Susan G. Mathis – Janet Grunst

June 10, 2025June 3, 2025

Healing from Guilt and Grief—and Learning to Trust Again

Healing from Guilt and Grief—and Learning to Trust Again
By Susan G Mathis

Grief changes us. It seeps into the quiet corners of our hearts, lingers in unexpected moments, and whispers fear into places that once felt safe. In my latest novel, Madison’s Mission, Madison has already lost too much. Her entire family is gone—her parents and siblings back in Ireland, and now her beloved Auntie, who helped get her the lady’s maid position with Mrs. Boldt.

The pain is raw and real, and she carries it quietly, tightly bound with guilt and fear. Now, as she serves the fragile and ill Mrs. Boldt as a lady’s maid, she dreads the thought of another loss. Every connection feels like a risk. Every relationship, a door she’s not sure she can open.

Many of us have known a loss like that—a death, a betrayal, a season of suffering that changes how we love, how we live, and how we trust. Maybe, like Madison, you’ve found yourself closing off your heart in the name of self-protection. After all, if you don’t love deeply, maybe it won’t hurt so deeply when love is lost.

But here’s what grief doesn’t tell you: Closing your heart doesn’t prevent pain—it prevents healing. Grief can feel like a tangled knot, especially when guilt is tied into it. Madison wonders if she could have done more for her family. She carries the invisible weight of “what if” and “if only.” That’s a familiar burden for many of us. We replay our memories, question our choices, and sometimes punish ourselves with the false idea that if we had just done something differently, we could have stopped the pain.

But healing begins when we stop blaming ourselves for what was never in our control. Grief demands gentleness. Guilt needs grace, and healing happens in safe relationships. In Madison’s Mission, Emmett is kind, patient, and persistent. He sees Madison’s walls and she sees his, but he also sees her worth. Still, she resists his kindness—not because she doesn’t care, but because she does. Letting someone into your heart after loss is terrifying. But it’s also essential. God often uses the people around us—safe, trustworthy people—to help us take those first steps toward healing. They remind us that we were made for connection, not isolation.

Yet, trust is rebuilt one small step at a time. Madison doesn’t leap into trust overnight. And neither do we. Trust isn’t about pretending we aren’t afraid—it’s about choosing, moment by moment, to believe that love is still worth the risk. It might look like saying yes to coffee with a friend, or being honest with someone about your pain. It might mean asking for prayer, or letting someone simply sit with you in your sorrow. Each small act builds a bridge back toward trust, both in others and in God.

Above all, healing from grief and guilt is a spiritual journey. Madison learns, as we all must, that God is not distant in our sorrow. He is “close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). We can trust Him with our pain, even when we’re not ready to trust anyone else. He doesn’t rush our healing or shame our fears. Instead, He invites us to bring it all to Him—our tears, our questions, our guarded hearts. And slowly, in His time and in His way, He helps us open our hearts again.

If you’re walking through grief today, know that you are not alone. Like Madison, you may be guarding your heart out of fear. But healing is possible. Love is still real. And trust, though fragile, can grow strong again—one faithful step at a time.

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.

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

Buy links: Amazon | Barnes&Nobles |

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

October 30, 2024October 14, 2024

Exploring Themes of Healing and Hope

By Susan G Mathis

Inflicting pain on beloved characters is always a delicate endeavor for writers, especially me. And writing Julia’s Joy was an interesting, and sometimes painful journey.

Julia’s sorrow is palpable; her parents’ untimely deaths left her with a void that was hard to fill. This loss manifests in various ways—through her reluctance to connect with others and her initial determination to leave Sister Island after claiming her inheritance. Her journey is not just about physical relocation but a deeper emotional struggle to reconcile her past with her present.

Julia’s confusion following her grandmother’s death adds another layer to her character. She arrives on Sister Island intending to lay claim to her inheritance but quickly finds herself grappling with questions of identity and belonging. The island represents both a sanctuary and a reminder of her losses, creating a tension that is difficult for her to navigate.

William Dodge, the Sister Island lighthouse keeper, becomes a pivotal figure in Julia’s healing process. His own past betrayal mirrors Julia’s struggles, allowing them to connect on a deeper level. As Julia begins to open up to him, the walls he has built around his heart also start to crumble. This vulnerability is both a relief and a source of pain as it forces both to confront their unresolved grief.

The journey toward healing is rarely linear, and Julia’s path is fraught with setbacks. As she starts to embrace the peaceful, faith-filled environment of Sister Island, she is faced with moments of profound joy and deep sorrow. This duality reflects the complexity of grief—how moments of happiness can coexist with lingering pain. Julia’s internal conflict amplifies the emotional stakes of the narrative and keeps readers invested in her journey.

I hope Julia’s Joy will take you on a journey of transformation and bless you.

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 Reunion, Mary’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

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

November 19, 2021November 19, 2021

Susan Mathis and The Thousand Islands Gilded Age

The books Susan Mathis writes take place in the Thousand Islands area of upper New York. Her fascinating settings are almost a character in themselves Her newest release is Colleen’s Confession.

Susan, why do you write Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories?

Susan: The American Gilded Age was a time of rapid technical advances, industrialization, and thousands of new inventions from about 1870-1910. Mark Twain coined the term in his 1873 novel The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today that satirized the era of social problems that were masked by a layer of thin, gold gilding. It’s a fascinating time in history, especially in the Thousand Islands.

All of my books are set during the Thousand Islands Gilded Age when the wealthy came and scooped up the islands and built lavish summer homes, mansions, and castles. It was an era of economic growth. Since wages were higher than in Europe, massive immigration drew about twenty million to the U.S. shores. Unions fought to stop child labor and establish an eight-hour workday. Social reforms included women’s suffrage, prohibition, and other civil changes. In the cities, labor unions became important in regulating industry, while trusts grew stronger in several industries. Education, prohibition, and racial inequalities dominated politics as did economic affairs of money supply and tariffs.

Unfortunately, it was also a time of unequal distribution of wealth where the rich got richer and the poor working-class suffered. Many young women worked as servants until they married, and that’s what my stories are about—those nameless, faithful women who cooked and cleaned and served tables for the rich and famous. These “downstairs” women had fascinating stories to tell, and I plan to tell many of them.

The Gilded Age titans of industry changed our world—people like John D Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Cornelius Vanderbilt, George Pullman, and others who were sometimes called “robber barons.” But there were others who quietly made a difference—people like Frederick Bourne who took the Singer sewing machine around the globe as highlighted in my novel, Devyn’s Dilemma.

During the Gilded Age, America led the world in innovation. A half-million patents were issued for new inventions including hundreds by Thomas Edison, Westinghouse, and others. Thanks to inventions such as the delivery of electric power, the world became lighter, safer, more convenient and comfortable, and all-around better.

So this is why I write Thousand Islands Gilded Age stories. To share the rich heritage this era gave us and better understand what it was like. What fascinates you about this time? I’d love to know.

About Colleen’s Confession:

Summer 1914

Colleen Sullivan conceals secrets when she joins her aunt on Comfort Island to work in the laundry and await her betrothed’s arrival. She loves to draw and dreams of growing in the craft. But tragedy strikes when her fiancé perishes in the sinking of the ocean liner RMS Empress of Ireland on his way to meet her. With her orphan dreams of finally belonging and becoming a wife and an artist gone, what will her future hold?

Austrian immigrant, Jack Weiss, enjoys being the island’s groundskeeper and is smitten by the lovely Irish lass. But Colleen dismisses him at every turn, no matter how much he admires her art, tries to keep her safe, and waters the blossoms of love. Perhaps introducing her to the famous impressionist, Alson Skinner Clark, will brighten her opinion of him. But rumors of war in Europe mean Jack must choose between joining his homeland’s army or staying safe in the Thousand Islands as he makes a life with Colleen. If she will have him.

About Susan:

Her first two books of The Thousand Islands Gilded Age series, Devyn’s Dilemma, and Katelyn’s Choice have each won multiple awards, and book three, Peyton’s Promise, comes out May 2022. Rachel’s Reunion is coming soon. The Fabric of Hope: An Irish Family Legacy, Christmas Charity, and Sara’s Surprise, and Reagan’s Reward, are award winners, too. 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. Visit www.SusanGMathis.com for more.

Here are the links to connect with Susan: