Shannon here: Penny Zeller shares how she met her husband, how her characters meet in a romantic excerpt from her latest Historical Romance, Love in Disguise, plus a chance to win a copy. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing. Deadline: April 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Penny:
Before Caller ID, I met my husband, Lon, through a prank phone call while we were still in high school. We lived in different towns; he was a football player and I was a cheerleader. I had seen a football team photo of him in our county newspaper and once in person from afar, but he had no idea who I was.
Lon and I talked often on the phone, sometimes late into the night. He was a chatty fellow and we immediately hit it off. I soon looked forward to our daily phone calls. Over the next several weeks, he called me before I left for work as a bookkeeper and clerk at a department store and before he went to work on his dad’s farm.
Finally, we met for the first time in person at the Maverick gas station. After a whirlwind romance, we announced our engagement three months after meeting, and married eight months after that. Today we have two beautiful daughters and spend our free time camping, canoeing, and kayaking in the nearby mountains.
Below is an excerpt from my book Love in Disguise about how Emilie and Thad met one pleasant
Montana day in 1911…
The stranger leaned down and stooped into her direct line of vision. “Ma’am, you could have been killed by the oncoming traffic.”
Oncoming traffic?
“Are you all right, ma’am?”
“I—I…” My, but he was a handsome sort.
“I am sorry I collided with you. It was my fault. Reckon I wasn’t watching where I was going. Are you hurt?”
“Am I?”
“I don’t know. That’s what I’m asking you.”
Air caught in her windpipe and she couldn’t speak. The handsome man, concern lighting up his face, continued to stare at her.
“Begging your pardon, sir, but what are you asking me?” Her question came out as a breathless gasp.
The man took her elbow and gently assisted her to her feet. “I’m asking if you are unharmed since I ran right into you. Quite by accident, I might add.” The corners of his mouth upturned into a cross between a smirk and a full smile. A right fine smile at that. “Did you hit your head?”
From all appearances, she must seem quite daft. Could it be that she had hit her head and knocked all sense from it? “Oh. Yes. I am. All right.” Emilie dusted the powdery dirt from the dusty boardwalk that had collected on her shirtwaist and skirt. The number of parcels she had managed to gather into a lopsided stack was paltry compared to how many she had purchased.
She reached up and straightened her crooked hat, knowing she must look a fright.
“Please, allow me to retrieve all of your parcels. Do you live far from here?”
Emilie’s eyes again connected with the stranger’s. “No,” she squeaked. Had he asked if she lived far from here or if she was staying far from here? Why could she not concentrate under the perusal of those blue eyes? Eyes that reminded her of the Atlantic Ocean she had visited several times as a child.
“Allow me to assist you with these,” he repeated. “It’s the least I can do.” The man kneeled and, with ease, retrieved every box and placed them in a tall stack against the nearest building. When he came to the open box that held the squished hat in it, he stood staring at it for a moment. “Is this yours as well?”
“Yes.” From the blank look on his face, the man seemed to have nary a clue as to what the item had been. Emilie exhaled a deep sigh. “It was a hat. An elegant hat all the way from Boston. I daresay it will never be a hat again.”
“That’s the truth.”
Taken aback, Emilie didn’t know whether to be offended or to laugh at the stranger’s comment.
“Perhaps we can order you another one—one that I will be paying for since this was my fault.” The stranger stacked the hat on top of the other parcels, then scooped them into his arms. His strong arms.
Yes, she had noticed that too.
He was wearing standard working man’s clothing, but he was cleaner, as though he hadn’t been in the fields or on the ranch that day. He was tall, maybe four inches taller than she was with her heeled boots. Blond hair and a day’s worth of stubble on his jaw.
What was the matter with her?
She was staring.
And he had noticed.
This was not like her at all. No one had ever accused her of gawking at a stranger. What a complete embarrassment.
And ever so scandalous. What would Mother say?
About Penny: 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 a multi-published author of several inspirational 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. Check out Penny’s website and Penny’s blog where she shares random thoughts from a day in the life of a wife, mom, and author. Learn more & connect:
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About the book – Love in Disguise
Who knew concealing one’s true identity could be so disastrous?
Who knew asserting one’s independence would cause such embarrassment? If only Almira “Emilie” Crawford Wheeler hadn’t insisted upon carrying her own stack of parcels, she wouldn’t have landed in an unladylike heap on the boardwalk. And what about the half-truth she told the handsome stranger who came to her aid? The stranger she never expected to see again?
Thad Alexander Evanson should have been paying closer attention to the boardwalk, rather than the newfangled automobile motoring down the street. Had he been more astute, a collision with the beautiful parcel-laden stranger might never have happened. And if it never had happened, he wouldn’t have told a partial-truth he figured wouldn’t matter.
Before long, Emilie and Thad are arranging to meet for a noonday meal each weekend in Missoula under the guise of different names. But what happens when their true identities are revealed? When half-truths are exposed? Could God have a plan even in the midst of a tangled web of lies?
Can’t wait for the drawing? Worried you won’t win? Interested in Penny’s other titles?
Get your copy/copies now!
Love in Disguise Penny’s books
Question for readers: What was your role in high school? Brain, class clown, athlete, wallflower, or something else? How have you changed since?
Come back April 1st for me! I’ll share about a great new book I discovered through my editing job!
I am thrilled to be your guest today, Shannon. Thank you so much!
Glad to have you, Penny.
I was the shy girl in high school. Years later, I learned everybody thought I was stuck up because I didn’t talk to anyone. I came out of my shell in cosmetology school when I realized it was more uncomfortable to cut somebody’s hair for 30 minutes in silence than to make conversation. I still tend to be clam up if I’m in a room full of strangers or if I feel out of my element, but if I know you or feel comfortable where I am, I’ll talk your ear off.
Eee!! Love In Disguise sounds so good!
Hi Kenzie! Thanks so much for stopping by and for your sweet compliment!
This sounds like a great book, thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
Thank you, Wendy, for your kind words. Have a wonderful week!
The book sounds very interesting from the sample I read. In high school I was one of the smart kids since I was in honor society. I was also known as someone who really cared about people.
Hello Linda, I love it that you were known as someone who really cared about people. Thank you for stopping by!
I guess – brains – I was so into studying… 🙂
Hello Natalya! Thank you for stopping by Shannon’s blog and entering to win a copy of Love in Disguise. Have a great rest of your week!
I loved hearing how you met.
I doubt I’d be just any one thing. It would depend upon which group of friends I was with.
Hi Mary, thank you for kind words and thank you also for sharing.
I really don’t know what my role was. I missed the first two years of high school due to surgeries. Then in 12th grade I only went half days and did a secretarial internship each half day. I was always with the Christian girls group.
Hello Maryann, I was sorry to hear that you missed the first two years of high school due to surgeries. My sister missed a significant amount of school due to mono, which was really hard on her. That is impressive that you did a secretarial internship while still in high school.
I really enjoyed the excerpt and learning how you and your husband met, Penny. In high school, I was a brain, I guess. Raised to be an overachiever and haven’t lost that trait, even though it certainly leads to stress. Still working on that part of it. I enjoyed my visit to your blog, Shannon.
Hello Katherine—so nice to see you here! Thank you for sharing about your high school days. I can completely identify with being an overachiever. Have a wonderful weekend!
It’s a treat to read Penny’s books. This one looks like it would be a lot of fun to read. Best wishes on success with this one, Penny. And thanks for the nice review Shannon.
High school….. now that’s a LONG time ago. I was exceptionally shy in front of classroom of students. Really bad at oral reports but a National Honor Society student. A member of lots of groups but missed out on glee club because my voice was soloist and wouldn’t mingle/blend with others well enough. Was granted a full scholarship to two-year college but instead got married June after graduation.
Hello Vera—it is great to see you on Shannon’s blog! Thank you for your kind words about my books. I am so appreciative of all you do to encourage authors. Thank you also for sharing about your high school years. Have a wonderful weekend!
I was pretty shy in high school and I am still kind of. When I’m with a group of strangers or people I don’t know well, I’m pretty quiet and am more of a listener. When I’m with people that I know pretty well, I’m much more talkative.
Hello Diana! I appreciate you stopping by and sharing about high school. You sound a lot like my youngest daughter, who is also quite shy at first until you get to know her. Hope you have a great rest of your week.
Definitely one of the brainy geeks.
Hello Cheri! Thank you for stopping by Shannon’s blog and for joining in on the conversation. Have a great week!
I have a winner! Kenzie O’Brennan won the drawing. I appreciate Penny for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.