Once upon a time…
A baby is born in privilege, blooming under the warmth of his parents’ love. Jealousy sprouts and brings with it malevolent intentions. A king and queen cursed with an empty kingdom. A child abandoned in revenge.
A misfit, the boy should turn hard and cold among the thorns he grows in. Despite lifelong attempts to destroy him, this child does not wither. Underneath his insecurity, he maintains a heart with the tenderest center.
A heart that plays the most beautiful music.
Not far from this misfit but in a whole different world, a dashing prince lives with a crown of expectations adorning his golden head.
A prince raised with honor and duty. A prince expected to marry.
Alas, during a simple walk in the forest, he is enchanted by a different song.
And so a fairy tale is woven, two worlds colliding, secrets revealed, love everlasting…
And a realization that not all fairy tales require a princess.
*Prince is a modern fairy tale forgoing heteronormativity to boldly state that fairy tales are for everyone, no matter who you love (or don’t).
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EXCERPT:
Head bowed toward the violin, his hair looked like spun golden thread as it swayed with every note he played. Familiarity rippled through me, but I didn’t think it through. I couldn’t think about anything just then. All I could do was feel.
The tune moved me. It felt as if actual pieces inside my chest were being rearranged and adjusted according to this melody. As if this boy who played this song knew exactly where pieces of me belonged and he would arrange them so I wouldn’t have to.
Emotion so stark and overwhelming punched me. I actually bent a little at the waist. Tears sprang to the corners of my eyes, but I held them at bay.
Absolutely entranced. Absolutely owned.
Absolutely besotted by the sound of this boy.
I didn’t even know a person had a sound. A song unique to only them. But now that I’d heard, it seemed to be so obvious because no one else could possibly ever sound like him.
This went far beyond the sound of a voice or even a whisper against your ear.
This was… This was the sound of someone’s heart.
In my chest, my heart pounded, thumping heavily and slow but so powerful that breath was hard to draw.
I stood there listening, not really breathing. Not really seeing. But totally alive and aware with senses I’d never used before.
When the last note was played, it hovered thick like the air after a heavy rainstorm. It caressed my nerves with small aftershocks, stroking them as if they were trying to build a memory.
Author Bio:
Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.
Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).
Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.
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