Joanne Troppello – Real Life Romance & Excerpt – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Contemporary romance author, Joanne Troppello shares how she met her husband and a romantic excerpt from her book, Mr. Shipley’s Governess. Comment on this post for a chance to win an e-book download. Deadline: August 19th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Joanne:

My husband and I met in church when we both attended the same class to learn how to become small group leaders.  I was nervous when I met him.  A month earlier I saw him at the front of the church during worship service and felt the Lord say that I was going to actually meet him sometime soon.  Nothing happened right away and I went on my merry way.  
When I saw my husband, John, at that class, it took me by surprise and I was giddy and responded two times telling him my name when we went around the circle to introduce ourselves.  We became friends and hung out together in the singles group at our church and didn’t actually begin dating until two years later.  We dated for one month and then he proposed.  We got married one year later and have been married for seven years.  I love him more today than the day we first fell in love. 
My hero and heroine, Sebastian Shipley and Sophie Baird meet when she applies for the position of a tutor for his daughter, Anastasia.  His daughter is ill and does not attend school.  Sophie has recently lost her parents, so she is dealing with that traumatic experience and trying to move forward.  She never expected to fall in love with her employer, but sometimes God has different ideas than we do and the unexpected happens.  
Excerpt from Mr. Shipley’s Governess:
Sebastian leaned against the doorframe of the library, amused that Sophie continued reading, oblivious to his intrusion.  He watched her scrunch up her face in consternation, engrossed in the book.  “So, who do you like better, me or Mr. Knightly?”  He heard her sharp intake of breath.  She nearly dropped the book as she turned to look at her intruder. 
“Definitely, that would be Mr. Knightly; he doesn’t have the habit of sneaking up on me.” 
Sebastian sauntered into the room and sat in the chair opposite her.  “Yes, he’s so charming.  I hope to someday be like him.” 
“Hey, don’t make fun.  He is the epitome of the perfect gentleman.” 
“Actually, I’m serious.” 
“What do you mean?” 
“I’ve read the same book as you.  It must be a coincidence.”
Sophie smiled.  “Really…you’re just trying to get on my good side.” 
He leaned forward in mock surprise.  “Huh, I thought I was on your good side already.” 
“That depends on my mood.” 
“I see.  You’re all about a woman’s prerogative.” 
“Yes, I live by that rule.” 
He played along, enjoying the playful banter.  “Oh, so you’re one of those.”
 “You’d better believe it.  It’s my prerogative to change my mind whenever I want.” 
He fluidly maneuvered his way to the ottoman where her feet rested and he sat down.  “I hope you don’t change your mind about me.” 
“Well, that all depends on you.” 
“I’d better be on my best behavior then.” 
Sophie got up quickly and before he realized it, she walked across the room to the bookshelf.  “So, you really read Emma, too.  That’s still surprising and sweet.” 
He followed her.  “You’re avoiding any serious conversation, young lady.” 
She moved away, running her finger along the spines of the books.  He kept following, backing her into a corner.  She leaned her hands against the windowsill and backed up as far as possible.  She laughed nervously.  “So, tell me again why you interrupted me.” 
“I did it because I’ve wanted to do this for a long time now.”  He cupped her face, tracing the outline of her lips with his thumb.  Then he lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her gently, at first, but soon his fervor matched hers.  She put her arms around his neck and moved in closer.  Finally, they pulled away from each other, both breathless.  “I…I’m sorry.”
She touched his cheek.  “Don’t be.  I’ve wanted you to do that for a long time, too.” 
He squeezed her hand. “I should get back to work.  David’s going to wonder what happened to me.” 
Sophie gave him a flirty smile. “Oh, I’m sure he knows.” 
“Now try not to compare me too much to Mr. Knightly because there’s no contest, really.” 
As he walked out of the room, he still felt the warmth of her lips on his and the softness of her body in his arms.  He chided himself.  “Shake it off, man.”  Then he walked down the hall in search of his brother.
About the book: 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.
About Joanne: Joanne Troppello writes inspirational fiction in the genres of romance, mystery and women’s fiction.  She is a freelance writer / marketing consultant, located in Pennsylvania.  Currently, she has two books published; Shadowed Remembrances is a mystery novel and Mr. Shipley’s Governess is a romance novel.  Joanne enjoys reading, writing and spending time with her family.Purchase link: http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mrshipley039sgoverness-481158-149.html
Learn more at: http://joannetroppello.weebly.com/blog.html, http://twitter.com/JoanneTroppello,  and http://www.facebook.com/joanne.kerzmanntroppello 
Come back August 15th for something different, a post straight from my heart as I sing the praises of an awesome organization that changed my life: American Christian Fiction Writers.
On August 17th, we’ll head back to real life romance with debut author, Lynne Gentry.