TV shows

What’s Making Me Happy: August 2017

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As I write this, I’m battling a cold (which should be gone by the time this goes live), so I can barely grope for words to summarize my August. Except for “awesome.” Yes. I still dealt with lingering anxiety in my offline life, but as the month comes to a close, I’m utterly delighted with what happened and what I accomplished during that time.

So, yes, it was an awesome August. Say that alliteration ten times fast. 😉

Since today is the last day of August, it’s also time to share some of the joys of the past month. I’m taking a slightly different approach this time, too. Instead of mostly material items, I included two accomplishments (or, rather, “to-do list” items that I completed) and one experience. And feel free to share your August joys in your comments. I always love hearing what’s made you happy, too!

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What’s Making Me Happy: July 2017

/ saraletourneau / 34 Comments

Summer has been playing ping-pong with our weather here in Massachusetts. Some days it’s sunny, 90+ degrees Fahrenheit, and disgustingly very humid. Other days it’s rainy and hovering around 70. (Though there have been glorious days in between, often with good timing for my Cape Cod trips. *smiles*) And personally, my month of July mirrored that fluctuation. Without going into detail, it went back and forth between contentedly quiet and productive, to stressful and tiring. 😐

So I’m partly glad that July is almost over, especially since it means the NYC trip is getting closer. (Yay!) It also means that today marks the next installment of What’s Making Me Happy. (Double yay!) So I’m linking up once again with fellow DIY MFA columnist Leanne Sowul and sharing five things that made me smile when I needed it most this past month.

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What’s Making Me Happy: June 2017

/ saraletourneau / 39 Comments

June was a weird month. It was busy for the usual reasons (work, writing, two weekend trips to Cape Cod), but nothing out of the ordinary happened, either. Which is fine, actually. It’s nice to have extended downtime between busy spells, and since I’m heading back to NYC in August, I’m taking advantage of it as much as I can. Oh, and I finally finished my GoFundMe photo album of my Iceland trip!

The only downside to June? The increasing heat and humidity. Ugh. I like summer, but not when it’s 90+ and muggy. Makes me ever more grateful that my condo has air conditioning… and now I feel like I’m rambling. (*blushes*)

So, yes, it’s happiness-celebrating time again. I’m linking up once again with blogger / writer friend Leanne Sowul to share my joys during the month of June. (Her post is scheduled for Friday, but you can still check out her blog here.) As always, feel free to share the things that brought a smile to your face in your comments on this post!

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What’s Making Me Happy: May 2017

/ saraletourneau / 41 Comments

Is anyone else having a hard time believing that May is almost over? Gosh, was it busy. Not in a bad way, either. But in between writing, work, trips to Cape Cod, and life in general, I also worked on the online photo album of my Iceland trip that was one of the promised GoFundMe perks. (FYI: If you’re one of those donors, I hope to have the link ready within the next week or so. Sorry for the delay!) As a result, I’m on a social media hiatus (except for Goodreads) until the photo album is done, and then things should return to some sense of normalcy.

So what kinds of things made me happy in between all of May’s busyness? Would it surprise you if some of those joys are lingering reminders of Iceland? 😉 And as always, feel free to share the things that made you happy this past month in your comments on this post.

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What’s Making Me Happy: March 2017 (Plus, I’m on Hiatus Until April 18th)

/ saraletourneau / 49 Comments

The best way to describe my March 2017 would be “a month of two parts.” (Did anyone catch the nod to the Kingkiller Chronicle prologues? *wink*) The first half was still stressful and discouraging like February had been, partly because I was still dealing with anxiety flare-ups. But after taking active steps to better manage my anxiety (including resuming my writing routine), and thanks to the knowledge that spring is here (YAY!), the second half of the month was more productive and meditative. Oh, and busy with final preparations for the Iceland Writers Retreat! I can’t believe it’s NEXT WEEK!! 😀

And now that I think about it, this month’s edition of What’s Making Me Happy reflects that mix of excitement, relaxation, and creativity. So let me share my March joys with you, and feel free to share yours in your comments.

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5 on the 5th: Five Reasons Why BBC America’s “Orphan Black” Is Awesome

/ saraletourneau / 20 Comments

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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. 

I know last month’s 5 on the 5th was also TV-oriented… But Game of Thrones isn’t the only awesome show that’s back for a new season. Orphan Black launched its fourth season on April 14th on BBC America; and though I’ve mentioned it before at the blog, it’s time to dedicate a post to this crazy-fantastic series. 😀

And what’s the best way to do that if many readers aren’t familiar with Orphan Black? To give you five reasons to start watching it!

NOTE: This following post contains limited spoilers from Seasons 1 through 3 of Orphan Black.

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5 on the 5th: Five Reasons Why I’m Excited for Season 6 of “Game of Thrones”

/ saraletourneau / 14 Comments

5 on the 5th Banner 2

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. 

AHHHHH! 19 more days until Game of Thrones is back! Is anyone else counting down, too? 😀

I’ve been a fan of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books for a while, so it’s been incredible watching his “shades of gray” characters and the gritty, chaotic world they live in come to life on TV. And while Game of Thrones has deviated from its source material at times, it has still been a faithful adaptation in spirit. But this season, we’ve reached the point where the show will pass the material that GRRM has written so far. In other words, everyone – including those of us who have read the books – is in for 10 Sunday nights worth of shocking twists.

So, what am I looking forward to most for Season 6 of GoT? It was tough to narrow it down to only a few things – because there’s a TON I’m excited about. So, if there’s a storyline you want to talk about that’s not discussed in this post, feel free to do so in your comments. Otherwise, let’s catch up with the first official trailer for Season 6 after the jump.

WARNING: This post contains spoilers from both the Game of Thrones TV show and George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire books. Also, some of the videos and links provided below may not be suitable for young readers.

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My Ten Favorite Screen Characters

/ saraletourneau / 23 Comments

Finally getting around to the first of a slew of tags and awards I was recently nominated for. This one came from fellow fantasy writer Angela B. Chrysler. Thanks Angela, and sorry it took me so long!

Making this list was a fun exercise! It made me realize that I look for three kinds of screen characters: those I can relate to, those I admire, and those who jangle my funny bone until I can’t breathe. Also, even though I had an easier time coming up with my 11 favorite literary heroines than the same number of literary heroes, most of the characters on this list are male. (*raises an eyebrow*)

Anyway, let’s go in alphabetical order, starting with…

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Feature on 27 Good Things, Plus a New Tea Review

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27 Good Things has been kind enough to invite me for their ongoing feature series! In this article, I recommend four good things to read, four good things to watch, and three good things to use. Click here to read the article at 27 Good Things.

Also, some of you may know I’m writing tea reviews for A Bibliophile’s Reverie. I’ve really enjoyed it so far, and my latest review for the blog went live last week. Click here to read my thoughts on Teavana’s ToLife® White Tea.

Coming Soon: Come back tomorrow for the latest installment of my novel-writing series, “Chronicling The Craft”!