Be My Guest - Carrie Turansky

This week starts my once-monthly guest spot on the third Monday of the month. I'm pleased to have the talented Carrie Turansky as my guest this week. If you haven't yet read The Governess of Highland Hall, I hope this article will inspire you to pick up a copy and give it a read. It's quite good and reminds me of Persuasion by Jane Austen.

Tyntesfield ~ Inspiration for the Setting for The Governess of Highland Hall

By Carrie Turansky

When I started working on ideas for The Governess of Highland Hall, I wanted to find an English country estate for my setting. I am a visual person, so finding images for my characters and setting brings the story to life for me. I loved visiting Highclere Castle where Downton Abbey is filmed, and I wanted to find an estate that gave a similar impression but was unique. After a short search online, I discovered Tyntesfield, and I was delighted when I followed several more links to other images and articles. It was the perfect inspiration for the Ramsey family's Highland Hall.

Tyntesfield

Tyntesfield is a beautiful Victorian Gothic Revival house and estate near Wraxall, North Somerset, England. The house is a Grade I listed building and now is owned by the National Trust of England. The house is named after the Tynte baronets, who had owned estates in the area since about 1500. The location was formerly a 16th-century hunting lodge, which was used as a farmhouse until the early 19th century. In the 1830s a Georgian mansion was built on the site, and it was bought by William Gibbs, an English businessman, who made his fortune by importing guano (bird droppings) from South America that was used to make fertilizer. Gibbs became the wealthiest non-noble in England for a time. Gibbs had a beautiful chapel added to Tyntesfield in the 1870s. The Gibbs family owned the house until the death of Richard Gibbs in 2001.

Tyntesfield was acquired by the National Trust in June 2002 after a fundraising campaign to prevent it being sold to private interests and to ensure it would be open to the public. The house was opened to visitors for the first time just 10 weeks after the acquisition, and over 189,000 people visited Tyntesfield in 2012. I am planning to visit Tyntesfield in May, and I’m very excited to see it all for myself!

Several scenes in The Governess of Highland Hall are set in the great hall, the gallery, and the nursery. So I thought you would like a peek at those areas of the house.

Would you like to see more photos of Tyntesfield? Come over to my Pinterest board and step back in time to 1912 and get to know The Governess of Highland Hall!

Carrie Turansky is the award-winning author of more than a dozen novels and novellas. She is winner of the ACFW Carol Award and the International Digital Award. For more information visit: http://carrieturansky.com.

Carrie has a new book that released last week (April 15). It's actually a two-in-one, so you get more for your money. Here's the book blurb from Carrie's website.

Where Two Hearts Meet

Two Sisters, Two Heartwarming Romance novellas

There's no better place for romance, forgiveness, and new beginnings than the Sweet Something Teashop.

Tea For Two

Allison Bennett, co-owner of a financially strapped teashop in Princeton, New Jersey, receives a large anonymous check that saves her business. But she has no idea who sent it. Could it be from Peter Hillinger, the wealthy businessman who owns the shop next door and wants to win Allison's heart? Or is it from Tyler Lawrence, Allison't old boyfriend, who returns to town claiming a renewed faith and a changed life? Allison doesn't know whom to trust. Should she follow her head or heart, or is there Someone else who can guide her toward the best path for her future?

Wherever Love Takes Us

After twenty-five years of marriage, Matt and Tessa Malone are struggling to recover financially and rebuild trust following a business failure. Then Matt inherits property in Oregon, and he wants to move the family there to make a fresh start. But Tessa can't imagine giving up the cozy teashop she co-owns with her sister, or leaving her friends and family in Princeton. Whose dream will they follow, and how much will it cost their family? Can they resolve their differences and rebuild a love that seems lost?


Tea for Two was originally published in Wedded Bliss, and Wherever Love Takes Us was originally published in Kiss the Bride. These two novellas have been expanded and updated and put together in one book. I hope you enjoy them!



Thank you for being my guest today, Carrie! I enjoyed learning more about Tyntesfield, the inspiration for The Governess of Highland Hall. Enjoy your trip! I look forward to seeing pictures from your adventure.

Readers, have you ever visited a castle? If you could go anywhere on your next vacation, where would you choose to go and why?


Would you like to be my guest? Here's how to submit an article.

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