Essence best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray thrills audiences with her trademark twists and unforgettable voice. Scandalous gives listeners an early look at one of Murray’s most notorious characters. Exotic dancer Jasmine Cox is engaged and ready to settle down. But then a bachelorette-party roll in the hay ignites a torrid affair that threatens to drown out the sound of wedding bells.

Morgan and Messiah share many things. Love, hate, lust, trauma, and children. They are bonded forever by the gift of parenthood, but Morgan's attachment to Messiah comes with immense pain. After the discovery of Messiah's condition, Morgan's conflict is intensified. She knows how healing the M&M bubble can be, but she also knows that Messiah has the ability to ruin her. Will Morgan finally take her second chance with her first love? Or will she make the hardest decision of all and let go of the past?

Tiffanie has lived a sheltered life in a very strict household with her pastor grandfather and her grandmother in Washington, DC. But when she meets Damon, she falls for the successful entertainment businessman despite his history as a drug dealer. Everyone sees a bright future for the couple - yet when Tiffanie meets Trey, her lustful feelings leave her confused just days before her wedding....

Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction, Essence® best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray delivers a cautionary tale about debt and the dangers of an overly tempting offer. Married at 17, Adam and Evia Langston have worked their way up from rags to riches. But as they are enjoying all the trappings of their success, a financial downturn leaves them teetering on the brink of disaster. And that’s when Evia’s boss makes the Langstons a fivemillion dollar offer they can’t refuse.

Chastity Jeffries and Xavier King come from very different backgrounds, though they have one thing in common: they’re both living with family secrets. Chastity is the only child of a prominent pastor and has been raised with privilege, but her father’s testimony as a philanderer and her mom’s role as dutiful wife have tainted her view of love. Xavier never knew his father, and his mother abandoned him. His grandmother raised him in a household built on cruelty and violence instead of love and acceptance, instilling in him a fear of abandonment and an enormous sense of insecurity.

Joy, a work of both romance and tragedy, is bound together by the unshakable faith of its protagonist. Anya Mitchell seems to have it all - a profitable financial services business, a handsome fiance, and an expensive diamond ring. But there are unwelcome doubts lingering in her mind. Danger also looms on the horizon, as a stalker lurking at the edge of her life draws closer.

When Miriam's fireman husband, Chauncey, dies while rescuing students from a school fire, Miriam feels like her life is over. How is she going to raise her three children all by herself? How will she survive without the love of her life? Luckily, Miriam's sister-friend Emily and Emily's husband, Jamal, are there to comfort her. But all the time that Miriam and Jamal spend together - grieving, sharing, and reminiscing - brings the two closer in ways they never planned...

Three Los Angeles women who’ve helped each other overcome heartbreak are reunited eight years later when their troublesome exes come back into the picture in this follow up to Victoria Christopher Murray’s bestselling novel The Ex Files. Sheridan, Kendall, and Asia first bonded when they met seven years ago at a church prayer support group and now, their friendship has blossomed into a strong sisterhood. They've helped each other through the tragedies of their breakups and together, they've celebrated their triumphs. But now, their exes are back, wreaking havoc on lives they've work so hard to rebuild.

Victoria Christopher Murray writes Essence best-selling novels of relationships, life's trials, and the faith that saves. In The Ex Files, four very different women see their lives fall apart. They react differently, but each struggles with how to pick up the pieces devastation left behind. After their pastor asks the four women to meet for weekly prayer, their lives take another unexpected turn.

Reverend Simon Jackson has always felt destined to lead and he's done a good job of it, transforming his small Houston church into one of the most respected and renowned in the region. But while the good Reverend's been busy tending his flock, his family's gone astray. His 19-year-old daughter, Rachel, gives new meaning to "baby mama drama." Crazy in love with her son's father, she's wreaking havoc on the man's life, even though he's about to marry another woman. David, Simon's oldest at 27, has been spiraling downward ever since a knee injury ended a promising football career.

Her husband is a workaholic, more concerned with his family's financial situation than emotional stability, and he doesn't understand why his wife is unhappy. He doesn't understand why the house and the credit cards and the fabulousness of what he's given her isn't enough. So when Angelique meets someone new, she does something she never thought she'd do - she has an affair. It's addictive, and Angelique wants more and more, but is she willing to give up everything she has for this fantasy come true?

In Destiny’s Divas, Sierra Dixon, Raine Omari, and Liza Washington are winning fans across the country with their dynamic gospel act. But their real lives are much different than their soul-stirring music suggests. While Sierra drifts from one man to another, both Raine and Liza’s family lives reach breaking points.

Meet Shannon and Jay Lovejoy - the rich and successful power couple who, to the millions of fans of their call-in radio show, seem like they’ve got it all. But after three years, their once passionate and loving romance has fizzled and the couple’s divorce becomes embroiled in not only a mess of infidelity and deceit, but the untimely and shocking death of Jay’s mistress, as well.

Raising four very different daughters on her own in rural Arkansas wasn't easy for Miss Pearly Bell. And she's always regretted that the sisters went their separate ways for good - and never wanted to see each other again. But when Pearly is stricken with a terminal illness, she summons them all home - determined to somehow help them get right with each other and forgive.... But that means dealing with past secrets and lies first.

All Sevyn wanted was to finish law school and make her late grandmother proud. She was never the one to color outside the lines or go against the rules. When Sevyn is suddenly faced with past due bills and eviction, she becomes overwhelmed trying to stay above water. Nasir is content in his relationship with his long-term girlfriend. The two of them have an understanding. Inviting another partner in the bedroom has never been an issue—until now. When Sevyn joins the couple for one night of pleasure, Nasir instantly becomes attracted to the innocence surrounding her.

Award-winning authors Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley are both beloved for their strong female leads and juicy plotting. In Sinners & Saints, Murray and Billingsley join forces to tell a tale packed with drama, scandal, and redemption. Jasmine Bush and Rachel Adams both want their husbands to be elected president of the National Baptist Association, and they’re willing to use plenty of low-down tricks to win. But when another woman joins the fray, she proves more devious than either of them could imagine.

Essence best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray thrills audiences with her trademark twists and unforgettable voice. Scandalous gives listeners an early look at one of Murray’s most notorious characters. Exotic dancer Jasmine Cox is engaged and ready to settle down. But then a bachelorette-party roll in the hay ignites a torrid affair that threatens to drown out the sound of wedding bells.

Tiffanie has lived a sheltered life in a very strict household with her pastor grandfather and her grandmother in Washington, DC. But when she meets Damon, she falls for the successful entertainment businessman despite his history as a drug dealer. Everyone sees a bright future for the couple - yet when Tiffanie meets Trey, her lustful feelings leave her confused just days before her wedding....

Her husband is a workaholic, more concerned with his family's financial situation than emotional stability, and he doesn't understand why his wife is unhappy. He doesn't understand why the house and the credit cards and the fabulousness of what he's given her isn't enough. So when Angelique meets someone new, she does something she never thought she'd do - she has an affair. It's addictive, and Angelique wants more and more, but is she willing to give up everything she has for this fantasy come true?

Raised by a widowed mother, Jill Reed has come a long way from her difficult youth. But while she may not have had money, Jill never doubted she was rich in love. Her mother, Connie, made Jill the center of her world. Now, even though she has a young family of her own, it’s Jill’s turn to care for her ailing mother. When early dementia begins to set in, Connie starts talking about Jill’s “other life.” Jill assumes it’s just rambling confusion. Still, Connie’s stories about Jill’s childhood, and her father’s early death, never quite added up.

Reverend Simon Jackson has always felt destined to lead and he's done a good job of it, transforming his small Houston church into one of the most respected and renowned in the region. But while the good Reverend's been busy tending his flock, his family's gone astray. His 19-year-old daughter, Rachel, gives new meaning to "baby mama drama." Crazy in love with her son's father, she's wreaking havoc on the man's life, even though he's about to marry another woman. David, Simon's oldest at 27, has been spiraling downward ever since a knee injury ended a promising football career.

The Black household is swiftly deteriorating. Frustrated and angry at her prosperous preacher husband's obvious infidelities, Tanya cannot believe the man she once loved has been replaced by this pathological liar obsessed with material wealth.

When Miriam's fireman husband, Chauncey, dies while rescuing students from a school fire, Miriam feels like her life is over. How is she going to raise her three children all by herself? How will she survive without the love of her life? Luckily, Miriam's sister-friend Emily and Emily's husband, Jamal, are there to comfort her. But all the time that Miriam and Jamal spend together - grieving, sharing, and reminiscing - brings the two closer in ways they never planned...

Tamara Collins is poised to become the next great American actress. The only problem is that Hollywood doesn't know it yet. Since her bills aren't paying themselves though, Tamara decides to sign on to star in the new stage play, It Should've Been Me. Tamara wants to just get in, get out, and get paid, but her co-stars - including Donovan Dobbs, her ex that left her at the altar, and Camille Woods, a young starlet with a serious grudge - could make this the worst decision Tamara's ever made.

Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction, Essence® best-selling author Victoria Christopher Murray delivers a cautionary tale about debt and the dangers of an overly tempting offer. Married at 17, Adam and Evia Langston have worked their way up from rags to riches. But as they are enjoying all the trappings of their success, a financial downturn leaves them teetering on the brink of disaster. And that’s when Evia’s boss makes the Langstons a fivemillion dollar offer they can’t refuse.

Chastity Jeffries and Xavier King come from very different backgrounds, though they have one thing in common: they’re both living with family secrets. Chastity is the only child of a prominent pastor and has been raised with privilege, but her father’s testimony as a philanderer and her mom’s role as dutiful wife have tainted her view of love. Xavier never knew his father, and his mother abandoned him. His grandmother raised him in a household built on cruelty and violence instead of love and acceptance, instilling in him a fear of abandonment and an enormous sense of insecurity.

Journee Alexander grew up believing that the only person she could depend on was herself. After being abandoned by her mother, burning bridges with friends, and narrowly escaping bad business dealings with her first mentor, her trust is hard to earn and harder to keep. But now as a successful mortgage broker at the top of her game in Houston's real estate market, she has every reason to be proud of her accomplishments. But when Journee starts receiving cryptic messages from an unknown number threatening to destroy everything she has worked to build, she is out of her depth for the first time.

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance.

In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all. W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart.

It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she’d worked all her life. And as Hattie McDaniel took the stage in 1940 to claim an honor that would make her the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, she tearfully took her place in history. Between personal triumphs and tragedies, heartbreaking losses, and severe setbacks, this historic night of winning best supporting actress for her role as the sassy Mammy in the controversial movie Gone With the Wind was going to be life-changing. Or so she thought.