Witness to Murder Interview

Today we're welcoming Hallie Berglund, the heroine of Witness to Murder by Jill Elizabeth Nelson, released July 2009. Wow, you've just had quite an adventure.


1. Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be in the midst of such suspense.

Currently, I’m a television news reporter for a station in St. Paul, Minnesota. I’ve had a rather dramatic past. I was born in Nigeria to a Norwegian American missionary and his native Nigerian wife. When I was only eight years old, my parents were killed in an airplane crash. Then I was shipped to the United States and grew up in my uncle and aunt’s household. I threw myself into becoming an All-American girl and blanking out the trauma of my loss, as well as some frightening and mysterious incidents related to my parents’ deaths. As the story unfolds, I must face my scary memories and figure out what they mean in order to solve a murder in the present.

2. So, during the book you met Brody Jordan. Tell us a bit about him. What was your first impression? When did you know it was love?

Brody Jordan is the sportscaster for the television station where I work. He and I detest each other at the beginning of the story, mostly because of false assumptions from our personal backgrounds. It took quite a little time for us to realize we were judging wrongly.

I was particularly upset when he horned in on my investigation of a murder I witnessed—or at least, I caught the killer with the murder weapon in hand. The ornery man insisted the guy was innocent! Can you believe that?

But I started to realize Brody wasn’t so bad when he put himself between me and danger in a rough neighborhood. I started to love him as I got to know the real him, not the wrong ideas I had about him.

3. What strengths/skills do you have? What is your greatest weakness?

I’m tenacious, if nothing else, and sometimes a little too gutsy for a cause. And I do like my independence. These are valuable assets for a television reporter. I tend to be opinionated, but a girl’s got to stick to her guns to make it in this competitive business. One day, I’d like an anchor spot on the news.

4. What scares you?

My confusing childhood memories from the time my parents were killed. Finding out what really happened. I’m afraid I won’t like the answers.
5. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I’d like to be at peace with myself and my unusual heritage. Knowing who I am will allow me to form a lasting relationship with a loving man.
6. Where are you in your faith at the start of your story?

Faith has been a constant in my life. My parents were missionaries, and the uncle who raised me is a pastor. I’ve never questioned my belief in God and trust in Jesus as my Savior, but I’ve kept Him at arm’s length in certain areas of my life because of fears from my childhood.

7. Where are you in your faith at the end of the story?

I’ve learned that facing fears with my hand in the Lord’s is the best way to defeat fears.
8. You've got a scripture at the beginning of the story. Tell us why this scripture is significant.
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32

For a long time, I was afraid to find out the truth about my parents’ deaths, so I spent a lot of time denying my Nigerian heritage and trying to be the All-American girl. Discovering the truth helped me to become my whole self, grow closer to God, and commit to a man I love.

9. If you could be a dessert what would you be and why?

Coconut ice cream in strawberry sauce—a nice mix of Nigerian and American flavors.

Thank you Jill for sharing Hallie with us today. This sounds like an exciting read. Can't wait.