Of course, my book is fiction, so in my book I managed to sneak two dogs on board. They are taken from real life! Here's my dog Buddy and his best friend, Max.

I always love to do research for my books. I've learned football, tango, and for this book I had to force myself to take a cruise. Here's the Queen Mary, the largest ocean liner in the world.

And here I am with the Captain of the ship. One of my characters is the captain's son, and this captain actually does sometimes bring his son on board. See isn't it fun to try to get the details right!

I love writing different kinds of books and Diamonds and Danger and its sequel were particularly fun to write. Friendship and laughing are a big part of my life and they're in all my books whether they're novels or history. If you like jokes, you'll see a lot of them in both. I write a lot about characters and real people who make mistakes in their lives. Learning how to be loyal and to laugh at myself and with my friends and family is something I still work at.

But even though writing is still hard work, and even after all these years, it doesn't get easier, I still love it. And I love the fact that I always get to learn new things.

Photo by Susan Kuklin

Here's a picture of me playing football, which I learned how to do while writing Tackling Dad, a story about a 7th grade girl who plays for her middle school football team. It was after playing football that I learned how great frozen peas are: not for eating, but for putting on bruises to reduce the swelling!

I also enjoy receiving mail from kids, teachers and librarians who want to share their thoughts about my books. Please send email to me at elizlevy@elizabethlevy.com.