Next week, the sixth book in the Crowns & Courtships series releases! YAY! But also… nail biting. Every release is! When I was trying to come up with a blog post for today, I remembered one I did a while back, kind of a deleted scene that happens almost immediately before the action begins in another book – Hand-Me-Down Princess. In both books, I have a couple who really don’t want to get married, and there’s real reservations, based in reality. But they’re royalty. And sometimes you have to do what’s expected of you and pray it all works out okay.
The Spare and the Heir opens the day Crown Princess Esmeralda of Islas del Sargasso and Prince Gabriel of Auverignon are announcing their engagement – if Esme doesn’t talk her mother out of it first. Gabe is afraid she’ll be able to do just that. Before he goes in to meet with them… well, see for yourself.
When you’re eighteen, you don’t really think about the consequences of your actions.
Not the long term ones.
At least Gabe hadn’t.
And now, one of them was about to stare him right in the face and tell him how much he was despised. Even being a prince wouldn’t save him.
Not when she was already a crown princess.
Queen Carlotta’s assistant had sent him to wait on the balcony outside of the outer office, probably because he couldn’t stand Gabe’s pacing anymore.
He sat on one of the chairs as he pulled the ring box out of his pocket and popped it open.
Would Esme like it? Would she wear it out of obligation to her mother and the public, but not to him?
She’d likely never know, or care, that he picked each stone himself. The center sapphire had been picked first, but he waffled for months on what cut and then which one before settling on this one. Not the biggest he could have gotten, but not small either. One of the ones he’d looked at was nearly fifteen carats, even bigger than the late Princess Diana’s.
It was too much. Esme wouldn’t like it. She’d probably prefer something even smaller than this, but given the surrounding stones, it couldn’t be much smaller.
She’d never know the number of diamonds, emeralds, and purple amethysts were chosen because of their ages when they became unofficially engaged.
Esme had been three.
Gabe was the ripe old age of six.
But when he was eighteen, he made choices that led to being on a palace balcony while Esme was inside, likely trying to talk her mother out of the marriage.
Not likely.
Definitely.
His phone buzzed. “Yes?” He answered despite not recognizing the number.
“Please hold for King Edward.”
The San Majorian king? What did he want? Some word of fatherly advice? Gabe’s own father, currently the crown prince of Auverignon, certainly wouldn’t give any.
“How are you feeling about all of this, Gabe?” The king cut straight to the chase, but his concern came through the line. “I heard from Carlotta this was finally happening this morning.”
“Not if Esme has anything to say about it.” Gabe slumped back. “I sowed my wild oats. I’m reaping that harvest now, and for the rest of my life, most likely. From the one person who has the most right to hate me for it.”
His reputation as the Playboy Prince was quite well-earned, and occasionally flaunted, but only in the last few years since he straightened up. When it had been true, there was no need to.
“Esme will go through with it,” Edward promised. “But it’s going to be up to you to convince her you’re not the kid you used to be. That you’ve grown up, straightened up, and will be the loving, devoted husband she’s always wanted, always needed.”
Gabe thought he could do that, but he wasn’t quite sure, and he told the king that.
“You can’t become like her father,” the king said softly. “I know you don’t intend to be, but it would be easy for the difficulties you’re sure to have at the beginning become the norm for the next five or more decades. You are going to have to not let it become the norm. I believe in you, Gabe. Even when you were that guy, at your core, you weren’t. You can do this. You can win your wife over, starting with today when she officially becomes your fiancé.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You are not your reputation, Gabe. Be the man of God you’ve become, and you’ll be fine. Esme will see who you are now if you let her, but you have to be vulnerable and let her see the real you.”
Vulnerable? Gabe didn’t do vulnerable. “I’ll do my best.”
“That’s all you can do. Call if you need me. Either one of you can.”
Because neither one of them had fathers who could hold a candle to King Edward.
“I have to go. I’ll see you at the wedding.”
Before Gabe could say goodbye, the other man hung up.
At least someone believed in him. He stared at the ring a moment longer. Maybe he’d believe in himself before it was all said and done.
The world saw the self-confident-bordering-on-cocky, self assured prince. No one saw the lonely prince who just wanted to love the woman who would become his wife.
And have her love him back.
“Prince Gabriel, the queen and Princess Esmeralda will see you now.” Carlotta’s assistant summoned him.
He stood and put the ring box back in his pocket before buttoning his coat.
Time to convince Esme this wasn’t the worst idea in the world.
Gabe is probably my most misunderstood hero to date. There’s far more to him than meets the eye! I can’t wait for y’all to get to know – and love – Gabe!
The Spare and the Heir releases December 21! It’s still at the prerelease price of 2.99 before going to the regular price of 4.99 after release. As soon as I finish getting this one ready to release, I’m going on a reading binge! Do you have a book you’re looking forward to releasing before the end of the year? One lucky commenter will get a free ecopy of The Spare and the Heir when it releases!
Crowns & Courtships
Book 6: Royals of Islas del Sargasso & Auverignon
Crown Princess Esmerelda of Islas del Sargasso wants nothing to do with Prince Gabriel of Auverignon and his well-deserved reputation as a playboy prince.
Unfortunately, she’s been secretly engaged to him since she was three.
Her mother, Queen Carlotta, has decided it’s time for the two of them to get married – and Gabriel is all too keen to make it happen. But she saw what this kind of arrangement did to her own mother, and Esme wants nothing to do with it.
For his part, Gabriel has been in love with Esme since he was a teenager and deeply regrets his years of wild oat sowing – even if some of them did serve a greater purpose.
One he can’t tell Esme about, not yet.
He knows, far better than she does, that their fledgling relationship is going to be tested to the hilt as life’s body blows rain down. All he can do is be steadfast in his commitment to her, to their marriage, and to helping her become the queen he knows she can be.
He’s always been the spare.
She was born the heir.
Together, they can form a new dynasty where even arranged marriages can turn into something beautiful.
No one particular book, but I do love to read Christmas stories.
Hi Carol! Looking forward to reading The Spare and the Heir. My copy is preordered. As Christmas stories and boxed sets became available in October, I did some binge reading. Slowed down the last few weeks. My favorite series this season was Shanna Hatfield’s The Friendly Beasts of Faraday (a camel, donkey, cow, lamb and pigeon that lead their owners to romance). Best wishes and Merry Christmas.
Anything you write!!!
“Little drops of Sunshine” by Staci Stallings, releasing December 20 – I loved the first two in the series and am really looking forward to this one.
Hi Carol, so excited for this! My copy is preordered and my kindle is ready an waiting?
Blessings?
Looking forward to the Spare and the Heir. Myself and my best friends reads your books as soon as they are available on Kindle. I have very little time to read but I make time for a Carol Moncado book.
I’m excited about the story and looking forward to the release. Currently I’m sewing flannel pjs for grandkids. I love the advice on the edge of cotton flannel that says, “not suitable for children’s sleepwear”. What else do use use brightly colored unicorn and cloud flannel for?
Oh I love the excerpt!
I don’t have a particular book I look forward to reading. I have the first two books in the Crowns & Courtship series, so maybe I should read those soon. ;-)
Love the excerpt!! This book is the one I am looking most forward to that is coming out this month. I am so excited for it! Thank you for sharing with us!
I’ve got the book pre-ordered, so no need to enter me in the giveaway. I’m really looking forward to reading this one!!
I love Christmas books too!
How fun! I’ll have to look for that one!
Aw!!! Thank you!
I love Staci’s books!
Yay! I can’t wait for you to get it!
Awww!!! Thank you!!! I love hearing that! I hope you like TSATH!
Clearly a dress to meet the queen. Duh. ;)
How fun! I’m sure they’ll love them!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
I hope you enjoy them if you do! /whispers/The fourth is my favorite so far but I do love those two.
Awww! Yay! Thank you Erin! I hope you enjoy it!
Thank you! I hope it’s worth the wait!
Looking forward to reading The Heir and the Spare. I’ve loved the previous books in the series. I don’t really have any Christmas books in looking forward to.
Can’t wait to read this one!
Oh, sounds so delicious!!
I’m currently reading Catching Christmas by Terri Blackstock that I’ve been wanting to read.
Can’t wait to read. I love all Christmas books
You really have become one of my favorite authors. The books are so good that I have read them all at least twice each.
I’m looking forward to The Spare and the Heir! I love this series!
Can’t wait to read The Heir and the Spare. I have devoured all of your books since discovering them earlier this year. Thank you for doing what you do. Your faithful readers appreciate it. :)
Carol, Carol… Carol. You’re killing me! I am SO looking forward to spending a day or so guzzling down every word written in this story.
Thanks for keeping us on the hook!
Rachael
Carol, what a tender cover…ahhhh! Love it <3
Hi Holly! I hope you enjoy it!
I can’t wait for you to!
I have several of hers but I’m not sure I’ve read any. I’ve heard great things though!
Me too! Hope you enjoy!
It’s like 3am and I just sent TSATH off to my proofreader. I so needed to hear that! (Because right now I pretty much hate everything about writing ;).) I hope you enjoy it!
I’m so glad! I hope you enjoy it!
See my reply to Peggy a couple up there! Thank you! That means so much!
It’s so surreal reading that! I love it! But I do that to other authors all the time (Tamara Leigh’s latest is mocking me!) but it’s SO NICE to hear someone say that about li’l ol’ me!
I saw this couple and LOVED them! Gabe is in such a different place than Esme when they get married and this look her exemplifies that! It’s one of my favorites so far!
I have a few of your books and love them. Just wanted to say while I am searching for new books to read I followed the trail to this. I can’t wait this sounds so cute and different.