A Chat with Libby Montonna from Libby’s Lighthouse by Susan G. Mathis

Welcome Elizabeth Montonna—I mean Libby. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Tibbetts Point Lighthouse with my lighthouse keeper father and mother, and my two brothers. At least that’s who I thought they were until my dying mother revealed a shocking secret. Now my life is confusing and scary.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I love the Thousand Islands, just across the St. Lawrence River’s main shipping channel. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. My lighthouse is 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 us and the tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including kayaks and canoes.

Tell us more about the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse where you live.

Tibbetts Point Lighthouse is situated on three acres near the place that Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River. In 1827, Captain John Tibbetts gave the land to build the first lighthouse that used whale oil and was much smaller than the one we now have. Around twenty years later, the St. Lawrence River locks were built and international trade increased, so the lighthouse became even more important to shipping. Our current brick lighthouse was built several years later and is fifty-nine feet tall. It is tapered from twelve feet at its base to eleven feet at the octagonal lantern room. The parapet and wooden deck surrounding the light are covered with copper, and the walls inside are lined with wood, so the metal stairs aren’t as noisy as they are in the unlined towers.”

Who is this Owen I keep hearing about?

We’re not sure. He’s a sailor who washed up on our shore injured. He can’t remember who he is or where he came from, so we’re trying to help him heal.

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

Yes, he’s a lighthouse inspector from Buffalo. He travels the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario inspecting lighthouses.

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. Iwant 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.

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

What’s your most precious possession? My mother’s letters.

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 biggest secret?

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

What is your heart’s deepest desire?

That’s easy. To love and be loved. After losing my mother and learning of her secret, 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 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 twelve in her 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 and Libby’s Lighthouse, the first in her three-book lighthouse series. Her book awards include three Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, a Golden Scroll Award, and a Selah Award. 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 Northern Virginia 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?

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

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

Book trailer: Libby’s Lighthouse book trailer