Time Flies!: July 2016

July 28, 2016July 28, 2016 / saraletourneau / 47 Comments

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.

Ahhhhh. What a lovely month this has been. I sort of feel sad that July is almost over, because it’s the most relaxed I’ve been all year. (With the exception of a flat tire earlier this week. ) So I want to savor that feeling a little longer.

August is going to be super-busy, though. The Writer’s Digest Conference is in 2 weeks, and Doctor Friend’s wedding (the one where I’ll be a bridesmaid) is 3 weeks later. My head spins just thinking about those events… But I think I have almost everything I need for both, so I’m not too stressed out. Well, not yet, anyway.

Ifyou’re wondering, I don’t anticipate taking a blogging hiatus next month. However, it may take me longer than usual to respond to comments, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t hear from me right away.

Now, let’s get to this month’s recap!

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Time Flies!: June 2016

June 30, 2016June 30, 2016 / saraletourneau / 38 Comments

It feels right to start off this month’s Time Flies with a big “thank-you” hug for everyone’s support recently. You were right: I didn’t need to worry about how downsizing my blogging schedule would affect things here. Plus, I feel more relaxed now that I’ve accepted my new time limitations and am focusing on quality and enjoyment instead of quantity and pace. This was the right choice, and I thank you all so much for encouraging me to do what was best for me.

Stitch hug

Speaking of change, I’ve altered the format of Time Flies this month. It’s not too different from what it was before, but you’ll see what I mean as this post goes on. So, let’s get to it!

Oh – and I’m still looking for questions for the upcoming blogoversary interview! Read here to learn how you can submit them. The deadline is Tuesday, July 5th! 😉

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Time Flies!: May 2016 (Plus, An Important Announcement)

May 31, 2016May 28, 2016 / saraletourneau / 41 Comments

Good morning, everyone! (Or good afternoon or evening, if it’s that time for you right now.)

Welcome to Isengard

I’m going to keep this month’s intro short. We have a lot to cover, especially some upcoming changes to my blogging schedule. So, let’s get right to the recap:

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Time Flies!: April 2016

April 30, 2016April 29, 2016 / saraletourneau / 18 Comments

Happy Day Before May Day, everyone! 🙂

Just a quick note before we jump into this month’s recap: I might not be around to respond to comments on this and other posts until Monday. My parents are finally moving to Cape Cod this weekend, so I’ll be away from the computer most of the time. I’m hoping to catch up with any replies and such next week!

Also, don’t forget to enter the latest thank-you giveaways! They end at midnight EST on Tuesday, May 3rd. If you’re a writer or an avid reader, then these should pique your interest. 😉

Now, here’s what happened during April:

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Time Flies!: March 2016

March 31, 2016April 4, 2016 / saraletourneau / 32 Comments

Can we first take a moment to celebrate the fact that it’s SPRING?! 😀

Aren’t they so cute? 🙂

Apart from my favorite season arriving, March was an awesome month. Many of you already know the biggest news on the writing front: I finished the second draft of my YA fantasy WIP, The Keeper’s Curse! Now, let me share some of the other “behind-the-scenes” happenings since last month’s round-up.

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Time Flies!: February 2016

February 29, 2016February 28, 2016 / saraletourneau / 20 Comments

Happy Leap Day, everyone!

So, February 2016. Wow. Not only did it soar by, but was it ever busy at the blog! For some reason, I don’t typically notice how much gets accomplished each month, but I felt it this time around. Maybe it’s because I was working on a few lengthy posts at the same time, but all the effort was worth it. So, I gave myself a short break last week, which gave me time to catch up on other things.

March already looks like it’ll be a ton of fun, btw. A new character interview is posting tomorrow, and I’m stopping by Pages Unbound in a few weeks for a fun interview about my love for J.R.R. Tolkien’s work. 🙂 For now, let’s recap the past month.

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Time Flies!: January 2016

January 31, 2016January 30, 2016 / saraletourneau / 26 Comments

Ah, January. In some ways, I can’t stand this month. It means winter – which also means cold, snow, ice, and other seasonal yuck. Can you blame me for counting down the days to spring? (49!!) But in other ways, January was a sigh of relief. After one of the most hectic Decembers I can remember, relaxing and returning to a slower, somewhat normal routine has never been more welcome.

I couldn’t resist an Olaf gif here. XD

Before I go much further – a quick word to anyone waiting for the next edition of the Character Evolution Files. It’s coming, I promise. Between three big blogging commitments last month (Chronicling The Craft, a guest post for WriteOnSisters, and my next DIY MFA article), I didn’t have time to start drafting File No. 6 until this past week. And when writing lengthy articles (which often have minds of their own) and juggling deadlines, sometimes you have to reshuffle your priorities.

So, yes. Character Evolution File No. 6 should post in mid-to-late February. Stay tuned for that as well as a call for character interview questions (Tuesday, February 2nd) and the blog’s first guest post (Tuesday, February 9th)! Oh, and the guest post I’m working on for WriteOnSisters? Ohhhhhh I can’t tell you how THRILLED I am about it. 😀

For now, let’s recap January’s happenings.

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Time Flies!: December 2015

December 30, 2015December 29, 2015 / saraletourneau / 44 Comments

Did I ever tell you that Lilo And Stitch is my second-favorite animated Disney movie after The Lion King? ;)

Confession: “Lilo and Stitch” is my second-favorite animated Disney movie after “The Lion King.”

Yes, it’s me popping in! 😉 I’m on hiatus until Monday, January 4th, but I thought I’d still post a Time Flies to “officially” wrap up the month.

How have your winter holidays been so far? Do you have any plans for New Year’s Eve? I’ll most likely stay at home and call it an early night (I’ll explain why shortly). The last two months have been nutty on all fronts, so it’s been nice to breathe deeply and relax the past few days.

If you noticed things were slower here than usual this month – you’re correct. I scaled back on my blogging activities in December because of all the busyness, and also to get a head start on my January posts. So, you probably haven’t missed much if you’ve been away, but here’s your chance to catch up:
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Time Flies!: November 2015

November 30, 2015November 29, 2015 / saraletourneau / 29 Comments

Huh? What do you mean, tomorrow’s the first day of December?! I’m not ready to think about 2016 yet!!

It’s insane how quickly this year has sped by. November in itself was a blur. I was hoping things would quiet down after a nutty October. Nope. Life offline turned into another kind of crazy altogether. So I’ve craved more time than usual to relax and meditate, and I know I’ll still need it now that the holiday season is underway.

Btw, I hope all my fellow Americans (and anyone else who celebrates the holiday) had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I’d traveled out to state to spend it with relatives, hence my absence from the blog and social media for the past few days.

Let me give you a chance to catch up on the past month’s posts now:
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Time Flies!: October 2015

November 1, 2015November 1, 2015 / saraletourneau / 15 Comments

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.

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