One on One w/ Orsayor: Victoria Christopher Murray

Orsayor: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Victoria:  I grew up in Queens, New York and the two things I remember most about my parents when I was a child was that they were civil rights activists and they loved to read. I got my love of reading from them. As a child, I wanted to grow up to be three things: a ballerina, a policewoman and an author – My thought was that grownups shouldn’t have to be just one thing. Now, I’m an author, I took dance classes until I was 16 and taught classes through graduate school, and that police woman thing…well…I couldn’t do everything!

Orsayor: I believe Stand Your Ground is one of your best books to-date, do you agree?

Victoria: I don’t think I could honestly say one of my books is better than another.  I can say that this novel is the most important book I’ve written. I’ve always wanted to do more than just entertain with my books. I wanted to write books that could change, if not the world, change something. I hope Stand Your Ground will help people understand the law and how we must all work hard to repeal it.

Orsayor: Did you have Writer’s Block during the writing process for Stand Your Ground?

Victoria: Writer’s block…no! I never get writer’s block. I think that’s because I recognize it for what it is..I just don’t feel like working. But I was definitely on an emotional journey with this book because it was so different from anything that I’d written before. It’s completely character driven (which is the way that I hope to always write) and it had me crying, laughing, crying.

Orsayor: If you could describe Stand Your Ground in five words, what would they be?

Victoria: Five words? I’m a novelist. I can’t sum up anything in five words. But let me try…A manifesto on a horrible law. (I know that’s six words, but words like ‘a’ shouldn’t count. So, I actually did it in four words. 🙂 )

Orsayor: If there is only one message you would like readers—young and old—to grasp from Stand Your Ground, what would you like that message to be?

Victoria: The message is — we have to get serious about our political power and begin to use it. And we can start with finding a way to repeal this law, state-by-state. Because if we don’t, these situations are going to continue…and we will find more of our boys and our men laying on the ground with no one ever having to pay for their murders.

Orsayor: What is your favorite motivational phrase?

Victoria: Difficult takes me a day, impossible takes me a week.

Orsayor: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Victoria: Just be persistent. The road can sometimes be rocky, but just keep traveling and you’ll get to the other side.

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