Happy Valentine’s Day!

All of my novels have a sweet and clean romance in them. I thought you’d like to get to know my main character in A Summer at Thousand Island House, so here’s an interview with her. Hope you enjoy it

Happy Valentine’s Day, Addison Bell—I mean, Addi. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I taught at the Watertown Center one-room schoolhouse for five years, and I’m ready for a change. I love the little ones, but the older children are too much of a challenge. Each Valentine’s Day, I took time for my students to make Valentines for their parents and siblings. They loved it!

But after my papa passed and forced me to board with grouchy old Mrs. Baumgardner, I need an escape. Hearing about the position at Thousand Island House is just the ticket out.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I love the Thousand Islands, just seventeen miles from my hometown. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s where Lake Ontario narrows and becomes the St. Lawrence River. Here the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River intersect to become the world’s largest inland navigation system. Huge freighters pass by tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes.

Tell us more about the Thousand Island House where you work.

Thousand Island House is one of the grand Thousand Islands hotels accommodating up to 600 patrons who flock to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. The hotel has one of the finest views of the St. Lawrence River, the most refreshing breezes around, and the most modern amenities too. The hotel’s recreation pavilion on tiny Staples Island is a great place to work.

Who is this Liam Donovan I keep hearing about?

He’s the Staple’s Island recreation pavilion manager, and he’s a great boss. He’s a little overconcerned with the natural noise children make, and he has some kind of hurt in his life that I’d like to get to the bottom of, but he’s helpful, kind, and a charming Irish gentleman.

And the Lighthouse Inspector, USN Lt. Maxwell Worthington? What about him?

Yes, he’s a lighthouse inspector from Buffalo, and I think he’s tired of leaving his little boy, Jimmy, with a nanny while he travels the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario inspecting lighthouses. So, I get to take care of Jimmy this summer. He’s a delightful little boy.

If you could leave readers with one message, what would it be?

Trust in God and His plans for you. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. I want to give readers hope that God can heal a broken heart and help you forgive those who hurt you. He did that for me.

Here are a few fun, quick questions:

What is your favorite hobby? Reading, of course.

Are you a glass-half-full or glass-half-empty kind of person?

That’s easy. I always look on the bright side of things, except when I get in trouble.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People misunderstand me. Though I try, folks often challenge and judge me wrongly.

What is your greatest achievement?

Teaching children. I love their zest for life.

Please describe yourself with three words. Joyful, friendly, and creative.

What’s your most precious possession? My deceased mother’s silver locket.

What is your biggest secret?

I dream about Liam. Shhh….don’t tell him, please.

What is your heart’s deepest desire?

That’s easy. To love and be loved. After losing both of my parents and being an only child, aloneness is a terrible place to be.

What have you learned about yourself in the course of your story?

I’ve learned to trust in God and His plans for me. God can heal a broken heart and has helped me forgive those who hurt me.

About A Summer at Thousand Island House

By Susan G Mathis

She came to work with the children, not fall in love.

Part-nanny, part entertainer, Addison Bell has always had an enduring love for children. So what better way to spend her creative energy than to spend the summer nannying at the renowned Thousand Island House on Staple’s Island? As Addi thrives in her work, she attracts the attention of the recreation pavilion’s manager, Liam Donovan, as well as the handsome Navy Officer Lt. Worthington, a lighthouse inspector, hotel patron, and single father of mischievous little Jimmy.

But when Jimmy goes missing, Addi finds both her job and her reputation in danger. How can she calm the churning waters of Liam, Lt. Worthington, and the President, clear her name, and avoid becoming the scorn of the Thousand Islands community?

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 twenty-five times in full-length novels, novellas, and non-fiction books. She has ten in her fiction line including, The Fabric of Hope, Christmas Charity, Katelyn’s Choice, Devyn’s Dilemma, Peyton’s Promise, Sara’s Surprise, Reagan’s Reward, Colleen’s Confession, Rachel’s Reunion, Mary’s Moment and A Summer at Thousand Island House. Her book awards include two Illumination Book Awards, three American Fiction Awards, two Indie Excellence Book Awards, and four Literary Titan Book Awards. Reagan’s Reward is a Selah Awards finalist. Susan is also a published author of two premarital books, two children’s picture books, stories in a dozen compilations, and hundreds of published articles. Susan makes her home in Colorado Springs and enjoys traveling around the world but returns each summer to enjoy the Thousand Islands. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction for more.

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | Wild Heart Books

Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer