An interview

The Guardian published an interview with Anne Rice. 

Although I’ve had nine books published, www.donnlanenelson.com, my sales figures are way below hers. Still, I am pretending I’m the interviewee. After all writers, are suppose to have imagination...

D-L Nelson

Born in Massachusetts Nelson, 72, writes the Third Culture Kid Mystery series, with her heroine multi-lingual Annie Young, stumbling and solving murders in places like Paris, Geneva, etc.

When were you happiest?

I’ve been happy most of my life after 30. However, right now I’ve reached a new level of happy that I didn’t think possible.

What is your greatest fear?

Losing my mind and body functions

What is your earliest memory?
My fourth birthday party which I shared with Bunky Bronk who lived across the street. He was one year younger and we were dressed in yellow brother and sister outfits.

Which living person do you most admire, and why?

I can’t think of one since Eleanor Roosevelt and my grandmother are dead. I admire people who are honest and think of others no matter what their situation in life.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
Lack of concentration. I get distracted too easily.

What is the trait you most deplore in others?
Cruelty.

Property aside, what’s the most expensive thing you’ve bought?

A 34-pound sheep wool lined leather coat against the cold New England winter.

What is your most treasured possession?

A tapestry my daughter made for me.

What is your screensaver?

A rotating collection of my own photos. They are a constant reminder of happy moments and I know there are more to come.

If you could bring something extinct back to life, what would you choose?
The duckbill platypus. 

What do you most dislike about your appearance?
My weight.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Susan Sarandon. She had the hair for it and the same politics.

What is your most unappealing habit?

Not being available as I should be.

What is your favourite smell?

The smell of cold, crisp winter air in a pine forest.

What is your favourite word?

I’d say albeit as a family joke, but peckish is the real one.

Which book changed your life?

Grapes of Wrath It was the first time I realized all the hidden meanings a writer could get into a novel.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

I wanted to be a writer from the time I was four. My grandmother read to me all the time and I thought it was great to be able to make up stories. I toyed with other careers such as nursing, but I don’t have the stomach for it. As an adult I thought being an anthropologist would be fascinating, but then again writers observe peoples’ habits, too.

What is top of your bucket list?

I’ve done almost everything I want to, I just want to do more of the same.

To whom would you most like to say sorry, and why?

I am lucky that when my father died, there was nothing left unsaid. That I couldn’t find a resolution with my mother was a resolution in itself, but I’d like to be able to talk to her now. Maybe she has mellowed. I know I have.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My husband. It took us a long time to get together.

What was the best kiss of your life?

There isn’t a single best. I am glad you didn't ask about the worse.

What has been your biggest disappointment?

Spending too much time in the corporate world, but it gave me the income I needed to raise my child and live comfortably. I suppose having to write around working hours made me make the time count.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

I’d like to pop into different centuries, sort of a If it is Tuesday, it must be Belgium type of time travel. Of course with time travel, I don’t want to be a slave or hungry.

How do you relax?
Read or walk.

What is the closest you’ve come to death?

When I was pregnant with my daughter and became dehydrated from the flu. My cancer doesn't count because it was caught early on thanks to the great Swiss medical system.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Professionally, my novels. Personally, my daughter.

Where would you most like to be right now?

I’m greedy. I’d like to be here in the Alps about to visit a Renoir exhibition and maybe walk in the woods later in the day, with my husband in Argelès (although he's in Texas at the moment) and having a cup of tea with my daughter in Boston.

I am lucky that I have so much good in my life with people, places and activities that each day flows with joy.