Fan Fun

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by Susan Mathis 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. 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. All my novels are based on a specific place in the Thousand Islands and are the…

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A Chat with Author Susan Mathis

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Greetings from Marti Pieper in already-summery Mount Dora, Florida. This year, we actually had winter in Florida, but here in March, it seems we’ve skipped right on to summer. It’s not quite that warm where Susan Mathis lives in Colorado, which is also the state where she and I met a few years ago at the Colorado Christian Writers Conference. Along with her career as an author and editor, Susan serves as the CAN vice president and co-editor for the CAN newsletter. I’m delighted to introduce her and her work today. Welcome, Susan! Please tell us about your book. The…

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New Release: Katelyn’s Choice by Susan Mathis

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Katelyn’s Choice  Susan G Mathis Publisher: Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas (LPC) Release date: March 15th, 2019 ISBN-13: 978-1946016720 About the book:  Katelyn Kavanagh’s mother dreamed her daughter would one day escape the oppressive environment of their Upstate New York farm for service in the enchanting Thousand Islands, home to Gilded Age millionaires. But when her wish comes true, Katelyn finds herself in the service of none other than the famous George Pullman, and the transition proves anything but easy. Thomas O’Neill, brother of her best friend, is all grown up and also working on Pullman Island. Despite Thomas’ efforts to…

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Commitment in Marriage

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 In our living room is a symbol my husband, Dale, and I used in our wedding. It’s a three-fold cord of red, white, and gold. It symbolizes that the commitment we made to marriage wasn’t just between the two of us. The covenant is between three of us, with God at the center. Scripture says “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12). That’s how we want our commitment to be, and that takes making daily choices to keep our commitment strong. Of all the major decisions in life, making a commitment to marry is one of…

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Authenticity in Marriage

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Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship. It will affect every aspect of your marriage. It can help you inform, explain, influence, and build intimacy with one another. Good personal communication is the act of revealing yourself—your past experiences, present feelings, and future dreams. It’s sharing your fears, needs, and desires carefully and honestly. Communicating well is also about setting boundaries, confronting problems, admitting when you’re wrong, and extending grace to another. “Honesty is paramount,” Ben says. “Authenticity—being who we really are no matter what—is critical. I experienced the lack of it in my first marriage, and I didn’t want…

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