Hey, everyone. Today I’m hosting author Liz Grace Davis on my blog with a guest post. Liz Grace Davis is the author of YA Fantasy novel Tangi’s Teardrops.
Guest Post: The Life of an Author: Finding Balance
I don’t know if I’ve found the balance between my life as an author (which includes writing, editing, marketing etc.) and my other life (I call it my part-time life). At least not yet. I’m simply learning as I go. At the moment I only work four hours a day. This is great for me since, in addition to being a writer, I’m also doing a Masters Degree programme. When I used to work full time I ended up being so exhausted at the end of the day that, even if I wanted to, I didn’t have enough energy left to write and do university assignments.
Currently, I work in the mornings until noon, then head back home, eat something, and then take care of things which don’t necessarily require my creative brain to function. I use this time to edit (my worst nightmare) and do some marketing for my books. I often do this until around 2:30 p.m. Then I pull out my university books and study for a few hours. I’m a multi-tasker and can never do just one thing. So in between doing assignments, I take little breaks to answer emails or do some social networking. I call those moments “my breaths of fresh air” because anything I do that’s related to my writing is not work, it’s pleasure. Except editing of course. That’s hard work but it has to be done. Promoting books and creating author platforms and so on can also be a lot of hard work but it helps when one enjoys it. I do.
At around 5 p.m. I become a wife and do a few things around the house as well as run errands and prepare dinner. After hubby gets home, we eat dinner and relax for a while. Then we wash up, relax some more, maybe watch a short movie or series. Then I get back to being a writer. This is usually the time when my brain is buzzing with creative energy (after my creative bulb has been switched back on) that needs to be released. So I pull out my laptop and get to work creating stories and worlds or just jotting down ideas as they come to me. Again, since I can’t just do one thing, I also do more editing, promoting, and designing (book covers or digital scrapbooks) at the same time.
At the end of the day, I leave my corner of the couch—the only spot on the couch that’s worn-outJ—and go to bed wishing there were more hours in a day than just twenty-four.
Tangi’s Teardrops
Title: Tangi’s Teardrops
Author: Liz Grace Davis
Genre: YA Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords
When Tangi’s father dies, he leaves her nothing but three empty bottles. A kind uncle takes the poverty-stricken girl and her stepsisters in, and for a time life gets better on his farm. But Tangi remains a lonely outsider; her stepsisters tease her for her crippled leg, and the housekeepers use her like a servant.
Just before her thirteenth birthday, Tangi learns the truth about her father’s strange legacy: the three bottles aren’t empty any more. They’re filled with all the tears she’s cried since her father died, and her tears are enchanted. She must use them to travel to Rosevine, the world of her dead mother. Tangi not only belongs there but is necessary to keep Rosevine alive.
Tangi’s tears will save Rosevine, and Rosevine will save Tangi from a cruelty-filled life, except for one thing: Tangi’s lost the bottles.
Author Bio
Liz Grace Davis grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She now lives with her husband in Vienna, Austria.
Growing up, Liz spent most her days in libraries, diving into the world of books. In her spare time she reads a lot, travels, creates jewelry and designs digital scrapbooks. That’s of course when she’s not weaving stories. She’s in her element whenever she is doing anything that requires creativity.
Liz is the author of a young adult fantasy novel, Tangi’s Teardrops, and a romantic women’s fiction novel, Chocolate Aftertaste.
Contact: Facebook Book Page | Goodreads Author Page | Blog | Twitter
Purchase: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords
Thanks so very much for hosting me today. I really appreciate it.