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An Evening Stroll, A Summer at Thousand Island House excerpt by Susan G Mathis

Susan G Mathis • Sep 01, 2023

Welcome back to the third and final post from friend and author Susan G. Mathis as she shares an excerpt from her latest release.


Hours later, the rain had stopped, and the sun shone brightly. It’d be a crackin’ evening to stroll with the mysterious and interesting Miss Bell. Something about her drew him to want to know what made her tick. Why did children fill her soul with joy? And why was she so inquisitive, charming—and beautiful?

           He caught her on the way out of her classroom, hoping the picnic he’d procured would entice her to enjoy an alfresco dinner with him. “It’s nothing fancy. Fried chicken. Potato salad. And carrot cake.”

           “Sounds wonderful. But is it proper? You being my superior, I mean.” Miss Bell giggled, the sound tickling his insides.

           “We’re both off work. Just two colleagues having dinner. Right?”

           “I suppose. I just don’t want to get in trouble with Mrs. Erving.” She chewed her lip.

           He waved off her concern. “Oh, she’s more bark than bite. ‘Sides, how’s she to know? We can eat here on the island and then take a leisurely stroll around the hotel.”

           She agreed, and they enjoyed their picnic on the shore of the St. Lawrence. While they ate, a huge freighter sailed past them, and Miss Bell put her hand to her chest. “It never ceases to amaze me how big those ships are. Whether lakers or salties, they’re larger than many of these islands and they make me feel very small.”

           Liam chuckled. “Small, but mighty, I reckon. Like you. I see how deftly you deal with naughty children and command the respect of all of them. I made a stellar hire when I took old Mr. Sanderson’s recommendation.”

           “Thank you, kind sir.” Miss Bell grinned, pleasure blossoming on her pretty face. “I learned so much about children in my five years as school mistress at the Watertown Center School. Since it was a one-room schoolhouse, I taught children from ages five to sixteen, which makes this position a breeze. And what about you? How long have you been here?”

           He gazed at the billowy clouds dancing on the breeze. “Just three years now. Before that, I worked at the Woodruff Hotel in Watertown. Know of it?”

           She giggled. “Do I! Papa took me there once, for a concert. He told me that Susan B. Anthony and President Ulysses S. Grant stayed there.”

           “Many famous people stayed there. With the train station just behind the hotel, folks from New York City and other places downstate would stop there on the way to their Thousand Islands summer homes. Many said it rivaled the Waldorf Astoria.”

           “It was an epic experience for me, to be sure. And, I have to admit, this Thousand Island House is equally wonderful.”

 

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.

 

Where can people find you online?

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

Book trailer: A Summer at Thousand Island House book trailer

Social media links: Website |Author Central |  Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Blog | Goodreads l Instagram| Book Bub 

 

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