Showing posts with label Sundari Venkatraman’s Double Jeopardy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sundari Venkatraman’s Double Jeopardy. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Blog Tour: INTERVIEW BY SONIA RAO

Sonia Rao
I bless the moment when Rubina Ramesh was struck with the idea of a Blog Tour on her blog The Book Club. I feel so lucky that DOUBLE JEOPARDY was first in line for this idea. Today, it is Sonia Rao's turn to interview me. Sonia asked me some wonderful questions and I hope I have given the answers that she was seeking. Thank you Sonia Rao!

About Sonia Rao, in her own words:

"Sonia Rao is the NaNoWriMo Municipal Liaison (ML) for India region and she loves nothing more than motivating  (okay, goading even, sometimes) Wrimos to complete the mandatory 50K words of a novel to become NaNo winners because, with four first drafts of novels under her belt (or rather,  in her PC), she knows that the thrill of completing a first draft of a novel is unparalleled (yeah, even beats slurping on that big bar of Cadbury’s Silk).

Sonia Rao’s idea of paradise is a beautiful garden full of different types of gel pens and writing paper and a muse ‘on call’.  Sadly, such a paradise does not exist (it does not!!!) except in her vivid imagination and so if you should talk to her and find her ‘spaced out’ don’t worry too much or send out for reinforcements. She must be on one of her ‘trips’.  And she’s hopeful that those trips will result in some worthwhile writings.  You see, she loves to write about ‘Writing’, when she’s not working on her novel.

On Planet Earth, though, Sonia lives in the busiest of cities, Mumbai, which gives her innumerable opportunities to observe people and learn more about life; and then share this knowledge. Do check out her sometimes-humorous and sometimes-poignant view of life in Mumbai in ‘life in the city’ collection.

Sonia likes to believe she is ‘high-minded’ but strangely, her fave hobby is thinking up torture devices for those autorickshawallahs who consider the roads to be their personal spittoon. Who knew?"

Author Interview

Even though, once upon a time, a day was not complete if I had not read 2-3 Mills&Boon, the craving had petered off once higher studies and other mundane activities of living took over. So, it was with mixed emotions that I came to Double Jeopardy and then, could not put down the book till I reached the end. Let’s just say, for the inveterate romantic that I am, this book was a treat. If you are one, too, then read this book. Even if you are not, still read Double Jeopardy. You might discover you actually are one.

Let us know more, then,  about the person behind Double Jeopardy, the author, Sundari Venkatraman.

Sonia Rao (SR): Sundari, you’ve mentioned “you got home one evening after your walk and took some sheets of paper and began writing. And that was how your first novel was born.”  Tell us what happened on that walk.

Sundari Venkatraman (SV): I was actually in a very disturbed state of mind, Sonia, when I left home for the walk as I had no sense of direction in my life. I had quit my job a few months earlier and was quite fed up of only reading books. I had to do something, I thought. I am huge a fan of Mills & Boon and I used to keep visualizing Indian heroes and heroines in many of the scenes. As I was brooding about my life, it suddenly struck me that I should put my imagination into words on paper. I had never written before – unless my arm was twisted, of course. And that too was for essays in school and college. My walk home was pretty fast for me as I felt compelled to write the book. Writing fiction was like a dam burst. I loved it. I still do.

CLICK HERE to read the complete interview....


Sunday, January 5, 2014

Blog Tour: REVIEW BY SRIDEVI DATTA

Sridevi Datta
The blog tour of DOUBLE JEOPARDY continues...

Today, Sridevi Datta has posted her review of my book on her blog called The Write Journey.

In Sridevi’s own words on her blog

"I strongly believe every word written or uttered serves a larger purpose in life. I am here to find that purpose and find myself nearing that goal every time I write.  Would love to connect with you all at many many levels."

Thank you Sridevi for the lovely review!







Book Review

Sundari Venkatraman’s “Double Jeopardy” is a treat for the romantic within us who keeps dreaming of those moments where everything is beautiful, polished and scratch free. The story centers around the beautiful Sanya and her heartbreaking childhood crush for the quieter, more mature of the two twins –the unconventionally handsome Arth.

CLICK HERE to read the complete review....


Friday, January 3, 2014

Blog Tour: REVIEW BY RUBINA RAMESH

Rubina Ramesh
Hello Everyone,

As I had mentioned in the earlier blog, the blog tour of my book DOUBLE JEOPARDY took off with a bang yesterday with a spotlight by Adite Banerjie, author of the Mills & Boon INDIAN TYCOON'S MARRIAGE DEAL. Thank you Adite! The response has been great and it's thanks to all of you readers.

Today, my book has been reviewed by Rubina Ramesh. Rubina is a voracious reader, blogger and reviewer. She is the brain behind the blog tours on The Book Club. The lady is a go-getter and I am glad to see that she likes my book. She also interviewed me on her blog. Thank you Rubina! You can scroll down to check both the articles.


Book Review

Disclaimer: I have done this review based on the original version bought from Indireads. The book has undergone some editorial changes after this review. But it no way affects what I feel about this novel.

She…..

She is Sanya. A spoilt brat with a childhood crush. She travels from London to Mumbai. She has so hoped for the love of her life, Arth, to pick her up from the airport but instead she got the infuriating twin, Ansh, waiting for her.

From there begins her battle of the heart. On one hand she knew she loved Arth, the one who would always keep her safe in their childhood days, who would protect her from the torments of his other twin.

But today she is caught between the love of her childhood and this passionate stranger that Ansh had become. Would she succumb to his charms or will she be able to find her heart’s desire.

He…..

Now if I write about the ‘HE’ I will be giving away the whole story. That won’t be fun for you will it? Though I am itching to type here, but it is for you to find out … Arth? Ansh? Arth? Ansh?.....

CLICK HERE to read the complete review on Rubina's blog.

Author Interview

What inspired you to write your first book?

I am a diehard romantic at heart. I used to love reading fairytales as a kid and thoroughly enjoyed the ‘lived happily ever after’ endings. Later on, as a teen, I turned my attention to Mills & Boon romances. I am not quite sure when the interest turned and I began to imagine Indian heroes and heroines. While I have a fertile imagination, I never could string two sentences together.

I was almost 40 when I penned my first novel – The Malhotra Bride. I had quit my job and was at home, playing housewife. I felt quite useless. Suddenly, one evening, inspiration struck. I returned from my walk and sat down to write. By night, I had completed 14 pages of ruled foolscap paper. Thoroughly excited, I finished the first script of the novel (35,000 + words) in 20 days.

CLICK HERE to read the full interview on Rubina's blog


Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Sharing: Becoming a Published Author

Click here to send a Digital Rose to your Valentine

Sanya is a young 22 and totally lost when she leaves home in London to holiday with the Sharmas in Mumbai. Believing herself to be in love with Arth, she finds that she is more attracted to Ansh, his twin. Watch Sanya bloom under the love and nurturing offered by Ratna Sharma, the twins’ mother and how she evolves into a confident young lady. Will she find love?

That’s for you to find out when you read my e-book named Double Jeopardy.

It’s finally happening after waiting for 13 years.

It has been my dream to become published since the year 2000 when I wrote my first romance novel. Writing was a bolt out of the blue for me as I could never string two sentences together before that. But that did not stop me from dreaming of becoming a published author the moment I finished writing my masterpiece.

I did get The Malhotra Bride published at a cost only to realise that it was a waste of effort, time and money. Well, that’s water under the bridge and I don’t want to concentrate on that any more.

Indirom is a fresh chapter and I finally have found the right platform to publish my work. The publisher has the perfect tagline – romance for the Asian soul.

I have been a fan of romance since the age of 13 and avidly read Mills & Boon as well as many historical romance books. For all that, I found that my daughter was never interested in reading western novels. The moment I penned my first novel, she read it very enthusiastically and so did some of her friends who could never relate to western characters. That’s when I realised that there was a huge market out there for romance novels with Indian characters.

But getting published was a different ballgame altogether. I had tried a number of Indian publishers as well as foreign ones – the first one beings M&B, of course. But all I can say is that my file consisting of rejection letters grew bigger and fatter.

Did that stop me from dreaming of getting published? Never! It was obviously the call of the soul as I just could not give up my dream.

Well, Indirom happened to me after 13 years, in the year 2013, in answer to my prayers. Just as I have always believed that something will turn up for me, some day.

It was a lucky day when someone contacted me via LinkedIn all thanks to my friend Nilima Kadam Mohite’s recommendation calling me ‘Indian Mills & Boon Queen’ and as they say the rest is history.

My e-book DOUBLE JEOPARDY, can be purchased on www.indirom.com from February 17, 2013 onwards. The website will be officially launched on Valentine's Day with 14 books available for purchase.

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You may Click Here to LIKE Indirom page on facebook

You will be able to purchase my e-book Double Jeopardy and other romance novellas if you CLICK HERE