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I don't need a Step-mother--excerpt and new release

Susan G. Mathis • January 25, 2025
Help me welcome author and blogger Susan G. Mathis as she shares another excerpt from her most recent release.

I don’t need a stepmother!
—an excerpt from Emma’s Engagement, book three of the Love at a Lighthouse series
 
Ada shrugged away from his touch, her resentment palpable. “I don’t want her here, and I don’t want you to marry.” Her voice was tinged with frustration. “She’s just going to ruin everything, and I don’t need a stepmother.”

His heart sank at her words, his own pain mingling with hers. He had hoped this would be easier. “Ada, sweetheart, Emma is not trying to replace your mom. She just wants to be a part of our lives.”

But Ada wasn’t listening. Her shoulders slumped, and she turned away, her steps heavy as she retreated to her room leaving him standing alone, his heart aching with the weight of her rejection. What was he going to do?

He wanted to go after her, to comfort her, to reassure her that everything would be okay. But she was so much like him, and he knew she needed time to process her feelings, to come to terms with the changes in their lives.

With a heavy sigh, he made his way toward the lighthouse, the beacon of light that seemed to guide his path through the darkness of uncertainty. He’d show Emma its inner workings—and the incredible view. But even as he waited to show her the light for the first time and see her face light up with wonder, his thoughts were of Ada, his beloved daughter whose pain he couldn’t bear to see. His child’s words echoed in his mind, her anguished plea replaying like a broken record. Her resistance to Emma’s presence and her fear of change, haunted him.

He understood Ada’s apprehension, her angst over losing the life they had built together, just the two of them against the world. Ever since his wife passed away, they had formed a bond that was unbreakable even with distance, a bond born out of shared grief and unwavering love.

But he also couldn’t deny the love he felt for Emma, the way she had brought light back into his life after years of darkness. Emma understood his pain, his loss, in a way that no one else had, and no matter how much Ada objected, he couldn’t let Emma go.

Was he being selfish, putting his own happiness above his daughter’s? Was he asking too much of her, expecting her to accept Emma into their lives without question?

About Emma’s Engagement:
Emma Row embarks on a journey that will test her resilience and love. She marries Michael Diepolder, the Rock Island Lightkeeper and widower, a man who seeks a companion for both himself and his eleven-year-old daughter, Ada. But as she steps into the role of lightkeeper’s wife with a heart full of hope, little does she know that the idyllic setting conceals challenges that will shake the foundation of her happiness. Isolation creeps in, compounded by Ada’s determination to keep her father all to herself. As a storm looms, Emma must grapple with the difficulties of being a stepmother and lightkeeper’s wife. Will she find her place, or will the tumultuous waves of doubt and isolation tear them apart?

For Michael, Emma is not just a wife but the hope for his future. But the lighthouse life and being a stepmother proves harder for Emma than he ever imagined, and Ada’s animosity only intensifies it. When the lighthouse inspector questions Emma’s place due to her Canadian heritage and Ada become deathly ill, the very foundation of their family is shaken. Can their family find solace and unity on this tiny island? Amid the swirling tempest of challenges, Emma, Michael, and Ada must discover the strength within themselves and each other to weather the storm. Emma’s Engagement is a poignant tale of love, resilience, and the enduring bonds that can form in the most unexpected places. This fictional story is based on the actual lives of Michael and Emma Diepolder.

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 Thousand Islands 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, and Emma’s Engagement. Find out more at www.SusanGMathis.com/fiction.

Where can people find her online?
Susan’s website: https://www.susangmathis.com/fiction-books
Buy links: Amazon |  Barnes&Noble | Wild Heart Books
Social media links: Website |Author Central |  Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram| Goodreads l Book Bub| Pinterest

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