When I Was Just a Kid...Jill Elizabeth Nelson

 

I contacted Jill Elizabeth Nelson a while back because of her fiction books and I just knew she'd be an interesting interview. She sent me some information and this fun and cute photo as a kid, and then came my first computer crash. Her book, Reluctant Runaway, was released in March 2007, but it has not been until now that I recovered this interview.

Jill writes suspense, and her background and rich internal world of imagination  caused her to reach beyond what she has experienced. Being a PK (Pastor's Kid) Jill moved around a lot as a kid--at least five small towns in Minnesota and South Dakota, and add to that being an introvert with an active imagination(and wanting to be either a horse or a writer)--well, it adds up into a great recipe for a good, inspirational fiction writer.

Let's see the things that shaped Jill into the author she is today:

Childhood Ambition: 

Become a horse. Seriously, I had fantasies of actually being a horse. If I absolutely had to stay human, I wanted to be a writer . . . which I am now.

Fondest Memory: 

Inviting Jesus Christ to be my Savior at Bible Camp in seventh grade. The peace and specialness of that moment lingers in my memory.

That time-frame also turned into one of my strangest memories, because I became extremely ill right afterward. The camp personnel took me to the doctor, where I received a massive dose of penicillin, which I reacted to quite badly. I don’t remember being scared. Partly because for many hours I drifted in and out of consciousness in my bunk at the camp, while everyone went about their business and didn’t realize I was having an allergic reaction. Frankly, I didn’t even know what I was experiencing at the time. Looking back, I see that but for the grace of God, I could have died. The enemy tried to kill me; God wouldn’t let him.

Proudest Moment:
Winning the local grade-school spelling bee

Biggest Challenge as a Child or Teen:
Making friends. I was an introvert, and as I look back, pretty self-centered. Not a promising combination for social success.

My First Job:
Detasseling corn. Yuck!

Childhood Indulgence:
Sunflower seeds. I ate them constantly—book in one hand, seeds going into my mouth and shells coming out with the other. I’m sure it wasn’t a pretty picture. LOL

Favorite Outfit as a Child:

I can’t remember one. I wasn’t very clothes conscious. I’m more responsible that way now, because I have to maintain a certain standard for my day job and author appearances, but I’m still no fashionista.

Favorite Childhood Play Time Activity:

Barbie dolls or anything to do with horses—toy ones or imaginary. I didn’t have a real one and couldn’t understand why dad said I couldn’t keep one in the garage. Unreasonable man!

Favorite Childhood Movie:

How about my least favorite childhood movie? The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, starring Don Knotts. I must have been too young when I saw this one the first time. It scared me silly, because I took the zany plot seriously. Honestly, I wouldn’t go upstairs alone in my home for over a week. When I got older and saw it again, I rolled my eyes at myself. The flick is intended to be more funny than scary. With Don Knotts in it? C’mon!

Favorite Childhood Book:
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkein
The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander was a close contender.
I still love both of these books.

Childhood Hero:

It was a toss-up between Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise and Tarzan. Go figure!

Anything you would like to add that readers might be interested in knowing about you as a child or how your childhood may have influenced your writing as an adult?:

My immersion in books in lieu of friends, and my intense internal world of the imagination certainly boded well for a writing career. I’m still that way to a degree, though husband, children, and day job keep me grounded in reality.

Oh, except for those voices I hear in my head. (LOL.)

I made the mistake of telling my mom and siblings that my characters “talk to me.” Now they tease me all the time about “hearing voices.”

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Check out Jill's web site for updates, appearances, contests and general suspenseful notions:

http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com

 

About Jill's books:

Reluctant Burglar – A defiant museum security expert and a determined FBI agent clash over stolen art on the trail of murderous thieves, who have a more terrible agenda than either of them can imagine. (Multnomah Publishers)

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Reluctant Runaway – A daring museum security expert and a courageous FBI agent hunt a killer cult to find a missing mom, protect her infant son, and recover stolen ancient Indian artifacts.(Multnomah Publishers)

Here’s the link to watch a book trailer: http://www.jillelizabethnelson.com/tcatbooks.shtml

Also, check Jill's entries on the We CAN blog.

If you like Reluctant Burglar and Reluctant Runaway, be sure to check out  the next one:
Reluctant Smuggler, January 2008
Multnomah Publishers

Jill's verse:
Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season...fulfill your ministry. II Timothy 4: 2a and 5b.