An Interview with Madison Murray from Madison’s Mission by Susan G Mathis – A Journey of Faith, Love, and Healing

Madison, thank you for joining us. Let’s start at the beginning—what brought you from Ireland to America?

Thank you kindly for having me. It’s been a long road, truly. I came to America after losing my father and brother back home in Ireland and then my mama on the ship over. I was barely holding on, but the Lord opened a door for me to serve as a lady’s maid to Mrs. Louise Boldt. I never imagined how that position would change the course of my life.

You became very close to Mrs. Boldt. Can you tell us about your relationship with her?

She was more than an employer—she was a dear friend, a mentor, and in many ways, a mother figure. I saw how deeply she loved her family and how her strength shone through her illness. Caring for her gave me purpose, especially when I was drowning in grief. But I also feared losing her. After so much loss, my heart wasn’t sure it could bear another goodbye.

]During your time on Heart Island, you met Emmett O’Connor. What were your first impressions of him?

Oh, he was quite proper—and a bit intimidating at first. Always focused, always composed. But there was a kindness in his eyes I couldn’t ignore. He carried his own burdens, though he rarely spoke of them. Over time, I came to see that his strength wasn’t just in his hands—it was in his heart. He’s a man who walks with integrity, even when it costs him.

You and Emmett faced some heartbreaking trials. How did your faith sustain you through
those times?

 There were moments I felt utterly alone—especially after Mrs. Boldt passed. I questioned everything. But time and again, the Lord reminded me that He was near, even in my sorrow. Sometimes He whispered through Scripture, other times through the quiet support of Emmett or in hope itself. I had to learn to trust that even when I couldn’t see the way forward, God was already at work.

You were hesitant to open your heart again. What helped you find the courage to love?

It was a slow surrender. Grief can be like chains around the heart, but love—true, God-given love—breaks those chains. Emmett never pushed me, never demanded anything. He simply stayed. And through his gentleness and God’s leading, I began to believe that love isn’t something to fear—it’s a gift, even when it comes with risk. The Lord doesn’t ask us to protect our hearts—He asks us to give them to Him and trust that He’ll care for them.

What lessons did you take from your time on Heart Island?

That healing is a process, not a moment. That people are placed in our lives for a reason. And most importantly, that the Lord never wastes our pain. Boldt Castle may have been built for love and abandoned in grief, but even that brokenness was restored in time. That mirrors what God did in me—He took the ruins of my life and began to build something beautiful.

For those struggling with grief or fear, what would you say to encourage them?

Don’t give up hope. Your story isn’t over. The ache in your heart doesn’t mean God has forgotten you—it means He’s preparing to do something new. Lean into His love, even if it feels risky. And let others walk with you. You don’t have to face the darkness alone. God is still writing your story, and I promise, His pen is steady.

And finally, what does life look like for you now?

It’s quieter, simpler—but filled with purpose. I’ve found peace in new beginnings and joy in the little things—sunlight on the water, laughter shared over tea, the sound of Emmett’s voice reading Scripture aloud in the evening. It’s not perfect, but it’s full of grace. And that’s more than I ever hoped for.

About Madison’s Mission:

Step into the captivating world of Boldt Castle in 1903, where dreams are forged in the fires of adversity and love.

Madison Murray, the devoted maid to the legendary Louise Boldt, harbors a singular mission—to care for her ailing mistress while hiding her own painful past. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she meets Emmett O’Connor, the distinguished foreman overseeing Boldt Castle’s extravagant construction. Their connection sparks with promise, yet the chasm of class difference and hidden secrets loom large. 

Just as their budding romance begins to flourish, tragedy strikes, shattering their world. A deadly accident leaves Emmett wrestling with guilt and at the center of an investigation that could unravel everything he holds dear. Then Madison finds herself ensnared in a dangerous coverup that threatens her very life.

When Mrs. Boldt passes away, Madison is left reeling—jobless and burdened by the weight of her perceived failures. In a world filled with uncertainty, can she summon the strength to move forward and confront her past? Will Emmett rise above his challenges to forge a future alongside the woman who has captured his heart?

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 fifteen 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, Libby’s Lighthouse, Julia’s Joy, Emma’s Engagement and Madison’s Mission. Her book awards include four Illumination Book Awards, four American Fiction Awards, three Indie Excellence Book Awards, five Literary Titan Book Awards, two Golden Scroll Awards, a Living Now Book 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


Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles | 

Social media links:  Website |Author Central |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | InstagramGoodreads l Book BubPinterest | 

Madison’s Mission book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viMY4EJLRZc

Book Review: Finding Juniper by Cindy Thomson

It’s been a long time since a book brought me to tears, evoking a depth of emotion I rarely experience from reading a novel. Finding Juniper contains that kind of depth.

With the burden of PTSD from WWI and his friend’s rosary in his pocket, Patrick Doyle is summoned to once again confront his past by a cryptic letter that appears to have been written by a child—the long-lost child he’d never known and assumed dead—his daughter, Juniper. 

Caught between two sides of a civil war, Patrick had emigrated to the United States and after much trial, began to rebuild his world with a new family. Shortly after experiencing the loss of his wife, his American daughter, Mardell, beseeches him to travel to his homeland with her and find out what happened to her half-sister, Juniper. Patrick reluctantly embarks on a journey across the pond which stirs up both good and bad memories. 

Author Thomson skillfully weaves Patrick’s reminiscences from the war and life in Ireland alongside Juniper’s journey from life in institutions to that of an independent young woman with questions about the father she never knew and the mother she believes is dead. Following a timeline from 1920 to post WWII, readers will hope and cheer for the characters’ paths to finally meet and may even shed a tear along the way. 

With a balance of Irish melancholy and humor, the author paints a lovely picture of the countryside in Northern Ireland. She shows the culture of superstitious villagers and the kindness of a few towards Juniper and other outsiders through the struggles of post WWII deprivation. 

Finding Juniper is a story of healing family rifts and truth overcoming lies. The truth of the past is brought to light for both Patrick and Juniper in unexpected ways, but just as in real life, the journey there is complicated. 

Fans of historical Christian fiction with a non-preachy message of hope and forgiveness will love this story. Five stars! Highly recommend!

I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Review posted by Kathleen Rouser. Find her at: kathleenrouser.com

A Chat with Emma Diepolder from Emma’s Engagement by Susan G. Mathis

Welcome Emma Roe Diepolder. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Brockville, Canada, but have lived in 1000 Island Park for the past several years. Now that I’m married to the Rock Island lightkeeper, I live on that tiny island and am a stepmother to Ada. The isolation can be challenging, but being a wife and stepmother and helping to keep people safe is very rewarding.

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I love the Thousand Islands and live along the St. Lawrence River’s main shipping channel. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s magical. Huge freighters pass by us and the tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including ships, kayaks, and canoes.

Tell us more about the Rock Island Lighthouse. 

Rock Island Lighthouse, located on Rock Island in the St. Lawrence River within New York’s Thousand Islands region, is a maritime landmark established in 1847 to guide ships through the bustling trade routes of the river. The stone lighthouse, built in 1882 to replace the original wooden structure, stands 50 feet tall and features a classic lantern room. Climbing the lighthouse’s spiral staircase offers stunning panoramic views of the river and surrounding islands. This picturesque site, steeped in maritime heritage and natural beauty, is my home.

Who is this Michael I keep hearing about? 

My husband, Michael Diepolder, serves as the keeper of the Rock Island Lighthouse. Known for his dedication and meticulous care, Michael ensures that the lighthouse remains operational, guiding ships safely through the St. Lawrence River’s treacherous channels. Together we endure the isolation and challenges of lighthouse life, including harsh winters and long nights tending the light and fog bell. Michael’s commitment to his duties exemplifies the perseverance and resilience required of lighthouse keepers during this era. And I love him dearly.

And his daughter? Do you like her?

Ada is Michael’s 11-year-old daughter who lost her mother when she was seven. She attends boarding school in Rochester during the year but is with us during the summer and sometimes on holidays. At first, it was difficult. But now we are dear friends, and I miss her while she’s away. 

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. 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? Since I was a Millner, I love making hats and other accessories and find great joy in it. I was also a librarian, so I love to read.

Please describe yourself with three words. Creative, questioning, faithful.

What’s your most precious possession? My trunk of Millner goods and our substantial library.

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

Half full. I try to see the bright side of things, but sometimes it’s a challenge.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

People misunderstand me. They see me as a bookworm, but I’m much more than that.

What is your biggest secret?

I wasn’t sure I would make a good wife and even less sure that I would succeed as a stepmother.

What is your heart’s deepest desire? 

That’s easy. To love and be loved. 

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 thirteen 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 ReunionMary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, the second 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, two Golden Scroll Awards, 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. Visitwww.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

Social media links: Website |Author Central |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | InstagramGoodreads l Book BubPinterest | 

A Chat With Daviana Spalding from Seeking Simon by Susan Pope Sloan (Book #4 in Rescued Hearts of the Civil War)

In the summer of 1865, Southern families are struggling to pick up their lives after the war. . . .

Novel PASTimes: Tell us about yourself, Daviana.

Daviana: My full name is Athdara Daviana Spalding, which is a mouthful, so my family and friends just call me Dottie. I’m twenty, and I live on a farm near Gainesville, Georgia. That’s in Hall County, the northeastern part of Georgia, not far from the South Carolina line. Right now, it’s just Papa and me living here. Mama died when I was thirteen, and my only brother, Lionel, came home after the war ended only to leave again. He took my sweet nephew, Albert, with him, and I sure do miss that little boy.


Novel PASTimes: Why did Lionel leave?

Daviana: Seeing the South in its broken condition was hard on him, and being home reminded him of all he’d lost—his wife and Mama. I think he was afraid we’d lose the farm, too, because he’d fought with the Confederate army. Then he had a big argument with a neighbor, so that gave him an excuse to head west. Mail service is unreliable, so I don’t know where he is now.


Novel PASTimes: Were you in danger of losing the farm?

Daviana: We didn’t know for sure, so when the Federal men came by asking about it, Simon McNeil spoke up and said he and I was going to marry me soon. I’m not sure why he said that when we had no such understanding. Heavens, we’d only met him a week ago.

Novel PASTimes: How did you meet Simon?

Daviana: He stopped at our house on his way home from Virginia to Alabama. We gave him a good meal and a bed for the night, then he took sick. Malaria, he said, which he’d contracted during the war. It took him a few days to regain his health enough to be able to travel again.

Novel PASTImes: How would his being engaged to you make a difference to whether the Federals let you stay on the farm?

Daviana: Papa and I didn’t know it till later, but Simon had been a Union officer, so adding his name to the deed made sure it was safe. He’d also earned a law degree, so he knew how to arrange everything to secure it. There’s also the matter of Jasper Dunaway, a neighbor who wants our farm and me with it. We figured announcing our betrothal ought to keep him away.

Novel PASTImes: But if the engagement is fake, won’t everyone soon find out?

Daviana: Well, Simon convinced me he wanted to make it real right from the start. I was already half-gone over him anyway, so I agreed to let it stand and see if we’re both still agreeable to marry when he returns from visiting his folks in Alabama.


Novel PASTImes: From your smiles and blushing, I guess that wedding is still in your future.

Daviana: I hope so. I’m dreading Simon’s departure, but spending some time apart ought to help us be sure whether getting married is what we both want.

Novel PASTImes: Tell me a little more about Simon.

Daviana: Oh, Simon McNeil is a charmer for sure. He always displays good manners, and his blue eyes sparkle when he teases me about my proper Scottish name. He tends to be impulsive, but he’s trying to curb his impulsive tendencies, and I’m of a more cautious nature, so I suppose we balance each other out.


Novel PASTImes: You don’t plan to go with him to visit his family?

Daviana: No, with harvest coming up, I need to stay here with Papa. Besides, I think Simon has some restoration to do with his family, especially since he’s been gone such a long time. He needs to concentrate on that and not worry about entertaining me while he’s there. After he takes care of that, I’ll be here, waiting for him.


About Susan: Retired from a career in technicalwriting, Susan now combines her love of history and language in the world of Christian fiction. She and her husband live in Georgia where she is active in Toastmasters, Word Weavers, and musical groups. She also has authored three non-fiction books and several non fiction articles.

You can find Susan here:

Her website.

BookBub.

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Instagram.

Find her book on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

A Conversation with Tabitha Gage from A Calculated Betrothal by Denise Weimer

Today we’re sitting down with Tabitha Gage, the heroine of A Calculated Betrothal, in her cabin just south of Georgia’s Altamaha River. It’s 1776. Tabitha, more than a decade has passed since we met you in your twin sister’s story, Temperance Scott, of A Conflicted Betrothal. Your sister got into some trouble as a fledgling Daughter of Liberty during the Stamp Act Protests in Savannah.

Back then, you were a Loyalist being courted by Henry Gage, Lord Riley. Some readers found you a bit…spirited. You almost stole the ending of that book from your shy little sister—so much so that Denise Weimer felt she had to write your own story to resolve what happened to you. You took the blame for writing the Townsend Letters that accused prominent Loyalists of harboring the stamps or being the stamp master. Then you eloped with Lord Riley and sailed off in his schooner for his estate on the Altamaha River. So tell us, Tabitha, has life been all you dreamed of in the past decade?

*long silence*

Tabitha?

Yes, I’m just thinking how to answer that. The answer is no. I gave up everything for my sister…and to please my father. Not that he gave us many choices in life. He expected me to marry Lord Riley. Temperance got Ansel—a handsome, young officer—and I got a man my father’s age who lost what little regard he had for me when I did not produce an heir. An heir to what, I ask you? Henry sent everything he made to his wastrel brother in England, to prop up the family estate.

I’m so sorry to hear that your grand gesture—ahem, sacrifice led to such bitter disappointment. But now that Lord Riley has passed away, surely, your future looks brighter?

Brighter? Have you looked around? Henry sold River’s Bend to his greedy neighbor, Hugh Jackson. All he left me was this log cabin where his drover lived on the timberland for his free-range cattle. And the Loyalist East Florida Rangers keep stealing them.

Loyalist? Does that mean you are no longer of that persuasion?

Well, that remains to be seen. Now that I’ve had a cruel master myself, I’m much less fond of King George.

Might your change of heart also have something to do with a certain Patriot ranger who helped you round up your cattle?

Certainly, Sergeant Lassiter helped me—after he almost got me killed in a siege at Fort McIntosh down in the swamp. And he’s strangely bent on helping me make something of my land, if only to ensure the Jacksons don’t get their hands on it. He says it’s because Hugh Jackson did his father dirty in business. But when Edmond found out that Julian Jackson wanted to marry me… I tell you, there’s more to this story than Edmond is telling me.

How is Sergeant Lassiter proposing to help you?

He’s suggested I build a store for the settlers living on this side of the Altamaha, and that he approach the Scottish timbermen who live in Darien about logging my land. Then he would act as my manager.

Do you trust him that much? You said you fear he’s hiding something.

I don’t know. I’ve got to trust someone. Everything I try on my own is not working, and I refuse to go back to my father, only to be married off to one of his cronies again. Edmond is kind…humble. And he actually seems to admire my spirit—what little I’ve got left after being married to Henry. But one thing I vow—this is a business partnership only. Never again will I be shackled to a man I don’t love.

More About the Book:

South Georgia, 1776

The deathof her husband, Lord Riley,means that not only is Tabitha Gage no longer a lady—she’s abandoned on an isolated plantation on South Georgia’s Altamaha River on the eve of revolution. With the fine house and fields sold to a neighbor, she’s left with a log cabin on unsettled timber land. Rather than marry the neighbor’s son, Tabitha determines to make her own way—and never again be shackled to a man she doesn’t love.

Sergeant Edmond Lassiter is one assignment away from promotion when he comes to the aid of a red-haired beauty fending off Loyalist cattle rustlers. Thrown together during an attack at a nearby fort, the Patriot scout and Loyalist widow are surprised by the values they share. When Edmond learns the same man who ruined his family is after the little Tabitha has left, he convinces her they should work together to make her land profitable—all while fighting off the British from East Florida and her greedy neighbor, who sabotages their every effort to succeed. A business arrangement, nothing more. But as a British invasion threatens, Edmond finds he’s risking far more than his heart.


Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A mother of two wonderful young adult daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

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A Chat With Julia Collins from Julia’s Joy by Susan G. Mathis

Welcome Julia Collins. Why don’t you tell us a little about yourself.

I grew up in Brockville, Canada. My father was a businessman from a wealthy family. My mother, Myrtle, was from a middle-class family. They died when I was fourteen, and my grandmother recently died, too. Now my life is very scary and uncertain. 

Tell me something about you that readers may find surprising?

I have come to love the Thousand Islands along the St. Lawrence River’s main shipping channel. The 1,864 islands are shared almost equally between New York state and Ontario, Canada. It’s magical. Huge freighters pass by us and the tiny islands along the main channel and share the waterway with all kinds of boats including ships, kayaks, and canoes.

Tell us more about the Sister Island Lighthouse where you are staying for the summer. 

Sister Island are a string of three tiny islets linked together by concrete breakwalls and walkways, that run parallel to and just south of the international boundary line separating the United States and Canada. It marks a precarious spot along the channel, and the beautiful lighthouse was built of dark gray limestone and embellished beautifully. A fixed white light of the sixth-order, illuminating an arc of 360°, keeps everyone safe.

Who is this William I keep hearing about? 

William Dodge, Jr., became Sister Island Lightkeeper last year after his father passed away from dropsy of the heart, and he suffers from chronic pleurisy. His mother still lives on the island with him. He’s quiet, godly, reflective, and loves the river and life on the island. His faith is strong, and he finds peace in relationship with God. And shhh…I really like him.

And his mother? Do you like her?

Mrs. Dodge was Granny’s friend. She’s a gentle, kind, godly woman who has become like a mother to me. I understand why Granny wanted me to come here, and I never want to be without her wisdom and love.

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. 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? Painting. I find great joy in it.

Please describe yourself with three words. Creative, questioning, lonely. 

What’s your most precious possession? My art set.

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

I’m not sure. I try to see the bright side of things, but after all my losses, I’m not sure.

What is your biggest pet peeve?

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

What is your biggest secret?

I’d love to be part of the Dodge family. Shhh….don’t tell them, please.

What is your heart’s deepest desire? 

That’s easy. To love and be loved. After losing my parents and grandmother, 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 Julia’s Joy:

She came to claim her inheritance, but the mysterious scarred lighthouse keeper makes her question all her plans.

When Julia Collins reluctantly sets foot on Sister Island, compelled by her wealthy 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?


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 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 ReunionMary’s Moment, A Summer at Thousand Island House, Libby’s Lighthouse, and Julia’s Joy, the second 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, two Golden Scroll Awards, 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

Social media links: Website |Author Central |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | InstagramGoodreads l Book BubPinterest | 

Julia’s Joy book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rq7XLUohjrA

Book Review: The Reluctant Mail-Order Bride by Greta Picklesimer

Greta Picklesimer’s The Rejected Mail-Order Bride is a sweet and wholesome romance with a strong Gospel message. When Harl Adams comes to the rescue of Rose Harrison after she is rejected and left at the train station, and subsequently falls on the ice, it sets into motion certain unexpected consequences.

Farmer Harl still suffers from post war trauma and isn’t anxious to expose his tender heart to more possible hurt. Milliner Rose is running from an unwanted betrothal to a cruel man. Can she give her heart to the God that Harl loves and break down barriers between them?

Wanting to know how they’d both overcome their pasts to find their HEA kept me turning pages. The author transports the reader to daily farm and small-town life in post-Civil War era Kentucky with great detail. If you’re looking for a cozy, slow burning inspirational romance to read, snuggle up with The Rejected Mail-Order Bride.  

Just in case you missed it, you can read the character interview with Harl Adams HERE.

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

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

A Chat With James Cooper from Scandals and Mercies by Kathleen Rouser

Welcome to Novel PASTimes, James Cooper! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Tell us something about where you live: 

Right now, I live in Stone Creek, a small backwater town. I mean, would you believe my boss at the paper wants me to report on a fox getting into a chicken coop? He’d probably love for me to write a story about a cow wandering off a farm too. The town needs more interesting news than that. Anyway, the people are nice enough. We have a newer pharmacy where they actually carry items like aspirin. And we have our own paper, The Stone Creek Herald. 

I prefer the faster pace of our state capital, Lansing, where I worked the last couple of years at a bureau of the Detroit Free Press. By the way, Detroit is where I grew up.

What do you do for a living? And what are your ambitions for your career? 

For too long it seemed I was a lowly copywriter at the Herald, but I jumped at the chance to do some cub reporting at the Lansing bureau of the Free Press. When I heard there was an opening for a reporter at the Herald I had some hopes that eventually I could become the editor, but then I got off on the wrong foot with Clem Montgomery, the owner’s son. 

I was hoping when he moved onto another of his father’s businesses, I’d slip into the spot. But that obnoxious gum-chewing so-and-so has it in for me right now. And that won’t help me look like editor material in his father’s eyes. 

What happened to cause this rift between you two?

He isn’t too happy with how I reported the suspected arson at Hope’s Place, the unwed mothers’ home. Now I must apologize to the local pastor, Reverend McCormick. I’m not sure why the people of Stone Creek can’t accept honesty better, but I’ve been warned to take a lighter tack.

What’s your family like? Do you have brothers and sisters? 

I’m an only child. I was raised by my Aunt Phoebe, who was my mother’s best friend. The odd thing is that I always felt more at home with her than with my birth parents. 

She is quite eccentric. I didn’t have many friends growing up. The other boys’ parents warned their sons about hanging out with the kid who lived with “that Vaudevillian entertainer.” Not everyone’s mom sings and dances around the house. 

I heard you were sweet on Nora Armstrong. Are you planning on wooing her anytime soon? 

Huh! Like that will ever happen. She’s a lovely girl… and I think she used to be sweet on me too… but she’s been keeping me at arm’s length. I just wish I knew why. And her Aunt Gert and Uncle Edmund, who she lives with, don’t want her to have anything to do with a lowly newspaperman. 

Oh, and since Phoebe came to Stone Creek to visit, they’re even less likely to allow her to be in my orbit. Her being a former entertainer and all. 

But what if that changed?

Well, I do admire Nora. She’s grown more beautiful in my absence, and I’d really like to renew our acquaintance. She rebuffed me the first time she saw me back in town in the aftermath of the fire. 

You wouldn’t believe how mean her aunt is to her, and her uncle is such a milk toast. Yet, she remains kind to them and to others. I think it has something to do with her faith… which I don’t share. That’s another thing that comes between us.

I’m a man of science and letters of course. It has to be logical to me. And how she endures them, well that’s not logical! 

What are your hopes for the future?

Please don’t tell Nora, but if I were being honest, I wish my future could include her, but I don’t see how. There are just too many things keeping us apart. 

Eventually I guess I’ll need to move on and find another paper where I can become the editor. Shoot! I’d like to start my own newspaper if I had the means. Then I could cover the news I think is important that helps protect the people, warn them of the evil around them, and I could make sure it gets reported properly.

I sure would miss Nora, but I don’t think I can stay around and watch her marry some fop her aunt picks out for her. 

You’d give up that easily?

Of course not! I haven’t yet. I’m doing my best to show her kindness when I get the chance, which unfortunately isn’t often enough. I suppose I should remedy that somehow.

On that note, James, I want to say thank you for coming by Novel PASTimes and sharing with us about your life today. I wish you all the best with Nora. 


Kathleen Rouser is a multi-published, award-winning author of historical and contemporary Christian romanceShe is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Faith, Hope and Love Christian Writers. She resides in southeast Michigan, a location which she often uses in her novels, with her hero and husband of forty-some years and two sweet cats who found a home in their empty nest.  

Find out more about Kathleen at her website.

You can find her books here: On Amazon and Barnes and Noble

Readers can receive a free novella when they subscribe to her newsletter HERE.

Follow Kathleen on FacebookGoodReads and BookBub!

A Chat with Eyes-Like-Sky from Texas Forsaken by Sherry Shindelar

Welcome to Novel PASTimes, Eyes-Like-Sky! We are pleased you stopped by today.

Is there anything special about your name? 

I love my Comanche name, Eyes-Like-Sky. It is who I am. I once had another name, Maggie Logan. I don’t know who that person is anymore. Yet the people at the fort, especially the ladies who want to civilize me, insist upon calling me by this foreign name. And then there is my uncle who wants to stretch it out to Margaret Logan. He is set on erasing every trace of Comanche from my life. He has another thought coming.

The news of your deliverance from the Comanche has spread across the frontier. The Texas Rangers and U.S. Cavalry are congratulating themselves, but I hear you have a different perspective on the event?

They didn’t rescue me. They kidnapped me and took me from the only home I remember and from my beloved husband. And now I’m here in the miserable, scrapping camp that doesn’t even deserve to be called a fort. Please let me go home to the prairies, to my village, to the Comanche. I want nothing to do with the plantation house back East where my relatives want to drag me. Set me free. Let me and my baby go to our real home.

What is your heart’s deepest desire? 

One of my heart’s deepest desires has been ripped from me. But I still have one left: my baby daughter, Little Star. She is the light of my life. Her bright eyes and bubbly chatter are my joy. I will do anything and sacrifice everything to protect her and keep her with me.  My uncle is plotting to take her away from me. He can’t stand the thought that her father was Comanche. I will fight, runaway, and vow whatever I have to in order to protect her. 

But when Captain Garret Ramsey offers me another option, another way to keep Little Star, I’m stunned. Can I trust the man? After all, he’s the one who destroyed my life. But when I look into his eyes, and see the determination on his face, and recall his kindnesses to me and Little Star, I know he is my only hope

What are you most afraid of? 

Three things: 

1) That they’ll succeed in taking Little Star from me. But I’m reassured by the fact that I know I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. I’d give my life before I’d let this happen. 

2) What if I find my way back to the Comanche, and I no longer belong there? If I can find my own tribe, they’d take me back, but that might come at the cost of marrying one of my husband’s brothers. If that’s what it takes, I’ll do it. But what if I don’t find my village? My tribe moves around a lot over hundreds of miles, and after the cavalry raid, they’ve probably moved further than ever. 

3) What if I develop feelings for Captain Garrett Ramsey? He’s the only one who has shown me any kindness since I came to the fort. He’s like an anchor in a storm. But my heart is buried in a grave, and it’s going to stay there. There is no room for warmth or affection. I’ll do what I have to in order to keep Little Star, but my heart is my own, and Garret Ramsey and any other man still breathing air had better leave it alone.

Tell us about your faith journey:

I used to pray. When I was a little girl, I gave my heart to Jesus. But now I don’t know. The God of my childhood is as distant as the stars. Does He hear me? Does He even care? After me and my baby girl are captured by the cavalry, and I’m trying to escape, I pray. I cry out to the Lord.  You’ll have to buy the book to see what happens. (Smile.) (By the way, I like my picture on the cover, but my hair’s really a little bit darker. The artist did a great job of showing my favorite place, Palo Duro Canyon, and in case you’re wondering, I’m every bit as stubborn and determined as my expression on the cover.)

Thanks for allowing us to get know you a little better!


Originally from Tennessee, Sherry loves to take her readers into the past. A romantic at heart, she is an avid student of the Civil War and the Old West. When she is not busy writing, she is an English professor working to pass on her love of writing to her students. Sherry is an award-winning writer: 2023 Genesis finalist, Maggie finalist, and Crown finalist. She currently resides in Minnesota with her husband of thirty-nine years.  

You can get your copy of Texas Forsaken HERE.

Learn more about Sherry at her website.

Follow her on her Facebook author page.