When NAACP-Award winning author Victoria Christopher Murray first started writing books more than 20 years ago, her dream was to simply provide thought-provoking, entertaining books that would keep readers turning the pages. Now, 32 books later, she’s not only built a loyal following, she’s gaining a whole new slew of fans as her books turn to films on Lifetime.
Several of Victoria’s books from her Seven Deadly Sins series, including Lust and Envy, are being produced for Lifetime by Bishop TD Jakes, Former Access Hollywood Host Shaun Robinson and Derrick Williams. Lust aired on April 10 and was trending on Instagram and Twitter. Envy will follow on April 17th. (Both movies will replay at various times on Lifetime and on the Lifetime app). The movies boast a star-studded cast which includes Keri Hilson, Serayah, Tank and Tobias Truvillion. In addition, her novel The Ex Files is also being produced by Tracey Edmonds and Shaun Robinson.
“When I set out to write my books, I never dreamed of them becoming movies. I am simply walking in the gift God gave me. And I guess that opened up the door for my gift to be expanded,” Murray says.
The graduate of Hampton University and longtime active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. is an accomplished author with over a million books in print as well as five NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2016, she won the Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground. She is the co-founder and co-owner of Brown Girls Books. Her upcoming novel, The Personal Librarian, with Marie Benedict is expected to be a groundbreaking book that’s garnering a lot of buzz.
“That book is a fictional account of Belle de Costa, who was the personal librarian for J. P. Morgan Chase. Set in the early 1900s, it focuses on the fact that Belle built this massive and popular library collection, and yet no one knew she was Black passing for white,” said Murray, who divides her time between Washington, D.C. and Houston, where she’d working on a huge yet-to-be disclosed film project.