What’s Making Me Happy: September 2017

September 28, 2017September 27, 2017 / saraletourneau / 29 Comments

I love September. Firstly, it’s my birthday month. 🙂 But secondly, September is a gorgeous time of year in Massachusetts. Maybe that explains why this month was a balance of indoor activities (the new WIP, reorganization / decluttering projects) and outdoor fun. There were a couple lows (ongoing anxiety, plus a dishwasher leak), but in short September was joyful and productive, with much to be thankful for.

In fact, it was such a good month, I had such a hard time narrowing down my list of joys for this Happy post. But that’s not such a bad thing, right? In the end, I settled on five that best represent the sights, sounds, tastes, and experiences that made my heart sing. And as always, feel free to share your joys of the past month in your comments!

Continue reading →

Time Flies!: August 2016

August 30, 2016August 29, 2016 / saraletourneau / 25 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.

I’m starting this post with a confession: While I’ve managed to keep up with my own blog-writing, I’ve been so burnt out from the past month’s busyness that I’m struggling to keep up with reading other blogs or replying to comments. I’ve also been dealing with stress from (without going into too much detail) expected and unexpected sources. Some days were great, but others… Yeah.

Bilbo faints

I hope this is temporary, though, since I still have one big event around the corner: My friend’s wedding (the one where I’m a bridesmaid) is this coming Saturday. Maybe once things calm down and I have some time to rest and regroup, I’ll feel some semblance of my normal self. But I just wanted to let readers know what’s going on, since you guys deserve my honesty.

But I really can’t complain. August was an awesome month on its best days, and it ends with much that I’m grateful for. This will make more sense as this post goes along, so let’s start with…

Continue reading →

Tea Time at Reverie: Longbourn Wedding Tea from Bingley’s Teas

March 20, 2016March 20, 2016 / saraletourneau / Leave a comment

Happy first day of spring, everyone! How about we celebrate the start of a beautiful season with a tea of promise – a wedding tea? In fact, Longbourn Wedding might be my new favorite from Bingley’s Teas. Check out today’s Tea Time at A Bibliophile’s Reverie to find out why this sparkling white tea is so delicious.

A Bibliophile's Reverie

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”

Ah, marriage. It’s the revolving point of Pride and Prejudice. Many of the unmarried characters in the story, including men like Mr. Darcy, feel some kind of social pressure to make that ultimate commitment. Plus, everyone in the Bennet family has different reasons behind their marriage choices, from lust and convenience (Mr. and Mrs. Bennet) to love (Jane Bennet) and mutual trust (Elizabeth Bennet). But in the end, Lizzie and Jane become engaged to their ideal partners – which means it’s time for not one wedding, but two!

So, how do we celebrate such a special event here at Tea Time? With tea, of course! This brings us to our next sample from Bingley’s Teas. Named after the Bennet family’s estate,

View original post 749 more words

Tea Time at Reverie: Teasenz’s Oriental Beauty Blooming Tea

May 29, 2015May 29, 2015 / saraletourneau

Another first for Tea Time At Reverie: Our first blooming tea! Chinese vendor Teasenz was kind enough to send a sample of their Oriental Beauty Blooming Tea, which combines Silver Needle White tea leaves with jasmine, globe amaranthe, and lily for a refreshing, delightful tisane. And since it’s blooming tea, the brewing process is truly a wonder to behold. Read on to learn more about Oriental Beauty and how blooming teas are crafted – and check out some photos I took while the tea brewed! (Hey, I didn’t want you to miss out on the best part. *wink*)

A Bibliophile's Reverie

Today marks another first for us: our first blooming tea review! Teavana fans might already been familiar with this unique artisan tea from China. If you aren’t, here’s a quick lesson.

Blooming tea combines traditional tea leaves (usually green or white) with flowers such as osmanthus, jasmine, lilies, marigolds, and globe amaranths. The leaves and flowers are sewn together, then rolled and shaped into a ball and held together by cotton threads. When the tea ball is immersed in hot water, it unfurls to reveal its colorful blossoms. Hence the tea’s namesake. 😉 Click here to learn more about blooming tea.

Our friends at Teasenz volunteered to send two blooming tea samples for review. The first one we’ll cover is Oriental Beauty Blooming Tea, a refreshing mix of floral and fruit flavors. And because this is blooming tea, I took some photos to go along with the review! You…

View original post 967 more words

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:

Continue reading →

Tea Time at Reverie: Teasenz’s Fujian Silver Needle White Tea

March 17, 2015March 17, 2015 / saraletourneau / 3 Comments

With spring just around the corner, now is the perfect time to try some refreshing white teas. One lovely choice from Teasenz is their Fujian Silver Needle, a prized Chinese white tea named after its abundance of silvery, down-covered buds. Find out more about Teasenz’s Fujian Silver Needle White Tea, including why it’s an ideal companion beverage for journaling and meditation, at my latest Tea Time at A Bibliophile’s Reverie!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

Few white teas are as well-known as China’s Silver Needle. Consisting almost exclusively of silky, unopened buds, Silver Needle leaves are plucked by hand during a few select days in the spring harvest. This tea is so prized in China that locals often save their reserves for weddings, the New Year, and other special occasions. Teasenz graciously sent us a sample of their Fujian Silver Needle White Tea for review, and I’m happy to tell you more about this light-as-a-butterfly infusion today.

The Basics

Photo courtesy of Teasenz

Teasenz’s Description:“Enjoyed exclusively by the imperial family in China for centuries, the Silky Silver Needle is a top-grade white tea with a soft, smooth, and silky-sweet taste experience. An ethereal cup with a lingering fragrance and refreshing aftertaste. Pure and refreshing.”

Ingredients: Silver Needle white tea leaves

Steeping Instructions: Use 1 tsp of tea for every 3 oz of water…

View original post 698 more words

Tea Time at Reverie: Sanctuary T’s Spring Harvest Green Tea

February 6, 2015February 6, 2015 / saraletourneau / Leave a comment

Are you as weary of winter as I am? Then here’s a fruity green/white tea blend that will remind you of spring! Aptly called Spring Harvest, this bouquet from Sanctuary T combines Japanese sencha with delicate white tea and tropical fruits for a crisp, sweet cup that blooms like the first flowers of April. Read my complete review of Sanctuary T’s Spring Harvest – and find out which books I paired with it – at A Bibliophile’s Reverie!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

I’ve had enough of winter. It’s only the first week of February, but after a January full of bitter cold and slushy roads – and then being buried under 3+ feet of snow within the past 2 weeks – I’m already counting down to spring. If I just close my eyes, I can already feel warmer temperatures, see new leaves on the trees, and smell the fresh flowers and the sweet dampness of earth after a rainstorm. Of course, that’s all in my imagination.

Chasing away the winter blues was my priority for this Tea Time. Luckily, Sanctuary T has a remedy in the form of tea: Spring Harvest, a blend of green and white teas with passionfruit flavoring. Turns out it was a rather delectable choice!

The Basics

Photo courtesy of Sanctuary T

Sanctuary T’s Description:“It may be raining outside, but that doesn’t mean you can’t relax like…

View original post 739 more words

Freelance Article Round-Up: November 2014

November 30, 2014November 29, 2014 / saraletourneau / 6 Comments

Welcome to this month’s Freelance Article Round-Up! And a belated Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans and others who celebrate the holiday. I hope your travels were safe and smooth, and you enjoyed platefuls of delicious food and good company.

November turned out to be quite exciting, so I’ll start off with the new venture that launched a couple weeks ago.

DIY MFA

This month I joined the staff of DIY MFA for their new column Theme: A Story’s Soul. The ongoing series will explore the importance and wide variety of themes in literature, and how readers and writers alike can think about theme more consciously. Click here to read the column’s introductory article, “What Is Theme and Why Is It Important?”

Tea Time at Reverie (Tea Reviews)

Two more tea reviews went live at A Bibliophile’s Reverie this past month. Here are the links again, in case you missed them:

What’s Coming in December

Currently I’m drafting my next article for DIY MFA, which will cover how to identify a novel’s possible themes by studying the book’s title and jacket copy. My next tea review for A Bibliophile’s Reverie should be online in the next week or so. It’s on a bold, complex black tea that’s wonderful for this time of year. I’ve also picked out my next tea to review, an invigorating herbal / floral blend.

Other Happenings

The fantasy WIP passed 100,000 yesterday! (YIKES.) Now I’m due to write the next Chronicling The Craft – and since this one celebrates another 25,000-word milestone, it means another reveal from the story. 😉 As for the novel itself, I’m definitely going to overshoot my word count goal of 115,000… so I’ll just continue following my outline until it’s done. Here’s hoping January or February will be the golden month!

What else for the blog? I’ll have a new author interview here during the first week of December (yay!), and I’ve yet to start a review of Rachel Hartman’s Seraphina. And since 2014 is almost over, I also need to get cracking on my end-of-year lists for music and possibly one for books. So, I’ve definitely got my work cut out for me this month.

Offline and apart from creative projects, November has been absolutely nutty. Lots of holiday preparations, Christmas shopping (I have to do a lot of it early due to December birthdays and out-of-state gift-giving), and simply trying to stay on top of everything else. I’ll be relieved once the end of the December has come and I can relax a little.

Since New Years Eve will be a busy night, I’ll post the next Freelance Article Round-Up on Tuesday, December 30^th. Lots will be going on here between now and then, so I hope to see you here again! 🙂

Tea Time At Reverie: Yezi Tea’s White Peony Master Grade White Tea

November 18, 2014November 18, 2014 / saraletourneau / 4 Comments

I’ve found a gem of an unflavored white tea! With notes of flowers, almond, and caramel, Yezi Tea’s Master Grade White Peony (Bai Mu Dan) White Tea is light and refined, a cup of liquid harmony. But of course, you’d like the longer version, right? Then I encourage you to check out my latest tea review at A Bibliophile’s Reverie!

A Bibliophile's Reverie

After some brisk and flavorful brews for the past few Tea Times, it’s time for something more delicate. So, I went through my Yezi Tea samples and decided on their White Peony Master Grade White Tea. This brand of White Peony (also known as Bai Mu Dan) is grown in the Jian’ou County of China’s Fujian province and harvested during the spring. The young leaves are then gently dried in the sun on bamboo trays. No doubt this process – plus the fact that white tea isn’t oxidized like black, oolong, and green teas are – gives this tea its celebrated delicate aroma and flavor. The Master Grade level also indicates the highest possible quality for a White Peony tea. So, let’s have a cup or two (or three) of White Peony together, shall we?

The Basics

Yezi’s Description:“When White Peony tea leaves dry, they twist into…

View original post 870 more words

Freelance Article Round-Up: July / August 2014

August 31, 2014November 11, 2015 / saraletourneau / 1 Comment

Happy last day of August, everyone!

As recently promised, today is Launch Day for the Freelance Article Round-Up series. These articles will post at the end of every month (or every other month, depending on my freelancing schedule) to keep you abreast of the articles I’ve written outside of this blog. I’ll also offer a glimpse into the coming month’s assignments. So, let’s get started!

Tea Time at Reverie (Tea Reviews)

After debuting the Tea Time column at A Bibliophile’s Reverie in June, three more articles have been posted over the past two months. I’ve covered teas of different types and flavors in each article to ensure variety. That way, readers don’t get to read about the same kinds of teas over and over again. 😉

Here are links to those tea reviews:

What’s Coming in September

What’s this? More tea?? Yes, please!

We’ve got thrilling news for Tea Time at Reverie: Instead of reviewing tea from my personal stash, I’m going to try samples from generous teasellers! Yezi Tea’s package arrived last week, and more are coming from a couple other vendors. This is an amazing opportunity for the Tea Time column and for ABR in general. It also means I’m going to run out of room on my tea shelf at home – but that’s OK with me! *lol*

I’m also finishing my next piece for Grub Street’s blog. It talks about how writers can use music to enhance their writing, from creating the right headspace or emotion for a particular scene, to developing characters and settings. I listen to music whenever I write for these and other reasons, so I thought this would be a neat topic. Do any of you immerse yourself in music when you write?

That’s it for now. I hope you’ll come back on Tuesday, September 30^th for the next Freelance Article Round-Up! In the meantime, check back here in the coming days and weeks for a new installment of Chronicling The Craft (novel-writing progress series), Recent Reads (book reviews), Music Mondays, and the launch of the Author Interviews series!