Introduction

"A box of tissues should be included in the purchase price of this book.... I finished THE COLOR OF HEAVEN in a matter of hours, but I've no doubt the read and the lessons imparted through Sophie's story will stay with me... probably forever. THE COLOR OF HEAVEN is an incredibly poignant and unbelievably gripping novel, deserving Romance Junkies' highest rating." FIVE BLUE RIBBONS - Chris at Romance Junkies

Editorial Review

No editorial review at this time.

Excerpt

Not long after I crossed the border into New Hampshire, the temperature plummeted. If I had been out walking, I would have felt it on my cheeks. The chill would have entered my throat and lungs, but I was strapped tightly into the cozy confines of my vehicle with the heat blasting out of the dashboard vents, and was therefore shielded from the conditions outside. I will always wonder what brought that deer out onto the road just as the puddles from the melting snow turned to ice. I saw her out of the corner of my eye, galloping onto the pavement, and my whole body went rigid.

Wrenching the steering wheel left to avoid her, I hit the brakes at the same time, which was, of course, the worst thing I could have done.

The car whipped around 180 degrees, so I was now facing the oncoming headlights from the vehicles traveling behind me. My tires skimmed sideways across the pavement toward the shoulder of the road.

I remember everything in excruciating detail, the noise especially, as my car rolled five times down the steep embankment. Glass shattered and smashed. Steel collapsed. The world spun in dizzying circles in front of my eyes, so I shut them and gripped the steering wheel hard, bracing my body against the jarring impact as the roof collapsed over the passenger side and the windows blew out.

Down I went, tumbling and bouncing over the rocks like a stone skipping across water.

Then all at once, it was over.

There was only white noise in my ears, and the thunderous sound of my heartbeat.

I opened my eyes to find myself hanging upside down in my seatbelt, with the side of my head wedged up against the roof.

The engine was still running. Other sounds emerged. Music blasted from the radio – an old favorite song of mine from the 80’s, The Killing Time, which was ironic, but in that heart-stopping moment, I was not that reflective. All I could think of was getting out of there.

Panic hit me. Hard. I felt trapped, frantic to escape, and began to thrash about.

I groped for the red button on the seatbelt buckle, but my hands were shaking so badly, I couldn’t push it.

My breaths came faster and faster.

I cried out, but no one heard.

Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a whip cracked. The vehicle shuddered.

I froze and tried to see past the smashed windshield in front of me. Everything outside the car was pure white, covered in snow.

If only I knew where I was. If only I could see something beyond the broken glass.

But it didn’t matter what I could, or could not, see. I knew what was happening...

My car was sitting on its roof, resting on a frozen lake. The crack of the whip was the sound of the ice breaking.

Creak… Groan…

My SUV shifted and began to slowly tip sideways... view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

(Warning: there are some spoilers in the discussion questions,
So you may not wish to read them until you've finished the book.)


• In chapter one, Sophie mentions her first love, Kirk Duncan, and says: “I knew that no matter where life took us, I would always love him.” Do you believe she made a mistake to let him go? Was her marriage to Michael a mistake?

• Sophie’s husband Michael wants to have another child when Megan is ill. Do you think Sophie was right to say no, and do you think it would have made a difference in keeping their marriage together if she had gotten pregnant at that time?

• When Sophie rekindles her romance with Kirk after she wakes up in the hospital, do you believe it was the right thing for her to do, or do you feel she was playing it safe, retreating into a former, familiar comfort zone?

• Different sections of the book have different headings: Sunshine and Rain, Going Home, Cora’s Story, Flowers, The Deep Blue Sea, Mountains, Life. What is the significance of these headings in terms of the story structure and the themes?

• In chapter thirty-two, just before Matt walks back into Cora’s life, she says: “It was early October in 1968 when the monstrous wave crashed and exploded onto the coastline of my life, changing my future forever.” Earlier in chapter twenty-nine, not long after she and Peter share their first kiss at the lake, she says: “The woods were quiet that day. I couldn’t hear the sea.” What is the significance of these two ideas in relation to Peter and Matt, and where else in the novel does “land and sea” play a part in terms of symbolism? What does this reveal about Cora and what she wants out of life?

• Peter quickly comes to Cora’s rescue after Matt’s death, and offers her marriage. Do you think she was right to accept him? Did you feel that Peter was taken advantage of, or did you view him as a heroic character?

• When Sophie leaves the hospital to return to her mother’s house in Camden, did you know that she was still having an out-of-body experience? At what point in the novel did you realize that Cora was dead and the Camden world was not real? What were some early clues that suggested it was an out-of-body experience?

• Grief is an important theme in the novel. How does it affect Sophie’s relationship with her father, Peter, and how does it affect the breakdown of her marriage? What were some similarities in these two relationships? Do you believe Sophie and Kirk will be able to weather future storms in their marriage if grief becomes an issue?

• How does the discovery of Matt’s manuscript in Peter’s attic change Sophie’s life? Do you think Matt wanted her to publish his novel? Why or why not?

• Do you believe in life after death? Have you ever had an out-of-body experience or some communication with a “ghost,” or do you know someone who has?

• In the epilogue, Sophie reveals that she had a son with Kirk – which is exactly what Megan predicted. Sophie then goes on to say they also had a daughter, but Megan never mentioned a sister. What do you think is the significance of this?

oOo

For more information about E.V. Mitchell and the novel The Color of Heaven, visit www.evmitchell.com.

For more information about Julianne MacLean’s historical romances, or to enter her monthly contest and view her photo and video gallery, visit www.juliannemaclean.com. While there, be sure to sign up for her E-Newsletter for the latest info about new releases and appearances. She is also on Facebook and Twitter, and loves to hear from readers.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/JulianneMacLeanRomanceAuthor
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