When the Heart Falls(89)

She claps her hands together, eyes brimming with tears as she looks at the two-karat princess cut diamond in platinum. She holds out her left hand, and I slide the ring onto her finger, then she throws herself into my arms. “Of course I’ll marry you. I love you so much.”

I kiss my fiancé for the first time, relieved that she said yes, excited about our future and so in love and happy I can barely stand it. "I promised to ravage you before this night was over. I'm a man of my word."

"You also promised little Cades." Winter wiggles out of my embrace and leans over the blueprint again. “There’s one thing missing from this design.”

I look at it, sure that I didn’t miss anything. “What’s that?”

She takes my hand and places it on her belly. “The nursery.”

I look down, then back up at her face. “You’re pregnant?”

She nods, tears in her eyes. “You’re going to be a daddy.”

I kiss her, imagining our home filled with the laughter of children. Children who will know a love that frees them to be who they are.

I turn on my iPod and plug it into the speakers. The song that comes on is familiar to us both. I hold out my hand.

And we dance.





Thank you for reading. We hope you enjoyed your time in Paris with Winter and Cade and their friends. If you did, we'd be very grateful if you'd post a short review online. Your support really does make a difference.





WHEN THE HEART FALLS


DISCUSSION GUIDE QUESTIONS


1. What are some of the main themes found in When the Heart Falls?

2. Throughout the novel Cade carries a letter from his brother, Pete. What does the letter represent? After reading the letter, how does Cade change?

3. Why was it so important for Winter to go to Paris? Do you think she accomplished what she wanted while there? Why or why not?

4. Cade had a lot of family drama to work through in this story. What do you think caused the rift in his family? Do you think those conflicts are resolved, or will they have more to face in the future?

5. At the end of the novel, Cade's father has decided to follow his dreams and support his son. What prompted the change?

6. Jenifer and Winter are mirrors for each other in unexpected ways. What do they learn from each other and how does that impact their lives?

7. For several years, Winter hid abuse from her family. Have you ever known someone to do that? What do you think Winter would do differently now? What did she learn about herself when she had to face Rodney again?

8. Cade was torn between what his family expected of him and what he wanted for his own life. Do you think he was selfish in leaving his family, his disabled brother and the family business to follow his dreams? Or did he have the right to put his own dreams first?

9. It's easy to judge Jenifer more harshly than Winter because of her behavior towards men and her best friend, but each of them are hiding their own wounds. How does Jenifer finally face her own pain? What changes does she make in her life? Do you think these are healthy changes? Did you see any problems with Jenifer's behavior throughout the story?

10. Love is a central theme in this book: What it means to love and what we do with that love once we find it. What part of Winter and Cade's love story resonates with you? Do you think romantic love is too idealized? When Winter talks about the difference between Rodin's The Kiss and Brancusi's The Kiss, which sculpture represents love more to you (the passionate kiss of Rodin, or the blockish puzzle of Brancusi?)

11. Forgiveness is another theme in this book. Cade must learn to forgive his father, and even his brother Pete. Winter must learn to forgive Jenifer, and even to let go of her fear of Rodney. Do you think she needs to forgive Rodney in order to fully heal? 12. What is the role of forgiveness in relationships? Do people who do truly evil things deserve to be forgiven?

13. When Cade finds out why his brother Pete committed suicide, it answers a lot of questions for him. Do you agree with Pete's reasons for ending his life? Is there ever a justifiable reason to take your own life? How did you feel about Pete's reasons for ending his life? How would you have responded in Cade's position?

14. The city of Paris is a major character in the story. How does it bring Winter and Cade together? Do you think Winter is right to leave the city at the end?

15. The novel is told in first person present tense from two characters. Given the focus on Cade and Winter, why did the author choose this point of view? How does it add tension and mystery?

16. At the end of the novel, Winter reveals that she is pregnant. Do you think her and Cade are ready to have a baby? Can Winter protect her baby from harm like she wants to? Has Cade healed his family enough to be a good father? Or do Winter and Cade have more to learn before they can become great parents?

17. What do you imagine for Cade and Winter's future?





Q & A WITH KARPOV KINRADE





QUESTIONS BY GLITERARY GIRLS MEDIA


1) Your stories are about love, but there is more to it than that because you both are living the dream, tell us about that.



Before we even met, we always had romance in our stories, even if they weren't 'romance novels.' As Cade points out in When the Heart Falls, that act of connecting to another person so intimately is what inspires most of us in life to some degree or another, and a well rounded story with complex characters wouldn't be complete without at least touching on that yearning for love, that desire to be seen by another.