Scorpio Series Boxed Set

by Monique Domovitch

  9. Scorpio Rising takes place from multiple points of view. How does point of view change your perspective of Alex and Brigitte? Anne? William Brandon? Pierre Fortune? Find one character whose point of view is skewed by their desire to either keep a secret or manipulate other people. Is this character manipulating the reader as well as the other characters in the novel?

  10. Did you have sympathy for Anne or Lucien? If not, discuss how a reader might develop sympathy for them. If so, discuss what makes them sympathetic characters and how Domovitch builds them up as antagonists.

  11. How does Scorpio Rising reference other works of Literary Fiction? Does the story stimulate shock as a result of its genre?

  12. The role of Brigitte’s pregnancy indicates the drastic changes she makes in her life and initiates her decision to become a painter. Fully knowing that she might not be able to support herself and a child on the meager earnings of an artist, she consciously chooses to try repeatedly selling her work (page 100). Can Brigitte’s dreams be coined as an obsession? If so, what does this obsession mean in contrast to the other choices she might have made? Did Brigitte have any other choices at the time?

  13. How does Domovitch use motivation and manipulation to cause problems for gifted characters? What does this do to strengthen the novel as a whole? How does it weaken the story?

  14. Both Alex and Brigitte are trying to escape something. Compare this need to escape with other works of Literary Fiction, such as A Reliable Wife by Goolrick and works by Woolfe and the Brontë sisters. Do Alex and Brigitte successfully escape their troubles and achieve their dreams? How does this reflect other examples of characters trying to escape?

  Interview with the Author

  Q: The beginning of the novel starts abruptly and with a lot of very physical, sensual, and even taboo themes. What made you decide to start Scorpio Rising this way? How do you think your readership reacted initially?

  A: Alexander Ivanov is an irresistible charmer and I wanted to illustrate this from the start. It was also important that I create a reason for his mistrust of women. Abused children often become victims of sexual predators because of their immense need for love. These children can grow up and gravitate toward others very much like them. This is why I also chose to make Brigitte an early victim. Throughout the book, I tried to show the duality these early experiences gave them, how their strength manifested in their work, and their how weakness manifested in their insecurities and unhealthy life choices.

  Q: Paris is an effective backdrop for Brigitte and the final scenes of the novel. Why did France, and specifically Paris, stand out to you as the setting you wanted to use rather than Canada or a closer city?

  A: I chose cities that most resembled my main characters—New York for its fast pace, its huge ambition, opportunities, and for what we often think of when we think New York: skyscrapers and multi-million dollar real estate deals. This was the perfect representation of Alex. Paris, on the other hand, makes me think of everything that is beautiful, such as romance and art, is representative of Brigitte.

  Q: Though the story starts with Alex, Brigitte’s chapters grow longer and more detailed. Was this something you planned or did Brigitte grow on you as a character? How did you decide to use the competition in Paris as a method of linking the two characters? Did you ever consider keeping them from meeting?

  A: These two characters were destined to meet. As exciting as the first novel is, the sequel is where the action really starts. Everything revolves around Alex and Brigitte’s relationship. To answer your question, yes, Brigitte grew on me. She is such a wonderful character, so strong yet so flawed. Being a bit of an artist myself, I found myself enjoying her struggles and her successes.

  Q: What novels and authors inspired you to write Scorpio Rising? Are any themes from these novels alluded to in your story?

  A: I don’t know that any specific authors or specific books inspired me, except maybe the Centaine series by Wilbur Smith. I just love books with really strong characters that are as lovable as they are sometimes despicable. I wanted to create a cast that wouldn’t leave readers indifferent.

  Q: Which character was your least favorite to write? What about that character made him or her so difficult to convey? Do you feel you successfully developed him or her?

  A: The most difficult character to develop was Lucien. I wanted readers to see him for what he was, but still disguise his real motives from Brigitte.

  Q: Sex is a great example of power and how some characters, such as Anne and Alex, use it to try and exert their will over others. While you wrote Scorpio Rising, did you expect sex and power to play such strong roles? How do you think the novel would be different without the aspect of sex?

  A: I was very careful to write sex scenes that were not graphic. I wanted the reader to know that sex was taking place, but without going into detail. When I write, I always keep in mind that my parents and my children will be reading this. Sex, however, is an important tool to use when illustrating manipulative behavior.

  Q: While Lucien and Anne may be in the second book, Sting of the Scorpio, can your readership expect to see any other characters that have a negative impact on the protagonists’ lives?

  A: We can say goodbye to Lucien, but Anne Turner does return, and although her presence in the second book is relegated to short but regular sections, her role is pivotal. You’ll be seeing enough of her to make her your favorite evil character again.

  Q: Brigitte doesn’t seek to have power or control over anything but her own life. What was the goal in creating such an opposition of control between her and Alex?

  A: Brigitte’s entire reason for being is to earn the love of her husband. She truly believes that if she is good enough or tries hard enough, she can get Alex to change. How many of use believed that when we were younger? Those flaws are so easy to see in a character from a book. Too bad we don’t always recognize them in ourselves until life has given us a few harsh lessons.

  Q: Who was your inspiration for Gigi? Does he represent any specific theme or have any relation to another work? Will other Gigi-like characters appear in the sequel?

  A: I just wanted to have fun and also to poke a bit of fun at Alex for being so macho. Many readers have told me that they had to put the book down because they were laughing to tears at the Gigi scene. That’s exactly what I hoped it would do—give us all a good laugh.

  Q: Gender and sexual orientation play very specific roles in Scorpio Rising. For example, Fortune often mentions that he is gay and was never interested in Brigitte as a lover. He often is expressed as resenting his previous protégé, Cigogne, for cheating him out of his money. How do Fortune’s sexuality and his desire for money work hand-in-hand?

  A: Two of the strongest driving forces in human nature are love and money, and love is often defined as sexuality, and money is often expressed as power. I’ve also noticed that more powerful men often seem to have the greatest libido. I read somewhere that testosterone is largely responsible for a man’s ambition—which might explain why the rich and famous are often such carousers—so I linked the hunger for money and for sex in my most ambitious characters.

  Q: With Sting of the Scorpio already released, what are you currently working on?

  A: I have a finished novel—still unpublished—currently being considered for a Hollywood movie. This is incredibly exciting for me. I keep reminding myself, however, that the chances of it getting produced are slim to none, but just being considered is a huge compliment. I’m also nearing the finishing line of my first murder mystery for Penguin, after which I’ll probably take a few months to finish a few other projects I’ve had to put aside. I have so many stories floating around in my head that I’ll never be without material, or without a break for that matter.

  A Review by the Editor

  Literary Fiction is an intense and sometimes daunting genre to write. At times, it feels dry and the characters can be under-developed. Domovitch has manipulated the genre in her favor b
y rounding out flavorful characters while specifically focusing on two: Alex Ivanov and Brigitte Dartois.

  Alex’s dream is to become an architect, yet this is not something he knows from the start. In the beginning, Domovitch paints Alex as merely hoping to escape from his life in Brooklyn and eventually live in Manhattan. By starting the novel with a character that does not yet have a defined goal, Domovitch allows the reader to learn and grow with him. Alex’s desire to go to the city quickly becomes the audience’s.

  In developing Alex, Domovitch selects plausible challenges for him. She chooses to write explicitly of his affair with his teacher, Miss Mateus, and how he twists a bad situation so that it is in his favor. Alex does not escape unscathed, though. Domovitch is relentless in her execution of the mental and physical effects the relationship leaves on him. She includes how he learns he can manipulate women into sleeping with him by telling a sob-story about his childhood. One such woman to sleep with him is the cunning Anne Turner.

  As far as conniving women go, Anne is fantastic. Domovitch expertly paints her as a woman who wants nothing more than to marry a rich man and live comfortably. She is determined to lure her boss away from his wife and is a great example of the classic literary woman—cunning, but lacking in wisdom. Anne’s scheme to steal from wealthy men is described as simple but effective: she targets a rich man, uses her looks to begin an affair, and when she finds someone better, she makes sure the wife finds out. Then, the husband pays Anne off, and she moves on. This represents the cunning of women in literature. Anne’s mistake, though, is overlooking that her boss is sterile. She tries telling him she is pregnant in an effort to make him marry her, and he instantly thinks she cheated on him. By allowing Anne to overlook his sterility, Domovitch reveals Anne’s recklessness and lack of wisdom, both of which are traditional traits of women classic literature such as Troilus and Criseyde, Heart of Darkness, and The Iliad.

  On the other side of women in fiction is Brigitte. Her rapist stepfather leaves her scarred and unable to maintain a healthy relationship with anyone—even her false engagement with Fortune strains her. Brigitte quickly grows into a fantastic, well-developed character. As a teenager who experienced rape, she is displayed as nervous around men and apprehensive of a relationship. While this lack of trust is a great weakness, it also gives her the strength to escape men who pursue her. Brigitte uses her wit, creativity, and a little luck to climb her way to the top of Paris’s elite. These traits combat the fickle persona of Anne and give Scorpio Rising variety among its female characters.

  Once at the top of Paris’s social ladder, Brigitte is dismayed when her abusive stepfather tracks her down. This is a great twist by Domovitch. Rather than ignoring the fact that Brigitte had a difficult past, Domovitch uses it to her advantage and flushes out an enormous problem—and a promising premise for the sequel to Scorpio Rising.

  Ivanov’s dreams are difficult to reach, Anne’s mistakes are world-shattering, and Brigitte’s journey is heart-rending. In creating obstacles for her characters, Domovitch draws out their failings and their strengths.

  Overall, Scorpio Rising is an enjoyable read. The characters are vibrant and fun. In turn, the settings are detailed, gritty, and have a powerful impact on the characters’ lives. Manhattan maintains the industrial feeling of the 1940s while Paris vibrates with life and color. The use of French throughout Brigitte’s scenes adds texture and culture. The names of streets, stores, magazines, popular attractions, and poverty gives Paris a touch of reality that lingers long after the story ends.

  THE STING OF THE SCORPIO

  A novel

  By Monique Domovitch

  The Sting of the Scorpio

  Copyright Monique Domovitch 2011.

  Published by Lansen Publishing at Smashwords.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this book are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be resold or given to anybody else. If you would like to share this e-book with anybody else, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this e-book and did not purchase it, please return it to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

  Published by Lansen Paperback Publishing.

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

  ISBN 978-0-9877866-1-6

  Dedication

  To my girls, Alicia, Carole-Ann and Rebecca,

  who believed in me before I did.

  Chapter 1

  I am safe, thought Brigitte as the plane descended to New York.

  Only two weeks had passed since she had married Alexander in the small ceremony at the Paris Hotel de Ville, and already her life had been turned completely upside down. Some of it was for the better, some of it…she wasn’t sure.

  She was surprised at the swirl of emotions she felt staring at the immense city below. This was a move she would never have made alone, but luckily Alexander was with her—she glanced lovingly at him in the seat next to hers—as were her son, David, and her friend and housekeeper, Réjeanne. All was well, or so she believed.

  She was landing in America, far from Paris and the threat of her stepfather. She still shuddered at the memory of Lucien standing in the doorway, his eyes wandering over her body as they had when she was just a child.

  She remembered the day he had reappeared as if it was yesterday. Réjeanne had taken one look at Brigitte’s face and immediately known something was terribly wrong. “Get out! Get out,” she shouted at the old man as she tried to push him out.

  He had shoved her aside easily and walked toward Brigitte “What’s the matter Brigitte? Don’t you recognize your own papa?” he asked.

  Brigitte had stood paralyzed with shock. “You’re not my father. Get out of here,” she said, her voice trembling.

  The old man chuckled. “Aw, Brigitte, you’re breaking my heart. Where’s your gratitude for everything I did for you? It looks to me like you’ve got a good life. You’re living in this fancy place and with a maid. I think you should show some gratitude to your father and help him out a bit in his old age.”

  From the back bedroom, Brigitte heard David laughing. If her son walked in and Lucien saw him, it would be over. Brigitte remembered how desperately she wanted him to leave before David came out. “How dare you come here?” Her voice was like ice. “You are nothing but a filthy bastard. Get out of here and don’t ever come back.”

  Despite the fact that David had not emerged, Lucien had known. Almost delighted, he said, “You’re calling me a bastard? Me? I think you’ve got that wrong, ma fille. It’s your son who is the bastard, not me. And I have a feeling I might have a pretty good claim to that little boy. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling I might have as much right to him as you do.”

  At the mere thought of that vile man fighting for custody of her child, Brigitte had fainted. Réjeanne screamed. From down the hall, Alex and David came running.

  Everything after that was a blur. Brigitte recalled Alex snaring Lucien by the collar. “What the hell did you do to her?” he’d shouted.

  “Hey! Take your hands off me. I didn’t do a thing. I was just leaving.” Lucien walked out, and from the doorway, called out menacingly, “You can tell her that I’ll be back. That’s my boy she’s got there, and unless she and I can come to some agreement, she can expect to see me in court.”

  Goose pimples swelled on her arms and ran down her spine. Brigitte shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memories. No matter what Lucien had done, or might have done, she could not forget Réjeanne’s and Alex’s kindness when she confessed that Lucien was David’s father.

  Afterwards, Alex had taken her hand in his and said, “You shouldn’t feel any shame, Brigitte. The bastard raped you.” Rather than drive a wedge between them, her disclosure had brought them closer. Brigitte rested a hand over her heart and closed her eyes.

  The voice of the cap
tain cut through her musings. “We hope you enjoyed your flight and we thank you for using Pan Am.”

  The plane taxied down the runway, and a few minutes later Alexander held Brigitte’s arm as they disembarked. She stepped down the portable stairs and turned to look at her husband, filled with an overwhelming rush of love for him. More than anything, she yearned to create the perfect family, the family she never had. I will make him happy, she vowed. I will be the best wife I know how.