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Interview with Susan G. Mathis, author of a Thousand Stories

Susan G. Mathis • Aug 23, 2023

Today I interview dear friend and brilliant author Susan G. Mathis, as she shares about her next release.


Today I welcome dear friend and brilliant author Susan G. Mathis, as she shares about her upcoming release.


Hi Susan! Your eleventh Thousand Island story recently came out. What inspired you to write A Summer at Thousand Island House?

I had picnicked on Staples Island many times but never knew there was an entertainment pavilion on it during the Gilded Age. When I read about the place, I had to tell its story. And because I had been a teacher, Addi’s profession was an easy story to tell.

 

What kind of research did you do for A Summer at Thousand Island House?

I began researching online, in books, and with interviews. With all the details I collected, I wove a story that is visceral, interesting, and I think, memorable.

 

Tell us about Thousand Island House.

As I researched the Thousand Islands Gilded Age hot spots, I kept coming across the fancy, renowned hotel called Thousand Island House, and I knew I’d write about it one day. It was one of the grand hotels accommodating up to 600 patron who flocked to the Thousand Islands from East Coast cities and beyond during the summer. Built in 1873 in Alexandria Bay, it stayed opened for 63 years until the Great Depression caused its demise.

 

What message do you hope readers take away from A Summer at Thousand Island House?

All eleven of my Thousand Islands’ stories have hope as the central theme. Hope for a better future. Hope for love. Hope for healing. A Summer at Thousand Island House also focuses on healing broken hearts and embracing God’s redemption.

 

Why do you write about the Thousand Islands?

I grew up just twenty minutes from the Thousand Islands—the setting for all my stories—in upstate New York. Actually, half of the 1,864 islands are in NY and the other half in Ontario, Canada. So, I spent every summer and more exploring the beautiful region. I’ve stayed on several of the islands and camped and rented cottages there. So, after I wrote my debut novel about the largest island, Wolfe Island, I was hooked. There are so many fascinating stories to tell.

 

Now, I take an annual Thousand Islands Book Tour to the islands where I meet with fans, friends, and family. I’ve stayed in Singer Castle, Casa Blanca, and other places that are the settings of my book. I’ve talked with the owners of the islands, local historians, and researched in the Thousand Islands archives.

 

All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the true stories of the owners of that island. So, my plot is generally true. Then I overlay the storyline of the fictional servants to create the story. This makes my stories a bit more challenging, but I love a good challenge.

 

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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