The Thank-You Giveaway Extravaganza!

October 17, 2015October 15, 2015 / saraletourneau / 40 Comments

Remember that blogoversary giveaway I said I’d hold in August? (If you don’t, that’s totally OK.) Well… I’ve been so busy with other projects that I kept postponing it until I could make time to write this post and figure out how I was going to conduct said giveaways. But a LOT of amazing things have happened during that stretch of delays, so now is still an appropriate time to give you a chance to win some goodies. As a result, this is no longer a blogoversary giveaway, but a Thank-You Giveaway Extravaganza! 😀

What exactly am I thanking readers for? Continue reading →

5 on the 5th: Five Delicious Black Teas to Try This Fall

October 5, 2015October 4, 2015 / saraletourneau / 15 Comments

On the fifth day of each month, 5 on the 5th shares five of something that I like or recommend to readers. Whether it’s five items that share a common theme, or five reasons why I like the topic at hand, this monthly meme gives us an opportunity to talk about other subjects that aren’t normally discussed here at the blog.

Ah, fall. I’m not the biggest fan of this season, but I love many foods that are associated with it: soup, apple cider, pumpkin pie… and black tea! Well, yes, I do drink black tea year-round. But I know other people take a break from it during the warmer months and then come back to it as the nights get cooler and the leaves start to fall. So, what better way to kick off autumn than trying some new black teas? Here are five I highly recommend, along with links in case you feel tempted. 😉
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Time Flies!: April 2015

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 / saraletourneau / 13 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.

This month has soared by, which makes this series’ title all the more appropriate. April 2015 was a good month, though, and May already has a shot at surpassing it. Tomorrow I’m attending Muse and the Marketplace for the first time, and I can’t WAIT! I’ve sort of “disappeared” from my online haunts this week to prepare for the event (researching presenters, drafting a practice pitch for The Keeper’s Curse, double-checking train and event schedules, etc.). If I haven’t returned comments or emails recently, that’s one of the reasons why. I hope you understand, and I’m aiming to catch up on things next week.

OK. Recap time!

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Time Flies!: March 2015

March 31, 2015May 31, 2015 / saraletourneau / 9 Comments

Happy Spring, everyone! 😀 Even though it’s been an abnormally cold March here in Massachusetts, I feel lighter in heart knowing that my favorite season has finally arrived. Pretty soon, leaves will bud on the trees, flowers will bloom, and temperatures will be just warm enough so I can resume my outdoor walks. Lush, green, colorful, fresh… *sighs with contentment*

Spring means more to me than nature’s re-awakening after its winter slumber, though. It also marks an anniversary for me, one of a spiritual and emotional turnaround after a bout of situational depression. My poem “Eve of Spring” talks about this a little bit. If you’re interested, you can read the poem here or here.

What else have I been up to this past month? Check out the recaps below:

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Time Flies!: February 2015

February 28, 2015November 11, 2015 / saraletourneau / 16 Comments

First of all, thanks to all the new visitors who came by this month for the Maria V. Snyder and #1000Speak articles! I hope you enjoyed what you read and will continue to visit as time goes on. And if you haven’t yet, make sure you enter the Shadow Study giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Maria’s new book. The giveaway ends on Wednesday, March 4th at midnight EST, and is international (i.e., open to everyone).

February was much less stressful than the past couple months had been. (*whew*) It was also a super-busy month writing-wise, which is never a bad thing – especially given one of the milestones I reached recently. 😀 Some of you may already know what I’m talking about. If you don’t, no worries. That’s part of this month’s recap.

I’ve tweaked the format for Time Flies this month. If you’ve seen the past monthly updates, let me know you think this one’s an improvement over the last one.

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What Do You Think?: Custom Tea Blends from Adagio Teas

January 27, 2015January 27, 2015 / saraletourneau / 11 Comments

I’d posed this question in my most recent Chronicling The Craft article, but it must have gotten lost in the shuffle. (Then again, that was a pretty substantive article. *lol*) Since I’m interested in getting feedback on this idea, I thought I’d ask the question again in a new article.

A week or so before Christmas, I discovered that Adagio Teas allows customers to create custom tea blends using a number of Adagio’s teas, then sell the blends for other tea lovers to brew at home. These custom tea lines even include fandom blends inspired by movies, books, TV shows, etc. How cool is that!

Many of you may already know that I love tea and write tea reviews for A Bibliophile’s Reverie. So, I wasn’t just excited about finding Adagio’s create-your-own-blends section. In fact, I was so ecstatic that the creative wheels started turning in my head: What if I created a line of custom tea blends to compliment my WIP when it’s released? Maybe teas that represent characters or locations in my protagonist’s world? Oooooh, I like the idea so much, I want to start experimenting with Adagio’s teas ASAP. But I also don’t want to get too far ahead of myself.

What do you think about this idea? I know not everyone drinks tea, but do you think this could be a neat promotional tool when the WIP’s released (whenever that happens)? Would you also be interested in trying the teas? Let me know what you think by commenting below.