Waterfall Wednesdays Week 3

Waterfall Wednesday is being hosted by Joy and Serena at Edgy Inspirational Romance this week. To participate answer the questions for chapters 12-17 then link up to their blog to share with everyone else.

Discussion Questions:

1.       In Siena, on her way to the ball at Palazzo Pubblico, Gabi likened her experience to being on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, the goal being "to see and be seen." If you were a peasant, watching from the crowd, what would you be thinking as this procession passed by?

I am not easily starstruck and since I am short I probably wouldn’t be able to see the procession because of all of the tall people in front of me! BUT if I did see the procession I would probably be critiquing what each lady wore(just like on the red carpet) and getting my eyes full of some gorgeous eye-candy men!

2.       Though quite nervous about dancing at the ball, Gabi discovers a strange feeling of connection to the time, the people, and the society through the unified beauty of the dance. Have you ever been in a position where you felt out of your element, but, in one, pinpointed moment, became a part of or connected to something bigger than your fear?

Crowds always always make me feel out of my element. Again, I am going to harp on the me being short thing, but really because I am so short I feel claustrophobic in a crowd. I tend to avoid them whenever possible. One moment I always remember was when I was way younger(teens) and attending a Basic Youths conference. The last day of the conference we sang acapella( so yes, I know I am spelling this wrong because spell checker is telling me so. But you should see what they are suggesting, scapula or canella! And when I spelled it acapello they suggested that I meant Acapulco! Just had to share that!), hearing all of us lifting our voices singing Amazing Grace with no musical accompaniment was so awesome that I had goose pimples all over just being a part of such a massive praise to our Savior!

3.       The kiss. Oh, the kiss. When Marcello finally kisses Gabi, he believes the experience to be proof that they are meant to be together. What did you think about his assumption? Were you surprised at Gabi's reaction to it? Have you ever experienced a kiss that seemed to be prophetic in a similar (or opposite!) way?

Well I certainly hope that the kiss was prophetic and they are meant to be together! But a kiss does not a lifetime make! I have only kissed 2 guys in my entire life. The first was when I was 16 and by the time I broke up with him his kisses no longer made my heart pulse or my knees weak. The next man I kissed was my husband! So I know I am old fashioned, but the man who’s kisses made me weak in the knees when I was 19 still to this day is quite capable of producing the same effect!

4.       Many go through their teen years with a subdued sense of immortality. Do you think Gabi has a sense of this teen feeling? And did you think Gabi's converse observation, "Sometimes death came hunting and there was no way to cut it off at the pass." was informed more by the experience of losing her father, her self-admitted closet hypochondria, or the forced maturation of being transported to a different time? How does this observation show Gabi's growth as a character?

Holy crow Serena! You are killing me here! Taxing my brain! Teens do have a sense of immortality, but I don’t think they hold the market on that thinking. I know a lot of adults that feel the same way. I don’t know that Gabi had that feeling, I just think she didn’t even think about it, she wanted to find her sister and was going to do it no matter what the cost or the danger. As for her observation on death I think it had to do more with losing her father than anything else. But it could also be having to grow up real quick when she found herself in the middle of a bloody battle in the 14^th Century! I don’t know, my problem with reading a story is that I take it at face value and don’t look for more deeper meanings, it taxes my poor brain too much!

5. In the span of a few moments, Gabi goes from sword-wielding teen beauty to man-killing warrior. Did you think her realization of the finality of death -- and her justification for its necessity -- was realistic? And, in her slippers, could you have done the same?

I think it seemed very realistic. When faced with protecting someone she loved she had to face the reality of killing or being killed. I know that if I was faced with having to protect my family I would come out fighting and hope that I would be the one left standing after all of the dust settled!

Only 2 weeks left of Waterfall Wednesdays! It's not to late to join in the fun! I've enjoyed hopping around reading everyone's responses to the questions.