If you had a Friday night all to yourself, what would you do?
JT: Write! Or if I’ve already had time to write during the day, I’d probably watch some HGTV or a romantic comedy or read one of the books on my Kindle (TBR book review pile). I do book reviews and I have a bunch of books in my virtual pile…great for my summer reading.
Where can readers find your books? Do you have a website, blog, etc.?
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.
Want to read an excerpt?
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.
