Carol Moncado | What if...
October 23, 2015
Hey out there in FreshFiction land! I’m Carol Moncado and this is my very first
visit! I’m so excited to be here! I’m an indie author who found myself writing
royalty books. I’m not quite sure how that happened…
Well, I kind of know. While working on a series (it’s still in the metaphorical
box
under the bed), I wondered…
What if…(most good books start with what if) – an everyday, Christian girl
found
herself waking up with a hangover…in Vegas…with a guy…who’s a prince. She
remembers
him introducing himself as “Prince William but not that Prince William.” She
has a
vague recollection of getting married, but that’s about it. I started the
story, but
it’s book five in a series that needs major rewrites if it’s ever going to see
the
light of day.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself without a project for NaNoWriMo. A
friend said “what about a princess story?” Okay.
What if…the crown princess of Montevaro is living incognito in the States where
she
meets a single dad who grew up without roots? What if…the most important thing
to him
is giving his daughter the stability he never had. What if…Parliament has to
approve
her choice of spouse and a never-married, middle class, dad? Notsomuch. Can
they
prove he’s GOOD
ENOUGH FOR A PRINCESS?
What if…a “spare” has to come to terms with the fact that he won’t get to
traipse
around the world being adventurous until his sister has a kid or two to take
his
place in the line of succession? What if…he meets a girl who hates the very
controlled nature of palace life? Will she regret the day ALONG CAME A
PRINCE?
What if…the “accidental extra” – the twin sister of the “spare” – wants someone
who
can see beyond her tiara? What if…the guy she’s falling in love with believes
the
only way to help others is to get your hands dirty? What if…the guy who
appreciates
her ability to use her celebrity to bring awareness to a cause doesn’t make her
heart
go pitter-pat? Which one will see she’s MORE THAN A PRINCESS?
But…that’s end of the young royalty in Montevaro! What if…there’s three
countries
with a common history and royal families who have each others’ backs? What if…
each
country has some vestige of the old ways – Parliamentary approval for the
monarch’s
spouse, male primogeniture, arranged marriages?
What if…in Mevendia, the king promised his children he’ll let them make their
own
choices, then officially “arrange” the marriages…but he goes back on his word?
What
if…the king’s best friend saved his life as teenagers, the king promised one of
his
sons would marry one of his friend’s daughters – and now the friend is
insisting the
king uphold his end of the bargain? What if…the friend’s daughter is a mousy,
wallflower who is most comfortable not in the background, but out of the room
all
together? What if…the prince meets his bride for the first time at the altar?
What
if…his older brother (Prince William) refused to marry her…twice? Will she ever
feel
like more than a HAND-ME-DOWN PRINCESS?
What if…in Ravenzario, the queen was orphaned at five and her uncle planned to
overthrow her as an adult? What if…that’s behind her, but right before her
wedding
she finds out her fiancé was in on the whole thing? What if…she feels she can’t
cancel the wedding without the country being thrown into chaos because the
people no
longer trust her judgment? What if…the one man she trusts implicitly offers to
marry
her instead? Is the marriage just to keep the country together, or will he also
be WINNING THE
QUEEN'S
HEART?
What if…the king of Ravenzario suspected he was going to be on the receiving
end of
an assassination attempt and arranged a marriage between his toddler son and
the
infant princess of Mevendia? What if…he, his wife, his son, and the nanny were
in a
car accident, leaving his young daughter queen? What if…there was a plan in
place for
his son to survive? What if…the wedding date is approaching and the Mevendian
princess doesn’t even know it’s a possibility the PRINCE FROM HER PAST
could
show up?
What about you? What’s your what if? What if…you weren’t afraid to try? What
if…you
took that chance? What if…you dared to dream big? I’m living my “what if”, but
only
because I dared to take the chance. Can you?
Giveaway
What's your what if? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a digital
copy of
HAND-ME-
DOWN
PRINCESS!
When not writing about her imaginary friends, Carol Moncado hangs out with her
family
and a dog who weighs less than most hardback books. Her favorite activity is
watching
NCIS, unless Castle is on - or Girl Meets World (with her four kids, of
course!). She
believes peanut butter M&Ms are the perfect food and Dr. Pepper should come in
an IV.
If her kids, and dog, aren’t racing around her big backyard in Southwest
Missouri,
she’s teaching American Government at a community college. She's President of
MozArks
ACFW and can be found on Facebook, her website, and the InspyRomance blog.
Website | Facebook | Blog
Prince Malachi Van Renssalaer of Mevendia is getting married. The problem?
He’s
never even met his bride. His father arranged everything, right down to the
marriage
contract. Malachi swears to himself that he will be nothing like his father in
the
ways that count - including his fidelity to his wife.
Jessabelle Keller would happily spend her entire life in obscurity, but her
father
once saved the life of a future king. Before he dies, her father is committed
to
seeing that king make good on his promise to have one of his sons marry her so
she
would be taken care of for life.
No sooner than Prince Malachi and Jessabelle return from their honeymoon, they
find
themselves dealing with both private trauma and the very public drama of
groundless
accusations from the press. Just as they begin to weave their fragile trust
back
together, a ghost from the king’s past arrives and threatens everything they’ve
ever
held dear.
Secrets have a funny way of coming out and this one could rip the faith of the
country in their leaders to shreds. Malachi is determined to protect Jessabelle
no
matter what it takes, but will it ever be enough for her to not feel like a
Hand- Me-
Down Princess?
Comments
30 comments posted.
Re: Carol Moncado | What if...
If I could do it over, would I? (Marissa Yip-Young 9:56am October 23, 2015)
It was a pleasure to learn about you and your books! My what if... would be What would my life be like if I was not such a worrywart? (Colleen Conklin 1:00pm October 23, 2015)
What if I didn't screw up that ONE relationship? Would we have gotten married like we talked about but never really put in motion? Would we have had kids and still be married today? (Tina Hairston 1:04pm October 23, 2015)
Soooo glad you did the what if...great series! (B Hriv 1:31pm October 23, 2015)
What If: A man opens a diner that caters to families and overnight truckers by being open only 8:00 pm - 4:00 am? What If he falls in love with one of his waitresses but she doesn't want to marry him, she wants to see the world? What if they have a daughter and the mother leaves town a month after the birth? How will the dad cope with being a single dad and running the diner? What will he do when the daughter reaches school age? Will he turn towards God for help, or try to do everything on his own? What will he tell his daughter about her mother? (Carol March 4:38pm October 23, 2015)
I really enjoy your royalty fiction! So fun to think about how modern people adjust to traditions of monarchy and how traditions of monarchy are bent (or not) through the changing times! My what if... I wonder what it would be like to move my family to a different area of the country (both my family and my husband's family has lived within a 20 mile radius for generations, about 200 years for most lines!) The pioneers of the family came directly from England or Germany to our rural southern Illinois communities and seems like hardly anyone has left since. We're talking be careful who you marry, the family tree needs to branch out! :) (Beth Schwarzlose 4:44pm October 23, 2015)
Oh this book sounds so wonderful!!! I can't wait to read it! My what if would be...what if I never found my husband.. What would my life be like? Horrible...it would be horrible...lonely...unfulfilled. (Bonnie Capuano 10:08pm October 23, 2015)
What if I had never babysat for that neighbor? I say this because babysitting for Sue led me to getting my first summer job, which led to my next summer jobs, then my first full-time job after college I got because Sue was my reference and my new boss knew her from volunteer work, then after I got laid off my next boss knew both of the other two bosses, and, finally, that last job led to me dating my husband of now 34 years. So I repeat: what if I had never met Sue? Would my path have crossed with my now husband's path? (Elaine Seymour 12:29pm October 24, 2015)
My what if? --- what if our son had called us before his accident -- would he still be alive????? (Ruth Chesick 5:51am October 24, 2015)
I don't really have a what if. I try not to dwell on past mistakes or wish they were changed. But I like to read about them. (Pam Howell 10:14am October 24, 2015)
What if ...I'd not gotten pregnant in high school? But I now have 5 great kids and 6 wonderful grand kids, too. (Mary Hay 3:27pm October 24, 2015)
What if I had let fear hold me back, would I be with my husband now. (Jean Patton 4:18pm October 24, 2015)
What if I would have waited to start a family, instead of having them early, then getting married. (Nicole Bouchey 8:34pm October 24, 2015)
What if I listened to the doctors who said I'd never conceive? I would not have 4 wonderful children and 5beautiful grandchildren. (Suzie Johnson 9:12pm October 24, 2015)
What if? I win "Hand Me Down Princess" then that would be totally Awesome Carol Moncado :) Thank you so much for the chance of a giveaway and good luck to one and all (Holly Loch 10:09pm October 24, 2015)
What if I had been brave enough to talk to that guy in my English class from college in 1999? (Rachel Cropper 11:52pm October 24, 2015)
What if I'd taken more care of my health when I was younger? (Marcy Shuler 8:07pm October 25, 2015)
What if I had joined the Navy and went to college before my 35th and 50th birthdays? (Mary Marquez 8:39pm October 25, 2015)
What if my husband or myself had stayed in the Army? Where would we be now? (Debra Wolsleben 9:16pm October 25, 2015)
What if I hadn't been a spoiled brat when I was younger and had saved the one true love relationship I had? But life is what it is and there isn't another chance to do it right! (Vicki Hancock 9:19pm October 25, 2015)
Love your books and contest .Thanks so much.Love to read about brides. (Teresa Williams 11:00pm October 25, 2015)
What if I took that chance way back when? Wouldn't things be so different than they are today! (Sheryl Pike 11:04pm October 25, 2015)
Would like to win !!!!! (Linda Clark 9:23am October 26, 2015)
I have had a great life with my husband and kids. If I ever had a what if I can't remember what it could have been. Would love to win! Thanks. (Sandra Spilecki 1:01pm October 26, 2015)
There's a lot of "ifs" I could name, but I won't . There's so many that I could write all day . I will say the biggest one would be "what if I had not married my husband " then I would not have had the most wonderful daughters and all the beautiful grandchildren that I have now . I can't imagine me without them all . (Joan Thrasher 3:02pm October 26, 2015)
These books look fabulous!!!! My only "what if" is "What if we were all nicer to each other?" Anything in the past would change who I am and I like me!! (Carrie Evans 3:08pm October 26, 2015)
Hello Carol - Your books sound charming. (Beth Tilley 5:47pm October 26, 2015)
there are a few what ifs in my life,even now l can think of some but thinking about them if l had been able to change any of them l wouldnt be the woman,mom,aunt,grandma that l am. (Julie Whitman 12:22pm October 27, 2015)
What ifs are something that brings one in a circle so really do not dwell on them. (Jean Benedict 11:31am October 27, 2015)
If I had decided not to go to college, I would never have met the man who became my husband. (Anna Speed 12:21pm October 27, 2015)
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