Today I’m interviewing Penny Zeller, author of the new release Forgotten Memories, a Christian historical romance and the first book in the Wyoming Sunrise series!! She has some awesome answers, so read on and enjoy!!!
Hello, Penny!! I’m SO excited to be interviewing you today. 😀 To begin with, where were you when the idea for Forgotten Memories came to you, and what was that like?
Hello, Saraina! Thank you for having me as your guest. The idea for Forgotten Memories came from reading a real-life story about a mail-order bride named Eleanor who inadvertently made plans to marry a criminal. The story did not have a happy ending because Eleanor recognized him at the last minute as the one who had robbed her stagecoach.
After reading Eleanor’s story, my imagination wandered and “what-ifs” filled my mind. What if something similar happened to a character who, years later, fell in love with a man who robbed her? What would happen when the truth was discovered? Was there any hope for a happily-ever-after?
Thus, Annie and Caleb’s story was born.
(AHHH!!! That is so cool!!) “What-if” questions are seriously gold mines for writers. Which character in Forgotten Memories is most opposite from you?
Wow. This is a really good question. There are several minor characters who are opposite from me, such as Cain and Mrs. Burns.
Where they harder to write because of that?
Mean characters, such as Cain, can be harder to write. However, as writers, we are adept at burrowing into someone’s psyche, even if that psyche is opposite of ours. As an almost 100% visual person, I watch book scenes in my mind (usually when I should be sleeping!). When I wrote the character of Cain, I had to imagine the personality of a criminal.
(This is so true!!! I love it when I can watch book scenes in my mind.) Who or what inspired your hero and heroine? And on a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a plotter/outliner are you?
I culminate the ideas for characters from a variety of sources. I wanted to create a tender and thoughtful young man who struggled with guilt over what he had done for Caleb’s character. For Annie’s I wanted a sweet young woman who loved teaching students, but who struggled with a memory from the past. As with all of my characters, I strive to make them realistic, with strengths and weaknesses; integrity but with faults.
As for the scale of 1 to 10 on how much of a plotter/outliner I am, I would say -1. 😊 I am a pantster. I rarely write all of the scenes in order and I never outline when I write fiction.
(Go pantsters! 😉 ) Can you share your favorite quote from the book?
One of my favorite humorous quotes is from Annie: “No one had ever died choking on ice cream. Or at least, she hoped not. And she had no ambition to be the first.”
(😂 Lol, that is funny!) What did you learn from the process of writing Forgotten Memories?
It was a reminder that forgiveness is hard. It’s never easy to release someone from the pain they’ve caused you. But Jesus calls us to forgive seventy-times-seven times, even when it’s difficult.
(AMEN.) Why is the theme/message of the novel important to you?
The main theme in Forgotten Memories is that we are new creations in Christ, based on 2 Corinthians 5:17. That’s important because so many times we think we are hopeless. That God couldn’t love us based on what we’ve done. That we are the sum of what we’ve done (or not done). But when we surrender our lives to Him, we are new creations. As the verse says, “the old has passed, the new has come”. This is good news! We can begin afresh and are forgiven by the One who gave His very life for us.
(Such good news!! Praise God.) Thank you, Penny! It was lovely getting to interview you!!!
Thank you again for having me as your guest. It was great to be here!
Forgotten Memories Blurb
Some memories are best forgotten…
The Wyoming Territory is rife with lawlessness and disorder, something Annie Ledbetter and her parents discover when their wagon train is robbed. Seven years later, Annie settles into her lifelong dream as a teacher in the small town of Willow Falls. When she meets handsome rancher Caleb Eliason through a humorous misunderstanding, she is quickly drawn to his kind heart and charming smile.
Former outlaw Caleb Eliason embraces his chance at a fresh start. Gone are the days of robbing stagecoaches and wagon trains. When he falls in love with the new Willow Falls teacher, he doesn’t realize they’ve met before—under much different circumstances. When his past comes to light, will it put the growing love between them at risk?
Can forgiveness and redemption heal two broken hearts or will the past keep them from sharing a future?
About the Author
Penny Zeller is known for her heartfelt stories of faith and her passion to impact lives for Christ through fiction. While she has had a love for writing since childhood, she began her adult writing career penning articles for national and regional publications on a wide variety of topics. Today, Penny is the author of over a dozen books. She is also a homeschool mom and a fitness instructor.
When Penny is not dreaming up new characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, camping, hiking, canoeing, reading, running, cycling, gardening, and playing volleyball.
She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and loves to hear from her readers at her website http://www.pennyzeller.com and her blog, random thoughts from a day in the life of a wife, mom, and author, at http://www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com.
Follow the Author!
Website: http://www.pennyzeller.com
Blog: http://www.pennyzeller.wordpress.com
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/PennyZeller
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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/penny-zeller
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MeWe: https://mewe.com/i/pennyzeller
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/pennyzeller
Newsletter Sign up: https://mailchi.mp/8c1dae400a24/penny-zeller
Add Forgotten Memories to your Goodreads TBR:
Blog Tour Lineup!
TUESDAY, 9/6
Penny Zeller | Is Forgotten Memories the Book for You?
Penny McGinnis | Book Spotlight
Charity’s Book Escapes | Book Review (Instagram)
Lee-Ann Brodeur | Book Spotlight
WEDNESDAY, 9/7
Christian Books and Coffee | Book Spotlight (Instagram)
Quilling in the Pines |Book Review
THURSDAY, 9/8
Penny Zeller | Quotes + Meet the Characters
Cover Lover | Book Spotlight
Christian Books and Coffee | Author Interview (Instagram)
Reading and Flowers | Book Spotlight (Instagram)
Chat with Vera | Book Review, Giveaway
Lena Nelson Dooley | Author Interview, Giveaway
FRIDAY, 9/9
Cover Lover | Book Review
Christian Books and Coffee | Book Review (Instagram)
2friendstalkbooks | Book Spotlight (Instagram)
Abbigail | Book Review (Facebook)
Cindy’s Book Corner | Book Review*
SATURDAY, 9/10
Penny Zeller | Tour Wrap-up (Which Character are You, etc.)
Madi’s Musings | Book Spotlight
2friendstalkbooks | Book Review
Patti’s Porch | Guest Post, Giveaway
Are you a visual person too, and do you watch book scenes in your mind? (I know I do!) How do you feel abut writing mean characters? Or just characters who are wildly different from you? Is it possible to choke on ice cream? Oh, and what’s your favorite kind of ice cream?
Saraina Whitney 
Ahh, I loved this interview! Amazing answers and questions. 🙂
And yes, I always used to visualize book scenes, but now I feel like I’m too scattered to do that as much as I used to. 🙂
And ice cream … chocolate. Peppermint. A combination. Mint. All of the above. 🙂 Ice cream is yummy!
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Yes! Both of those are really good flavors. Or Vanilla and Salted Caramel. Yum 🙂
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Oohh, Lily, I so agree!! Those are so yummy! My favorite kind is strawberry 😉
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Thank you so much!!! It was a lot of fun! 😉
Aww!! Haha, I understand that! It doesn’t either happen to me as often as I’d like. *sigh*
Mmmm, YES! Those flavors are so delicious!!!
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Wow, that’s an interesting premise! I loved the interview, guys!
Lol, sometimes I run a book scene through my head too (but usually while I write).
Also, I haven’t choked and died on ice cream…yet XD.
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It is interesting!! Aww, thanks!!!
Yes!! So cool! Sometimes when I have trouble visualizing the scene, I force myself to just close my eyes and imagine it, then I write it. Usually it helps. XD GOOD. 😂
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Excellent interview!
I know I’m the odd man out here, but I can’t visualize the scenes. It sounds odd, I know, but I don’t picture them at all. As for choking on ice cream…yes, that is quite possible. Experience indicates I’m capable of choking on everything, even air. (And vanilla and cookies ‘n cream are the best flavors).
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So glad you liked it, Madi!!
Wow, interesting! Gotcha! I think I’m just so influenced by all the movies I watch, which makes me feel like my books are movies, so that’s why I visualize them. XD
Okay. This is very true. 😂 If choking on water and even air is a real thing, ice cream can be just as likely of a culprit! (*melts* Yes! So, so good!)
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Hello Saraina! I loved being your guest today—thank you so much for having me! I’ll chime in and say my favorite type of ice cream is cookies and cream. Yum!
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Hello! Aww, you’re so welcome!!! Ooo, yes, cookies and cream is so delicious! (Lol this is making me hungry now. 😂)
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Ooh! I can’t wait till my library has the book.
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That would be so cool!! You should think about requesting the book at the library so they buy it. 😉
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Ooh this book looks so good!! Lovely interview!
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I know, right?!! Thank you so much, Ava!!!
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Yess! Of course! 😀
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