Mr. Shipley’s Governess
Joanne Troppello
Author Bio
Joanne Troppello is an author of inspirational and romantic suspense novels. She and her husband are Network Marketing Coaches and owners of Mustard Seed Marketing Group, LLC. They have several active blogs and readers are encouraged to visit their Author’s Corner Blog, a place for authors and readers to connect. They host various blog parties throughout the year and many guest authors stop by to meet with readers.
Description
Sophie Baird is looking for a way to escape the painful reality of her parents’ deaths. Unable to live in their home any longer, she takes a job as a live-in tutor to Anastasia Shipley to remove herself from her painful memories and the feeling that God has abandoned her. Anastasia has an illness that has prevented her from ever attending school and makes her father, Sebastian, over protective. When Sophie first meets Sebastian, she cannot deny the intense attraction she feels toward him. When an unexpected romance begins between them, she starts to rebuild her relationship with God, with the help of a certain little girl.
It’s exciting to bring my characters to readers’ lives for them to enjoy their story. I wanted to write a tale of love and inspiration with a romantic hero, and a heroine in need of “rescuing.” Now, this is not a damsel-in-distress tale per see, like a knight in shining armor rescuing the imprisoned princess. However, this is more of a modern day twist. The hero, Sebastian Shipley is a well-to-do business man who has a daughter with an illness. She is in need of a live-in tutor. Into the picture comes the heroine, Sophie Baird. So what does she need rescuing from? A few months earlier, her parents died in a car accident and she needs to escape the pain of their death and be rescued from her life.
One of my favorite authors is Jane Austen. I love her books, my favorites–Emma, Sense & Sensibility and Pride & Prejudice. I thought it would be neat to include some Austenesque elements into the book and my heroine is also a huge Austen fan. I wanted to write the book with an old-world romance style but in a contemporary setting. My goal was to maintain a classic tone reminiscent of some of the treasured books I’d grown up reading. I hope readers love Sophie and Sebastian as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Book excerpt
Since Sebastian had given Anastasia a reprieve from schoolwork, Sophie had the rest of the day to herself. They’d just returned from their excursion to the park and Sophie was glad to be nice and cozy inside. Earlier, she had heard Anastasia’s giggles as she bantered with her grandfather. Apparently, they had been discussing which movie to settle in for that afternoon. She figured Sebastian and David had buried themselves under mounds of paperwork in the study. Left to her own devices, Sophie had taken a twenty-minute power nap. Now the restlessness set in and she decided to take a private tour of the London townhouse. Sebastian had given permission to explore to her heart’s content. However, she still felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast and hoped her wanderings remained free of any hidden discoveries—like the Beast’s covered rose.
Sophie stepped out of her room and began roaming through the upstairs hallway. She found a narrow staircase at the end of the hall, which looked like the passageway to the servants’ quarters of a bygone era. As she climbed her way to the top, she reached another doorway. Hoping it opened, she turned the knob. Cobwebs and dust met her senses and she coughed as she entered. Now she truly felt like Belle, ready for Sebastian to come up after her growling that she’d intruded on sacred family ground.
Realizing she stepped into the attic, she moved slowly, groping for a light switch. Noticing a string hanging from the ceiling, she pulled it. A single light bulb illuminated the room. She saw at once that she’d come upon a treasure trove of family heirlooms and memories. Sensory overload halted her progress and then a large, worn-looking brown leather book caught her eye. Gingerly stepping on the floor boards, she mentally thanked the person that had placed the wooden planks across the rafters.
Sophie reached for the book and opened the cover, as dust filled her nostrils, causing her to sneeze. One by one, she began slowly turning the faded pages and saw a younger version of Alexander and, she assumed, his wife. Continuing to peruse the book, she noticed their two young sons. As she reached the middle pages, she observed Sebastian on his wedding day. Sophie gasped—she already thought he was handsome—but in the photo, his happiness shone through. Suddenly overwhelmed and saddened for all that he and his daughter had lost when Katherine passed away, she started tearing up. Closing the book, she held it to her chest. She wanted to find love someday with someone, hopefully Sebastian—like he had shared with his wife.
Book Cover https://everywritersresource.com/selfpublished/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Mr-Shipleys-Governess.FINAL-PRINT-COVER2.jpg
Author Website
https://www.mustardseedmarketinggroup.com