Mr. Shipley's Governess

Readers, please help me welcome Joanne Troppello to the blog. Joanne is going to share a guest blog as well as her biography and an excerpt from her new book. Joanne, take it away!

Bio:
I am an author and a freelance writer / marketing consultant, located in Pennsylvania. I have two books published. Shadowed Remembrances is a mystery novel and Mr. Shipley's Governess is an inspirational romance novel, published through Wild Horse Press. I am contracted to work for several different companies, to write non-fiction, how-to articles each week. I also work as a freelance marketing consultant for a local medical organization and I manage facebook and twitter accounts for different clients. I love to write and read and spend time with my family. For more info, visit my website: http://www.joannetroppello.weebly.com

Blog:
Be Persistent and Don’t Give Up!

Back in the summer, my husband and I had a pesky little groundhog invading our vegetable garden. Actually, he wasn’t such a little critter; he was pretty fat and I didn’t think he needed to eat our tomatoes. Now, I love animals, don’t get me wrong, but I love my tomatoes and other veggies more. But, I do have to give our furry friend some credit because he’d been persistent and didn’t seem to want to give up.

We have two 8 x 8 raised garden beds and my husband did a great job of setting this garden up and putting wire fencing on the ground underneath the garden beds; he also put 3’ high rabbit fencing all around the garden. We’ve had this garden for two years now and haven’t had much trouble with animals until now. Last year the groundhog was around, but he wasn’t so brazen.

During the end of the summer, the groundhog started coming around and nibbled on some tomatoes that had overgrown the fencing. Yes, we do have to do some reorganizing next year and plant the Juliet and Grape tomatoes further from the fencing. So, I do understand how our friend came along to eat some tomatoes growing through the fence. But, while I finished up on work one day, my husband called me into the kitchen as he looked out the window and we saw the groundhog literally sitting like a king on top of the wooden gate posts, leaning on the tomato cages eating as if he owned the place. Of course, I charged out on to our deck, with my husband chuckling in the kitchen, as I tried to scare the groundhog away. As he’s done before, he made his way around the other side of the garden and hid there in front of his hole under the fence of the property line, as if he thought I didn’t see him. Yes, I yelled at him again to get away. By the way, we live in a townhouse community and by now after these escapades with me coming out to scare our friendly critter away, they probably think I’m crazy. Maybe that’s why my husband isn’t coming out; either that or I’m providing entertainment for him.

Anyway, the groundhog dutifully went into his hole under the fence until the next day when he brazenly came back to our garden to feast. Thinking about this groundhog made me realize that as authors, we need to be just as tenacious and consistent in our search to reach our goals in writing great stories and marketing our work. Even if we have editors getting back to us saying our work is not good enough, we need to take the good with the bad and keep going. Of course, if their criticisms are legitimate, we should heed them and make corrections. We need to be determined like the groundhog and never give up until we reach our goals and find the publishers we are looking for.

When it comes to marketing, we must keep working at it even when it seems like we are the only author, drowning in a sea of other authors and don’t feel like our efforts are making a difference. If we give up, then we won’t be making a difference in our success. However, every step we take in the right direction, even if it’s only baby steps in writing and marketing, is going to make a difference. Whenever we feel like giving up, let’s remember my furry friend, Mr. Groundhog, and keep hanging on. Success is just around the corner.

Latest Release:
Mr. Shipley's Governess
By: Joanne Troppello
Purchase Link: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mrshipleysgoverness-481158-149.html

Summary: 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.

Excerpt:
Later that afternoon Sophie found herself blindfolded by Sebastian and he led her through the house towards the front door. He kidnapped her from a lazy afternoon of reading in the parlor. His words kept her guessing. “Can you get bundled up? I want to show you something outside.”
“Where are we going?” She heard him open the front door.
“I have a surprise for you.” He held her hand. “Do you trust me?”
“Yes, at least I think I do.” She smiled.
“You have a beautiful smile.”
“Thank you. So where are we headed?”
“I’m going to hold your hand and guide you down the driveway towards the sidewalk. Ready?”
“I guess so.” She held tightly to his hand.
He stopped walking. “Let me try a different tactic here.” He put his arm around Sophie. “I think I can guide you better this way and maybe get back some of the circulation in my hand.”
“Sorry. It’s not every day I’m abducted and forced to walk blindfolded.”
They walked for a few moments in silence. “It’s so beautiful out here. Do you feel the snow flurries?”
She held out her hands and nodded.
“I think it’s better if you stick your tongue out.”
She joked back. “Aren’t you fresh? Are we there yet?”
“You’re as bad as my daughter.”
“Speaking of Anastasia, where is she?”
“I begged my father to keep her occupied for a few hours.”
“What are we going to do for a few hours?”
“I can think of many things.” She heard the devilish tone to his voice.
She turned her head towards him. “You know, I’m beginning to think that deep down, men are adolescents at heart.”
“I think you’re right.” He guided her to the left. “Okay, we’re here, but he isn’t.”
“Can I take this blindfold off?”
“Not yet. Oh, there he is. Can you cover your ears?”
“What?” She felt Sebastian’s gloved hands cover her ears for a minute.
Finally, he removed the blindfold.
She opened her eyes and saw a horse drawn carriage in front of her. She turned to Sebastian. “After you, milady.” The driver stepped down and helped her step up into the carriage. She shook her head, feeling as if she dreamt this.
“So what do you think of part two of your Christmas present?”
She hesitated in responding. “That maybe it’s a little bit inappropriate from my employer.”
“Well, that may be so, but I’m also your friend and--”
“Are you ready, Mr. Shipley?”
“Yes, we are.”
“So you were saying--”
“That I’m your friend and I hope you might classify me as your special friend.” He pulled a red velvet blanket up over their laps and reached over to hold her gloved hand. “So, how do I measure up?”
“Oh, you classify.”
He put his arm around her shoulder and she snuggled close to him, enjoying the secure feeling of his nearness. She rested that way throughout the entire carriage ride and they both remained silent for the majority of it. Sebastian opened the door to romance a crack and invited her to squeeze in. She knew he only offered her an appetizer right now, but she believed he wanted her to stay for the main course and Sophie felt up to the challenge of getting to know this intricate and delightful man.


Joanne, thank you so much for coming. Your book sounds like a treat.