IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AN INTERVIEW WITH ANNE GRACIE

I’m delighted to welcome Award Winning author ANNE GRACIE to Rakes and Rascals today for an exclusive interview.

Thanks, Carol – I’m delighted to be here.

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R&R:
Could you tell us where you were born and what it was like growing up there?

Anne:
I was born in the summer holidays in Warrambool, a seaside town where my grandparents lived. Mum, Dad and the three older kids were camping in a tent. Mum left the tent to have me, so I was practically born in a tent, which is my excuse whenever I forget to shut a door! I never lived in that town, though and in fact we moved a lot for my dad’s job, including one year in Scotland when I was eight (Abernethy, in Perthshire.) We always lived in or on the edge of small country towns, which suited me perfectly, as I could roam endlessly with my dog. We moved to Melbourne, a large city when I was fifteen, and despite a few moves here and there (Malaysia, Greece) I’m still in Melbourne now. It’s a very liveable city.

Me and Santa

R&R:
How would you describe yourself – temperamental or easy-going?

Anne:
I’m pretty easy-going about most things, though I can also be stubborn about some things. And I brood. I don’t lose my temper easily, and can think of only a handful of occasions in my life when I have — but when I do, watch out.

R&R:
When it comes to food do you like sweet or savoury or both?

Anne:
I like some sweet things, but generally I prefer savoury food. If it comes to a choice between a slice of pizza or a slice of cheesecake or pavlova, the pizza will always win. I do like chocolate, though. And ice-cream.

R&R:
What is your most treasured possession?

Anne:
I have a few things I treasure, not necessarily because of any monetary value. Because we moved so often when I was a child, a lot of my stuff was given away, and now I’m a bit of a hoarder. If my house caught fire, I’d probably grab my grandmother’s leather case with the family photos in it, but I’m writing this on my laptop, while I’m sitting on my bed, and there across the room is my beloved old teddy, looking at me with his one remaining eye. I’d have to take Teddy, too. And then there are the books that I was able to keep from my childhood, and my first edition Georgette Heyers. And boxes of letters from the days when we used to write letters —I was a prolific letter writer. And . . . Can you tell I have trouble deciding on “most treasured”?

R&R:
If you were able to afford a second home anywhere in the world where would you choose and why?

Anne:
I’ve always had a yen to live and work in France — Paris, or maybe the coast of Brittany. Or Greece — I love Greece. Or the UK — so many places and friends there. Then again, I’d probably buy a beach house here in Australia and rent it out while I travel to various different countries. I’ve done a lot of traveling and I’d love to do more, without tying myself down to one place.

R&R:
Finally, what has been your most embarrassing moment?

Anne:
Not the most embarrassing, but one I’m willing to share is the time I volunteered to drive some friends into the city to watch a fabulous festival firework display. I’d only had the car a few months — it was my first car, a little second-hand red mini — and unbeknownst to me, the registration had expired. I was stopped in the middle of the city — at the central city square, in fact, and the policeman refused to let me drive the car another inch. It was blocking the traffic, so he called three more policemen over and they lifted my little car onto the city square out of the way of the traffic, and I had to wait for a tow truck. I thought it was pretty funny, actually, but two of my friends were appalled and not exactly amused. We missed the fireworks.

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Thank you for taking time out to be here today and sharing these interesting facts about yourself, Anne.

Thanks so much Carol. I’ve enjoyed my visit.

If you would like to find out more about Anne and her books, here are the links:

Website
Goodreads
Facebook
Twitter