love the chance to talk to readers about my stories. I love the fact that I have to tell readers over and over that the characters and stories aren’t real! LOL! I enjoy speaking as much as I enjoy writing.
Who among your contemporaries do you admire?
I really admire Eric Dickey because he takes the craft of writing to a new level with every book he writes. I read his books to be entertained, but I also read his books to learn. No one teaches me and inspires me with their words the way Eric does. I also admire Kimberla Lawson Roby because she connects better with her readers than any writer I know. She’s balanced her career fabulously—the right amount of creativity with business. Truly left brain/right brain, and because of that she has built an outstanding career. Her skills at writing and business puts the MBA I earned from a top twenty school to shame!
Do you have a favorite of your own books?
Nope! Okay, well, maybe Joy . . .
You write YA fiction and adult fiction. Do you approach the two types of writing differently? Do you enjoy one more than the other?
Yes, I approach the writing differently. I write all of my teen books from a first-person point of view. That allows me to get into the head of teenagers, to actually become the teenager. My adult books have all been written in third person—at least until this point. And I don’t enjoy writing one more than the other—not at all. Writing for teens and writing for adults allows me the opportunity to satisfy my desire to write for everyone. There are other genres I’d love to write in—I’d love to write a nonfiction book about surviving my husband’s death, and even a children’s book, but I’m not able to do that yet because of contractual obligations. Hopefully one day I will be able to write all the books inside of me.
What is the single most important thing you hope that readers take from Sins of the Mother?
Wow! You know, I never sit down and say, What is the message I want people to take away? I truly just write the story and then the message shows up. And what’s great is that the message is different for each reader. I guess what I want readers to get from all of my novels is that in every situation, God will carry you through.
Enhance Your Book Club
1. Visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.com. Organize a volunteer outing at a call center, or collect funds for a donation to the center. The Web site includes information on how to donate.
2. Check out Murray’s other Jasmine novels, Lady Jasmine, Too Little, Too Late, and A Sin and a Shame. If you love Murray’s work, pick up books by her contemporaries ReShonda Tate Billingsley and Kimberla Lawson Roby.
3. Visit the author’s Web site at www.victoriachristophermurray.com. The site contains fascinating biographical information on Murray and includes dates of her upcoming tours and speaking engagements.
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