Richard Nelson presently lives in what he affectionately refers to as "My Lovely Tennessee" with his wife of almost 40 years, Christine. Together they have raised four children and have seven grandchildren, who, much to their delight, all live close by. They enjoy family life, church life and a lot of wildlife, (including many varieties of birds, ducks and Canadian geese who frequent their teeming ponds.)
Richard A. Nelson was raised in the small farming community of Eaton, Colorado. After two years in college in Chicago he continued at Chico State College in California. There he graduated cum laude in Psychology, acquired a teaching credential with minors in Speech and Drama; and the Industrial Arts area of Auto Mechanics, Electricity / Electronics, and Woodshop.
After four years of teaching junior high in the aftermath of the Watts riots in the 1960's in Los Angeles, a medical mis-diagnosis precipitated a prolonged severe illness. During recovery stages he acquired a general contractor's license. He has been licensed in Colorado, California and Tennessee and has built and developed houses, apartments, restaurants, townhouses, commercial centers, custom houses, and condominiums for over 25 years.
He acquired an M.A. in Vocational Education at CSU Long Beach and a life-time teaching credential in the California Community Colleges. He has taught both in California and Tennessee.
Richard has received many awards academically and in the writing field, has written several books and is widely published in magazines, newspapers, and anthologies.