Interview with MC Domovitch, author of 'Scorpio's Kiss' & Book Giveaway!
Monique
Domovitch has had many careers, starting with being one of Canada’s top models. When she retired from modeling she moved on
to a career in the financial services as an adviser and planner, specializing
in helping women attain financial freedom. During those years, she was also one
of the first women in Canada to host her own national financial television show. During
all those years, Monique’s dream was always to someday become a writer. Ten
years ago, Monique attended a writer’s conference where the first line of one
of her novels was read out loud in a workshop, attracting the attention of a
publisher and an agent.
Since
that life-changing conference, Monique Domovitch has published nine books, four
with Penguin using the pen name Carol Ann Martin, two with Harlequin using her
own name, and another two with Lansen Publishing. Scorpio’s
Kiss was previously published as two novels, Scorpio Rising and The
Sting of the Scorpio. Scar Tissue, her latest, is her ninth novel
and she is hard at work on her tenth.
A great believer in the energizing
power of writers’ conferences, she says that if not for that first conference
she attended, she would not be published today.
For More Information
About the Book:
Scorpio's
Kiss is a spell-binding tale of love, ambition and greed that will keep the
reader turning the pages until its surprise ending. Set in New York and Paris amid the glamorous and competitive
worlds of art and real
estate, Scorpio's Kiss takes the reader from the late 1940s to the 1960s
through the tumultuous lives of its heroes.
There is
Alex Ivanov, the son of a Russian immigrant and part-time prostitute. He yearns
to escape his sordid life and achieve fame and fortune. His dreams of becoming
a world-class builder are met with countless obstacles, yet he perseveres in
the hope of someday receiving the recognition he craves.
Half a
world away, Brigitte Dartois is an abused teenager who runs into the arms of a
benefactor with an agenda all his own. When she finds out that her boss has an
ulterior motive, she flees again, determined to earn her living through her
art. This career brings her fame, but also the unwanted attention of her early
abuser.
Domovitch’s novel is a compelling
tale, filled with finely etched characters and a superb understanding of the
power of ambition. Scorpio's Kiss promises to resonate with all who once had a
dream.
For More Information
Giveaway!
Monique Domovitch is giving away 5 paperback and 5 ebook copies of SCORPIO’S KISS!
Terms &
Conditions:
- By entering the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- Five people will be selected to win one of five paperback copies and five people will be selected to win one of five ebook copies of SCORPIO’S KISS
- This giveaway begins April 18 and ends on July 18.
- Winners will be announced on Monique’s tour page on July 19.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
Q: Welcome to The Writer's
Life! Now that your book has been
published, we’d love to find out more about the process. Can we begin by having you take us at the
beginning? Where did you come up with
the idea to write your book?
Back in the eighties, I was
friends with Ivana Trump. She and I modeled together for about five years, and
remained friends after she married Donald. During their marriage, I often
visited, and on a few occasions met Donald. He was always such a magnetic
personality, I just knew I would someday base a character on him. Having said
that, I want to clarify that the novel is pure fiction.
Q: How hard was it to write a
book like this and do you have any tips that you could pass on which would make
the journey easier for other writers?
I often hear authors talk
about the “block.” The block is something I get at the end of each and every
scene. When I begin a novel, I know my characters. I know where they start,
where they are going and where they will end. But the journey is very fluid.
How they get from A to Z can, and often does, change. So every time a scene
ends, I face the “now what?” Each scene has to be set, the where, the who, and
most important, the mood (Because you want to create conflict in each scene.) and
how will this scene move the story forward?
Q: Who is your publisher and
how did you find them or did you self-publish?
Of the nine books I’ve written
and published, this is the first one I self-published. I felt that Scorpio’s
Kiss is such a major departure from my other novels that I needed to first
prove that I could handle such an ambitious novel.
Q: Is there anything that
surprised you about getting your first book published?
The first book I published was
a cozy mystery titled Getting Skinny. The big surprise was just how much
editing goes into traditional publishing. There is round after round after
round of it. But in the end, the amount of learning one gets from the process
is immeasurable. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Q: What other books (if any)
are you working on and when will they be published?
At the moment I am working on
two other novels. One is a sequel to Scar Tissue, titled Seeing Evil.
The other one is in the same genre as Scorpio’s Kiss. I absolutely love
it. Like Scorpio, it is set in the fifties and sixties, but this time in
Key Largo. All I will say is that the night of Hurricane Donna, which destroyed
much of the Keys, one single event happens that will change the lives of all
the characters. The heroine, Adriana, will spend decades trying to solve the
mystery.
Q: What’s your favorite place
to hang out online?
Oh, definitely Facebook. I
have to monitor myself. I can so easily lose an hour, just browsing, keeping up
with friends and relatives.
Q: What’s your nightly ritual
before retiring for the night?
My husband and I are guilty of
sharing our bed with our two little dogs. We usually all snuggle and watch an
hour or so of TV before bedtime, often with a cup of sleepy-time tea. As I
drift off to sleep I try to plan the writing for the next day.
Q: Finally, what message (if
any) are you trying to get across with your book?
My goal when writing this
book, was strictly to entertain. But different readers have pointed out a
number of different lessons in the book. Be careful what you wish for, is one.
Another might be, a leopard won’t change his spots.
Q: Thank you again for this
interview! Do you have any final words?
Thank you for inviting me. I
hope readers will enjoy my novel and then take a moment to leave a review on
Amazon. Reviews are like applause, and we, storytellers, live for them.
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