Cristina Istrati's Blog, page 3

It’s YOUR right to be richly paid for the books that you’re writing and sharing with the world.

Why?

Because people are benefiting from your writings, your stories, your ideas, your imagination and your writing talent. You’re improving their lives, enriching their lives, contributing to their lives through the stories that you are writing.

So, since this is the case, doesn’t it make sense to receive money for your work in a way that exudes confidence and pride, too?

Why hide this under the carpet? Why not take responsibility for this and treat this subject in an adult way?

Please stop overlooking something that is your responsibility and please stop dishonoring yourself as a person and a writer by pretending you don’t need or don’t want to be paid/receive money for your novels and work.
It’s just not authentic and doesn’t do you any justice.

I made money with my novels, and am still making. And you know why?

Because many years ago, after publishing my first novel in 2009, I gave a copy of my novel to a childhood friend, and obviously, knowing her since childhood, I gave it to her for free; it didn’t even cross my mind to want money for the book.

After some days, I go and visit her, and I see my novel on a shelf in her living room. I asked her if she started reading the novel, to which she said:

“Oh no, I didn’t even open it, I had no time”

I can’t tell you how bad and bitter I felt; how disappointed I felt and sad.
So here I am, giving you a piece from my soul and heart, my soul`s work in this world and you don’t even bother to open it up? For real?

That’s how it really hit me that people almost never value things they receive for free.

So anyway, I put the novel back on the shelf, spent a few more minutes with her and left but as I was leaving I felt in my heart how a strong decision was born – the strongest decision I have ever made:

Never. Never, never again will I give free copies of my books. Never and I don’t care what you think about this or how you will label it. I don’t care because it’s my truth and it’s coming from within, and what`s coming from within ought to be honored.

Because by giving my books for free, I’m dishonoring myself as a writer, I’m dishonoring my work here in this world and ultimately, I’m dishonoring myself as a person, too. And by giving them copies of my novel for free I’m depriving them of receiving the value of my novel – value meant to contribute to them – because since it’s something they don’t pay for it`s likely they’ll just put it on a drawer and never read it, thinking they’ll read it eventually, someday.

So for me, things are very simple and I’ve learned my lesson:

No handing out copies of my novels for free. Hell no, both I and my novel deserve better than this and it’s my duty as a writer and creator of my art to hold my ground, create some clear boundaries and protect my dominion just like a tiger does with its territory.

You must protect what it’s yours, otherwise, you’ll never live how you want, never have the things you want, will never be where you want as a writer and it all starts with knowing what you allow and what you don’t allow linked to you as a writer, your work and your books. This is all.

I hope this sharing of mine managed to produce some breakthroughs and shifts for those of you who are meant to read this post and receive its messages.

Honor yourself as a writer. Honor your work and the fruits of your work – your novels.

Just like a doctor is entitled to expect themselves to be paid for their work of helping & healing people, so too writers are entitled to expect themselves to be paid for the art that they are creating in the world because there’s really no difference between these two: it’s the same work of high value, it’s still value meant to improve people’s lives.
The only difference is that this value is delivered differently, but value – nonetheless.

As such, if you’re a writer and you want to be paid for your life`s work, start thinking and accepting that it’s your birthright and God-given right to be well paid for what you are doing for people and what you are producing in the world.

I hope this brings value in any way to you today, helping you to have the breakthroughs you need so that you feel fully in your power when it comes to asking/receiving money for your novels and work.

I’ll talk to you next time!

Keep writing. It matters more than you know.

Cristina

Create your own writing party.

You are absolutely free and entitled to create for yourself that particular environment that serves you the most as a writer.

In my early years as a writer, I had the great opportunity to meet a group of wonderful and experienced writers, both female and males.

They were older than me and members of the Romanian Writers Union, writers with years of experience under their belt and a ton of knowledge.

I was lucky in this regard (thank you, God) because it paved the way for creating some wonderful relationships and friendships with well-established writers whom I could, afterward, invite at my book launches and talk about my books. Every Thursday we would meet at a coffee house in the center of Bucharest.

It was the writers’ Thursday, so to speak, and writers (writing in all genres, fiction, non-fiction, poetry, prose, essays, literary reviews etc) would come both from/outside of Bucharest.

It was such a great moment and I was eagerly waiting for Thursdays to come!

So far so good. I was sitting now at the same table with writers older than me (40 to 70 years) who had made a name for themselves in the Romanian literary world.

I felt both happy and proud to be there – as you can probably easily imagine.

One thing happened though, and it’s something I realized recently, about 2-3 weeks ago :

All these writers, no matter how well they did for themselves as writers, there was something that was almost like an absolute truth that nobody present there could argue with or change:

“Writers can’t live off their writing”

It’s something I would hear almost at every meeting and something that almost all of them said.

Now, it’s important to mention that this was happening in 2009/2010 when I was 23/24 years old and I had just published my first novel, in march 2009.

So clearly, I was a complete newbie and pretty much like a sponge.

I embraced this truth WITHOUT even realizing it.

I was young and lacked experience, so I accepted this truth as my own (writers can’t live off their writing) because something else was present too:

These writers being older than me and with lots of experience, it made me conclude at a subconscious level, that they must surely know what they are talking about since they are veterans and they know this industry inside out; surely, they know how things work.

At that time, I didn’t realize that I had taken in this truth that they threw on the table. They, of course, have no guilt either.
They simply shared something from their own experience, based on the perception they had created which was based on the circumstances they lived as writers.
So of course they can’t be blamed either.

As I was saying, at that time I didn’t realize that I had taken something that wasn’t mine, pretty much like when you take, by mistake, someone’s luggage at the airport thinking it’s yours.

This was exactly for me too.

The only thing was that some 2/3 weeks ago, I found myself really wanting to go to the root of it and see why do I believe that writers cant live off their writing and that writers struggle and it’s a fact that if you are a writer you must endure all kind of lack, struggles, hardships, misery, etc

Before this, I had done a bit of journaling and this is how I found out that yes, I too had the limiting belief that writers can’t make money or live off their writing.

And so, one day, sitting by myself quietly in my bedroom, I did a meditation to quiet my mind and I asked my subconscious mind to show me why do I believe this and when/how did I accept this limiting belief, because it’s not mine, clearly, and it’s in fact, something I totally disagree with and am against it.

So, when did I take it in? What were the circumstances?

And I sat quietly and the answer was an image I saw in my mind`s eye, with me being at this meeting with these writers and listening to what all these writers said:

One can’t live off their writing. Writers are poor people.

I had then a huge aha moment. So that was when it all happened.

Well then, if this is the case, then I’m now choosing to dismiss this idea, to let go of it and remove it from my mind, my energy, my psyche, my everything because I don’t want it.
I have nothing to do with it and it’s not me who created it.

More so, whoever wants to believe in it and be a slave to this idea, it`s perfectly valid and I respect their decision. But not me. I’m not buying into this anymore and if you feel you want more for yourself and your books then I’m highly encouraging you to let go of it too.

Ok, so since it’s not my idea, what happened then?

It’s simple.

To use a metaphor:

I joined a party that had started long before I was even born, meaning limiting beliefs like this have been around since god knows when and it’s a prejudice that’s been passed on from generation to generation.

This means that these writers have no guilt either as they are only – without knowing it ) prisoners to a belief system about writers that others have created and they bought into it. This is all.

To make the point, it was like this:

These writers had been meeting each Thursday long before I came to Bucharest ( I told you, they were over 40 up to 70-year-old people, and they knew each other for well over 20 and 30 years).

So when I showed up, this idea that nobody can write off their writing had been well cemented, like one of those truths everybody agrees to, knowingly or unknowingly. It’s as if you go to a party but you`re getting there at a later time, music is already playing and people are already there dancing, and because you are late, there is nothing else for you to do then to join them and listen to the same music and enjoy the same atmosphere, you follow me?

But none of it is yours, you didn’t choose anything, not the place, not the music – none of it, but still, you are there and take it all as it is.

This happened for me too. I had arrived late to this “writing party”, people were already there and the music that was already playing was:

”Writers can’t live off their writings, writers are poor, writers struggle and it’s a fact”.

And as a result, not having the awareness that I have now, I said yes to it and embraced it.

But not anymore because now I know better and I hope this blog post brings you the breakthrough that I’m hoping it will bring you, the breakthrough that I had and wanted to share with you.

Now I know that I can remove myself from that “writing party” that I had embraced when I was 23 because it’s not mine and I don’t like it and choose to create my own writing party, meaning:

I get to choose the place ( meaning the context for myself as a writer)

I choose the writers I want to have there ( meaning surrounding myself with writers who have the same mindset as me or want the same things linked to their writing path & career)

I get to choose “the music” I’ll be listening to, meaning, to create my own set of beliefs that honor me and empower me, uplift me and contribute to me; beliefs that give me confidence and make me walk talk and make me feel proud that I’m a writer and proud of being in the writing industry, proud of the place that I’m occupying in this world, such as:

“Writers are abundant in every aspect. Writers are abundant beings. There are millions of avid readers in this world and this means they are happy to pay for books. It’s so easy to make money nowadays as a writer, thanks to the internet. It’s so easy for a writer to build a loyal audience hungry to buy and read their books” and so on.

Do you see and feel how different this all sounds?

It’s taking you from victim position – to winner/ co-creator position.

I truly hope this is of help and value to you. Let me know in the comments below what resonates the most and how this blog post is helping you.

See you next time!

Cristina

Happy writing!

Blog Q&A questions

Q: Please tell us something about yourself and how you came to be a writer.

A: My name is Cristina Istrati. I began writing many years ago. I`d say my entrance into the world of writing is a bit uncommon, because it happened due to a…dream. In one summer night, back in 2007, I had a dream in which I saw myself writing books. In the next day, I grabbed the pen and with some white sheets, I started writing. As I was doing that, the pleasure and joy were coming over me minute by minute and the outcome of that was my first book, a romance novel called Seductive Ambiguity. Today I know that everything that started with a simple dream, turned out to be my biggest passion and love. Today I know that writing is my vocation.

Q: What genre do you generally write and have you considered other genres?

A: I generally write romance. This is my favorite kind of literature and I have to say that it expresses me the most. I love to write romance. Of course, I`ve considered writing other genres and as a matter a fact, I`m quite looking forward to starting. I`m curious about finding out how is it to be writing drama, psychology, history or any other genre.

Q: What have you had published to-date? How much of the marketing do you do? 

A: I published in 2009 my first romance novel. It was a 28 chapter novel and I wrote it in six months. I don`t really do all that marketing part but I have my site and I`m managing that.

Q: Do you have an agent? Do you think they’re vital to an author’s success?

A: No, at this moment I don`t have an agent but I`m in the search of having one. I already sent queries to the literary agencies and hope to hear from them soon. To have an agent is a good thing nowadays and surely helps you in your writing career. I think every respectful writer should have one. And yet, I don`t think that an agent is vital to an author` success. A writer can very well write without having an agent too. If we look to mankind`s biggest writers from a century or so ago, they didn`t have a literary agent and still, they wrote amazing everlasting books. Victor Hugo didn`t have an agent, William Shakespeare didn`t have an agent and yet they became famous writers. I think it`s all about how much you invest in yourself and how serious you are regarding your writing.

Q: Are your books available as eBooks? If so what was your experience of that process? And do you read eBooks?

A: No, my books are not available as e-books, at least, not for the moment. Yes, I read e-books.

Q: What was your first acceptance and is being accepted still a thrill?

A: My first acceptance was good, didn`t even expected to be like that. I was given a beautiful surprise. Of course, being accepted will always be a thrill. Maybe not like the first one but definitely, it is a continuous thrill.

Q: Have you had any rejections? If so, how do you deal with them?

A: Yes, I had rejections too. It`s a part of the process, you can`t stop or avoid them. At first, I was getting upset when I faced them, as I wanted for all the people to love what I was writing but that period is gone now. I understand now that people are free to do and say whatever they want and really, it`s not something personal. Some of them won`t like what you write. What`s the problem?  None, as long as you see it that way. Don`t let that get to you and keep on writing.

Q: What are you working on at the moment / next?

A: I finished writing my second book, which is a fifty chapters romance novel. It will be published in September. I am working now on my third novel.

Q: Do you manage to write every day? What’s the most you’ve written in a day?

A: No, I don`t manage to write every single day as  I simply don`t feel like writing, don`t have that natural, abundant flow and at that moment, I know it`s better for me to do something else instead. The most I`ve written in a day was four hours.

Q: What is your opinion of writer’s block? Do you ever suffer from it? If so, how do you ‘cure’ it?

A: Writer`s block is a very common thing among writers and I know it can be so annoying at times. I remember I had it once, for about five days. I couldn`t write anything and I was so upset as I was getting so close to finishing the novel on which I was working at that time. Eventually, I let it go, I embraced my lack of inspiration and soon after, I could write again. That was the first time I`ve “suffered’ out of writer`s block but that experience didn`t repeat itself again. Usually, inspiration comes easily to me. If I see something beautiful or looking for reasons to praise, it`s enough to trigger my desire to write. When I write a book, it`s that eagerness and excitement to see what`s the next step of the story that keeps my inspiration flowing.

Q: Do you plot your stories or do you just get an idea and run with it? 

A: Usually, I get the idea and run with it. Everything else unfolds to me as I write.

Q: Do you have pieces of work that you think will never see the light of day?

A: When it comes to my books, I`m sure all of them will see daylight. But, I also have a notebook where I write and it`s that that I`m not sure it will see it because there are works very close to my heart, very private. It`s the place where I literally write whatever I`m feeling and I think I should keep it in a more hidden form.

Q: What’s your favorite / least favorite aspect of your writing life?

A: My favorite aspect of my writing life is that I can create my own stories, places, and characters. I love to create destinies and to play with my imagination. The least aspect is the typing process. It`s like reading the same book twice.

Q: What advice would you give aspiring writers?

A: If they love to be in service for others, have a burning desire to do a hard work but rewarding and mostly, an unshakable wish to write, they should do so. Otherwise, they will give up on the first moment when writer`s block comes.

Q: What do you like to read?

A: I like to read good books, related to history, self-improvement, spirituality, romance.  Also, I like to read well-written novels, almost on any subject.

Q: Are there any writing-related websites and/or books that you find useful and would recommend?

A: Yes. There are several writing sites as:

http://www.writers.com/

http://www.fictionfeedback.co.uk/index.php

http://www.everywritersresource.com/

http://www.pw.org/magazine

As for the books, there are three that I particularly like. It`s about:

Brian Tracy- Eat the Frog

Allan Pease- Questions are the answers

Donald Trump- Think big and kick ass.

Q: In which country are you based and do you find this a help or hindrance with letting people know about your work?

A: I am from Romania. Yes, it can be helpful in letting people know about my work.

Q: Are you on any forums or networking sites? If so, how invaluable do you find them?

A: Yes, I am on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn. I think they are a great way to promote yourself and your books, to tell the world who you are.

Q: Where can we find out about you and your work?

A: You can find everything you want to know about me from my site, www.cristinaistrati.com

Q: Is there anything else you’d like to mention?

A: I`m most happy for taking part in this interview. I had a good time answering the questions and I hope they will be an advantage for those writers that already have a background, as well like guidance for those that are at their literary beginning. Thank you!

Thank you again for taking part in this blog interview. I’m very grateful for taking time out from your writing to answer these questions and wish you all the best with your future projects.

Morgen Bailey

Email: morgen@morgenbailey.com

Blog: http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com

Website: http://morgenbailey.com

Keep Your Eyes On Your Inner World.

Things have their way and they get tough only to get easier afterward and tough again. This is life. You will feel defeated. You`ll feel like you have no control over your life and everything in it. You`ll be in pain, confused, disappointed. You`ll feel small, weak, lost, purposeless, worthless, vulnerable. You`ll curse and scream at loud that life isn’t fair, that God has forgotten you, that you are tired and you can’t continue anymore. You`ll want to cry just to release (even a little bit) of that burden you are carrying.

I understand. I have been there, too. I often felt like everything is wrong, so much so to the point where I doubted myself and my place here in this world (please forgive me, my beautiful soul)

I now understand it all was a lesson, for even under those tough circumstances, there`s always been a voice only I would hear, a voice that whispered: “Don’t give up. It`s all part of the process”

The Universe has magical ways to guide us, to show us that it knows where we are and what we need, and so, having sent me various things to go through, I was able to realize and conclude that no matter what goes on around me, I should always keep my eyes on my inner world. Why? Because all my power is there. It`s the only thing (in this world) I have control over.

One can’t control/influence the outside but only the inside. And, as a natural effect, once we calm our (inner) waters and find our balance, the outside world starts to be a reflection of that. Isn’t it marvelous? God gave us full power on how to create/change/influence our reality. I just love it that He loved us so much as to give us such a tremendous power like the one of setting the compass of our destinies. Thank you, Lord.

You may think it`s hard to focus on the inside when you feel that all hell is breaking lose. I understand, my dear. As I was telling you, I have been there, too ( and grateful for it, must add)

So, how to keep our eyes on our inner world when everything else outside of us seems to be falling apart? The answer I can give you (and what I`ve got to realize up until now) is this, Don’t judge by the appearances.

Let life has its way but you, beautiful human being, don’t get attached to anything from it and instead, place all your power and energy on what you feel on the inside, on what your soul and heart are telling you. Envision this image in your mind: you, sitting on a river shore. You look at it, you see the water flowing, you`re hearing the birds sing, maybe a soft breeze is kissing your skin.

How the river flows doesn’t bother you, does it? You`re alright, safely placed on the shore – there`s nothing that can harm you or threaten you, all the while the river is minding its own business, flowing, and flowing, and flowing…

This is how I am warmly inviting you to be, my dear fellow human being. Stay centered within yourself, keep your energies (mental, spiritual, emotional, physical) together, keep them all in one place only – within yourself. Don’t dissipate them by worry, doubt, negative thinking or over working yourself. This is not how you`re going to attract/create the reality you want for your life. Let it all flow and stay centered within yourself and focused on the vision your heart is whispering to you. You know it`s there. Your soul has always been telling you about it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t feel butterflies in your stomach and your eyes wouldn’t shine each time you`re thinking or talking about what really inspires you to be or do in this world.

Quietly sit in your own power and infuse your mind with the feelings of what it would be like if you were right now where you want to be. The Universe will respond. I promise you. And there`s another thing I promise you: You can do this. You have within you the seed of the power that created this magnificent world.

Do you realize what a miracle you are…?

Love & light,

Cristina

 

Create your own heaven.

One of the many gifts God has blessed us with is free will. In my opinion, having the freedom to choose what you want for your life equals the ultimate bliss. There`s nothing greater than that, and it`s undoubtedly the expression of His unconditional love for us.

Since we`re talking about God`s unconditional love, it`s only normal to ask:

How can it be about something called heaven and hell if the subject is unconditional love?

If this love comes with these two choices – heaven and hell – then where is the unconditional part? I have to say that I fail to see it, and I fail to see it because it`s not there, it doesn’t exist.

So, from my point of view, there is no marvelous place or a horrible one that is waiting for us, a place where we`ll be sent to according to our deeds. This is the idea that the church led us to believe but thank God!, this trick isn’t quite working anymore (to the church`s own disadvantage – yaay!:)) because people are coming to realize the truth. Good news so far: no heaven or hell – from a religious perspective.

I`ll tell you what I do believe in: the power of a man`s mind. Yes, this is how he creates his heaven or hell and he does that through the way he thinks. No need to wait and die in order for somebody to enjoy heaven and this goes for the second option, too: no need to wait and die so that the punishment can be received. Absolutely not.

You can have either heaven or hell depending on the thoughts you think. And yes, this naturally means that you`re responsible for it as nobody is there to punish you.

Therefore, if we have the power to create our heaven and hell, isn’t it logical to make it worthwhile and choose the first option?:) I believe so and it`s not only something that God wants you to do but He`ll be very proud of you for you will have made a very good and wise choice:)

How do I create my heaven? you may ask as being a normal human being, you wouldn’t ask how you can create your hell, right?:D

Create your own heaven by choosing positive, harmonious thoughts. This is the first step. It`s not always easy but trust me, soo rewarding!:)

Choosing positive thoughts for you is not only a sign of self-love, care, and appreciation but it`s also the path that leads you to the next step: feeling good, and this is where you want to be because when you feel good you are inside your heaven, you`re practically living it!

Going back to what I was saying earlier about the church: why is it that everybody was (and still is) so hurried to reach the kingdom of heaven?

It`s because heaven is associated with pure joy and love and happiness, right?:) People believe that their souls will have been saved and live happy in the heaven, this is true but the only thing they missed out on is that heaven is happening right here and now, in this very second, minute, day, lifetime. You have positive thoughts – you live a good life – you live (in) your own heaven. You have negative thoughts – you live a miserable life – you live (in) your own hell. It`s a creative power that all of us possess. Nobody is forcing you to think positive and nobody is forcing you to think negative. Nobody in the world has that kind of power over you and nobody will ever have it. Everything is created by you, my dear friend:)

And God? He only wants what`s best for you and He`s happy and more than willing to give it to you but for that, you need to come in alignment with good feelings, like harmony, joy, gratitude, love for it is feelings like these that make the kingdom He refers to in the Bible. It`s your kingdom and you`re creating it.

Do you realize how powerful and unlimited you are?:)

The power has always been in man`s hands, he is the one who`s manifesting either a kingdom or hell for his life.

My question is: Since you have this enormous power at the tip of your finger, why not make something beautiful? Why not create your own kingdom? Because you can do it, I promise you:)

It`s an exciting thing to do, and so much fun, too:)

As soon as everybody else around will see you doing that, they`ll want to do the same and they`ll come to remember and see how amazing and wonderful life is:)

I hope you liked this blog post:)

Much love,

Cristina

 

The forest ignited my love for writing and stories.

When I was little, around 3 years old, my parents fled the country and crossed the border (illegally, because in those days in 1989, Romania was under the communist regime and people weren’t allowed to leave the country) and made a home for ourselves in Austria. At first, it was only them two and 6 months later, in June 1990, myself and my two siblings had been brought to them by my grandfather. It was after the big revolution we had in the country when the president and his wife had been accused of treason and killed.  Romania was now breathing a new air, the air of democracy and people were free to travel outside the country too.

I can’t remember the journey while we were on the train traveling to Austria. All I remember was that all of a sudden, a new world was opening itself in front of me, a world composed of a new landscape, new language, and new people.

We lived in a small town called Schonau (close to Linz city) and our house was surrounded by forest. This is one of the things I love and treasure the most about my life there. How I loved that forest! I can remember even now the fresh smell of it, its natural sounds, how I would walk in it to search for blueberries and how I would play with my siblings in it.  As a child, I loved to wander in it and for some reason, even though I was very little, I felt a connection with the forest. It was like a magnet and it was drawing me to it over and over again. I believe that was the moment when my creative soul and mind bloomed as wandering in those forests made me think about – for the first time – that magic really exists. It was all around me. It was in the sounds of the forest, water, sounds of the birds, the smell of the earth and grass, the majestic presence of the tree – I was witnessing it all. The forest intrigued me. It was like a mystery for me and I wanted to return to it again and again, to discover yet a bit more of it, to notice it, to feel it, to love it. I was also returning to the forest because by doing so it offered me some kind of an escape from the real world, it was a gateway toward a world and universe that was only for me, only mine and I could be and do everything I wanted; there was nobody there to tell me what`s possible or not.

This is one of the things I love and treasure the most about my life there. How I loved that forest! I can remember even now the fresh smell of it, its natural sounds, how I would walk in it to search for blueberries and how I would play with my siblings in it.  As a child, I loved to wander in it and for some reason, even though I was very little, I felt a connection with the forest. It was like a magnet and it was drawing me to it over and over again. I believe that was the moment when my creative soul and mind bloomed as wandering in those forests made me think about – for the first time – that magic really exists. It was all around me. It was in the sounds of the forest, water, sounds of the birds, the smell of the earth and grass, the majestic presence of the tree – I was witnessing it all. The forest intrigued me. It was like a mystery for me and I wanted to return to it again and again, to discover yet a bit more of it, to notice it, to feel it, to love it. I was also returning to the forest because by doing so it offered me some kind of an escape from the real world, it was a gateway toward a world and universe that was only for me, only mine and I could be and do everything I wanted; there was nobody there to tell me what`s possible or not.

I believe that was the moment when my creative soul and mind bloomed as wandering in those forests made me think about – for the first time – that magic really exists. It was all around me. It was in the sounds of the forest, water, sounds of the birds, the smell of the earth and grass, the majestic presence of the tree – I was witnessing it all. The forest intrigued me. It was like a mystery for me and I wanted to return to it again and again, to discover yet a bit more of it, to notice it, to feel it, to love it. I was also returning to the forest because  doing so it offered me some kind of an escape from the real world, it was a gateway toward a world and universe that was only for me, only mine and I could be and do everything I wanted; there was nobody there to tell me what`s possible or not.

The forest also gave me the love and inspiration for writing stories and storytelling as while wandering in it, somehow I always felt that I may come across elves or fairies, or that animals may come to me and start talking to me, and that they will show me their kingdom. I liked this idea very much. The forest and its natural environment and mystic presence showed me another side of life; it introduced me to a whole new world and for this, I am forever grateful and it`s – without a doubt-  the thing I most dearly recall about my childhood.

Back then, I was only a little girl enjoying the wonders of the nature, enjoying what I was seeing and feeling, but now I know that that meeting with the forest gave me who I am today as it shaped my free mind and spirit, and it ignited within my heart the love for writing, for stories, for the creation of fantastic universes and characters. I`m deeply thankful to God and to my parents for having had the courage to flee to Austria in those tough times. Nothing from what I am would have been possible if it weren’t for them and for the beautiful time and childhood I had there.

Love & light,

Cristina

The night God told me, “Come, I have a plan for you”

My writing path started back in 2007. Until that year, I had no idea that writing is my calling, that it`s the very mission I am here for. I felt a special connection with writing from a very early age, somewhere around when I was 10 but I didn’t pay much attention to it. The nudge was there but didn’t take it into consideration. Little did I know that 11 years later, this will change.

I was in the countryside, in the village where I was born and grew up. I still remember the hot summer August night when I had a dream. The dream. Nothing like it until then: I dreamed myself writing books.

Even though I was asleep, I opened my eyes. I couldn’t sleep anymore. My mind was alert, so my heart. Something inside me had been awakened and in that very moment, I knew that my life will never be the same; I knew that from that point onward, my life is taking another route, completely different than what it had been until then. That dream was no ordinary dream, I felt it in my bones, in my being, in my heart. It moved something inside me and I couldn’t put it aside nor forget about it. Now I was looking forward to the morning to come so that I can figure out what to do with this new revelation I was given.

Finally, in the next day, I grabbed a pen and some sheets, and I started writing. I had no idea what I was doing but it felt very good! That guidance, voice, whisper was delicious, I was slowly becoming addictive to it. I didn’t know where I was going with the story I was writing, nor if anything will actually come out of it. All I knew was that I had to follow it, I had to write the story I was being told to write. Truth to be told, in those moments when I sat at my writing table, I wasn’t even paying much attention if I will see that story turned into a book, let alone seeing myself as a published author. Following that voice was way too tasty, too life-giving, too fulfilling as to interrupt that juicy flow and connection with silly questions. I went blindly wherever it took me and I congratulate myself as it`s one of the best things I ever did in my life.

Within 6 months, the fruit of my work was in my hands: the manuscript of my first book, my romance novel called Seductive Ambiguity.

Something similar to what a mother feels when she holds her newly born baby in her arms?

Yes, close to that. That was what I felt too, and I knew in that moment that I want to have that feeling for the rest of my life.

Two years later, in 2009, I published it. Now I`m working on my third romance novel, I write children stories, I am working on my first fantasy series for kids & young adults and I`m a full-time intuitive copywriter, as well.

I am where I am and do what I do because of that dream. God showed me His plan for my life. What would my life look like if it hadn’t been for that dream? I don’t know, and I am grateful that I don’t have to worry finding an answer to this. I`ve been shown what my mission is, what my vocation is and I`m happily walking on this path, following my calling.

It`s happiness for me. It`s passion. It`s connection, purpose, bond. I can’t live without it and it`s the reason why I sit at my writing table every day.

Cristina xx

I fell in love with Istanbul.

I wasn’t planning to, but it happened. I fell in love with Istanbul and I must say, it feels awesome, too!:))

Istanbul is a charm in itself, a place that makes you wonder, a place that makes you want to discover it… You just want to, you can`t resist it.

I`ve been wanting to go to Turkey for a while now, and since this month was my bday too, I said to myself that I could link these two:))

What I first noticed when I got there was the relaxed attitude that people had. I was stunned to see this! Even though a very big city (around 17 million people live there, and Romania, after recent statistics, has 19 million. So Istanbul counts nearly the same population as my country), somehow people here don’t get affected by this immensity and modern life style that Istanbul has. It`s very interesting! There are millions of cars in Istanbul, millions of people, buses, trams, and even more noise from all this traffic. In spite of all this, people are very relaxed, are very laid back and they are smart enough to still find ways to enjoy life, regardless of the circumstances around them.  Incredible!

I could make here an analogy, about the desert and the peace that an oasis has. Istanbul is the desert where it`s all windy, a desert where sand storms happen too.  Now imagine the oasis in the middle of the desert: serenity, harmony, peace. This is what Turkish people transmitted me when I first saw them: they are like the oasis in the desert. Even though the modern pace and business (the wind and the sand storm I used earlier) push them to keep up with life, they are calm, they smile a lot, they sing and dance, they are at peace. And God! they are so friendly! They are so very friendly!

Turkish people make you remind yourself about the simplicity of life, about how good it feels to appreciate what you have; they remind you that life is a gift, that life is joy, and that life must be celebrated and cherished, no matter what you have or don’t have, no matter what you do or don’t do. Turkish people teach you about how happy you can be if you keep your life simple. I was amazed to see all this in the eyes of the Turkish people I met and talked to. Turkish people don’t need much to be happy, to smile or be joyful – this much is clear.

There is this ancient wisdom and knowledge that surround Turkey and it draws me to it like a magnet. It is a deep wisdom that energizes the spirit of this country and the souls of all those who live in it. I guess this is why they don’t pay much attention to material things because they know that their wealth comes from someplace else: their wealth comes from the legacy that their forefathers left them. It`s a legacy passed on from generation to generation and most importantly, it`s a legacy that resides in their hearts. Every Turkish person has this legacy in his/her heart, and it`s what makes them proud, it`s what makes them stand tall and protect what belongs to them. Hats off to you, Turkey!

Another thing that I noticed about this country is that it`s not in any rush to embrace globalization. Unlike other countries (Romania included), Turkey didn’t embrace the modern trends that shower upon our world nowadays. Turkish people are true to their culture, they are true to their national identity and they are not willing to give up on it. They are against the current and this is so inspiring, so empowering and I must say, it`s one of the things I love most about Turkey. Turkish people didn’t rush in exchanging their mother tongue – Turkish – with English. It takes courage and boldness – and most of all, a deep and true love for one`s country and nationality- to do this.

Everybody nowadays hurries to learn English, giving up on their native language. Well, I need to tell you, folks, that speaking English doesn’t grant one immortality. I can go further and say that one of the disadvantages of using this language is that it pushes you away from your roots, forcing you to adopt things(words, expressions, ways of thinking and feeling) that aren’t yours, and it`s something I am personally experiencing, too.

Now I`m not saying that learning English is something wrong, of course it`s not wrong. What I am saying is that Turkey, somehow, was able to find this balance between new and old, between modern and ancient, between national and international. This is very admirable for a country that has faced so many fights, battles and changes along the course of the centuries.

Seeing all this in the Turkish heritage makes me proud that my ancestors shared a past with the Turkish people. In the old days, there were many fights, wars and attempts of conquest coming from the Ottoman Empire and even though these two nations fought against each other, beautiful things happened too, such as marriages between Turkish men and Romanian women. I guess love doesn’t know any boundaries, does it?:P

Next thing I want to talk about is culture. I noticed that Turkey doesn’t say no to anything when it comes to it, when it comes to preserving the old buildings and artifacts that it has. And on good reason, too, because Turkish people are smart enough to know that if they don’t respect and take care of their historical legacy, then they will lose the spiritual bond with their ancestors; they`ll lose the connection with the true essence of who they are as people, as a nation.

For instance, Sultan Ahmed Mosque (also known as the Blue Mosque) is a pure ancient gem. If you see it, in spite of the age of 400 years that it has, you understand that culture is a priority for the government and that it invests ceaseless efforts to preserve these national symbols. Of course that, by doing so, other interests are being served, too, such as political, economic and touristic interests but who cares about this as long as these historical treasures are protected and well looked after?:))

Hagia Sophia, Topkapı Palace, Süleymaniye Mosque, Grand Bazar, Sakıp Sabancı Museum – you better visit these places, you`ll like them for sure!:))

If we talk about Turkey, then we have to talk about food, too. My God!, these people know how to eat!!:)) I`ve spent there 6 days and to my own astonishment, I put on weight. Yes, 2 pounds

The night of (your) mirage.

When I went to Istanbul this summer, one of the places that I visited was Dolmabahçe Palace. Gorgeous 19th-century palace, located on the shore of Bosporus. It was home to 6 Ottoman Sultans, one of which being Sultan Abdulmecid I who also ordered the construction of the palace in 1843. The palace is a jewel crafted by the hands of three brilliant architects:  Garabet Balyan, Nigoğayos Balyan and Evanis Kalfa. I was mesmerized by the palace, its grandeur, beauty and royal touch. One must definitely see it as words can hardly transmit the beauty of it and the feelings one has while being there.

As I was visiting it, I couldn’t but think to myself how amazing Turkey is, how well did the sultans know to rule the empire and their people, not only placing Turkey on the map as one of the strongest countries but leaving behind an enormous and lasting legacy, too.

After finished with visiting the palace, I went to the souvenirs shop. One of my favorite things to do!:) I went inside and while looking over the items they had there, I spotted this book called The path of love by Nusret Tura. The minute I saw it, I took it in my hands and went to pay for it. It was a magnetic attraction, can’t explain it, I`m not kidding you! All I know is that I saw this book and I wanted to have it, no more words or thoughts needed. After arriving home, I started reading it.

Hm, taking a bath in a sea of wisdom? Can you imagine this?

It`s exactly the experience I had all the time I read, meaning about 4 days. I couldn’t believe how beautiful and powerful are the words in it, how marvelous and wise are the meanings, lessons and messages in this book. Rumi and his wise words are often mentioned in it, adding even more substance and weight to the book.

I read many books as not only it`s part of my work but it`s one of the things I love to do and I can only tell you, my reader, that The Path of Love is one of those books that touch your soul, enriches your mind and inspires your heart; it`s one of those books that one absolutely ought to read. If a person reads only one book in their life, let that book be The Path of Love. That person won`t need anything else, that I can assure you of. 

Why am I mentioning about this book? It is because one of its chapters is called The Night of Mirage. The night of everybody`s mirage. The night of your mirage.

When did this happen and what does it mean?

It happened when you were born and the meaning is powerful, huge, life changing not only for you but for those around you, as well. But in order to experience all this, there is one thing you must do: you have to complete your mirage.

Everybody who is born, lives and dies has a mirage to live, to express, to share. Starting with a blacksmith working in his workshop, a teacher or priest and ending with souls like Jesus, Buddha, Allah, Nelson Mandela, Mother Theresa…all of them had their mirage to complete and this mirage was given to them by God. You can also call it personal legend, mission, vocation, destiny. Every soul coming in this world has something that accompanies it; it is not coming alone. This soul has its mirage with it and it must be expressed, it begs for it.

When we complete our mirage, our soul is glad as it will have learned its lessons and will have reached the next level on the spiritual ascension.

This can’t happen if we don’t complete our mirage, if we don’t do, share or express the mission/ gifts that were given to us. We stay stuck in the same patterns and we don’t grow, we never ascend.

Imagine this picture: a parent is sending his child to go into the garden and plant flowers. The parent doesn’t tell the child what flowers to plant, which colors to choose, in what way to plant these flowers. No. He only gives the child a basket full of flowers and tells him to go and plant them. The child does so while the parent is waiting for him in the house. When the child finishes the work, he returns home. In the doorstep is the parent, welcoming him. He smiles kindly; he is very pleased by what the child did. He`s looking at the garden while caressing the child on his head.

“You did well, my child. I gave you a task and you`ve completed it so well. I am glad. Not only did you inspire your brothers and sisters to do the same but you also brought expansion, diversity, visions and colors to my garden. Thank you. You have done well. You may now accept the next task I have for you”

If you can imagine this picture in your mind, you are on the path of understanding how it works and gain value from it.

It is the same with my mirage, your mirage, everybody`s mirage.

By completing it, we reach higher and higher levels on the spiritual ladder. Feel what your calling is; feel what makes you happy and what brings you fulfillment. That is your mirage and that is what you need to complete; that`s what has been accompanying you from the very first second you were born.

I hope my article brought you many benefits and value.

Speak to you next time!

Much love,

Cristina

 

 

 

Serbian shore. Romanian view.

About two weeks ago, I went to Severin city to attend a literary festival. Severin city is located on the Danube`s shore, and the distance between this city and Bucharest is 340 km. It`s quite long but I don’t mind traveling this distance because while in the rain, I can look out the window and see the natural beauty of my country; as a second reason, the trip makes me feel like J.K Rowling, except I am not working on Harry Potter:P

This is pretty funny but really now, this is the feeling:) I wonder how it feels like to travel by train and have such a fantastic idea like she had, with the young wizard boy:) 

We`ll probably never find out because it was her personal experience but one thing is for sure: I am glad that she followed that idea and turned it into such a huge success. No Harry Potter today if it hadn’t been for Joanne’s determination and commitment to write that story.

So, going back to today`s topic, the festival was very nice:) I met new writers, saw again some older acquaintances of mine – both writers and non-writers- discussions, walks, laughter, photos, dinner, (lots) of coffee…you know, how it usually happens when a gathering like this happens. I was happy to see many writers having made their debut and being awarded now for their efforts! I was really glad for them, well done!

Starting off is never easy but somehow it gets easier as we stay true to ourselves , work for our dreams and never give up. I guess this is the kind of advice that any successful person would give anytime for it is also very true.

The festival lasted 3 days. Unfortunately, not much could be done in the third day because it rained and was cold so all we could do was stay inside, have drinks, recite from written works, talk and comment about it and so on…but it was all right. It is always interesting for me to hear other people speak and find out how they think (yes, using that a source for creating my characters, but let it be our secret;-) You can see more photos here! 

But the second day…that was really icing on the cake! We went to Kladovo, Serbia. Yup, the whole group of 20 writers, it was so much fun! In Kladovo a group of other writers waited and welcomed us, it was the same group that had come to Severin with a day before and received awards on their books, too. So now, it was like the places had been switched but it was very nice, very nice! We went to this restaurant located exactly on Danube`s shore called Natura. Green and natural environment, having the Romanian territory in front of our eyes, just across the river…Delightful! 

So, go there and let the lovely host and nicest person ever, Mr Stevan, welcome you and serve you with his delicious food and brighten up your day with his good spirit! He is definitely one of friendliest persons I ever met! You will enjoy his company and easy-going personality just as much as I did. Guarantee!

We didn’t spend too much time in Kladovo, but that didnt matter. It was enough to have a lovely Saturday afternoon, to talk about this and that around a glass of wine, smile, laugh, relax, take photos and so on…:)

If I`ll go back to Serbia? Most definitely! The fish soup in itself is a strong reason