Heroes, Heroines, and History

 

Of Stories and Stitches

When I was in elementary school, my parents saved up to buy me a Smith Corona typewriter. Finally! I could type up my stories and poems, albeit burning through many ribbon cartridges and reams of paper. It came in a handy plastic case and was ultra-modern for its time.

A century before I received my prized Smith Corona, the company that made this brand started as the Smith Premier Typewriter Company.

While writing Beyond the Horizon, the main character, Ruby Shepherdson, a newspaper reporter for The Horizon Herald, secures a loan to purchase a Smith Premier Typewriter. 

 

The company was founded in 1886 by a family of brothers who previously manufactured guns. While researching, I stumbled upon an advertisement for the typewriter with the slogan, “The pen is mightier than the sword but the Smith Premier Typewriter bends them both”. Something else I noticed was that there were numerous contests by which people could win a Smith Premier if they were nominated for being the most popular. Of course, other items such as bicycles were given away as well.

 

One advertisement indicated that someone could also win a gold pen in a pearl holder for the best-written advertisement for a Smith Premier Typewriter. I would have loved to have read some of the entries!

I decided to give Ruby’s mother a sewing machine for her birthday. Some research indicated just the perfect machine for a woman who loves to sew.

The White Sewing Machine (white as in the brand rather than the color), was touted as, “Being made from the best material and of excellent workmanship”. At $35, it was pricey in those days but under a five-year warranty, something we don’t commonly see these days.

A few other items I researched for the book included boys’ knee pants on sale from 59 cents to 39 cents, parlor organs for $55, and gentlemen’s suspenders for seven cents.

A near-drowning scene prompted me to research boats, which cost $25 for a 15 ½ foot boat, and a cork vest, which was the forerunner to our current life preserver vests.

As an author, I never know where the characters will take me and what I’ll have to research next. 

 

 

She's desperate to keep her job.
He's desperate for solitude.
What is God's plan in this complicated situation?

Ruby Shepherdson has worked hard to secure her job as a reporter for The Horizon Herald. After a costly mistake, Ruby’s unforgiving boss gives her an ultimatum to either interview the handsome and reclusive Jake Lynton—or lose her job. But each time Ruby has attempted to obtain an interview, Jake has refused. Why would anyone who has saved the lives of four people deny recognition? And why does she find herself drawn to the man?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PENNY ZELLER is known for her heartfelt stories of faith, love, and humor 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 over two dozen books. She is also a fitness instructor, loves the outdoors, and is a flower gardening addict. She resides with her husband and two daughters in small-town America and loves to connect with her readers at www.pennyzeller.com.