Author Spotlight: Joanne Troppello and Mr. Shipley's Governess

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.

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Sophie took a deep breath and knocked on the dark wooden door. She felt like Queen Esther trying to gain an audience with King Ahasuerus. A moment later, she heard Sebastian respond for her to enter.

He looked up from his work, and she thought she detected a look of surprise on his face.

“Is everything all right?” he asked.

“Yes, I was hoping I could talk to you for a moment, but if now’s not a good time, I can come back.”

“Forgive my manners.” Sebastian stood up and offered her a seat in front of the desk. “How did your morning go?”
“It went well. I guess I wanted to know what you’ll be expecting from me while I’m here.”

Sebastian’s eyebrows rose. “Well, to teach my daughter. I thought we established that.”

Sophie hurried to assure him. “Of course, I understand that part. I was curious what your involvement would be in regard to supervision of my teaching.”

He leaned back in the chair and stretched his arms over his head. “I see. I suppose you can think of me as an interested observer. I did check out your references, and I trust your experience with children. I won’t hinder your method of operation here, unless, of course, you decide to suggest a field trip on an African Safari.”

Sophie laughed, and Sebastian leaned his arms on the desk. “You find that amusing?”

“A little. You don’t have to worry about that right now. That’s part of the curriculum for next semester.” She saw him barely begin to smile, and spoke without thinking, “You’re very serious, Sebastian, aren’t you?”

She experienced regret right away, but Sebastian’s response alleviated repercussions from that slip of the tongue. “Actually, yes, I am, but I do have some sense of humor. I think you’ll be good for Ana, and I’m glad you’re here.”

Sophie took that as her exit cue. “Thank you for talking with me.”

“I hope I’ve cleared up any uncertainties in your mind.”

She started to walk out.

“Mrs. Andrews usually serves dinner around six o’clock. I hope you don’t mind, but I think it would be good for Ana if you eat with us, unless you have any objections.”
“Oh, that would be fine. I’ll see you later.”

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PURCHASE A COPY OF MR. SHIPLEY'S GOVERNESS HERE!

Published By: Wild Horse Press


Published: Nov 09, 2010

ISBN # 9781456350895

Word Count: 71,400

Genre: Inspirational romance

Price: $5.99

Available in: Adobe Acrobat, Palm DOC/iSolo, Microsoft Reader, Rocket

Joanne Troppello is a romantic suspense and inspirational romance author writing contemporary romance with a classic feel, Ms. Troppello is also a freelance writer / marketing consultant, located in Pennsylvania. She has two books published. Shadowed Remembrances is a mystery novel and Mr. Shipley's Governess is an inspirational romance novel, published through Wild Horse Press. She is contracted to work for several different companies, to write non-fiction, how-to articles each week. She also works as a freelance marketing consultant for a local medical organization and manages facebook and twitter accounts for different clients.

Ms. Troppello loves to write and read and spend time with her family.

Visit Joanne online at http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/.

Author Spotlight: Christian Encounters: Jane Austen by Dr. Peter Leihart

Raised in the Church, the real Jane Austen drew inspiration for her life, as well as her writing, from her strong Christian faith. In his new book, Christian Encounters: Jane Austen, author, pastor and theologian Dr. Peter Leithart details the spiritual life of beloved author Jane Austen.

Focusing on the faith that guided her life and work, Dr. Leithart, an Austen aficionado and author of Miniatures and Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen, showcases a side of Austen most readers have not seen. From her childhood as a pastor’s daughter to her adulthood penning some of the most famous novels of all time, every stage of Austen’s life was influenced by her faith.

“I was riveted by Leithart's excellent biography of Austen, the woman who profoundly influenced me to search for the universal truth in my novels,” says Colleen Coble, best-selling author of The Lightkeeer's Daughter. “I was able to see the flesh-and-blood woman I've admired since my teens.”

Christian Encounters: Jane Austen is the first in a new series of biographies from Thomas Nelson exploring the faiths of 10 historical figures. From Isaac Newton to Johann Sebastian Bach, these short, casual biographies highlight important lives from all ages and areas of the Church and encourage readers in their challenges and lessons of faith. In addition to Jane Austen, the first five books in the series include John Bunyan, Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton and Saint Patrick. The remaining books in the series, set to release in August, are: Johann Sebastian Bach, William F. Buckley, St. Francis, Anne Bradstreet and J.R.R. Tolkien.

From Solomon to Shakespeare, there aren’t many topics Dr. Peter Leithart hasn’t written about. The author of 19 books, Dr. Leithart applies his background in literature, history, religion and theology to exploring some of history’s most important figures.

Dr. Leithart received a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Hillsdale College, a Master of Arts in religion and a Master of Theology from Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He also holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge in England. Dr. Leithart has taught theology and literature at New Saint Andrews College since 1998, where he currently serves as dean of graduate
studies and senior fellow of theology.



Dr. Leithart previously served as a pastor of Reformed Heritage Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He currently serves as pastor at Trinity Church in Moscow, Idaho.

A prolific writer, Dr. Leithart’s previous works include Deep Exegesis: The Mystery of Reading Scripture (Baylor University Press, 2009) and Against Christianity (Canon Press, 2003). He has also written numerous articles on topics ranging from biblical analysis to commentary on literary masters such as Shakespeare, Dante and Austen. His work has appeared in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Birmingham News, The Dallas Morning News, First Things, Modern Theology, The International Journal of Systematic Theology, The Tyndale Bulletin, and other publications. He served as editor and writer for American Vision and currently works as a contributing editor for Touchstone magazine, an interdenominational Christian journal.

Dr. Leithart currently lives in Moscow, Idaho, with his wife, Noel. They have 10 children and three grandchildren. To learn more about Dr. Leithart and Christian Encounters: Jane Austen, please visit www.leithart.com.