HAILEE - Penny Zeller - Free Book

Welcome, Penny. 

Hello, Lena. It’s great to be here!

God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

I have been praying about where God would lead me next in my writing ministry. My passion is to continue impacting lives for Christ through my novels. As far as what I see on the horizon, I have a couple other series of books that I have started that I am looking forward to seeing them to completion.

Tell us a little about your family.

I have been married to my husband, Lon, for 19 years (we married really young!) and we have two elementary-aged daughters.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

With deadlines, I have less time to read. However, I still do find time to read and have read some wonderful novels by fellow Christian authors lately. I have been an avid reader since the time I could read, and I consider reading a relaxing and enjoyable pastime.

What are you working on right now?

I am working on a series that takes place just after the Civil War. I have completed the first novel and am working on the second.

What outside interests do you have?

I love to spend time with my family and friends. I also enjoy volleyball, hiking, camping canoeing, bicycling, and gardening.

How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’ve always enjoyed learning about the 1800s, and I have long been intrigued by the beauty and history of the State of Montana, so I was excited to set a series in that state. My family and I visit Montana regularly and one year traveled throughout the entire state and stopped at a ghost town, which gave me a lot of inspiration for my series. The other series of books I am working on take place in other states and I have learned so much about their histories while writing those books as well.

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Definitely Jesus. I would love to sit in His Presence and learn all I could from Him. I would also thank Him continually for what He did for me.

What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

How much time was going to be spent in marketing and promoting those novels! As the saying goes…the hardest part starts after the book is published!

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

The Lord is teaching me more than ever to rely on Him in all circumstances. He has also placed it in my heart to desire to be completely in His will in my writing ministry and to be sensitive and open to His leading.

What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Wow, Lena. This is a great question! I would say the most important thing authors can do is to pray and give their writing career to the Lord. Secondly, I would say to put others first and to be an encourager of other writers. And not only an encourager to other writers, but also an encourager to your readers. Connect with them and let them know you appreciate them. Third, I would say it’s critical to build an online presence in order to promote your book. This can be done a variety of ways, including a website, blog, Twitter, Facebook, Shoutlife, and LinkedIn.

Tell us about the featured book.

Here is the blurb from Hailee:  For years, orphan Hailee Annigan was just a ragamuffin in the Cincinnati streets, stealing food to keep her two younger brothers fed. Her thievery landed her in a home for delinquent youngsters, where her life was changed, thanks to her teachers. Now, nineteen-year-old Hailee excitedly heads to Montana to be a teacher, yet she's still plagued by her shameful past and the fear of never seeing her brothers again.

Based on his upbringing in high-society Boston, no one would have guessed that Maxwell Nathaniel Adams Jr. would attend seminary and become a church pastor in rugged Montana. Even now, Nate's parents refuse to put aside their own plans for his future and accept his calling.

When their paths converge, an immediate attraction draws Hailee and Nate together, even as the pressures and demands of others pull them apart. Can the unlikely pair come to terms with their pasts and face the future together?

Please give us the first page of the book.

July 1893

Cincinnati, Ohio

Hailee Annigan removed the discolored sheet of paper from the community board in the train depot. Time and weather had faded the poster, so the message was barely readable, but she had memorized the words:

Looking for Philip and Reuben Annigan.

If you have any information, kindly respond to:

Hailee Annigan

c/o Dot Pangbourn’s Boardinghouse

West Eberlee Street, Cincinnati, Ohio

She crumpled the paper in her hand and stuffed it into her purse. In its place, she posted the notice she’d written that morning, then stepped back to make sure it would be conspicuous to people passing by or preparing to board a train.

Looking for Philip and Reuben Annigan.

If you have any information, kindly respond to:

Hailee Annigan

c/o Pine Haven School

Pine Haven, Montana

For the past several years, she had replaced the posting every month, two times in order

to alter the address where she could be located if someone knew of her brothers’ whereabouts.

Hailee swallowed hard to hold back her tears. She didn’t want to leave Cincinnati and diminish her chances of ever finding her younger brothers. However, she knew that a change in location would do her heart good, and that she was following God’s prompting to fulfill the dream she’d had in her heart since she was a young girl.

Excerpt from pages one and two of Hailee by Penny Zeller, © 2011, with permission of the publisher, Whitaker House (www.whitakerhouse.com).

How can readers find you on the Internet?

I love to connect with my readers at

My website www.pennyzeller.com,

My blog, A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com,

Twitter at http://twitter.com/pennyzeller, and

Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny-A-Zeller/96391560959?ref=ts

Thank you, Lena, for graciously hosting me on your blog. I appreciate your continued encouragement and mentoring of other writers.


I've loved featuring you and your books, Penny.


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Hailee (Montana Skies V3)

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