My mother encouraged my sisters and me to keep a diary, and to this day I keep a journal of my thoughts. I used to write stories and teenage love poems and hid them beneath my underwear in my dresser drawer so my mother wouldn't find them. Later I wrote verse and won some poetry contests, but I never got serious about publishing until I took early retirement from teaching and finally got the time needed to write.

My latest book is an historical, Always the Music, based on the life of Cosima Liszt, an illegitimate child born to Franz Liszt and his mistress, a countess. Cosima led a fascinating life, always in the shadow of great musicians: her father Franz Liszt, Han von Bulow the renowned conductor, and Richard Wagner. Cosima's story, largely unknown except by musicians, is a remarkable example of overcoming despair and rising to great heights.

I am a traditionally published author under my real name, Joyce Elson Moore, but I thought my Women in History books lent themselves to more global readership, so I decided to publish them as digital books under my pen name, Elizabeth Elson.

When a reader writes to tell me that reading one of my books got her through a difficult time, or when someone writes and tells me they didn't know history was so interesting. These reader comments make the hours of work worthwhile.

Aside from my writing, my friends and my wonderful family and my old girl boxer dog make every new day a blessing.

I often wonder myself, when at day's end I think, what did I accomplish? So much of my time is consumed with writing that each day is packed full. I love to cook. I'm a vegetarian and I use my Turkish cookbook often, as well as my book on monastery soups. I enjoy a bit of gardening (not too much in the Florida sun). I love to travel and have been to Europe a few times. I also went to Istanbul and later joined a small group of adventuresome souls on a Turkish gulet cruise in the Mediterranean. I use my treadmill and do hatha yoga to make up for the hours of sitting at the computer. At night I read, both for research and for the two book clubs of which I'm a member. My French is improving, thanks to my lovely French teacher who comes every Tuesday. At night I write in my journal and then sleep well.

Because I write historicals, most of my reading is confined to research, but a lot of what I call pleasure reading is for my book clubs. I think it's good for an author to read in genres sometimes different from the ones in which they write. I get Historical Novels Review and some of my reading comes from those reviews. Also I read a magazine of French culture and it has book reviews. I frequently order those.

When I get excited about a plot, I make a feeble attempt to do character sketches and an outline, but what I return to most often is my Excel timeline. This is necessary because I write historicals. When I can no longer keep myself from writing, I begin, and the story pours out until I have my first draft. What they say about first drafts is true. It really is nothing like the finished book will be. So then the revisions begin, the hard part of writing, and the most critical part. When I think the manuscript is good enough for other eyes, I send it to a Beta reader, then to an online group of published authors. After their comments I revise and revise until I'm satisfied. Writing really is revising.

I learned how to read with my older sister reading Little Engine that Could. I memorized the words and can say most of them to this day. Later, I remember divine summers spent reading Nancy Drew mysteries and the Bobbsey Twins books. I practiced piano a few hours each day so my reading time was limited. I can't remember a time when I didn't love to read.

I want a professional cover so I rely on my web designer. We work together until I have the perfect design. She studied art history so she knows where to find the good stuff. I'd never put up a book with a design of my own.

I have a Nexus 7 and it works fine for me.

I'd rather be writing, but I know that authors can no longer depend on their publisher to do all the marketing. I've found that goodreads is an easy and fun place to contact readers. I go to Facebook some too, and I keep my web page updated.I send out newsletters twice yearly. I'm not crazy about social media because it's a time suck but I do what I can with the time I have.