Buddhists in Sri Lanka celebrate the festival of Vesak to commemorate the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. According to the Buddhist calendar, it falls on the full moon day in May, this year on the 14th. To honour Buddha’s teaching, people are encouraged to keep to the Five Precepts, to cook free meals and give alms, to go to the temple and to make donations as well as spend time with their family and sing devotional songs. It is customary to decorate house and garden with beautiful lanterns crafted from reeds, string and paper. Huge pandals with dozens of coloured lights depict scenes from Buddha’s life. Strings of lights are seen on balconies and roofes, in gardens and on walls, a little like during Christmas. You can find some photos here, but they don’t do the magical beauty justice.

As so much during the Vesak festival revolves around light—as a sign for enlightenment—I want to dedicate today’s article to the symbolism of light in literature.

A symbol of hope
The many phrases and idioms we use make it clear that we can use light in writing to create a sense of hope. From the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” to the “beacon of light” shining bright, there is a sense of coming home, of feeling safe and of finding a solution. We can feel cleansed by light because it symbolizes purity.

No life without light
Only with enough light is growth and life possible, so it can be understood as a life-giving power. When a new day dawns, the light brings possibilities and prospects or news with it.

Light against dark
In many novels, the heroine / hero will have fair skin, wear light-coloured clothes and be associated with light rather than darkness. There are exceptions, of course, such as in paranormal romance, but in general, good = light and bad = dark. Darkness and evil forces are overcome by the main character in a story, by “shining light” on a hidden truth or by reestablishing goodness and calm. He / she can serve as a “guiding light” for others, be “the light of life” for a significant other or help to “see things in a different light”.

Light means enlightenment
Not only in Buddhism and Christianity—Let there be light, Bible—but in almost all religions will you find that light plays a pivotal role. It stands for transcendence, faith and innocence. We associate it with wisdom, intelligence and learning, as a counterpart to “being kept in the dark”. That explains the ceremonial use of lights.


How to use light symbols when writing fiction

- Let a protagonist in a book light a candle… to pray, to let it shine through the window and lead somebody to them, to feel at ease and chase the demons away, to remember.

- Lighthouses carry a powerful meaning, especially if your story revolves around traveling, people gone to sea or somebody returning home.

- Use the contrast between light and dark to characterize people or to create a certain atmosphere. Describe how sunlight looks on a certain plant, how moonlight effects the night, how the light cast by a torch slowly reveals something.

- Remember that light can also have a negative effect on some, e. g. sunlight as a destructive force for vampires. This very avoidance of something usually viewed positively lends depth to the topic.

- Emphasize how important somebody is to a character by comparing him to the sun and by using words associated with light, fire, sparks etc. to describe love and attraction.

Remember my recent blog post where I suggested there’s a lot to learn from animals. I started with lessons that dogs teach us: to be loyal and thankful, to be confident, to live simply and not to worry too much. Today, I want to share my thoughts on 5 things to learn from cats.

1) Don’t give up
If a cat wants something, she’ll damn well get it, whatever it may cost. Whether it means jumping to record heights, squeezing under the slit of a closed door, begging their human or waiting stealthily for the perfect time to pounce – cats know that giving up won’t get them anywhere. We can learn perseverance from them, something that is paramount to reach your goals. If you think you have the right to something, demand it or come up with a plan that will eventually lead to the desired reward.

2) Relax
Okay, this one is obvious. Cats definitely know how to take the chill pill. They spend up to three quarters of their day sleeping or snoozing. They’ll sleep in any position, on any surface, and for as long as they want. If you own cats, you’ll know the dilemma of not being able to shift your position, get up or use your hands because your kitty looks so comfy while she’s deep in dreamland. We people, on the other hand, are filled with stress and go, go, go until the battery is dead and we need a recharge. How much better it would be to use whatever time we have—or better yet, make time—to relax and soak up new energy.

3) Cleanliness is next to godliness
Whatever part of the day is not spent with sleeping or eating is reserved for grooming. Cats will lick themselves after waking up, after feeding time, after their trip to the litter box (or the garden), after a fight, for comfort and socializing… if there’s so much as a hair not its place, they’ll start grooming. To me, cats are very clean animals and we could use a good dose of cleanliness. Body hygiene is important. That may be a given, but apparently some people need that drilled into them.

4) Don’t worry about what others think of you
A cat is confident and content enough not to worry about the opinions and expectations of others. Be it the family dog or their human, cats have mastered the art of ignoring others if they don’t matter. We, on the contrary, put way too much value into what other people might think of us. How much happier it makes us if we forget about the rest and do our thing, live our life and stand up for what we believe in. Nobody actually walks in our shoes, and nobody has the right to judge us. If we stop fretting about public opinion, self-realization is that much easier.

5) Be independent
This is closely related to #4. Cats can be affectionate and loyal, but mostly, they fend for themselves and hate being dependent on anyone or anything. They value their independence because it means less worries and more freedom, even though they won’t hesitate to form bonds if they will benefit from it. I’m not saying we should all be hermits and introverts or lonely sociopaths – what I mean is that it drags us down if we connect ourselves too tightly to somebody. As nothing is permanent, we might lose what we have tied ourselves to, which means disappointment, pain and problems. Love and friendship and family are important, but being dependent is not the key. Don’t lose yourself in the process!

Thank you, Marie Lavender, for nominating my website for the Liebster Blog Award! This looks like fun, and I love it when authors / bloggers support each other.

1.  Link back and thank the blogger who nominated you in your post.
2.  List 11 facts about yourself.
3.  Answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you.
4.  Pick 5 - 10 new bloggers (must have less than 300 followers) to nominate and ask them 11 new questions. Do not re-nominate the blogger that nominated you.
5.  Go to each new blogger’s site and inform them of their nomination.

To learn more about the Liebster Award, check out this post by Lorraine Reguly.

1.  I used to draw a lot during my teenage years.
2.  My favourite food is pizza.
3.  I am a Buddhist.
4.  I wear a nose stud, but my ears aren’t even pierced.
5.  I’ve got a German and a Sri Lankan middle name: Gisela Sarangie.
6.  I love all animals (apart from cockroaches, mosquitoes and of course spiders).
7.  I love singing along to songs although I don’t exactly have a singer’s voice.
8.  If I could, I’d have a huge house and garden and share it with dozens of cats, dogs, birds, rabbits, farm animals and more.
9.  I don’t like talking on the phone.
10.  My husband is my life.
11.  I’m an only child.

1.  Name three secrets that you never told anyone.
1)  I wanted to become a brain surgeon when I was a child.
2)  I don’t know how to ride a bicycle.
3)  I love strawberries but I don’t like food with strawberry flavour (ice-cream, yoghurt, sweets etc).

2. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would do? 
I would fly to Germany and buy a nice house somewhere close to Munich, so we could spend our summers there and the winters in Sri Lanka. I'd also donate to charity and animal welfare.

3. Looking over the last ten years, what is one goal you have achieved and one that you have not achieved? 
Achieved: becoming my own boss by starting a business. Not achieved: travelling abroad.

4. What are your plans for retirement? And will you travel, if so where and why? 
I don’t think I want to change much. I work from home and love what I’m doing, and I can’t see myself ever stopping to write. It wouldn’t really make sense to 'retire'. And though I love learning languages and getting to know about different countries and cultures, I’m not really a travelling person.

5. Favorite drink on a Friday night?
I don’t drink alcohol. If I had to choose something, fresh fruit juice – mango or passion fruit, for example – would be lovely.

6. What do you think the secret is to a good marriage or relationship with a significant other is? 
Being honest, being loyal, making compromises, and being yourself. Love is important, too.

7. Name three words that describe your personality. 
Creative, caring, honest

8. Home-cooked meal or take-out?
Well, home-cooked is much healthier, but I get that all the time, and I tire of it. So, let’s have some pizza, pasta, French fries or short eats. ;-)

9. When was the last time you blogged and what was the topic?
A few days ago on my author page. Check out "5 things we can learn from dogs".

10. What do you think the key is to happiness?
It depends on the kind of happiness you seek (job, private, general, marriage) and what makes you happy. All in all, I think it’s important to be true to yourself, to have patience, and to work for it instead of waiting for it to happen – because it won’t.

11. Who is your favorite poet and why?
I don’t really have a favourite poet. There are many whose work I treasure, although I mostly just know a couple of poems per writer. My current favourite poem is "She walks in beauty" by Lord Byron because I love the way he uses language to create a magical atmosphere.

I’ll be lazy and keep the ones I was asked (see above "Questions asked by Marie"). If you don’t feel like answering one or some of these 11 questions, do come up with your own ones.

1. Priyanka Batra Harjai http://booksnewsindia.wordpress.com

2. Aarti V Raman http://www.aartivraman.blogspot.in/

3. Prachi Percy Sharma http://www.thecrimocopoiea.blogspot.in/

4. Reet Singh http://www.reetsingh.in/

5. Deepti Menon http://deepties.blogspot.in/

6. Summerita Rhayne http://summeritarhayne.wordpress.com/

7. Corinne Schwenk http://disabledandproud.net/

Special mention:
Acharya Swaroop would also like to participate.

I love animals, which is one of the reasons why I’m a vegetarian. My home is alive with my four-legged family of two dogs and two cats. We also have fish in a tank and are planning on birds in a big walk-in aviary one day. If I could, I’d include rabbits, goats, cows and many other animals. But I’m digressing… It struck me recently that there is so much we people can learn from animals that would make life easier and happier. So, here’s my take on 5 things we can learn from dogs.

1) Be loyal
If you take good care of a dog—sometimes even if you don’t—it won’t leave your side until it dies and will even remember and mourn for you after you have died. This life-long loyalty is something that is now few and far between in humans. Whether it be friends or partners, people tend to forget that they form connections not for the here and now but to last a long time. If we act like dogs and offer loyalty, we make the person feel appreciated and will often get loyalty in return.

2) Be thankful
It’s enough to show a dog the tiniest bit of love or give it attention, and it will never forget. If you have ever fed a stray dog, petted a stranger’s or a friend’s four-legged companion or adopted a rescue dog, then you will understand what I’m talking about. People, on the other hand, forget to be grateful. They aren’t content with what they have, they don’t stop to thank people for help, and they don’t appreciate the little joys life brings their way. Even when times are rough, we should take a moment to say thanks for something positive that has happened. Don’t take help for granted and don’t believe that everybody is as lucky as you. Be thankful—not only on Thanksgiving Day.

3) Take it easy
Dogs know how to chill. They’re not prone to complaining. If it’s hot, they’ll sleep. If it’s cold, they’ll sleep. They’re eager to get your attention and affection, but they don’t bother with people who are clearly not dog-friendly. Rather than stressing and obsessing about what is out of their reach and control, dogs give themselves a break and find something that cheers them up. In a world where most of the troubles are only in our head or increased by our attitude, that seems perfect inspiration.

4) Live simply
Don’t make your life so complicated that happiness is hard to find. Enjoy what you get, make the most of what you have and don’t be too strict on yourself. Dogs don’t need or want a diamond-studded collar or a thousand-dollar trip to the doggie spa in order to be happy. As a dog is content with a full stomach, some TLC and a warm, soft place to sleep or maybe a toy, we can draw strength and joy from the simple things in life.

5) Be confident
A dog knows when to bark, growl, intimidate or even bite, and when not to. Dogs come with natural confidence and instincts that help them fight their way through life. We, on the other hand, are prone to suffering from inferiority complexes. We are afraid to fully live, to show our worth or to take a firm stand when necessary. Like a dog, it would be much better to be aware of our limits and show other people their limits before it’s too late. If we let others know when they’ve invaded our territory (without tearing their throat off immediately), conflict and suffering can be avoided.

I know they say not to judge a book by its cover - but let's face it: If we find a book cover beautiful or it conveys a certain message and touches us in some way, we're far more likely to buy the book.
Speaking of beautiful covers, I just have to share this one with you. I have been following author Michelle Read's journey of writing on Facebook with interest. She's getting really close to her release and revealed her debut novel's look yesterday.
Ladies and gentlemen, let me present "Long Lost".

Emily Case is a lonely woman. No family, few friends, a job she hates, and she is single. Life is one long struggle for her.
One morning she wakes up two hundred years in the past. Her whole world is turned upside down, as she is faced with a new era she knows nothing about. However, she soon finds that she is falling for her new lifestyle, the people in it and even a handsome and very wealthy gentleman.
When she realizes this life is all she's ever wanted, she is torn away from it and back to her life two hundred years into the future.  Not willing to accept that the twenty-first-century is where her destiny lies, she endeavours to seek out the truth of the life she led in the nineteenth-century.
What will she discover on her journey? Was it reality or all just a dream?

Michelle Read has lived in Bournemouth for over twenty years after moving from South Wales where she was born and bred. She works as a full time administrator but still manages to fit writing novels around her busy day.
Having been a fan of Jane Austen and historical romance in general for some time, she decided to embark on writing her first novel, ‘Long Lost’, which to Michelle’s own surprise, has turned into a trilogy. The second book will be called 'Long Last', and the third book will be called 'Long Love'.  Long Lost is to be published at the end of May 2014.
She is a born romantic and loves nothing better than writing adventures full of romance. She enjoys history and can often be found strolling around stately homes and castles in her spare time, along with attending food festivals, reading copious amounts of books and chatting on Facebook and Twitter.
'Long Lost' is to be published at the end of May 2014.

Catch up with Michelle:
Facebook Account
Twitter: @chelle52

I love vampires, so I'm happy and excited to be part of the Blog Tour for the launch of "The Edge of Hope" by my friend Alina Popescu. Read on for a wealth of information about the book and the author.

When tall, dark, and gorgeous shows up on your self-prescribed emotional recovery vacation, some would call it fate smiling down on you. If he also happens to be interested in your work and ready to make all the room you need in his life, it starts to sound too good to be true. Alexa skips the doubts and jumps right in, only to be thrown into the mysterious world of vampires.
The secrets of their origin and their very existence are far more important than her life to some of her new acquaintances. They are ancient, they are powerful, they have unlimited resources, and they are keen on controlling what the world knows of their kind. As Alexa discovers their complicated, blood feud bound world, she tries to better understand herself, heal old wounds and give love chance after chance. Will she survive the journey?

“Hello, I am Hesrah. Nice to meet you.”
Polite and stiff, no facial expression, no smile, no unnecessary movement, only her dark brown eyes showed some life, some slow fire that kept her going.
“Hello, I am Louis and this is Alexa. We will be your hosts during your stay on earth.” Louis smiled and extended his hand, which she shook after a few awkward moments.
“I look forward to it. May I be shown to my room now?” she said with no inflexion in her tone.
It took me a second to react as I was analyzing her outfit…jeans and a plain t-shirt, sport shoes and denim jacket. It seemed completely wrong for her attitude and behavior.
“Sure, I’ll take you to your room,” I eventually said. “It’s right next to mine.”
“Lovely.”
She did not sound like she meant it. She sounded more like cyborgs from a sci-fi movie. She wasn’t as captivating as Anukh or Louis, or even Anthony. She was just formal and…uptight. Oh, brother, I said to myself. This will definitely be tons of fun.
When she entered the room, I finally noticed her backpack. She took some more clothes out of it, all plain and simple. She asked where she could put them and I pointed to the closet.
“What is it?” she asked. “Why are you frowning like that?”
I hadn’t realized I was. I had been warned before that my face and eyes give away what I was struggling to keep from saying but, apparently, I never learned.
“Umm, dunno, you are just not what I expected,” I confessed.
“And what did you expect?” She cocked her head and waited.
“I guess someone similar to Anukh, but more impressive and graceful?”
“Are you asking me?”
“No, just turning it into a question till I figure out how offensive my statement is.” I shrugged.
“You are very blunt, aren’t you?”
It did not sound like a compliment.
“Yeah, maybe. Anyway, I can atone for that by kindly inviting you to use any of my makeup and raid my closet whenever you feel like wearing something less…”
“Less what?” she demanded, raising an eyebrow.
“Less plain.”
“I am on a mission and I have comfortable clothes for it,” she answered, quickly. She was just staring at me and I thought I should put an end to kicking the hornet’s nest.
“I should go now. Catch you later.”
I finally allowed myself to enjoy a refreshing sigh the moment I got on the other side of the door. I also added yet another note to self. Whenever I find myself talking to a deadly creature who can kill me in under five seconds, maybe, just maybe, watching my tongue would be smart.

What do you like most about being a writer?
Getting immersed in my stories and seeing how they play out. There’s nothing like creating new characters and having them tell their stories. The other thing I like just as much is seeing someone genuinely like what I write.

Out of all the great books out there, which one do you wish you had written?
Tough question. Maybe the Dune series? Although… I don’t really wish I’d written any of the books I loved. I don’t think I could have ever written anything better than my own stories.

What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Shutting up my inner critic and going ahead with publishing it. I wanted to push back the release more or forget the whole thing, but those were just manifestations of a bit of fear. Releasing a debut novel is scary as hell at times.

Do you have any writing rituals?
Not really. I have things I need, like a working laptop, my music, my coffee, but that’s about it. I don’t have a particular time of day or place to write. My process however is a bit different. I need to visualize the story. Not every detail, but the main story and character interactions, those play in my head until I have a clear picture and that’s when I start to write.

Any hidden talents or crazy facts about you?
Let’s see…  I knit sometimes. I play airsoft. I love action movies and the one to get me hooked on them was a great actor and martial artist, Bruce Lee. You know, that guy who beat Chuck Norris.

Do you prefer eBooks or printed books?
I only read eBooks. My eyes get tired easily and most print books have very small fonts. I am a lot more comfortable reading on my kindle or tablet. But I still love printed books and I buy the printed copy for some of the books I read. The fact that I get an eBook in two seconds while I’d have to wait for weeks to get the paperback also plays a huge part in this.

What is the most important character trait the hero and the heroine should possess?
Hard to say, it depends a lot on the story being told. I think heroes should be relatable, even in paranormal, science fiction, or fantasy. They should give you the impression they could be real people at some point.

Do you have any advice for other authors or aspiring writers?
My only advice would be to never give up on telling stories. It’s a tough road, not one of the easiest, especially in the indie world, but I think it’s worth it. Every time someone will tell you the magic words “I loved your book,” you’ll forget about all the effort.

Write three sentences using each of these words: ignorance, emotions, love.
Ignorance is blissful only because you can’t realize how harmful it really is. Emotions are the wild cards of every human interaction. Love happens, it never waits for you to be happy or in a good place, or for the right circumstances.

What are you currently working on?
I have a few stories that I am working on. The first one is book three of the Bad Blood Trilogy. I’m half way through it. Then there’s a bunch of other WIPs, a sci-fi story, a werewolf novel, and a few romances.

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and even won awards in local competitions. She has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm, which explains her deep love for vampires and is also to blame for this trilogy.

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu
Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/102637891138733033084
Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

Alexa and I, how alike are we?

A lot of people have asked about the inspiration for the Bad Blood series and for Alexa and I tried to give as many details as I could. I have been pretty open about how similar some of her experiences are to my own and how close to how I am and how I react she sometimes is. Putting her through the events and heartbreak I experienced at one point or another was my way to deal with my demons (sneaky bastards) and to point out that we survive a lot more than we think we can, and that sometimes it takes a lot of failed relationships before you find the one.

The similarities, however, go beyond a few character traits and experiences. In "The Edge of Hope", Alexa starts where I was when I started writing this book. The betrayal and heartbreak were very real, although they are toned down in Alexa’s case. We both took a long trip to mend and lick our wounds. She went to Malta, I drove around Europe for a month, seeing cool places and visiting friends. I did however research Malta quite a bit before and after starting to write the book because I wanted to move there for a few years. Just as Alexa, I didn’t take the trip immediately after the breakup, but a while later.

While things go in very different directions after that, Alexa is the character that’s molded after me. She’s not the first I’ve created, certainly not the last, but she is the one that’s closest to me.  It’s in how she reacts and in how she speaks at times. In some ways she’s stronger, in others she’s toned down. Maybe she’s how I would be if I had her experiences.

Writers put pieces of themselves into their characters, their stories, their settings. They do write a lot of what they know. But writing a character that’s basically you comes with a few caveats. The biggest is that if you do and admit to it, parts of your life will be exposed. Having been dumped is hardly breaking news, so I’m pretty much safe, but it is something to consider. The other big thing is that if you start writing at a point in your life and then everything changed tremendously, you might not want to keep writing the story. This is actually what happened to the first Alexa story, which was quite different from the one I wrote. The other thing to consider that I believe is very important is that people will make assumptions about you based on your character. In my case, no biggie, most of them will be true. In Alexa’s, well, it got her into trouble, but it made people underestimate her and it ended up helping.

If you want to write and use it as a way to deal with aspects of your life, by all means, do so. Every caveat can easily be handled. That’s what pen names or the choice not to disclose certain details are there for! So pick up your notebook or your computer and… Happy writing and reading!