OCCASIONALY I get asked, “What is your favourite scene in the book?” With Vindictive, I don’t believe I’ve ever answered that question, and I’m not sure I can or ever will. At least not to anyone’s satisfaction. When I think of a scene in my first novel that tickles me, another one that thrills me immediately comes to mind. Then, a dramatically poignant scene pops into my head, making me pause to question if that is my favourite scene. I fear I have too many “favourite scenes” in Vindictive to pick one standout.
However, with Vindictive Too, one absolutely sticks out among many great scenes. It takes place in Chapter 11, where Jules Cartell and Jacques Bergé discuss their complicated relationship while having lunch in a restaurant. You see, Vindictive Too contains chapter sections that expand specific scenes in Vindictive. I intentionally wrote these scenes in my first novel this way to leave room for additional theme and character development exploration; there was every intention of revisiting them in the second book. My goal was to seamlessly mesh these scenes between the two books without either needing the other to feel complete or coherent. I’m incredibly proud of this particular interaction between Jules and Jacques.
In Vindictive, the focus of the conversation does not revolve around the problematic nature of their relationship; however, a single narrative sentence indicates they briefly discuss it. In Vindictive Too, that hinted-at discussion is fully disclosed to the reader in vivid detail. The lovers’ quarrel begins when Jacques attempts to hold Jules’s hand in the crowded restaurant. When Jules pulls her arm back, noticing eyes on them, Jacques loses his composure and, frustrated, finally claims he doesn’t care about exposure: they are married to other people. This begins a vigorous dialogue about love, betrayal, infidelity, emotional cheating, and a person’s true moral character.
This scene really showcases one of the few times Jules drops her “Ice-Queen” combative demeanour (especially on view in Vindictive) and gets real with Jacques about a future where they can publicly be “more than friends.” The intimate confessions and explosive revelations regarding their complex relationship will illuminate much of the truth of their connection and probable fate. Will their love and behaviour appear justified or unforgivably adulterous to the reader once Jules and Jacques put it all on the table? I love this scene for its brutal, uncompromising honesty. While there have been many instances, and with various characters, where I’ve worked my own thoughts, feelings, and beliefs into my books, it’s with the character of Jules Cartell where I think my “authentic voice” slips in the most often.
So when it comes to Vindictive Too, I do have a favourite scene. Do you have a favourite scene in the Vindictive books?
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