Molly:
Elizabeth Delisi, how nice to talk with you. I have enjoyed reading and reviewing several of your books. It is a delight to get to know a little more about such a talented gal! Can you tell me how you came to decide to write mysteries?

Elizabeth:
I decided to write mystery/suspense for two reasons, I think. First of all, a great idea came to me for what eventually became my first published novel, FATAL FORTUNE. I was watching a show about a psychic who helped the police locate missing children and I wondered, what if the main character of a book was a psychic who could help to locate a missing person, but no one in town trusted her or believed in her powers? That combined with my growing interest in the Tarot to produce Lottie Baldwin, the Tarot-toting heroine of FATAL FORTUNE.

The second reason is because mysteries and suspense are among my very favorite genres to read. And all the advice suggests that you should write what you like to read!

Molly:
Elizabeth, tell me what you are working on now, won't you?

Elizabeth:
Right now, I'm working on a time-travel romance set in ancient Egypt. It's taking more time than I expected because there's so much research involved! But I want to be sure I have as many details right as I possibly can. I've always been fascinated with ancient Egypt and I'm enjoying it, even though it's slow-going. And I'm revising a novella for a Christmas collection I'm participating in! I certainly have my work cut out for me. :-)

Molly:
Do you plan to do book signings? Do you enjoy signings?

Elizabeth:
I've done book signings before and yes, I enjoy them. They're a little bit nerve-wracking since you can't be sure how many people will show up, but I do enjoy talking to readers and finding out what they like to read. I've had some pretty successful signings here in town, and have done some in bookstores across the state, also.

All my signings have been for both the paperback and the electronic versions of my books. I've really enjoyed the opportunity to "educate" people about e-books. I always bring along my handheld PC or a reader like the eBookMan, which comes in handy when demonstrating the ease and benefits of reading e-books. Signing an e-book can be a challenge. Usually I open the diskette case, take out the diskette and sign in an open area on the liner--either right on the front "cover art" portion, or inside the liner if there's no blank space on the cover. I've also autographed bookmarks, and have even signed t-shirts, tote bags and mugs that I use as door prizes at signings. The mug was a challenge! But we found a felt-tip pen that worked on it--and then the lucky winner promised she'd never wash it and rub off the signature. <g>

Molly:
I know you have at least four books under your belt, busy gal! What does your daily life look like?

Elizabeth:
I have two different schedules: the school-year schedule, when my kids are in school and my husband is teaching; and the summer schedule, when everyone is home! Right now we're in the summer schedule. I get up a bit later than during the school year, usually between 8 and 9 a.m. After breakfast I get started on my writing. My husband usually spends 3-4 hours of the day in my office, practicing cello or studying orchestral scores, so we get to work together, which is lovely. I quit working in time to make dinner, and take the evening off. This is my schedule usually Monday-Saturday; sometimes I take Sunday off as well. During the school year, I start earlier, work later, and sometimes work until midnight, but try to keep Sundays free for family time. Fortunately, I really enjoy what I do so it's not a burden to me to spend so many hours at my computer!

Molly:
I know your new book is about ancient Egypt. How much time did you spend doing background research and what did it involve?

Elizabeth:
It involved a great deal of research before and during the writing process, much more than any of my other books. Time-wise, it probably translates to about an hour of research per page! I wanted the details in my book to be as accurate as possible, so that meant I couldn't have my characters eat a meal, get dressed, or even use the bathroom without searching a few books to find out just what they would eat or wear, or what the sanitary facilities were like.

I have a number of books on ancient Egypt and they were my primary resource. I took voluminous notes from them before I started writing. I checked out quite a few videos on ancient Egypt, and web sites. For details I needed for the coronation scene and couldn't find anywhere, I resorted to an e-mail to an Egyptologist. He was very cooperative and pointed me in the direction of several out-of-print scholarly articles that I was able to get through inter-library loan.

Ancient Egypt has always fascinated me, and from the time I was 12, I've wanted to write a book set there. At last I felt I was ready to do so--but I didn't know how much effort the research would take. I'm certainly more educated about ancient Egypt now than when I started the book!

Molly:
Thank you Elizabeth, I've enjoyed our interview. We'll all be sure to watch for your short story collection, MIRROR IMAGES published in March 2001, and for your new novel, LADY OF THE TWO LANDS which is 'coming soon!'

To learn about Elizabeth Delisi and her writing, please visit her web site