Sharing: LIVING IN A BEAUTIFUL STATE

Photo by Diego Madrigal (https://www.pexels.com/)

The most basic truth: that I am on this earth, in this human vessel, to experience the Divine!

First and foremost, I would like to thank my Amma Bhagavan, Krishnaji, Preethaji, Acharya Anandagiriji, and Utpalaji of the Oneness University, for the transformation they have brought into my life. I am eternally grateful to my childhood friend, Anuradha Chandrasekhar, for introducing Bhagavan to me all those years ago, and guiding me in my soul path. 

THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

Anuradha introduced Oneness to me in 1996, and held my hand while I attended my first class—Vara Yagna—in Nemam in May 1997. At that time, I wasn’t aware of how she had introduced me to the wonder which was my inner journey into finding myself, and ultimately, my Divine.

The latest course which I attended at Oneness University was Ekam Tapas, which lasted for 28 days, in the year 2022. While I had many wonderful experiences during the course itself, it was my journey after I returned to my regular life which was the most impactful. Which is what happens every time I go for my spiritual classes at Oneness. They are all intense, with powerful energy transfers (deekshas) from my Gurus. 

I have been relentless in continuing with my meditations, especially being aware of every single thought which crosses my mind, vigilantly, watching them all, like a hawk watches its prey.

I recall to mind what Bhagavan has said about this. “Watching your thoughts will become the most interesting sadhana, as nothing can fascinate you more than the play of your mind.” This is not an exact quote, but the gist of what He has told us. 

And it became an experience in my life from January 2003, when my Antaryaamin became fully alive at this point. This has helped me tremendously in my spiritual journey.

It is not only watching one’s thoughts, but to do so without judgement. A tall order, indeed. But then, we arrive at it with constant vigilance, and the blessings of the Lord. 

Surrender does not come easily, especially to a control freak such as myself. But Bhagavan says that one of the highest forms of surrender is to be aware that there is no surrender within oneself.

THIS IS SO TRUE!

Krishnaji and Preethaji insist that there are only one of two states which everyone lives in: A Beautiful State or a Suffering State.  

The first one leads you to abundance and peace. The second one to the exact opposite. Sounds so easy and achievable in theory, but how to get there in practice?

They have many teachings, contemplations, meditations and deekshas to help us reach a Beautiful State.

To begin with, I attended Ekam Tapas, to drive away the demons which kept repeatedly pushing me down to a suffering state. Did the 28 days bring about a transformation in me?

Yes, to some extent. I was living in a Beautiful State for about a month after I returned from Tapas, before I began sliding down to suffering, when day-to-day life encroached upon me.

I continued to practise the meditations and awareness, but kept going up and down like a see-saw. But the good thing was the recovery from suffering to non-suffering state was swifter than before. It was like climbing on a spiral, where you rise up to a level, but slide back down a little before you rise again, every time reaching a higher level.

I truly thank Utpalaji for her kindness, patience and love when I used to bother her so often, crying out my heart whenever I lost control of my life…

…only to realise about ten weeks ago, that I have never been in control.

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AND IT HAPPENED, FINALLY!

I woke up one morning to immediately slide into my suffering when I saw that my book sales were mediocre. I nagged my Antaryaamin Bhagavan, accusing him of being unkind to me, and not bothering to answer my prayers. I was crying and cribbing and complaining, falling into a state of deep suffering. 

I allowed myself to wallow in my suffering, completely, throwing my arms up to the Divine and truly realising that there was nothing I could do about it.

Suddenly, it felt as if a lamp was switched on in my brain.

Why was I praying? What is prayer? I asked myself these questions, realising that I was using prayer as a tool to manipulate God.

Shocking? Yes. But it was the truth. I was trying to control, manipulate God into giving me what I wanted, what I desired, what I craved. I was trying to force Him to not give me anything which I didn’t want, or desire, or disliked.

Are you able to see the humour in this situation? Well, I did. And I was simply amazed at my own audacity: believing that I was in control of my life, my experiences. In this whole thing, I had forgotten the most basic truth: that I am on this earth, in this human vessel, to experience the Divine, which is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent. And I was trying to manipulate this Divine, believing foolishly, that I (the small I as against the Universal I) knew better.

This maybe something I have learned repeatedly, and was very well aware of. But for the first time, I actually experienced it.

It was true liberation from suffering. I realised the complete lack of sense in praying. At least, the kind of prayer I used to do: keep asking, even begging, sometimes arguing, threatening my Divine to give me this or that, or both. 

Prayers simply left me, exactly how the teachers at Oneness had said that unnecessary things will leave us: like a leaf falling off a tree during autumn, effortlessly. It simply falls away because it is meant to do exactly that.

FREEDOM!

My mind chatter reduced to a great extent, and I began to feel more energetic soon after this experience. It isn’t as if my mind has stopped chattering. Not really! But the impact has reduced tremendously. I still complain, continue to judge the people around me, and constantly comment—LOL. I am still the same person, but what has happened is that I feel completely detached from my thoughts. I realise that I have nothing to do with them and keep watching my thoughts as I would watch a movie. And believe me, it is as interesting as Bhagavan promised it would be.

The energy in my physical body is incredibly high. I used to be a lazy, lethargic lump of fat. These days, when I walk, I don’t even wheeze; and I walk way faster than before. The aches and pains have reduced tremendously. And I realise that it is because of my non-suffering state. Amazing, isn’t it?

There was a time when I had forgotten how to smile. That was almost a decade ago. With a lot of spiritual practices, I relearned to smile, but still it was an effort.

Today, I SMILE when I am walking, at nothing. I SMILE when there is nobody with me. I SMILE when I am watching TV—it does not matter if the scene is happy or sad, I just SMILE. I SMILE when reading a book. I SMILE at the crow at my window, at the squirrels. I SMILE and speak to the cats I meet on the street. 

I am simply unable to stop SMILING.

And for this BEAUTIFUL STATE, I thank my Amma Bhagavan, Krishnaji, Preethaji. This is complete non-suffering, and I have been experiencing it for the last, at least 10 weeks, if not more.

Thank you, my Bhagavan, for BEING LOVE. Thank you for living in me, filling me with LOVE, to the exclusion of everything else.

I LOVE YOU!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sundari Venkatraman is an Indie Author who has 71 books to her credit, the latest book being LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION! Though it is the third book in the Bollywood Bros trilogy, it can be read as a standalone romance novel. Her books have consistently featured in the Top 100 Bestseller Lists on Amazon India, Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada and Amazon Australia in both romance as well as Asian Drama categories. Her latest hot romances have all been on #1 Bestseller slot in Amazon India for over a month.

These days, the author is independently publishing her novels in paperback format under her banner Flaming Sun, printed and distributed by Notion Press. 

Even as a child, Sundari absolutely loved the ‘lived happily ever after’ syndrome and she grew up on a steady diet of fairy tales, Phantom comics and Mandrake comics. It was always about good triumphing over evil and a happy ending after the protagonists surmounted all unexpected obstacles.

Once she entered her teens, Sundari switched her loyalties 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 local heroes and heroines. And of course, the joy of vanquishing the ubiquitous evil villains! Her imagination soared and she happily ensconced herself in a rosy romantic cocoon for many years.

Then came the writing—a true bolt from the blue! And Sundari Venkatraman has never looked back.

Click here to check out all the titles by the author...

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Sharing: CELEBRATING THE SPIRIT OF INDIE

I have come a long way since I hit the publish button on my first eBook The Malhotra Bride on Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. I must say it’s been an amazing journey, walking along the path of indie. 

To begin with, there were a number of people, including many authors that I got to know through social media, who sniggered behind my back. There are those who do it till this day.

Okay, one might ask, “How do you know that they snigger if they are doing it behind your back?” All I can say is that news travel at the speed of light, especially the negative kind.

Well, today, I declare that I have (not had) the last laugh as I laugh my way to the bank, month after month.

And they came, the publishers, big and small, seeing that I have made a success of my books, becoming an Authorpreneur in the true sense, inviting me to publish with them. 

I rejected a number of them, for various reasons and signed up with a few, for which I have my reasons too. 

When I realised that one publishing house might never be able to catch up with me and publish all my titles, I set out to do a lot of research. That’s how I have always worked, doing research. In 2001, I went to a number of bookstores to make a list of publishers and their addresses from books and writing to them. That’s how the rejections happened. 

So, recently, I attended a number of book launches, both big and small, trying to understand how this worked. I even went to a school to give a lecture to Std. IX kids. I also met a couple of publishers to understand how they functioned. That’s when a question arose from within me. Does it make sense to spend lakhs of rupees on book launches at 5-star venues? 

I suppose it depends on what you ultimately want to achieve as an author. Spending the whole of December trying to understand the logistics and investment involved, I arrived at the conclusion that this was just not my cup of tea.

Sour grapes? 

I would say not. I am too fond of my money and I would rather pay my cover designer, my editor, my cook and my maid more rather than pay for free books and fancy dinners to friends, colleagues and relatives. I just can’t see the logic in splashing all my hard-earned money on such events. 

And then something happened that truly woke me up to some hard truths that I needed to know about myself. I spoke to this publisher, who’s fairly newbie as against me, who’s proved that I have a huge readership for my books. He told me in no uncertain terms that it’s the publishers and editors who know best about what sells in a book and I should be open to changing my story as per their advice. 

That did it!

I write for the love of it. I am thrilled that my readers enjoy my books. I wouldn’t say that all of them love all my books. But then, I don’t like the artworks of all artists either. We aren’t clones, but human beings, who have different tastes. I tell my stories and it makes me happy that people like reading them. But I would be the last person to shove it down anyone’s throat. 

That was the tipping point when I decided that I would rather spend my time writing, publishing and promoting my books, at my pace, my style and my way. I finally accepted that I am indie through and through, and a proud one at that. 

And for my success as an Indie author, I have to thank Rubina Ramesh, first and foremost, and The Book Club she launched, I am proud to say, with my book. She has been a great support throughout my publishing journey and I can truly say that Rubina has played a major role in my becoming what I am today, a super successful author of 37 books + 4 collections.

On the eve of publishing my 38th book—Her Prince Charming—I also thank my readers and fans. They are my backbone. They are the ones who have made my success possible. 

Even though 28 publishers rejected my writing, the readers have declared otherwise, loving my books and some even giving me a lot of constructive criticism. 

And then there is the Amazon KDP team. Without taking any names here, I would like to thank the ones who got in touch with me after consistently seeing my titles on the Top 100 Bestseller lists. They created a wonderful video for me and also made me a judge for their writing contest, Pen to Publish, over two consecutive years. And imagine my joy when they made me a speaker at Jaipur Literature Festival 2018, a chance that even many traditionally published authors with major publishing houses find it difficult to get. 

There was one more feather to my cap when the director of KDP declared me the most successful KDP author in India. 

It gives me immense joy that I, who had struggled with repeated rejections from major publishing houses around the world, have become a famous, bestselling author, all thanks to Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing. It thrills me to be their Brand Ambassador. 

And thus, I have arrived at another turning point, another stepping stone: to publish my own paperbacks under my brand, Flaming Sun. 

Why? You might ask, wonder. Well, I realise that I love my independence, I like to be in control of my life and the Amazon Dashboard that lets me peek into my sales graph that gets updated hourly, has spoilt me thoroughly. It’s also the money that gets deposited into my bank account on a regular basis. It makes me feel on top of the world. 

I don’t plan to rush, I am not desperate. Though I would love to sell millions of copies, I don’t want to push my book into the hands of people who aren’t interested in them just for the sake of marketing. I would rather that readers buy my books because they are keen to own a copy and create their own collection of Sundari Venkatraman’s books. 

And so we head to my announcement:

With Her Prince Charming, I plan to launch my paperback which will be available exclusively on Amazon. 

Oh yes! If you want a copy of my book, you have to purchase it from Amazon and nowhere else. 

Sharing: MAHARAJA INTERNATIONAL (The Bansal Legacy Book #3)

Maharaja International is the last book of The Bansal Legacy trilogy and follows the story of Ritvik Bansal, the youngest Bansal sibling. Ritvik helms the 5-star hotel by the same name at the heritage city of Udaipur.

The hotel and the setting are completely from my imagination. I got an opportunity to visit Udaipur in February 2017. I must say I had planned the visit deliberately after the way the second book in the trilogy—Rose Garden International—had panned out based on a trip to Ooty. Setting my book in a city that I have actually visited makes a difference to the way it’s portrayed in the novel is what I found. Many of my readers were keen to visit or revisit Ooty after reading Book #2 of the series. I truly hope I have been able to capture the flavour of Udaipur in Maharaja International.

I am proud to say that the book has been independently published by Flaming Sun and launched by The Book Club.

A special thanks to Rubina Ramesh, Nikita Jhanglani and Unaiza Merchant. A million thanks to all my readers and fans out there. Last, but not the least, Thank you Amazon! You have set me free!

Blurb

Ritvik Bansal’s decision to father a surrogate child comes as a total shock to his family, more because he insists that he needs no wife.

Two years down the line, Sia Rathod goes to work at Ritvik’s 5-star hotel Maharaja International as the salon manager at Cleopatra’s.

They connect instantaneously as sparks fly. After spending time in each other’s company, they take their relationship to the next level.

Will Ritvik change his mind about getting married?

Even if he does, will Sia agree to become his wife as well as to be mother to two-year-old Aarya? Especially with the kind of past that she never speaks about?

*This is the third and last book in The Bansal Legacy series

#Bestseller on Amazon in 24 hours

Check out the 5-star ratings on Goodreads

Check out the reviews on Amazon.in

An Excerpt

It wasn’t really a surprise when Ritvik woke up at 6.30 am with a crick in his neck. But the gentle weight in his arms made him almost forget his pain. He gently brushed back the curls that had tumbled over Aarya’s face and was glad to find that she had no fever.

Aarya opened her eyes and gave him a toothy grin. “Gu mornin’ Daddhie.” She sat up on his stomach to rub her eyes. “You are my bedh,” she gurgled with laughter.

“Good morning, my little imp. Oh yeah!” He laughed, before lifting her in his arms to carry her to the bathroom. “I love you sweetie.”

Aarya threw both her arms around his neck, giving him a wet kiss on his cheek. “I love you Daddhie.” 

Ritvik left Aarya in Meera’s care before taking a shower. The pain in his neck refused to go and that was when he struck upon a plan. He couldn’t help but recall the memory of Sia’s lush breasts thrusting against her white shirt, the nipples having gone pebble hard when he touched her shoulder. He would go to Cleopatra’s and have a head massage. He pulled on a pair of Bermuda shorts and a button down half shirt, before thrusting his feet into leather sandals.

“Meera aunty, I need to go out for a while. Please give Aarya her breakfast.” He turned to his daughter and said, “Daddy needs to go somewhere sweetie. You have breakfast with aunty. I’ll be back in some time. We both will have lunch together.”

“’kay Daddhie. I’m goin’ see carthoon.”

“Right sweetie. You do that.” Ritvik ruffled her hair before kissing Aarya on the top of her head. Waving to both of them, he left to rush down three flights of stairs before walking to the back of the hotel where Cleopatra’s was. He entered to find Inder and Fern who hailed him exuberantly. “Hey good morning,” he responded to them with equal enthusiasm. “Where are the others?”

“Andy is giving a client a massage and Asha is with another client for a manicure-pedicure,” Inder answered. “What can I do for you Ritvik?”

“Where’s Sia?”

“Were you looking for me?” Sia came out of the bathroom where she had gone to change into her work attire. Seeing Ritvik, she greeted him with a smile, “Good morning boss.” It was difficult holding on to her smile as she ran her eyes over him. The first time she met him, Ritvik had been dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt. Yesterday, he had been in a formal suit when she had met him in his cabin. Today, in shorts and a casual shirt, he was breathtaking. It was a wonder that she was still breathing after catching an eyeful of him first thing in the morning. Sia pressed a hand against her chest, trying to calm down her pounding heart. It was with great difficulty that she focussed on what he was saying.

“Morning Sia. I need a head massage, desperately. Are you free to give me one?”

“Of course! Would you like to settle down in that cabin?” Sia pointed to the one on the far left. “I’ll be with you in two minutes.”

Ritvik settled down in the comfortable salon chair, his feet stretched out on the little pouffe. He turned his neck this way and that, unable to find a suitable position as it continued to hurt.

Sia walked in, pushing a trolley that held steaming aromatic oil, combs and towels, to see him turning restlessly on the chair. “Is something wrong?”

“I’ve sprained my neck. It hurts like a bitch,” he bit out.

“The massage will definitely help. But I’ll get you an icepack first. Can you please take off your shirt?” Sia fled even as she noticed his hands moving towards the shirt buttons through the mirror. Wondering how she was going to survive the next hour, Sia removed a frozen pack from the freezer and went back to the cabin. She dropped the pack on the trolley, her pulse going haywire when her eyes encountered his amazing chest in the mirror. Luckily for her, his eyes were shut, thick and long lashes resting against his manly cheeks. She took a minute to study his bronzed, muscular shoulders and chest that tapered into a lean waist. His chest was liberally sprinkled with curly hair, just enough to make a woman want to swoon into his arms. Feeling like a voyeur, Sia turned her head away to remove a huge, fluffy towel to spread it over his chest. She lifted his open hair and piled it into a loose knot on the top of his head. “Can you tell me where exactly it pains?”

When Ritvik pointed to the left side of his neck without opening his eyes, Sia said in warning, “I’m going to press an icepack to that point,” before placing it gently against the area and holding it there.

Ritvik gave a deep groan. “Thanks Sia. That feels good.”

Sia smiled, looking at him in the mirror. Gaining confidence as his eyes continued to remain shut, her silvery grey eyes ran over his body boldly. His broad feet were bare as they rested on the ottoman, as were his long, long legs. His khaki shorts covered him from hip to knee. Her eyes stopped at his washboard abs that the towel hadn’t manage to quite cover. She dragged her gaze away with an effort to concentrate on his neck as she lifted the icepack and turned it over before pressing the other side down to the troubled spot, satisfied to hear Ritvik’s groan of pleasure.

She removed the ice pack before pouring the fragrant oil in her left palm. Rubbing it between her hands, Sia set out to massage Ritvik’s shoulders, working towards his neck, while he continued to remain silent, his eyes shut. She could see that his breathing was even as his chest rose and fell rhythmically under the towel.

Her palms and fingers tingled as she rubbed them firmly over his shoulders, revelling in the sensation. He was all hard muscle and sinew, not one little bit of spare flesh. His skin was bronzed to an even golden brown. Sia was hard pressed to refrain from kissing the pulse beating steadily at the side of his neck. She worked dexterously with her hands despite the lusty thoughts that scampered through her mind, orchestrated by her hammering heart.

Ritvik groaned, opening his slumberous gaze to look at her through the mirror when she pressed a thumb to the damaged spot. “That’s the point. Go easy on it please.”

She gave him a nod and a weak smile, her grey eyes glowing silver as she tenderly stroked the spot upwards, keen to relieve his pain.

“Oh yes! That feel so good,” moaned Ritvik, shutting his eyes again, giving himself up to her ministrations. He almost went to sleep as Sia opened the loose knot of his long hair and oiled it. She pulled and stroked and massaged every inch of his scalp, working her way towards his neck once again, downwards this time. After forty five minutes of kneading his head and neck, Sia set up a hair steamer above Ritvik’s head and switched it on. She also brought a hot towel for his neck. After the excess oil was removed from his neck, she applied a hot water bag, holding it in place on the left side of his neck.

Though Ritvik’s eyes were closed, he was completely awake as he underwent the treatment. He had caught the tinge of colour on her cheeks and had kept his eyelids firmly shut, not to cause her further embarrassment. Sia was good with her hands while her touch on his head, neck and shoulders had aroused him. The first time he saw her, he had noticed her in passing just as any other red-blooded man would have. She was attractive and was also good at her job.

But yesterday was the first time Ritvik had really taken notice. It wasn’t everybody who could stand up to Dayanita Thakore. That woman wore her shroud of royalty like a weapon and people who came in contact rarely had the guts to speak to her, let alone cross swords. He had been impressed by the way Sia had dealt with Dayanita. Attractive, efficient and bold! Sia seemed to be a lethal combo. Ritvik wanted to know her more. It had been at least three years since Ritvik had felt a spark of attraction towards a woman. There was a time when Rohit had teased him ad nauseam of being a ladykiller and his elder brother had spoken the truth after all. That had been one phase of Ritvik’s life. Later, after being chased by women only because of his looks and money—none of them seemed to care that there was an intelligent mind lurking behind his hot looks—Ritvik had arrived at the decision that he never wanted a permanent relationship with one. That was also the time when he decided to become a single father. When his baby was growing in some stranger’s womb, Ritvik wasn’t in a mental state to have an affair. When Aarya was born, he gave her all his attention. Between his busy career as a hotelier and being a single parent to his little girl, Ritvik didn’t make time for women. Yes, he was aware that he could have made the time if he had really set his mind to it. But it was just that he hadn’t felt the need.

Right now, though, it looked like Sia had woken up the sleeping man in him. Ritvik opened his eyes and stretched after she moved the steamer and hot water bag away. “Sia...” His charcoal eyes delved deeply into her smoky grey gaze through the mirror. “That was simply amazing! My neck,” he turned his head, first to the left and then to the right before continuing, “is as good as new.” He smiled at her before getting up from his chair, the towel falling off his magnificent chest and making Sia’s eyes stretch wide. Ritvik’s smile grew wider when he saw what had caught her attention. Removing his shirt from the hanger, he shrugged his wide shoulders into it. “Thank you so much. Tell you what!” He paused as if to wonder if she was really hearing his words as her expression was still dazed.

“What?” Sia lifted her gaze from his chest—it was covered now anyway—up to his eyes as she asked the question.

“Have dinner with me.”

“I...” Her right hand went to her throat as if that would bring down the wild beating of her pulse. “Err...”

“I promise to behave.” He gave her a cheeky grin, his left eye closing in a wink.

Hot colour bloomed in Sia’s cheeks as a smile broke out on her face. “Okay boss.”

“That’s my girl. I’ll pick you up from the staff quarters at seven. Casual should be fine.”

“Can we make that eight? I’ll be finishing here only after seven.”

“Done.” He showed her a ‘thumbs-up’ before stepping into his sandals.

“I need to wash your hair.”

“That’s fine Sia. I’ll do it. I need a shower anyway. I’ll see you in the evening.” He left.

Sia sat back in the chair he had vacated with a thud. Whoosh! It felt as if she had stepped out of the centre of a tornado. The man was a livewire, emitting such energy, even with his eyes closed. She wondered how her heart was going to survive a dinner date with him.

Sia grinned suddenly. What the hell! She looked forward to the evening with Ritvik Bansal.

Sharing: BOOK-A-MONTH MARATHON, AN AMAZON KDP SUCCESS STORY

All my 20 titles on Amazon #KDP

Freedom!!!

I owe my thanks totally to Amazon KDP for my freedom—to do what I love while making an awesome income.  

And I feel oh-so-honoured by the recognition I got from them.

Read on to find out how you can also make a successful writing career with Amazon...

Yes, I seem to have managed the near impossible: My 14^th title in 13 months! Well, of these, one is a box set (Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India) while another is a second edition (The Madras Affair). But I still feel good about the whole thing since I proof and format my books too, sticking as close as possible to my self-challenged book-a-month marathon.

Sundari Venkatraman (that's me)

It was in June 2016 that I published Tales of Sunshine, a collection of Human Interest short stories. It was three months after An Autograph for Anjali. I suddenly felt unleashed after the constraint placed on me by traditionally publishing The Madras Affair. The contract bound me to stay away from publishing any other title over a period of one year. (I was probably lucky when compared to many of my counterparts is what I hear.)

It was by chance that I came upon a link where I read that Nora Roberts had written and published 24 books in two years. It was inspirational and I was all fired. All it takes is a wild imagination and the grit and discipline to write regularly.

I am lucky that my kids are grown up. I have a supportive husband (he actually has given up, I think), a maid who’s actually a housekeeper, a cook and a few others who make my life easy. Then there are my beta readers—I have two—and my cover designer who have been supportive throughout my madcap ventures. Then, there is The Book Club helmed by Rubina Ramesh. I won't be what I am today without them. 

Let me not forget my readers and fans who have been a great source of joy with their encouraging words, reviews and star ratings. No, I don’t let the critiques sway me. If they have something constructive, I definitely welcome their feedback. Otherwise, I have developed a pachyderm.

And finally, the most important support, the very foundation for my success—Amazon KDP! I am absolutely grateful to Amazon for having given me a platform for what I am today, a successful, well read author with an audience around the globe, while sitting right here at my home in Mumbai.

Are you a writer who aspires to become a published author? Who wants to keep the reins of control in your hands? If you are ready to work for it, then this is a wonderful opportunity for you: Amazon brings you a Contest on #KDP called #PentoPublish with incredible prizes for the winner:

1.       Rs. 10,00,000

2.      A print publishing contract with Westland

3.      You get to be mentored by Chetan Bhagat

Clickhere to know more about the contest...

I am truly proud to be a part of the Amazon KDP journey, featuring on the panel along with the likes of Mr. Chetan Bhagat and Mr. Ashwin Sanghi while also being highlighted as one of three success stories.

You can click here to know more about Sundari Venkatraman's Amazon... 

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. 

Click here to check the blurb...

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 

Hot New Release: ROSE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL

I am proud to present my 16th book, ROSE GARDEN INTERNATIONAL (The Bansal Legacy Book #2). It's available as an ebook exclusively on Amazon and is also #FREE on #KindleUnlimited.

Read an excerpt:

Rhea melted in Jamie’s arms, hanging on to his shoulders for support. But for his arms that had curved around her slim waist, she would have sunk to the floor, her legs having gone weak and rubbery. She opened her lips to let his tongue in and felt her heart hammer against her chest as he explored her mouth thoroughly, making sounds of appreciation in his throat that aroused her to fever pitch. 

It was a while before they came up for air and Rhea buried her face on his chest. So that’s how a kiss felt! It was explosive, mind blowing! She took deep breaths to calm her heart but it simply refused to listen. 

But Rhea being Rhea, she was keen to check out Jamie’s mouth, the same way he had explored hers. Raising her head from his chest, she locked her arms around his neck, pulling his head down. She ran a damp tongue over the seam of his lips, seeking entry. 

Becoming aware of what she was doing, Jamie smiled against her mouth, before drawing her tongue within. He held her close, his body growing harder still as she swept her tongue inside the cavern of his mouth, a tad hesitant at first. 

Rhea grew bolder as she relished the sensations that played havoc with her nervous system. He tasted so good and all male. Drunk on it, she tangled her tongue with his, wanting more. 

What is the story about?

Interior Designer Jamie Scott from Australia feels a strange connection to Ooty, a hill station in South India—what one would say, ‘a call of the soul’. Then there are those diaries that his grandmother had left behind. Jamie decides to go on a holiday to Ooty.

Rhea Bansal runs 5-star hotel Rose Garden International on oiled wheels, as its managing director. She finds herself at a loose end—as if there’s no challenge left in her life.

And soon, the challenge walks into her life...

Will Rhea, with her broken relationships, be able to forge a new and lasting one, that too one that’s interracial? Will she let anyone get close enough to reach her heart? 

More complications set in though, in the form of a policeman and a politician. 

Read the story to see if the high-powered businesswoman from North India who has settled in the South and the laidback artist from Alice Springs in Australia can have a life together.

*Rose Garden International is the second book in the trilogy "The Bansal Legacy".

Rose Garden International is already #1 on #HotNewReleases in Amazon USA with a few hours of its release:

You want to grab a copy? Click here: myBook.to/RGI 

Launched by

Sharing: Sneak Peek Sunday Snippet from THE MALHOTRA BRIDE

I am sharing an excerpt from my 1st novel, THE MALHOTRA BRIDE as part of Sneak Peek Sunday Snippet, as suggested by Romance Author Devika Fernando.

Here you go:

Akshay did not have long to wait. A group of students came out of the building. You couldn’t have missed Sunita. She appeared the brightest among the dozen or so students who stepped out.

   He caught his breath as he blinked a couple of times to clear his vision. The formal studio portrait had done her no justice. This lovely vision that was walking towards him almost knocked Akshay off his feet. She was too busy chatting and laughing with her friends to notice him. Luxuriant dark brown hair hung to her waist. Her eyes were large and expressive, framed by long lashes. He could not miss the luscious lips as she pouted at someone’s comment. It was not just the boys who were listening raptly to her words.

   Akshay’s observant eyes noticed her taut breasts covered by a plain yellow t-shirt. He moved his eyes away with great difficulty to check out the rest of her hourglass figure that was fitted into dark blue designer jeans. The idea of marrying this vision did not seem so farfetched now.

   He shook himself. Looks were not everything. He could line up a bevy of beauties at the flick of his fingers. But they were quite empty and shallow under their lovely hairstyles.

   He was definitely hooked by Sunita’s allure. He would meet her in the evening, despite a big family hanging around.

   The students passed him by the gate. Sunita didn’t even turn in his direction. A mite disappointed, Akshay shrugged his wide shoulders. Time enough for that in the evening!

   While Sunita pretended to be busy talking to her friends, she couldn’t help but notice the handsome hunk hanging out at the gate. She checked him out from the corner of her lovely eyes.

   But he was too attractive! She had met her share of good-looking men. This one was a class apart.

   He was obviously a couple of inches over six feet and broad-shouldered with a tapering waist. God seemed to have been in an extremely benevolent mood when he created this particular specimen. A very broad and intelligent forehead, dark wings for eyebrows, dark eyes, a long, sharp and prominent nose, chiselled lips, the lower one slightly thicker than the one above and a square jaw. Sunita noticed all this in a flash.

   And here she was stuck with Akshay Malhotra. She sighed in frustration. Her chin jutted out stubbornly. She had her plan and was quite confident that she would send Malhotra packing.