Hailee: Frontier Fiction

We are giving away a copy of Hailee, by Penny Zeller. Leave a comment on this post, with your e-mail (if we don't have it yet), so we can let you know if you are the winner. Runs AUG29-SEP3


CFBR: We are excited to hear about your latest novel, Hailee. What is the hook?

Penny Zeller: Hello, thank you for allowing me to be a guest on Christian Fiction Book Reviews. It’s great to be here. Following is the blurb for Hailee, the third book in my Montana Skies Historical Romance Series:

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?

CFBR: Who is your favorite Character and why?

Penny Zeller: My favorite character would be my heroine, Hailee Sophia Annigan. I love Hailee’s character for her fierce determination and her spunk. I love her compassionate heart, her strong faith, and her sweet spirit.

CFBR: What can Christian expect to get from the story?

Penny Zeller: My passion is to write books that impact lives for Christ. For the Christian reader, they can expect to share in Hailee’s pain and sorrow, as well as the joy she experiences. They will watch as her faith wavers and her heart breaks at the losses she experiences in life. They will share with Nate as he struggles to release to the Lord burdens he was never meant to carry. My books are character-driven, and as such, throughout the book and with a variety of characters, readers will catch a glimpse of struggles with forgiveness, Salvation, rededication to Christ, and the hope of a new life.

CFBR: How long does it take you to complete a novel? 

Penny Zeller: This is a great question. Actually, it really varies. Sometimes it can be as little as two months and sometimes as long as five or six months. I think my average would be about three months for the first draft. However, I give my books and my writing to the Lord, so I’m learning to write on His schedule.

CFBR: What advice would you give to a fledgling author?

Penny Zeller: I offer several writing helps on my blog, at http://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/sticking-with-writing/ including how to stick with writing and information about how to prepare for a writer’s conference.

I am humbled how the Lord has placed me in a mentoring position for new writers through a Writer’s Bible Study. When I chat with a fledgling author, I ask what he/she envisions themselves doing for God’s Kingdom and how can I pray and encourage him/her in that pursuit. One of the most important things to remember in being a writer is that if God has called you to write, He will guide you, one step at a time.

In November of 2000, I gave my writing to the Lord. I quit my fulltime job with a social services governmental agency so I could stay home with my infant daughter. That was the start of my career, beginning with magazine articles. I would advise a new writer to give his/her writing to the Lord and to not give up! I speak from experience when I say that when He closes one door, He opens another (much better) one.

CFBR: If you weren't a writer, what would you be doing?

Penny Zeller: Probably a television talk show host for a Christian TV show. I think that would be a lot of fun! 

Thank you again for having me as your guest!

I love to connect with my readers at my website www.pennyzeller.com,

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

On Twitter at http://twitter.com/pennyzeller, and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Penny-A-Zeller/96391560959?ref=ts where I post updates about new books, giveaways, events, and Just-for-Fun Fridays.

Book by Penny Zeller at Amazon