Thursday, January 30, 2025

Talkshow Thursday: Welcome back, Susan Mathis!

Talkshow Thursday: 
Welcome Back, Susan Mathis!

I'm thrilled to welcome Susan back to my blog. We've become cyber friends and one of these days we'll actually manage to get together. Turns out she now lives in my old "stomping grounds." I'm a huge fan of her books, and once you've read one, you will be too! Read on to learn more about this lovely author and her books.

The third novel of your new three-book series called Love in a Lighthouse is out. Tell us about that, please.

Join the Row-family women, Libby, Julia, and Emma, as they navigate the isolation, danger, and hope for lasting love at three different Thousand Island lighthouses in the St. Lawrence River. [Note: These can be read in any order.]

Emma’s Engagement (book three)

Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder,
the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as she steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?

For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada become deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island? Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.

Julia’s Joy (book two)

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her grandmother’s will, she is
intent on claiming her inheritance and moving on. But when she experiences the peaceful, faith-filled island life and connects with the handsome lightkeeper, William, Julia finds herself confronting her open wounds from her parents’ deaths.

William Dodge, lightkeeper of Sister Island, harbors a heart hardened by a past betrayal. Between that and his chronic pleurisy, he wants nothing to do with love. But when Julia arrives on the island bursting with vitality and unconventional notions, William’s world is turned upside down. As she chips away at the walls William has built for himself, he finds his reluctance waning. But just as love begins to blossom between them, Julia is faced with a tempting proposal from a prominent Brockville family. Will she succumb to societal expectations or choose the richness of her island life and the love of the steadfast lightkeeper?

Libby’s Lighthouse (book one)

Elizabeth Montonna, daughter of the Tibbett’s Point Lighthouse keeper, thought she’d love the lighthouse life forever—until her mother, on her deathbed, reveals a long-buried secret. Now Elizabeth’s world has been turned upside down, making her question if she’ll ever truly belong and be loved. But when a dashing young sailor appears on her shore, wounded and disoriented, she finds purpose in helping him recover. Although the man knows nothing about his past or identity, his kindness and character steal a little more of her heart each day. If only she knew his full name.

When Owen awakes on the shore of Lake Ontario with no knowledge of who he is, or where he was headed when his ship wrecked, he has no choice but to accept the hospitality of the lighthouse keeper and his lovely daughter. But as Owen works to repay their kindness, and his relationship with Libby turns into something more, he knows their budding romance can go no further until he uncovers his past. With each passing day, Owen inches closer to discovering the secrets of his identity, but will the revelations bring him closer to Libby or tear them apart forever?

What inspired you to write Emma’s Engagement?

I have visited Rock Island Lighthouse a number of times, and it’s a beautiful lighthouse. It’s along the main shipping channel and it’s a New York State Park accessible by boat, so it’s a great place to visit. When I was asked to write a lighthouse series, I just had to write about it!

What genre do you focus on?

Pixabay/Marta Jozsa
I’m hooked on the wonderful world of historical fiction, and especially the Thousand Islands Gilded Age history. But technically, the sub-genre I write in is called “faction”—factual fiction. The setting and owners of that castle, mansion, or resort are all real characters and stories, and then I overlay fictional servants who tell the story. It’s rather complicated, but oh so much fun. This gives me so much “scope for the imagination” as Anne Shirley would say. I am also blessed to have accomplished other diverse published works, but it’s tough to promote books to three different audiences—the nonfiction premarital audience, the picture book audience, and now the historical fiction reader audience. So, what have I learned? I love historical faction/fiction and am going to stick with that! I write historical fiction with a huge dose of romance. I focus is character growth. But I’m sucker for romance and happy endings, so if a relationship is part of my main character’s storyline, all the better!

How do your faith and spiritual walk play out in your novels?

Every book I write is a journey of healing and hope, and this one was no different. My faith walk is reflected in each of my stories to one degree or another.

Is writing your full-time career?

Yes. My first novel came out in 2017. Emma’s Engagement is my fourteenth Thousand Islands Gilded Age story, and I’m working on a new novel. Yeah, I’m a crazy, writing machine. Smiles.

About Susan:
Susan G Mathis is an international award-winning, multi-published author of stories set in the beautiful Thousand Islands, her childhood stomping ground in upstate NY. Susan has been published more than thirty times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has thirteen in her Thousand Islands fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Peyton’s Promise, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, and Emma’s Engagement. Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction.

Purchase links:
Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books

Connect with Susan:
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Location: New York, NY, USA

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