Friday 7 December 2012

Christmas Shorts with... Darcie Chan

My Christmas Shorts guest today is Darcie Chan whose bestselling e-book, The Mill River Recluse has recently been published in paperback by Sphere. 

What is your earliest Christmas memory? 
My earliest Christmas memory is waking up, along with my sisters, and then all of us invading our parents’ room to wake them before rushing to the Christmas tree to see what Santa had brought us.  We lived in Wisconsin then, and I still remember our tree set up in the living room, where huge picture windows faced out into our snowy, tree-filled front yard. It was just a wonderful, beautiful time.

 What is your favourite Christmas tradition?
My son is still very young, and my husband and I are just starting to think about what traditions we’d like to establish for our own little family.  When my sisters and I were growing up, though, my Mom would always find time to take us to the mall for a marathon-Christmas shopping day.  We’d sing all the way down, shop until the last store closed, and fall asleep to Christmas music on the radio during the drive home.  If we got a second wind once we arrived, we’d sort and start wrapping our presents. 

After my parents divorced, it became our custom to have a traditional dinner with Mom on Christmas, and then an Italian-themed meal with Dad the next day. With my father and stepmother, my sisters and I would always spend a few hours in the afternoon sitting around his large dining table making homemade ravioli for dinner.  Making ravioli is a time-consuming process, but one that let us spend lots of quality time together. It’s also easier to do with lots of hands involved, and the effort is so worth the finished product!

What is or was the best book-related Christmas gift that you’ve received?
I don’t know that this could be considered a “Christmas gift” per se, but last December, a few weeks before Christmas, I received an offer from Random House to publish my next two novels.  I remember telling my husband – after I’d stopped wiped my eyes and calmed down – that, because of the timing, it was just the most amazing Christmas present.

What is your favourite Christmas song?
Traditional Christmas song – a tie between The Wexford Carol 


and Carol of the Bells


Modern Christmas song – tie between The Christmas Song (i.e., “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire….”) 

and Grown-Up Christmas List
 

What are you looking forward to most this Christmas?
My son is almost three years old, and (I think) this will be the first Christmas he’ll be able to enjoy it in a little-boy sort of way.  He’s now old enough to understand the concept of Santa Claus, and I can’t wait to see the look on his face when he finds what’s been left for him under the tree on Christmas morning.  

Finally a few quick fire questions to finish

Christmas at Home or Away? Definitely at home
Mulled Wine or Winter Pimms? Mulled Wine
Sprouts... delicious or evil? Delicious – roasted with olive oil and sea salt until they’re carmelized, and then tossed with a bit of maple syrup.
Yule Log or Mince Pie? Yule Log
A Christmas Carol or Hogfather? A Christmas Carol
Miracle on 34th Street or It’s a Wonderful Life? It's a Wonderful Life

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