Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 58

Tornado Giveaway: RAPID FALL by Adiana Ray

<---Visit The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye 
18th July, 2014

Adiana Ray is the 18th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 10 copies of her book to 10 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

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Sonia and JD’s instant attraction is much more tempestuous and thrilling than the water sports they have come to Rishikesh for. Not even a dip in the icy waters can douse the sparks that fly when they are around each other.

JD is divorced and commitment phobic, and only wants to focus on their electric physical attraction. Sonia is undeniably attracted to smooth and sophisticated JD, but wants more than he is willing to offer.

Their tumultuous love story starts in the mountains and ends by the sea. Along the way, they discover that once you fall in love, nothing can ever be the same again.







GET TO KNOW HER 

Adiana Ray believes in the Zen tenet ‘each state has a 1000 truths’. Every person brings their own unique experiences to a situation, which makes them see things differently and interpret it in their own way.
This is what inspires her to write; trying to see each relationship in a different light, and always having a new story to tell for it. When she writes, her tale could well be a fantasy, but it will be a believable one. Something that could happen to anyone of us or to someone we know. Her focus, above all, is to entertain the reader.




To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter




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Next Giveaway on 19th of July, 2014: Kingdom Come by Aarti V. Raman

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Travel: DARSHAN @ BIRLA TEMPLE, JAIPUR

Birla Temple Wiki says : Birla Temple is at the foot of Moti Dungri fort. This temple forms one of the major attractions of Jaipur. Birla Temple of Jaipur looks stunning, when it is brightly lit in the night. The enormous temple was built during the year 1988, by Birla Group of Industries. The Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu (Narayan), the preserver and his consort Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth. It is also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple. Birla Mandir is constructed in the finest quality of white marble. 

Ganesh Temple @ Moti Dungri Fort; the stairs in the front lead to Birla MandirThe three huge domes of the temple represent three different approaches to the religion. Stained glass windows depict the scenes from Hindu scriptures. Ganesh the protector of households, is above the lintel. Many of the deities of the Hindu pantheon are depicted inside the temple, and on the outside walls great historical personages and figures from all religions are shown, including Socrates, Zarathustra, Christ, Buddha and Confucius. 

While walking up the gentle slope to the temple, I turned around and clicked this picture. The temple is behind meThe Laxmi Narayan Mandir is a modern architectural marvel, surrounded by lush green gardens. The fascinating exteriors of the temple are carved splendidly with beautiful sculptures based on mythological themes, while the interiors have a large marble panel portraying mythological events.

A peep at the temple through the lush greeneryI took a rickshaw from Hotel Anuraag Villa to take a half-day tour of a few places in Jaipur all by myself. I enjoyed the ride as we went to Birla Temple first.

Birla TempleWhat caught my eye when I reached the area was an ancient structure that sat atop a hill to the left of Birla Mandir. I believed it was probably the original Laxmi Narayan Temple as the ancient tower on the hill looked similar to Birla Mandir’s tower. I later got to know on Google that its call Moti Dungri Fort with a Ganesh Mandir there.

It was a hot and bright walk to the templeOn the right, Birla Mandir sat majestically on top of a hillock. I climbed up a set of wide stairs and walked on a gentle slope before reaching the temple. Leaving my slippers at the counter on the left, I entered the prakaar that was fully done up in white marble. It was a beautiful structure while photography was allowed only from the outside. Luckily, the floor had not heated up too much despite the hot weather.

Another angle to Moti Dungri FortI walked into the sanctorum that has 15-foot tall idols of Narayan and Laxmi that were clothed in red. They were beautiful. I went and sat in the large hall that was not too crowded and prayed for a while. It was so peaceful there. Then I got up to check out the stained glass paintings of various Gods and Goddesses – Lord Ganesha, Lord Karthikeya, Lord Krishna, Goddess Saraswathi and others. I walked out and thought of perambulating the shrine. But the marble floor was too hot to walk around barefoot. Not having much of a choice, I hung around for a few more minutes in the cool area and left the temple.

Birla Temple entrance and Moti Dungri Fort in the same frameI walked around the garden for a few minutes before going down another set of staircase and left the place happy after a lovely darshan.

Tornado Giveaway: THE RETURN OF THE REBEL by Jennifer Faye

<---Visit His Captive Indian Princess by Tanu Jain
17th July, 2014

Jennifer Faye is the 17th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 5 copies of her book to 5 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

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The guy from the wrong side of the tracks...

Being promoted should be a dream come true, only it means working closely with Cleo's childhood crush, Jax Monroe. Jax may no longer be the rebel she remembers, but he still gets her heart racing like no other.

Jax cares too much about Cleo to let her get too close but keeping his distance is proving impossible! As Jax reveals the extent of what he's been through, will Cleo show him that some things are too precious to put off until tomorrow?











GET TO KNOW HER 


Award-winning author, Jennifer Faye pens fun, heartwarming romances. Jennifer has won the RT Book Reviews Reviewers' Choice Award, named a TOP PICK author, and been nominated for numerous awards. Now living her dream, she resides with her patient husband, amazing daughter (the other remarkable daughter is off chasing her own dreams) and two spoiled cats.

Jennifer loves to hear from readers.





To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

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Next Giveaway on 18th of July, 2014: Rapid Fall by Adiana Ray

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Film Review: HUMPTY SHARMA KI DULHANIA

Pic courtesy: http://i10.dainikbhaskar.com/Watch the film if you are a fan of Alia Bhatt. She's worth a see!

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Siddharth Shukla, Ashutosh Rana
Director: Shashank Khaitan

The film was released on July 11, 2014. As it’s been a while since we got to see romances on the big screen and Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania was compared to my most favourite Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge , we decided to see the film on the very next day at Cinemax Sion.

THE STORY

Rakesh Sharma aka Humpty (Varun Dhawan) is not the brightest student at a college in Delhi. His father owns a book shop and is keen that his son finishes graduation before joining the family business. Humpty loafs around and threatens the professors to make him pass.

Kavya (Alia Bhatt) is the second daughter of Singh (Ashutosh Rana) and is engaged to NRI Angad Bedi (Siddharth Shukla). Living in a small town, Kavya dreams of purchasing a designer gaghra choli for her wedding. She goes to Delhi in the pretext of attending her friend’s wedding, but with the main idea to make money and buy the dress of her dreams.

Humpty and Kavya run into one another and the inevitable happens as they fall in love. Will her father agree to the change in bridegroom? And what about Angad? Will he be ready to give up his fiancée? You have to see the film to find out.

MY PERCEPTION

Well, I suppose you can compare this film to DDLJ as the story loosely runs along the lines of the original, with the story idea adapted to present times. But it’s nothing short of a sin to compare Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania to the Shah Rukh Khan-Kajol blockbuster. DDLJ’s story, music, actors, direction and more were all a class apart. I can still watch the film for probably the 20th time. HSKD is nothing compared to that.

That said, I have to mention that Alia Bhatt has proved yet again that she’s a born actor. She was simply awesome in her role as Kavya. I especially liked her quiet way of accepting her life without any tantrum or drama – just a tear slipping down her cheek on the morning of her wedding. A special Kudos! I did watch 2 States and Highway but never got around to reviewing the films. Alia Bhatt is just moving from strength to strength and is a joy to watch on the big screen.

Varun Dhawan is a good actor and has done well in his role as Humpty Sharma. While he emotes well on screen, I need to see more films of his to understand whether he has a range to portray as an actor. Somehow, I don’t have much faith. He’s not bad and that’s it.

Siddharth Shukla plays the perfect gentleman, alpha male, healthy doctor. There wasn’t much acting to do for his part. He was alright.

Ashutosh Rana has come back to the big screen after a very long time. I am surprised why he hasn’t been seen more as he makes a good villain as well as character actor. He was good in this film – an angry father who’s unable to hide the twinkle at the back of his eyes.

The film is not too bad with a number of song-dance sequences. One can excuse them considering that a big fat Indian wedding is in the offing.

VERDICT: You can watch it if you are a fan of Alia Bhatt. There’s not much else to recommend in the film.


* Silly
** Shaky
*** Smart
**** Snazzy
***** Super

Tornado Giveaway: HIS CAPTIVE INDIAN PRINCESS by Tanu Jain

<---Visit Monsoon Memories by Renita D'Silva
16th July, 2014

Tanu Jain is the 16th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 10 copies of her book to 10 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

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Banished from her dynastic family home by her grandmother, Gauri Rao has lived under the weight of scandal. But now her past has come back to find her in the shape of deliciously handsome and dangerously powerful Vikram Singh.

With the Rao family in tatters, Vikram has promised Gauri’s father he will track down his daughter and bring her home—at all costs. Yet somehow the naive girl who ran away has blossomed into an independent woman. Vikram is not used to taking no for an answer...has he finally met his match?











GET TO KNOW HER 

Tanu Jain is a bookaholic turned writer. A doctorate in English Literature, she hid the fact from friends and family for years that she was an aspiring writer of one of those steamy Mills and Boons. She had sent off manuscripts (returned with polite regret) much before M&B came to India. Two M&Bs (His Captive Indian Princess, 2013 and His Runaway Royal Bride, 2014) later she is currently working on her third book. Strength, kindness, honesty, optimism and love were drilled into her as a child by her parents and the first M&B that she read made her realize that these were exactly what romance novels were about! So, writing a romance novel was both emotionally and morally satisfying! 

To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads  

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Next Giveaway on 17th of July, 2014: The Return of the Rebel by Jennifer Faye

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Tornado Giveaway: MONSOON MEMORIES by Renita D'Silva

<---Visit Twelve Hours of Temptation by Shoma Narayanan
15th July, 2014

Renita D'Silva is the 15th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 5 copies of her book to 5 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

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“English rain smelt and tasted of nothing at all. It had none of the fury, the passion of the monsoons. Instead, it was weak; half-hearted.”

Exiled from her family in India for more than a decade, Shirin and her husband lead a comfortable but empty life in London.

Memories of her childhood – exotic fragrances, colours, stifling heat and tropical storms – fill Shirin with a familiar and growing ache for the land and the people that she loves.

With the recollections though, come dark clouds of scandal and secrets. Secrets that forced her to flee her old life and keep her from ever returning.

Thousands of miles away, in Bangalore, the daughter of Shirin’s brother discovers a lost, forgotten photograph. One that has escaped the flames.

Determined to solve the mystery of an aunt she never knew, Reena’s efforts will set in place a chain of events that expose the painful trauma of the past and irrevocably change the path of the future.

An unforgettable journey through a mesmerizing, passionate land of contrasts – and a family whose story will touch your heart.

GET TO KNOW HER 


Renita D'Silva says: I love nothing better than to lose myself in a good book. The only thing that comes close to the feeling I get when I read is when I am writing. I am the author of 'Monsoon Memories' and 'The Forgotten Daughter' and I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I loved writing them.
Sign up to be the first to hear about my new releases here
I promise not to share your e-mail and I'll only contact you when a new book is out.


To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter




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Next Giveaway on 16th of July, 2014: His Captive Indian Princess by Tanu Jain

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Tornado Giveaway: TWELVE HOURS OF TEMPTATION by Shoma Narayanan

<---Visit The Truth About De Campo by Jennifer Hayward
14th July, 2014

Shoma Narayanan is the 14th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 10 copies of her book to 10 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

Click Here

The best mistake of his life?

Being chained to her desk is not how copywriter Melissa D'Cruz envisaged spending the night before her first major awards ceremony. No Cinderella moment for this award nominee--instead she's facing a night of deadlines! But Melissa is determined to get to the event...she just has to work out how....

New boss Samir Razdan catches Melissa burning the midnight oil and offers to drive her to the event himself. But the minute they set off Samir knows he's in trouble--because being this close to Melissa is already driving him crazy, and they've got twelve torturous hours of temptation ahead...!




GET TO KNOW HER 


Shoma Narayanan started reading romances at the age of eleven, borrowing them from neighbours so that her parents didn’t find out. At that time the thought of writing one herself never entered her head. But a couple of years ago Shoma took up writing and was amazed at how much she enjoyed it. Now she works grimly at her banking job through the week, and tries to balance writing with household chores during weekends. Her family has been unfailingly supportive of her latest hobby.

To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads 





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Next Giveaway on 15th of July, 2014: Monsoon Memories by Renita D'Silva

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Tornado Giveaway: THE TRUTH ABOUT DE CAMPO by Jennifer Hayward

<---Visit Bollywood Fiancé For A Day by Ruchi Vasudeva
13th July, 2014

Jennifer Hayward is the 13th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 5 copies of her book to 5 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?

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Matteo De Campo: every woman's wildest fantasy and the man looking to secure a multimillion-dollar deal with her family's company

Desperate to prove herself once and for all, Quinn Davis finally has the power to make this ultimate, impartial decision—which means she must not fall prey to De Campo's enticing appeal!

But Matteo will not be denied. She knows he needs his wine empire to be chosen to overwrite his recent mistakes. But when Quinn glimpses the true demons behind his smoldering gaze, she questions everything….

Just who is the real Matteo De Campo? Quinn Davis is about to find out!





GET TO KNOW HER 


JENNIFER HAYWARD has been a fan of romance since filching her sister’s novels to escape her teenaged angst. Her career in journalism and PR, including years of working alongside powerful, charismatic CEOs and traveling the world, has provided perfect fodder for the fast-paced, sexy stories she likes to write, always with a touch of humour. A native of Canada’s gorgeous East coast, Jennifer lives in Toronto with her Viking husband and young Viking-in-training.


To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter


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Next Giveaway on 14th of July, 2014: Twelve Hours of Temptation by Shoma Narayanan

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Tornado Giveaway: BOLLYWOOD FIANCE FOR A DAY by Ruchi Vasudeva

<---Visit Full Circle by Yamini Vijendran
12th July, 2014

Ruchi Vasudeva is the 12th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 10 copies of her book to 10 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?
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The man of her Bollywood dreams

Winning the chance to meet the ultimate Bollywood heart-throb, Zaheer Saxena, is just what Vishakha needs to take her mind off her recent humiliation—being jilted the week before her wedding! And when gorgeous Zaheer offers to be her fake fiancé, the chance to save face with her family is just too tempting…

It’s a deal that benefits them both—Zaheer is warding off any unwanted female attention until his next film is finished—but can Vishakha trust herself not to hope that her dream fiancé for a day will be her forever man? 








GET TO KNOW HER 

I'm a doctor by profession, a teacher by vocation and an author by destiny. The writing bug has long resided in me and a contest held by Harlequin for Indian authors gave me a golden opportunity to have my dream realized. I debuted in August '13 with my book 'Bollywood Fiancé For A Day'. I write romantic fiction with conflicted characters who come into their own in their quest of reaching out for love. I love to write about spirited heroines getting hurtled out of their daily life as soon as they cross paths with their rather challenging heroes.

I keep busy juggling writing with my medical job and family life with my doctor husband and two wiser-than-thou teens. When not bent double over the laptop, I might be found with my nose in books or munching nachos at the movies or glued to the telecast of Team India or Chennai Super Kings in action. Sometimes I drag myself for walks and surprisingly discover they are rather good for brewing story ideas!

To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Giveaway on 13th of July, 2014: The Truth About De Campo by Jennifer Hayward

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman

Tornado Giveaway: FULL CIRCLE by Yamini Vijendran

<---Visit Bootie and the Beast by Falguni Kothari
11th July, 2014

Yamini Vijendran is the 11th Author in the Tornado Giveaway.She has decided to give 10 copies of her book to 10 lucky winners. To enter the Giveaway, see the bottom of this post. To see all the books that are part of the Tornado Giveaway - Click Here



WHAT IS THIS STORY ALL ABOUT ?
Click here
Outwardly, Malini is a contented, sixty-something grandmother with a loving family and everything a person could wish for. But Malini has lived her entire life with a secret confined to the deepest recesses of her heart.

Haunted by the past, she travels to Kumbakonam, her native town, which she had left years ago. There, she comes face-to-face with her long-lost love.

After forty years, will Malini be able to reclaim her own life, when love comes knocking at her door once again?





GET TO KNOW HER 

Yamini Vijendran (@saimini) is the author of ‘Full Circle’, a romance novella published by Indireads. After being a Software Professional for 7 years, Yamini has been freelancing from home for the past 3 years. She loves to dabble in fiction and romance and drama are her favorite genres. Her short stories have been published in ‘Love Stories That Touched My Heart’, an Anthology published by Penguin India, New Asian Writing and Six Sentences. Yamini also likes to pen poems when inspiration strikes, and her poetry has been published in The Indian Review, Contemporary Literary Review of India and ‘A World Rediscovered’ a poetry Anthology by Cyberwit Publications. Yamini draws material for her stories and poems from the world around her. When she is not converting her experiences to stories or poems, Yamini reads, plays with her toddler, and fools around her laboratory, that is, the kitchen.
To know more about her:  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter


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Next Giveaway on 12th of July, 2014: Bollywood Fiancé For a Day by Ruchi Vasudeva

Click Here  to buy your copy of DOUBLE JEOPARDY by Sundari Venkatraman
Click Here  to buy your copy of THE MALHOTRA BRIDE by Sundari Venkatraman Click Here  to buy your copy of MEGHNA by Sundari Venkatraman