Welcome to the latest edition of Time Flies! It’s my version of a monthly update, where I recap the past month’s accomplishments and articles, share news and random things from my offline life, and hint at what may be coming in the month ahead.

As much as I enjoyed parts of October, I’m relieved it’s over. Between a hectic work schedule, my first head cold of the season, and being busy at home, the past month sent me spinning. All the craziness also cut into my blogging time. So if it seems like things have been less active than usual here recently, that’s why.

It’s OK, though. Sometimes life happens, and blogging (both writing and visiting other blogs) has to go on the backburner temporarily. But now things are slowing down and deadlines have been met, so I can *hopefully* start catching up. My biggest priorities right now are a) finishing the fourth Character Evolution File so it can go live during the first or second week of November, and b) taking care of myself by relaxing, reading, and remembering to “smell the roses.” Or, in this case, the orchids.

Aren’t they gorgeous?? I’ve never seen blue-and-purple orchids before! (*loves*)

OK. Time for the wrap-up!

This Month’s Posts

• The Infinity Dreams Award
• Chronicling The Craft: Draft #2 Revisions – 50% Complete
• Beautiful Books, Vol. 1: The Novella I’m Planning to Start Next Year
• Interview with Rachel Carter, Author of the Black Mage Series
• The Thank-You Giveaway Extravaganza!
• The Siblinghood of the World Bloggers Tag
• Stacking The Shelves, Vol. 19 & Field Trip: Boston Teen Author Festival 2015
• Recent Reads: September 2015
• 5 on the 5th: Five Delicious Black Teas to Try This Fall
• An Ode To… Josh Groban

Interviews, Guest Blogs, and Columns

• “Seven Keys to Maintaining Your Writerly Well-Being” (The Sprint Shack)
• “Tea Time at Reverie: Inspired By Jane’s Pemberley Green & Herbal Tea”
  (A Bibliophile’s Reverie)

Site Updates & News

• Alex Hurst nominated this site for her Must-Read Blog Award. Thanks again, Alex!
• Due to catch-up on upcoming posts, there will be no 5 on the 5th in November. The next edition will post on December 5th.

Offline Happenings

The Josh Groban concert on October 2nd was wonderful! This was the fourth time that Mom and I went to one of his shows, and he never disappoints. His voice is as powerful and emotive in person as it is on CD. Not to mention he’s such a goofball in between songs. *lol* This was a unique tour for Josh in that he focused solely on his new album “Stages,” which covers classics from Broadway and film musicals. It was… a little weird to not hear his hits, like “You Raise Me Up” and “February Song.” But the concert was still a joy, and I got to hear the three songs I really wanted to hear (“Pure Imagination,” “Bring Him Home,” and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”). So I went home a happy Grobanite!

On a more literary note, I attended the 7th annual Boston Book Festival with one of my friends last weekend. Like in years past, the festivities are spread all over the Copley / Back Bay neighborhood in Boston, with an outdoor music tent and exhibitor booths along Copley Square’s perimeter. So, it meant a lot of walking (exercise – yay!) in 40-degree weather (boo!), revisiting some of the city’s gorgeous historic churches and the Boston Public Library (more yay!), and immersing myself once again in the world of reading and writing (YAAAY! *lol*).  I especially enjoyed the two sessions I attended:

• “Star Wars and D&D: Flights of Fancy or Serious Business?”, which explored the reasons behind the lasting popularity of Star Wars and Dungeons & Dragons, and how both franchises have influenced their respective genres.
• “Raising Each Other: Why YA Is For Everyone,” where three YA authors read excerpts from their work and discussed why it’s important to keep fiction realistic for teen readers by touching difficult subjects (loss, mental illness, disabilities, etc.) that people of all ages endure.

Draft #2 of The Keeper’s Curse is still moving along. As of yesterday, I’m on Page 208 out of 397 (which means I’ve cut another page from the overall count!). And now that I’m more than halfway done, I feel… I don’t know, a weird, thrilling sense of satisfaction mixed with relief that the bulk of the revisions are behind me. That doesn’t mean the remaining 189 pages will be easy. There are still more words to cut, more changes and corrections to make. But we’re getting there, and that’s what matters, right? 🙂

Oooooh, and I saw The Martian!! I haven’t read the book by Andy Weir yet, so I sort of spoiled things for myself by seeing the movie first. But it. Is. SO. GOOD!!! I love the main character Mark Watney, who was played by Matt Damon. So clever, calm under pressure, and able to maintain his cocky sense of humor despite his circumstances (beings stranded on Mars for about 18 months). The science was easy to understand, too, and the special effects / cinematography / set design for the Mars landscapes took my breath away. It honestly feels like you’re there on the Red Planet. 🙂 If you’re going to see The Martian, do it now, while it’s still in theaters. It’s that beautiful, that spectacular, and that awesome. Or beauti-spectacu-some. (Yes, it deserves to be described with made-up adjectives. *lol*)

Oh, and there’s a Lord of the Rings reference in The Martian! Apparently it’s in the book, too – but it’s HYSTERICAL in the movie because of one of the actors who’s there when the reference comes up. XD

Song of the Month: “Main Theme [Myst IV: Revelation]” by Jack Wall

Remember a couple months ago that I mentioned I’m playing the fourth Myst computer game, Myst IV: Revelation? Well, one of my favorite parts of it is the music soundtrack. It blends choral and orchestral arrangements with African influences and atmospheric “new age” soundscapes (i.e., synthesizers, soft percussion and acoustics). So it’s an interesting mix of mystery, excitement, and unearthliness that fits Revelation‘s worlds perfectly; and I’ve liked it so much that I recently bought the soundtrack to listen to outside of the game. Here’s the main theme that plays during Revelation‘s opening credits.

How Quickly Does Time Fly?

The next Time Flies will post on Monday, November 30th. Have a good month, everyone – and a Happy Early Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans!