Jill Elizabeth Nelson – Romantic Real Life & Character Interview – Part 1 of 2

Shannon here: Jill Elizabeth Nelson shares insight into her real life romance and her characters’ from her novella, New Year’s Target included in the 2015 New Year’s anthology entitled Countdown to Danger. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated Jan 21 – 23 to enter the drawing for a copy. Two winners get one book each. Deadline: Jan 31st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Jill:

• Do you and your spouse have a favorite romantic vacation destination?

Frankly, we don’t “vacation” as such. Generally, our time off work over the years has been to go on some sort of short-term mission trip. We love it! Now that we’ve retired, we “snowbird” to Thailand during the winter months. It’s a win-win situation. We feel like we are making a valuable contribution in the Kingdom of God, and we get to miss out on the snow and ice in Minnesota.
The photo of me and my husband was taken within the last couple of years at an orchid farm in Thailand.

• How soon after meeting your spouse did you know he was the one?
• How soon after meeting you did your spouse know you were the one?

I’ll answer questions these together.
We knew very quickly. We met at a Bible study at the house of a mutual friend. He was a brand new believer, and I was a renewed believer after a time of seeking and questioning in college.
We pretty much felt the Lord’s nudge toward each other right away, but it took a bit of time and tip-toing around the idea before either of us was ready to take the plunge and start seeing each other outside of the weekly Bible study. But once we did, we were married within the year. I think some friends and family were skeptical, but here we are 33 years later, still married.
In a paraphrase of Ruth Graham’s famous quote on marriage: We never considered divorce, just murder a time or two. Ha-ha! Very appropriate for a romantic suspense writer. My husband has kidded me a time or two about whether he should feel afraid about the imaginative ways I know to kill someone.

• Where is the most romantic place your hero and heroine have ever been?

The Aspen ski lodge where they meet again for the first time since high school. Scrappy tomboy, Cassidy Ferris, has become a Seattle cop, and football hero Tim Halstead has become a lawyer. Unfortunately, when they run into each other—almost literally—on the ski slope, romance is the last thing on their minds . . . though apparently their hearts have minds of their own.

• How soon after meeting the hero did the heroine know he was the one?

Years and years. My H & H were childhood enemies. The in-school battle between them became rather clannish as each defended their own siblings and cousins. The feud got rather ugly a time or two, as you will find out in the story, but somehow the underlying attraction between Cassidy and Tim seemed obvious to everyone else but them.

• How soon after meeting the heroine did the hero know she was the one?

See the answer to the above question. Here’s a quote from Tim’s point of view: maybe the problem was that he still hadn’t figured out which he wanted to do more—kiss Cassidy Ferris or strangle her. That old feud and the underlying attraction between Cassidy and Tim plays straight into the villain’s hands.

• What is the most caring thing your hero has ever done for your heroine?

Tackled her to the ground with true football hero gusto when she is about to be clobbered by something potentially deadly. Needless to say, she did not at first appreciate the gesture.

• If you hero and heroine end up married, where will they go on their honeymoon?

Someplace—anyplace!—warm. I think they had enough of skiing vacations. 😉
About Jill: Award-winning author and writing teacher, Jill Elizabeth Nelson, writes what she likes to read—tales of adventure seasoned with romance, humor, and faith. Jill enjoys speaking at conferences, writers groups, library associations, civic and church groups. She delights to bring the “Ahah! Moment” to students as they make new skills their own. Her bestselling handbook for writers, Rivet Your Readers with Deep Point of View, is available at http://amzn.to/IvQTkj. Visit Jill on the web at: www.jillelizabethnelson.com or look her up on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JillElizabethNelson.Author. A novella entitled, New Years Target, in the anthology Countdown to Danger, was her January 2015 release from Love Inspired Romantic Suspense.
About the book – New Year’s Target: New Year’s Target is a novella in the 2015 New Year’s anthology entitled Countdown to Danger from Love Inspired Romantic Suspense.
When a sniper shoots at Cassidy Ferris on a ski slope, the wounded police detective is shocked by her rescuer’s identity—her childhood nemesis, Tim Halstead. As the threats escalate, they must join forces to uncover why a killer has targeted them both.

Question: Have you ever been skiing? Why or why not?

Come back Jan 23rd for Jill’s inspiration for New Year’s Target and an excerpt!