Ask the Author - 10 questions with Sundari Venkatraman
Hi Devika, thank you for this interview. It’s great to be on your blog J
What do you like most and least about being a writer?
What I like most is the thought of playing God; create characters and make them dance to my tunes. I just love it. I feel a powerful sense of freedom that their lives will work out the way I want and not like reality (where a lot of negativity happens). This is also probably the reason why I love penning romances.
I can’t think of anything I don’t like about being a writer.
Is there one particular person who has inspired you to write or shown the most support?
As I have mentioned before, writing came to me like a bolt from the blue. I am an avid reader of Mills & Boon romances and Georgette Heyer. I can say that these books have inspired me to pen romances. It’s my husband Venkat who has supported me throughout my hare-brained ideas. He never ever thought it strange that I was determined to make a success of a career that went nowhere in 13 years. He is again the least surprised that my books are selling like hotcakes. He always believed that I will make my dream come true - more than me.
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Getting the cover right - it was a task. I had three different artists do it, paying through my nose every time. I personally rejected the first cover, while the second was rejected by a number of reviewers. Thank God, the present one has found favour with a lot of people. Otherwise, the actual writing was a breeze.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Nothing specific. I write whenever I please while there have been a couple of times (I wish there were more of these), I have felt the urge to put something to paper or computer as the scene refuses to let go of me. I remember getting up at 3 am one night and writing a scene before getting back to sleep at 5.30 am. It had to be done as my head was buzzing.
If you had to cast an actor and actress as the hero and heroine from "Meghna", who would it be?
Ranbir Kapoor and Tamannaah Bhatia
Please share your views on self-publishing with us.
I think it’s a fantastic platform for authors. What one needs to keep in mind is getting the editing/proofing done perfectly. Formatting is not that difficult. Then of course, there’s the cover. Once all that is taken care of, it’s a breeze until you get to marketing. You need to remember that there’s no publishing house backing you. If you are good at marketing, nothing like it. Social media is a great help here. Otherwise, it’s best to get professionals to market your book.
What is the most important character trait the hero and the heroine should possess?
Honesty is a very important trait I need in my protagonists. I also like successful people who are go-getters. Even if they are not so in the beginning, they should be so by the end of the story.
Do you have any advice for (aspiring) authors?
Keep writing. Blogging is a great platform to create a fan following. Send your work to publishing houses and never be fazed by rejections. If you have a story to tell and your language is good, you definitely have an audience out there.
In your latest release, "Meghna", the Indian hero leaves for England after his studies, and you describe his life there and the NRIs really well. Is there any other country you’d like to write about?
I would love to write about all the countries in the world. But practically, I would love to write about South Africa.
What are you currently working on?
I am rewriting my next novel “The Runaway Bridegroom” to be published on Amazon in September 2014. I am also writing short stories for my anthology “Cupid Strikes” which will be published by the end of the year.
What do you like most and least about being a writer?
What I like most is the thought of playing God; create characters and make them dance to my tunes. I just love it. I feel a powerful sense of freedom that their lives will work out the way I want and not like reality (where a lot of negativity happens). This is also probably the reason why I love penning romances.
I can’t think of anything I don’t like about being a writer.
Is there one particular person who has inspired you to write or shown the most support?
As I have mentioned before, writing came to me like a bolt from the blue. I am an avid reader of Mills & Boon romances and Georgette Heyer. I can say that these books have inspired me to pen romances. It’s my husband Venkat who has supported me throughout my hare-brained ideas. He never ever thought it strange that I was determined to make a success of a career that went nowhere in 13 years. He is again the least surprised that my books are selling like hotcakes. He always believed that I will make my dream come true - more than me.
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
Getting the cover right - it was a task. I had three different artists do it, paying through my nose every time. I personally rejected the first cover, while the second was rejected by a number of reviewers. Thank God, the present one has found favour with a lot of people. Otherwise, the actual writing was a breeze.
Do you have any writing rituals?
Nothing specific. I write whenever I please while there have been a couple of times (I wish there were more of these), I have felt the urge to put something to paper or computer as the scene refuses to let go of me. I remember getting up at 3 am one night and writing a scene before getting back to sleep at 5.30 am. It had to be done as my head was buzzing.
If you had to cast an actor and actress as the hero and heroine from "Meghna", who would it be?
Ranbir Kapoor and Tamannaah Bhatia
Please share your views on self-publishing with us.
I think it’s a fantastic platform for authors. What one needs to keep in mind is getting the editing/proofing done perfectly. Formatting is not that difficult. Then of course, there’s the cover. Once all that is taken care of, it’s a breeze until you get to marketing. You need to remember that there’s no publishing house backing you. If you are good at marketing, nothing like it. Social media is a great help here. Otherwise, it’s best to get professionals to market your book.
What is the most important character trait the hero and the heroine should possess?
Honesty is a very important trait I need in my protagonists. I also like successful people who are go-getters. Even if they are not so in the beginning, they should be so by the end of the story.
Do you have any advice for (aspiring) authors?
Keep writing. Blogging is a great platform to create a fan following. Send your work to publishing houses and never be fazed by rejections. If you have a story to tell and your language is good, you definitely have an audience out there.
In your latest release, "Meghna", the Indian hero leaves for England after his studies, and you describe his life there and the NRIs really well. Is there any other country you’d like to write about?
I would love to write about all the countries in the world. But practically, I would love to write about South Africa.
What are you currently working on?
I am rewriting my next novel “The Runaway Bridegroom” to be published on Amazon in September 2014. I am also writing short stories for my anthology “Cupid Strikes” which will be published by the end of the year.
Meghna by Sundari Venkatraman
About the Book
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?
A FRIENDLY WARNING: 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.
Yours truly,
Sundari Venkatraman
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?
A FRIENDLY WARNING: 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.
Yours truly,
Sundari Venkatraman
About the Author
Even as a kid, she absolutely loved the 'lived happily ever after' syndrome as Sundari 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, she 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 could not write to save her life. She was bad at writing essays in both school and college. Later, when it was time to teach her kids, she could manage everything from Science to Mathematics and History & Geography.
When it came to writing compositions, her kids found her of no help at all. All this changed suddenly one fine day in the year 2000. She had just quit her job at a school's office and did not know what to do with her life. She was saturated with simply reading books. That's when she got home one evening after her walk and 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 did not happen, it was her husband who kept encouraging her not to give up. There was no looking back after that. While publishing took a long time happening, Sundari continued to write novels and then short stories. Her luck turned when Indireads approached her to write for them and Double Jeopardy was born.
Now it’s all about self-publishing her books on Amazon. She has published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition) and Meghna so far while planning to publish her fourth book - The Runaway Bridegroom - in September 2014.
Goodreads Link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840533-meghna?from_search=true
Buying Links
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.in http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.com.au http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00KUPUURS
Get in Touch
Author Website http://sundarivenkatraman.blogspot.in/
Twitter https://twitter.com/sundarivenkat
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSundariVenkatraman
Author Goodreads Page https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22444225-meghna
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 could not write to save her life. She was bad at writing essays in both school and college. Later, when it was time to teach her kids, she could manage everything from Science to Mathematics and History & Geography.
When it came to writing compositions, her kids found her of no help at all. All this changed suddenly one fine day in the year 2000. She had just quit her job at a school's office and did not know what to do with her life. She was saturated with simply reading books. That's when she got home one evening after her walk and 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 did not happen, it was her husband who kept encouraging her not to give up. There was no looking back after that. While publishing took a long time happening, Sundari continued to write novels and then short stories. Her luck turned when Indireads approached her to write for them and Double Jeopardy was born.
Now it’s all about self-publishing her books on Amazon. She has published The Malhotra Bride (2nd Edition) and Meghna so far while planning to publish her fourth book - The Runaway Bridegroom - in September 2014.
Goodreads Link https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22840533-meghna?from_search=true
Buying Links
Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.in http://www.amazon.in/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.ca http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00KUPUURS
Amazon.com.au http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00KUPUURS
Get in Touch
Author Website http://sundarivenkatraman.blogspot.in/
Twitter https://twitter.com/sundarivenkat
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSundariVenkatraman
Author Goodreads Page https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22444225-meghna
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