Making Use of her Gift in a Way that will Bless ... Her Greatest Passion

     Penny Zeller is the author of several books and numerous magazine articles. She is also the author of the blog "A Day in the Life of a Wife, Mom, and Author" www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com where she also provides weekly doses of humor, along with movie reviews from a Christian worldview, and interviews with some of her favorite author friends.
     Penny is an active volunteer in her community, devoting her time to assisting and nurturing women and children into a closer relationship with Christ. Her passion is to use the gift of the written word that God has given her to glorify Him and to benefit His kingdom.
     Among other books, Penny is the author of McKenzie, Kaydie, and Hailee in her Montana Skies Historical Romance Series and 77 Ways Your Family Can Make a Difference: Ideas and Activities for Serving Others.When she's not writing, Penny enjoys spending time with her family and camping, hiking, canoeing, and playing volleyball. 

SDC: It's so great having you here, Penny. You are fast becoming both a well-known and talented writer. Before you tell us about your newest release please fill us in on what inspired you with the book(s) you’ve written up until now.

Penny: Hello Shirley! Thank you so much for having me as your guest. Wow, what a great question…I have written nonfiction and children’s fiction in the past, but my favorite genre to read and write is historical romance. The Lord gave me the opportunity to pen the first book in my Montana Skies Series, McKenzie, while recovering from injuries I sustained in a car accident. I have always wanted to write a novel about a mail-order bride, and from that passion came McKenzie. Kaydie, whose character learns to trust in God for all things, soon followed. I was inspired to write Hailee, the third and final book in the series, when I received a piece of mail about an orphanage. I was eager to write about the experience of a girl who spent time in not only an orphanage, but an orphanage for wayward juveniles. I am humbled that God could use me to impact lives through my books.

SDC:  It is humbling, isn't it, but also such a blessing. What kind of response to you receive from readers who have not yet come to know the Lord, or who have been influenced greatly by your writing? 

Penny: Regarding your first question: I recently received a phone call from a friend whose grandmother is hospitalized in serious condition. She's an elderly woman (in her 90s) who isn't doing well healthwise and she doesn't know the Lord. Her family has been praying for her and trying for years to witness to her. My friend told me that her grandmother requested the other night that a book be read to her. I was humbled that out of all the books she could have chosen, she requested McKenzie. I pray that something of God's Word that I have written in my book would help to soften this woman's heart toward Jesus and pave the way for her family to again tell her about God's eternal gift for her.

For your second question: I recently heard from a woman who has been caring for her mother who has terminal cancer. Her mother can no longer talk, but receives great comfort just in knowing that her daughter is there. While her daughter remains by her bedside, she told me she read my Montana Skies Series and was greatly blessed by it. “I needed to be able to escape the harsh reality of watching my mother die by escaping to Pine Haven, Montana. Your books allowed me to do that. Thank you.”

It is times like that or when readers write to tell me how my books had an impact on their lives that are such great moments and make it all worthwhile.

SDC: Those are both great testimonies. Thanks! Tell us five things you like that no one might know about and that make you, you.

Penny: Ooh! Fun question!

1. My favorite thing ever is spending time with my family.

2. My favorite food is pizza (make that pepperoni with extra cheese) followed by popcorn.

3. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 7 and I love to sit and daydream about new characters.

4. I met my husband through a prank phone call.

5. I love clothes and have a weakness for cute shoes.

SDC:  LOL. I love how you met your husband. That's a story in itself! What question regarding the season of Christmas would you like one of our viewers to answer to help me select the winner? (if the winner resides in the U.S., they will receive a personalized paperback copy; if they reside outside of the U.S., they will receive an ebook copy).

Penny: What is your favorite Christmas tradition and why does it hold special meaning for you?

SDC: As always, Penny, it has been a real pleasure having you here again at A Pen for Your Thoughts. I love it when you come over our way. Let us know where we can find you and your books.

Penny: My books can be found at your favorite bookstore or at any online retailer including

http://www.christianbook.com/montana-skies-series-volumes-1-3/pd/742744?item_code=WW&netp_id=916458&event=ESRCG&view=details and

http://www.amazon.com/Hailee-Montana-Skies-Penny-Zeller/dp/1603742182/ref=cm_cr_pr_sims_t or

I love to connect with readers -

On my website:  www.pennyzeller.com

On my humor blog: www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com

On Facebook: www.facebook.com/pennyzellerbooks

On Twitter: http://twitter.com/pennyzeller

Thank you again, Shirley, for graciously hosting me on your blog. To you and to all of your readers  – may you all have a blessed Christmas season!

THANKS SO VERY MUCH! And same to you and your family, Penny.

Readers, please take a few minutes to share with us YOUR favorite Christmas tradition, as Penny asked above.

Lord willing, I will draw YOUR name and you can enjoy Penny's book too.

Here is a little what the book is about. Read on...

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 Nate Adams 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?

The newly-produced book trailer for Hailee can be seen here http://youtu.be/LEGoM43jtwA