Showing posts with label Meghna by Sundari Venkatraman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meghna by Sundari Venkatraman. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Sharing: AN EXCERPT FROM MY NOVEL "MEGHNA"


Meghna is the second novel that I penned. It's an entertaining romance with a "Happily Ever After" ending. The ebook also happens to be a #Bestseller on Amazon around the world. Meghna is also available in paperback in select countries.

I remember publishing this book with a friendly warning to my readers. Here you go...

This book has been written only for the purpose of Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment! If you are looking to learn something or improve your lives after reading this work, then this book is not for you. I am not trying to get into competition with the Author Biggies of this world. I wrote this simply for the fun and joy of it. One thing I can promise the reader though: Well proof-read, perfect language that I feel is very important for every book that's written in any tongue. 


An excerpt from my book:

A tear slowly found its way down her golden face as Meghna stood at the window. She dashed an angry hand against her cheek, only to have another one coming right after the first. The shock of meeting Rahul after so many years had taken its toll.
   Life had never been the same after Rahul kissed her. Meghna unconsciously touched her lips. All these years she had waited for him to contact her. And suddenly he was here, larger than life and, she clenched her fists, teasing her mercilessly. It appeared as if the years in between ceased to exist. The tears flowed faster. 
   Rahul placed a gentle hand on Meghna’s shoulder. “Meghna.” She tried to push his hand away in vain.
   “Meghna, look at me.” Rahul right hand came out to take hold of her chin and turn her head to face him. 
   There was no reply as Meghna kept her gaze down, refusing to meet his teasing brown eyes.
   “It’s lovely. Your choice, I suppose,” said Rahul.
   Her head came up at that and she looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses.
   “The floor - the pattern’s beautiful.” Rahul explained patiently.
   Meghna glared at him, confused.
   “Where are your wits, my darling? Weren’t you trying to draw my attention to the floor? I’m impressed. It looks great,” his expression was serious. 
   “Rahul,” said Meghna, “You’re impossible, incorrigible and, and—”
   “And?” prompted Rahul, his eyes alight with mischief.
   Meghna just managed to stop herself from saying, ‘adorable’. The devil didn’t need her to feed his already swollen ego.
   “And nothing.”
    “Nothing?” Rahul looked at the self-confident woman in front of him. He thought of the young girl - short and plump with no confidence at all - he had left behind. His lips parted in a slow smile. “Why the tears?” He asked in a sudden change of subject.
   Meghna had been watching the morning sun’s rays playing on Rahul’s handsome face, totally absorbed in the dashing figure he cut. She didn’t hear his question.
   “Meghna,” Rahul’s voice came from near her ear, curious at her wandering attention.
   She raised startled grey eyes to his face that was too close for comfort.
   “What?” 
   “Why the tears?” he repeated.
   “Forget it. It’s nothing important,” said Meghna.
   “How can I? As you mentioned earlier, it’s barely a few hours since—”
   “Please Rahul. I’m perfectly fine.” Meghna answered quickly, worried that he might leave.
   “Would you rather I stayed elsewhere?” continued Rahul, “I don’t want to upset you.”
   “Don’t be silly, Rahul. Sanjay and Bhabhi will be very upset if you stayed elsewhere.” Meghna refused to look above his shoulder.
   “And you?” A dark eyebrow rose up in query. 
   Meghna didn’t reply. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing. He had seemed like the Rahul from her childhood days in the dining room. Now he appeared to be a sophisticated stranger making demands on her that she didn’t even begin to fathom. He was like a new person. She didn’t realise that the change was more in the way she perceived things, then as a teenager and now as a young woman. 
   Rahul snapped his fingers in front of Meghna’s startled face, “Earth calling Meghna,” he said, his face breaking into a wide grin.
   Meghna brought her rambling thoughts under control and looked at him questioningly.
   Rahul sighed extravagantly. “Meghna,” he said, “Do you want me to leave?”
   “Well,” answered Meghna softly, “if you stay elsewhere, how will you find time to bug me?” She tried hard to look sad. But her twinkling eyes gave her away.
   “That’s my Meghna.” Rahul put an arm around her shoulder. Thank God!  For a minute there he thought he was going to be thrown out. 
   Meghna was just the perfect name for her. Her grey eyes reminded him of dark, rain-bearing clouds. The lightning temper in her eyes and the thunder in her expression added to his conviction. Just now the grey eyes were smiling guilelessly up at him.

If you enjoyed reading the excerpt, you can purchase your copy here: Meghna on Amazon #KDP 




Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Tornado Giveaway 2: Book No. 99: MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman





Name of the Book: MEGHNA
Author: Sundari Venkatraman

Read some reviews:

1. Rubina Ramesh
2. Inderpreet Kaur Uppal 
3. Meghan Duce 

The Story:

The young and dashing Rahul Sinha lives in England with his parents, Shyam and Rajni. He is an only son of the rich banker. Rahul is totally attached to his father but does not care for his mother. Read the book to find out why….

Rahul is exulted with his efforts at work paying off and plans a holiday with his best friend Sanjay Srivastav who lives in Mumbai with his wife Reema, kids Sanya and Rehaan and most importantly, his sister, Meghna. Rahul recalls meeting Meghna just before they parted six years ago.

Meghna works for a website and also teaches modern dance as she loves it. She’s thrown for a toss when Rahul comes visiting. She had thought he had forgotten them.

But how could Rahul do that? Sanjay’s his best friend and Rahul had always treated their home as his own. Sanjay’s mother had been more of a mother to Rahul than his own. Rahul had stayed away after moving to England or so Meghna believes.

Thus begins the story between Rahul and Meghna, the teasing, the flirting, the anger, the tears… …will they find love?

You can also buy @


About The Author 


Sundari Venkatraman 

Even as a kid, Sundari absolutely loved the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome as she grew up reading all the fairy tales she could lay her hands on, Phantom comics, Mandrake comics and the like. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy end.

Soon, into her teens, Sundari switched her attention from fairy tales to Mills & Boon. While she loved reading both of these, she kept visualising what would have happened if there were similar situations happening in India; to a local hero and heroine. Her imagination took flight and she always lived in a rosy cocoon of romance over the years.

Then came the writing – a true bolt out of the blue! She could never string two sentences together. While her spoken English had always been excellent – thanks to her Grandpa – she couldn’t write to save her life.

All this changed suddenly one fine day in the year 2000. She had just quit her job as a school admin and didn’t know what to do with her life. She was saturated with simply reading books. That’s when she returned home one evening after her walk, took some sheets of paper and began writing. It was like watching a movie that was running in her head – all those years of visualising Indian heroes and heroines needed an outlet and had to be put into words. That’s how her first novel, The Malhotra Bride, took shape. While she felt discouraged when publishing didn’t happen, it was her husband who kept encouraging her not to give up.

In the meanwhile, she landed a job as Copy Editor with Mumbai Mirror. After working there for two years, she moved to the Network 18 Group and worked with two of their websites over the next six years, as Content Editor.

Despite her work schedule, she continued to write novels and then short stories and had them published in her blogs. She also blogs voraciously, writing on many different topics – travel, book reviews, film reviews, restaurant reviews, spirituality, alternative health and more.

Her first eBook Double Jeopardy – a romance novella – was published by Indireads and has been very well received by readers of romance.

In 2014, Sundari self-published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition); Meghna; The Runaway Bridegroom; Flaming Sun Collection 1: Happily Ever Afters From India (Box Set) and Matches Made In Heaven (a collection of romantic short stories).

2015 brought yet another opportunity. Readomania came forward to traditionally publish this book – The Madras Affair – a mature romance set in Madras.

Stalk her @
Website | Twitter | Facebook


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#TornadoGiveaway is an initiative of The Book Club. Click on the icon to go to the event page of the Tornado .. Lots of fun awaits you :)



Friday, March 13, 2015

Sharing: LIVE INTERVIEW ON THE BOOK CLUB (MEGHNA)

Bestseller MEGHNA
The Book Club conducted a LIVE INTERVIEW (August 17, 2014) on their Facebook page after the launch of my novel "Meghna". A number of readers/bloggers/authors came together on one platform to ask me questions. I must say I had a lovely time answering their questions. Thank you The Book club, Rubina Ramesh, Dola Basu Singh, Ahana Mukherjee, Devika Fernando, Adite Banerjie, Aparajita Dutta, Janaki Nagaraj, Inderpreet Kaur Uppal and Nilima Mohite. 

The Book Club: Dear Sundari Venkatraman. Congratulations on Meghna doing so well. We have been getting questions regarding on how you create the characters? Do you plan them out?

Sundari Venkatraman: Hmmm... Yeah, I plan my main characters to some extent. The hero and heroine, especially. But somehow, once I give them names and imagine their features, they begin to do a drama in my mind. It runs like a movie. I just watch it and write. The side characters pop up at every point. Like a parent, housekeeper, a hotel waiter, etc

The Book Club: So do movies influence you?

Sundari Venkatraman: Oh yes, to a very large extent - almost as much as books 

Dola Basu Singh: Sundari, you have published traditionally as well as gone indie. Which do you prefer? Why?

Sundari Venkatraman: That's right Dola Basu Singh. Thank you for the question. I prefer Indie of course. It's as independent as you can get. No strict Editorial Guidelines to follow. Creative work needs a free expression. Otherwise, what's the point? Yes, we need an editor to tell us what works and what doesn't. But not turn the story topsy turvy. Besides that, amazingly better returns and faster too.

Dola Basu Singh: Better returns sounds great! But do you think that when we self-publish we have to put in more efforts in marketing, editing etc in comparison to trad-publishing? Also, do you think the quality of the work may suffer?

Sundari Venkatraman: Better returns happen only with sincere work. I was always putting in a lot of effort with marketing even for traditional publishing. The publisher can help only up to a point. The crowd wants the author there - approachable, reachable. Editing is a must if one doesn't plan to be a one-book wonder. Those for the long haul will realise that if the first book is trashy, the reader will not touch the author. I wouldn't as a reader, so why would I expect others to do it? The quality of work need not suffer. That much self-respect is required. Yes, one needs to be determined and disciplined to achieve all this of course. I think I am.

Dola Basu Singh: Definitely. We've seen you churn out 2 bestselling books within a year. Meghna is also doing well. Good luck for success of Meghna.

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you so much Dola Basu Singh

Ahana Mukherjee: Meghna seems to have struck a chord amongst your readers. Were you targeting a particular section of the audience when writing? Do you bear in mind who your readers might be and write for them?

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you Ahana Mukherjee. I am glad to see that it has. I think part of the credit will go to that friendly warning that I posted. I enjoy reading fun romances and thought there must be people out there who are like me. There used to be a different type of M&B a few decades ago. I used to love reading them. They basically spoke about places, people, culture, relationships. They influenced me a lot. I always wanted to write those kind of romances set in India. So, basically, I write my books for those readers who are like me, I suppose. Does that answer your question?

Ahana Mukherjee: It was good to read a through and through rom com for a change... :)

Devika Fernando Author: Sundari Venkatraman what would you say are your favourite parts of a book to write? and what do you consider your writing strengths?

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you Devika Fernando Author. I would say that all parts of my book are favourites, actually. But specifically, I love writing dialogue and descriptions - of nature as well as homes. Regarding writing strengths... hmmm... that really set me thinking. Building human relationships, I think that's what I like best in my writing and so would call that my writing strength.

Devika Fernando Author: having read "meghna", I agree that this is one of your strengths. 

Sundari Venkatraman: :D 

Adite Banerjie: Hi Sundari. Just saw on Amazon.in today Meghna is among the top 50 romance bestsellers. Congrats! As an indie-published author, do you rely on someone to critique your story or tell you what's working or what's not? Or do you just go by your own gut feel?

Sundari Venkatraman: Hi Adite Banerjie! Wow! Thank you for the info and best wishes. Yeah, both The Malhotra Bride and Meghna have been in the Amazon Bestsellers contemporary romances lists over the past few days. To answer your question, I definitely call in for critical appreciation. I rely on at least 2-3 critiques / Beta readings before going public with a novel. My viewpoint alone will never do. The project is my own creation and too close to my heart for me to understand if it works. In the meanwhile, gut feel helps too. I write from the heart and I hope that it will resonate with a lot of people around the globe.

Adite Banerjie: You're so right....if a story doesn't have heart it won't resonate with readers. Best wishes to you and hope you write many many heartwarming tales! 

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you so much Adite Banerjie :D

Devika Fernando Author: congratulations! and I agree, beta readers are important.

Aparajita Dutta: Hi Sundari Venkatraman ..Why did you choose to write on this particular genre? Are you planning to stick to this particular genre in future?

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you Aparajita Dutta. I am not sure that I chose this genre. I think it chose me. I loved fairy tales as a kid and grew up to like mushy romances with 'lived happily ever after' endings (read M&B and Georgette Heyer). I still like them. I think I would prefer to stick to this genre with a bit of thriller, historical and paranormal thrown in - separately, of course.

Aparajita Dutta: thank you so much :)

Janaki Nagaraj: Hi Sundari. I have not read Meghna. This is a general question. Most of the romance novels revolve around rich couple; the boy is rich, well educated, either a businessman or earning very well, classy and Mr. Perfect. The girl too is beautiful, sexy with perfect figure and the works. Have you ever thought of breaking this barrier of stereotyping the characters? Will you be able to write a romantic story revolving around very ordinary, middle or lower class people who have lots of odds placed against them?

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you Janaki Nagaraj for asking me this question. The world has both the positive and the negative. That is how the third dimensional world has been created. Obviously, it is populated by both the rich and the poor. I prefer to focus on the rich. There is a misapprehension in parts of our society that thinking ‘Money’ is wrong. Well, I don’t belong to that strata of people. 

1. My typical hero is 30 years old. If he is not a success by then, I don’t want to write about him. Even people from the slums break out of poverty to make something of themselves. Financial success is very important to be my hero – as important as being honest. 

2. ‘Beauty,’ as they say, ‘is in the eye of the beholder’. My heroine appears beautiful to my hero; and sexy too. She may not necessarily appear beautiful to everyone. She has a perfect figure – in Meghna’s case – because she dances 7 days a week.  

I hope I have answered your question :)

Janaki Nagaraj: You have, thanks :)

Inderpreet Kaur Uppal: Hi Sundari, you have 3 very successful romance books under your name, did you always have this feeling of love in your writing? Do you think anyone can be a romance writer or do they have a special something that helps them express the power of love?

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you Inderpreet! Sorry that I took so long to reply to your question. I am also a dedicated homemaker besides being a writer. :D To answer your question, I always have this feeling of love even while reading. I read more romances than any other books. Even the other books I read need to have a happy ending. I don’t much care for tragedies. Anyone who is passionate about love and romances and has a flair for writing can definitely become a romance writer is what I think. 

Inderpreet Kaur Uppal: Thanks for answering my question :D

Nilima Mohite: Sundari Venkatraman you always give details about traditions, locations, events, .... How do you research for them?

Sundari Venkatraman: I love your question Nilima Mohite! Most of it is from personal experience. The rest from google search. Like I have written about Mumbai; ISKCON Temple @ Juhu; Arya Samaj Wedding; Dandiya Raas; Fort Hill Garden and JW Marriott - all these I have personally visited. I love soaking into different atmospheres. So I instinctively absorb them and they automatically flow into the scenes in my novels.

Nilima Mohite: Gr8. I too absorb details & pour them into blog posts ;)

The Book Club: Thank you Ladies and err... ladies... for taking the time to drop in. Thanks Sundari. It must have been tiring for you answering all the questions. But you did a brilliant job 

Sundari Venkatraman: Thank you The Book Club for this wonderful opportunity. I thoroughly enjoyed the Q&A :D