Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 60

Travel: A TRIP TO JAL MAHAL OR WATER PALACE

Picture courtesy: http://www.jauntri.com I borrowed this picture for two reasons. I couldn't have taken a photograph at such an angle and so well. Secondly, the Jal Mahal is not exactly in this pristine shape just now.

Wiki says : The Man Sagar Lake, situated to the north of Jaipur city lies between Amer, the historic city and Jaipur, the provincial headquarters of Rajasthan. It is enclosed by the Aravalli hills on the north, west and eastern sides, while the southern side consists of plains that are intensely inhabited. There is the Nahargarh Fort in the hills that provides a commanding view of the Man Sagar Lake and Jal Mahal, in addition to a beautiful view of the city of Jaipur. 


Man Sagar Lake with the hills in the backgroundThe Jal Mahal is considered an architectural beauty built in the Rajput and Mughal styles of architecture providing a picturesque view of the lake and the surrounding Nahargarh (abode of the tigers) hills. The palace, built in red sandstone, is a five-storied building out of which four floors remain under water when the lake is full and only the top floor is exposed. The rectangular Chhatri on the roof is of the Bengal type. The chhatris on the four corners are octagonal. On the terrace of the palace, a garden had been built with arched passages. 

Aravalli Hills & Man Sagar LakeThere was a time when it was possible to visit Jal Mahal by taking a boat ride to the premises. But recently, the property has been purchased by a hotel chain and is not accessible to the public. They plan to restore it extensively before turning it into a 5-star hotel. I just got to stand beside the railings and take a few photographs of the Man Sagar Lake and structures that were in the water.

Storks waiting patiently to catch fishWhat fascinated me were some storks that were standing near one of the structures. I first presumed they were statues as none of them had moved in the five minutes that I had been standing there. Suddenly, I saw a stork take off from the roof and then a couple of them turned their heads. That’s when I realised they were all live birds. It was amazing how they stood patiently in the water on one leg, waiting to catch fish. It was a peaceful sight indeed.

After enjoying the cool breeze for a few more moments, I left the area as there was no place to visit actually.

Tornado Giveaway: THE PERFECT GROOM by Sumeetha Manikandan

<---Visit Saving Justice by Tasman Gibb
3rd July 2014

Sumeetha Manikandan is our Third Giveaway Author.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
Very little has gone right in Nithya’s young life. So, when a proposal from a young, handsome NRI comes along, her mother jumps at the opportunity and packs her daughter off to the US with her perfect groom.

Nithya seems to have settled in with Ashok, ostensibly happy, if as yet childless, in her new life. When an old flame comes back into her life, however, the cracks in her perfect marriage begin to show…









GET TO KNOW HER 

Sumeetha Manikandan, a freelance content writer is an English literature graduate with a journalism and mass communication diploma. She lives in Chennai with her husband and daughter.

After a decade long career in dotcom industry, she started working as a content writer from home. She wrote her debut novel, ‘The Perfect Groom’ as a script for a serial, which she converted into a novella for Indireads.

To know more about her: Blog | Facebook | Goodreads



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Next Giveaway on 4th July 2014 - Wilde Riders by Savannah Young

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: JAIPUR OLD CITY known as PINK CITY

Bang opposite the entrance to Hawa Mahal
Wiki says : Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Northern India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city has been named. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India. 


From Rajasthan India Travel : The Pink City, as Jaipur is popularly known, was not always pink. Its main thoroughfares and buildings were originally painted an earthy pink in honour of the visiting Prince of Wales in 1876. It all came about due to the fact that it was thought that the glaring white starkness of its buildings would be too bright for the visiting prince. Today, every home within the old city is obliged by law to maintain this facade. This amazingly symmetrical and thoroughly proportioned city came into existence as early as 1727 being the only city in India which was conceptualized and conceived on such a grand scale.


Well, I thought Jaipur was called the Pink City as Pink Marble had been extensively used to build the city. I was thoroughly disappointed when my hi-funda notions were put to naught as the guide explained that the buildings were originally built of limestone and used to be white in colour. They were painted pink in honour of the Prince of Wales visit in 1876.


From then on, the pink colour has been maintained in the old part of Jaipur. All the buildings consisting of offices, residences, shops, mosques, temples or whatever, are painted the exact same shade of ghastly pink. Moreover, it’s a law that the pink colour be maintained throughout. Imagine!

Hawa Mahal entranceHawa Mahal is also situated in Pink City and is painted the same shade of pink. The queens, I am sure, are rejoicing in the other world, thanking their lucky stars that they never had to live in the Pink City as Jaipur was quite white in yonder days. The Palace itself is awesome.

I shot these pics from inside a moving autoSo much for my wild imagination! It was an experience of sorts.

Tornado Giveaway: SAVING JUSTICE by Tasman Gibb

<----Visit Scarlet Revenge by Ann McGinnis
2nd July 2014
Tasman Gibb is our second Giveaway Author.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 HereMarlo Croft, canine behaviorist at the Dog Haven Sanctuary in Halo Peak, Washington, has her life neatly organized. The trauma of her past is well buried, her emotions tamped down, and rehabilitating and rehoming damaged and unwanted dogs gives her the focused, contained life that makes her feel secure.

The arrival of a new rescue dog, Justice, also brings the unwelcome distraction of a handsome stranger who is to shadow Marlo and Justice through the dog’s rehabilitation.

Suffering guilt over the death of his wife, New Zealander Adam Guildford’s short contract in the US to research dog fighting is what he hopes will pull him out of the limbo he has floundered in for the past four years. He arrives prepared to tackle the emotional and behavioral needs of the rescued dogs, but completely unprepared for the way his presence unnerves Marlo and awakens his own dormant feelings.

As they start to gain Justice’s trust, Marlo loosens her grip on her inner fears and the simmering attraction between her and Adam heats up. Adam works carefully to dismantle the emotional barricades Marlo erected, until one day he unwittingly delivers the horror from Marlo’s past straight to her doorstep, an action that tears the three of them apart.


GET TO KNOW HER 

New Zealand-born, Tasman Gibb loves to write contemporary romance that very often features emotionally flawed heroines and heroes.  She lives in Auckland, but spends as much time as possible on the Coromandel Peninsula.  She shares a home with Mr Scott and Ed, an old, smelly rescue dog.  She battles an obsession with collecting antique dog photos and drooling over Victorian taxidermy, but refuses to admit that she’s losing that battle! Like all sensible people, Tasman has a fear of heights, and, through a misunderstanding, once had a job at a hang gliding school.
To know more about her: Blog | Facebook | Goodreads



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Giveaway on 3rd July 2014 - The Perfect Groom by Sumeetha Manikandan
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: AN EVENING @ CHOKHI DHANI, JAIPUR

The car left us here. That's Venkat on the right in a red shirt walking towards Chokhi DhaniI had read up my friend Nilima Mohite’s blog even before I left for Jaipur and she had mentioned Chokhi Dhani as a must visit. So when people there in Jaipur suggested we go there on the first day, Venkat and I immediately agreed.


We fixed a cab to and from Collectorate Circle at the heart of Jaipur where we were put up. It cost us Rs. 900. It made sense as the whole exercise took us about 4 hours and the distance was some 45 km both ways. Then there was the waiting and parking, of course.

Oil lampsA beautiful, lamp-lit village atmosphere greeted us at the entrance and the whole ambience was simply gorgeous in the twilight. It felt good as we entered the front hall where a young lady greeted us by placing a tilak of vermilion on our foreheads.

The entrywayThere were many counters placed in the entry hall where entry fees need to be paid to get into Chokhi Dhani. It was Rs. 500 per person for non AC floor seating for dinner thali & Rs. 700 per person for AC restaurant dinner thali served on tables. We opted for the latter due to the weather as well as the comfort of a dining table. We had to fix a definite hour for dining. It was 7.45 pm and so we opted for the 9 pm slot. We realised later that it made sense as everyone was given an hour’s time to enter the restaurant and be served in a leisurely fashion in batches.


We walked further down the entry hall to go through a door that took us to a huge open air setting. Lighting was from hurricane lamps hung on low level, cut tree branches that were fixed to the muddy ground. There were electric bulbs in the lamps. It was pleasant and added to the village ambience.

Entry hall where you buy dinner couponsAnd what was in front of us but a counter offering jal jeera! It was very good, though strong - just what we needed before going for dinner. Venkat and I mixed plain water with it before having some.

The  ceilingWe walked on the left, planning to circle the area. Two women were dancing to live music dressed in typical Rajasthani gaghras. There was a small girl also dancing with them. We watched for a while before seeing another area where two women were applying mehendi. I had mehendi applied on my left hand and a henna tattoo of Sun God on my right arm. While the former turned dark orange on washing later at night, the tattoo didn’t show up very brightly.

Hurricane lamp on a tree stumpThere was a puppet show in another section where a large audience had gathered. Further to that were camel and elephant rides, if one paid extra cash.

The washroomsThere were toilets in exotic settings at strategic points. But I wish they were better maintained considering the 5-star rating the resort has.

Dancing to live musicThen came the artisans’ village. It was lovely and bright with many stalls selling local ware and so reminded me of Dilli Haat . There was pottery, wooden toys, handloom carpets, lac bangles, blue pottery (Jaipur is famous for this one), marble statuettes, wooden carvings, paintings and more.

Venkat gets a Henna TattooThere was a weaver creating a carpet while his wife sat at her spinning wheel, winding thread. It was a peaceful scene that touched my heart.

Artisans' Village - reminded me of Dilli HaatWe took a round of the artisans’ village and got out to see more musicians, dancers, an astrologer, a palmist, a numerologist and the like.

Isn't that cute!There was a cheap gaming zone where many kids were trying their luck at Nine Pins and Darts.

A counter to exchange foreign currencyWe walked on to reach the AC restaurant called Royal and entered the large compound. We showed our coupon and entered a long hall where musicians were playing on their instruments. The AC hall had seating against the four walls and waiters ran around serving everyone.

Stuffed dolls made of clothFirst they served us fresh salad in a marble pounding stone that was boat shaped. There were slices of cucumber and chopped cabbage and carrots in it.

Royal AC RestaurantThen the thali arrived. It contained 4 vegetables; 1 dal; 1 cup of jeera rice; 1 small plate of Bajri Kichidi. Chaas was served in a glass.

The thaliThere was Dal Bhati Churma; a fried item that I don’t know the name of; Gatte Ki Sabzi; a mixed vegetable; baby potatoes and onions in gravy; and one more vegetable dish that I fail to recall. While they all tasted delicious, there was too much oil floating above the veggies. Venkat literally emptied one of the cups and poured the floating oil into it before eating.

SaladThey served hot rotis of wheat and bajra, topping them with ghee. I believe the Bajri Kichidi is eaten with a couple of spoons of powdered sugar and 3-4 spoonfuls of ghee. I refused the sugar and had a bit of ghee served on mine. It tasted the best despite being rather bland.

Being servedWe were served roasted papad. Then there were tiny jalebis and kulfi ice-cream to complete the meal. While everything was unlimited, it was difficult even to finish the first serving.

VenkatThe meal was not too bad but was not that great either. I chalked it down to an experience. We walked back all the way round from the other side. While some performers were still dancing and singing, most had begun to shut shop for the night.

CLICK HERE for Chokhi Dhani website.

  

Tornado Giveaway: SCARLET REVENGE by Ann McGinnis

1st July 2014
Ann McGninnis is our first Giveaway Author. 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 FBI doesn’t know what to do with Analyst Caycee Scarlet. She’s brash, brilliant & brutally relentless when tracking a serial killer. But she also has a temper, problems with authority figures and recognizing the chain of command.

Things go sideways for Caycee when she uncovers a lead that saves the Omega Killer’s latest victim. Rather than working the system and making nice with her pompous boss, sparks fly and she gets into an altercation with the lead Special Agent on the case, resulting in a transfer to another assignment.
Caycee finds herself transferred to an FBI interrogation facility where she assesses the most dangerous of criminals in custody. She struggles to get over the loss of her dream job, but her new boss, handsome Special Agent Gil Graham, may soften the blow. Sparks, of a different variety, fly between the Special Agent and his new Analyst, as they work together to crack the most difficult cases.
Just when Caycee’s wounds are healing from her expulsion on the Omega Killer team, she is dragged back into the thick of it. Caycee and her new team are front and center, focused on an interview of a bombing suspect, when Omega comes looking for revenge. His attack wounds her team, leaving Caycee with only one option for help—the devastatingly handsome bombing suspect. It will take all of Caycee’s wits, and a kiss for luck, to stop Omega and save her co-workers.


GET TO KNOW HER 
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Ann McGinnis writes about characters that let their egos and sense of justice rule their lives, while they protect the public from serial killers and unthinkable crimes. Of course, Ann's characters always find a way to blow off steam -- romantically!
As a writer, Ann comes from the world of action/thrillers and screenwriting. She has two scripts currently in development. A third script, about a spunky FBI analyst, is the basis of "Scarlet Revenge" and the main character Caycee Scarlet. It is the first book in a series, with Book 2 “Scarlet Envy” coming out in September 2014.
To know more about her :  Blog | Facebook | Goodreads



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Next Giveaway on 2nd July 2014 - Saving Justice by Tasman Gibb

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 hosted by THE BOOK CLUB

Welcome to The Book Club’s very first GiveawayTornado Giveaway

We’re extremely excited about it. You will be too…when you hear the details. Get ready to be blown away by Tornado Giveaway! 
A tornado of books is coming your way. We love our Authors. They give us hours of entertainment; they fill our lives with love and passion. Today, we want to do exactly that. Fill  your  life with love. This is a Romance Giveaway with a smattering of crime thrillers and a heartwarming family saga - to spice up your life.
Starting on the 1st of July we will introduce each of the twenty-three participating Authors on our Book Club page. Some you already know; some are new.  But all promise to keep you entertained with their words.
Believe it or not, we have 200 books to give away.  Didn’t we say, a Tornado is coming your way!  And there will be not one... not two ... but 17 Winners who will get 17 books each and 6 Mega winners will get a chance to grab 22 books each.
How do you participate in this Giveaway? It's simple... just follow the Rafflecopter(scroll down) and win all the books. 
So what are you waiting for?  Join us here as we introduce each author daily and get a sneak peek into their writing. Get ready to be swept away! 
The Rules....

Love Books of course :)
In the Rafflecopter follow the rules....

1. Like the Author Facebook Page - Mandatory - 1 point2. Follow the author on Twitter -Mandatory- 2 points3. Tweet on the dates mentioned in the Rafflecopter about the Author - Optional - 3 points4. Like the Harlequin India Facebook Page - Mandatory - 5 points5. Like the Indireads Facebook Page -Mandatory - 5 points 6. Like The Book Club Facebook Page -Mandatory -  5 points
23AUTHORS; 23 NOVELS; 17 WINNERS; 6 MEGA WINNERS 

the tornado giveaway  -  Video Maker

Participating Authors table.tableizer-table { border: 1px solid #CCC; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif font-size: 12px; } .tableizer-table td { padding: 4px; margin: 3px; border: 1px solid #ccc; } .tableizer-table th { background-color: #104E8B; color: #FFF; font-weight: bold; }
Name of the Book Name of the AuthorDate of PostScarlet RevengeAnn McGinnis1st JulySaving Justice Tasman Gibb2nd JulyThe Perfect Groom Sumeetha Manikandan3rd JulyWilde RidersSavannah Young4th JulyScorched by His FireReet Singh5th JulyWhen I see your FaceDevika Fernando6th JulyThe Malhotra BrideSundari Venkatraman7th JulyButterfly SeasonNatasha Ahmed8th JulyThe Indian Tycoon's Marriage DealAdite Banerjie9th JulyBootie and the BeastFalguni Kothari10th JulyFull CircleYamini Vijendran11th JulyBollywood Fiance For a DayRuchi Vasudeva12th JulyThe Truth About De CampoJennifer Hayward13th JulyTwelve Hours of TemptationShoma Narayanan14th JulyMonsoon MemoriesRenita D'Silva15th JulyHis Captive Indian PrincessTanu Jain16th JulyThe Return of the RebelJennifer Faye17th JulyRapid FallAdiana Ray18th JulyKingdom ComeAarti V Raman19th JulyCrossing the line Nicola Marsh20th JulyIndia was one An Indian21st JulyLily's LeapTéa Cooper22nd JulyLove's LabourAndy Paula23rd July

All the Best Dear Readers...
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RESULTS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON 30TH JULY


Participating Blogs


Bloggers/WritersBlogging @Aarti V RamanRt_WritesAdiana RayRayyyydaysAdite BanerjieAditeBanerjieAn IndianIndia Was OneAnn McGinnisAnn McGinnisArti MetroreaderArti MetroreaderBhavya NKIshithaaDevika FernandoDevika FernandoDola Basu SinghShiuliFalguni KothariFalguni KothariInderpreet Kaur UppalEloquent ArticulationJanaki NagarajMemoirs of A HomemakerJennifer FayeJennifer FayeJennifer HaywardJennifer HaywardJigar DoshiJigar DoshiParichita SinghParichitaNatasha AhmedDear RumiNicola MarshNicola MarshNikita SoniNjkinny's World of Books & StuffPooja AbhayThoughtless RamificationsReet SinghReet SinghRenita D'SilvaRenita D'SilvaRubina RameshThe Book ClubRuchi VasudevaRuchi VasudevaSavannah YoungSavannah YoungShoma NarayananShoma NarayananSonia RaosoniaraowritesSumeetha ManikandanBooks Reviews by SumiSundari VenkatramanFlaming SunTanu Jaintanurja's BlogTasman GibbTasman GibbTéa CooperTea CooperUsha NarayananUsha NarayananYamini VijendranStraight from the heartAndy PaulaAndy Paula



This Giveaway is hosted by The Book Club. A group of Writers and Bloggers who have come together to spread the works of different authors from around the globe. 

Logo design by Natasha Ahmed
A special thank you to Adite Banerjie, Sundari Venkatraman and Dola Basu Singh. Without you this Giveaway was not possible. 

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

Blog Tour: THE EVOLUTION OF GODS by Ajay Kansal

Book Details: Title and Author: The Evolution of Gods: The Scientific Origin of Divinity and Religions[image error]by Dr. Ajay KansalPrint Length: 214 PagesPublication Date: August 2012Language: EnglishGenre: Non-Fiction, Religion and Spirituality, Comparative Religion, Atheism

Blurb: Did gods create humanity or did humans create gods? Did gods create mankind, or did mankind create gods? Why, when and how did mankind begin to worship gods? 
Religious scriptures the world over claim that one or the other god made all plants and animals, but science has not yet identified any supernatural power that created and governed living beings. 
Was it man who came up with the idea of gods to help him cope with his own fears?  Could it be that ancient people attributed natural phenomena-unfathomable and frightening to them-to the working of invisible gods?  What kind of sufferings or fears made people bow before unseen powers or gods as we call them? When were these gods created?  Who invented morals and methods of worship?  Who wrote the ancient scriptures such as the Bible and the Vedas?  Most crucially, have gods and the scriptures shaped our responses to the world around us? 
The Evolution of Gods seeks to answer these questions, and explains scientifically how, when and why religions and gods came into being. Ajay Kansal marshals anthropological and historical facts about the development of religions in a simple and straight forward manner to assert that it was mankind that created gods, and not the other way around.


Buying Links: Amazon.com: Paperback | Kindle Ebook[image error]Amazon.in: Paperback[image error] | Kindle EbookFlipkart.com:[image error] Paperback | EBook


About the Author:
Ajay Kansal is a professor and consultant pathologist. It was during his medical practice that he encountered human suffering in a big way that made him question the concept of Gods and drove him to write this book.The Evolution of Gods[image error] [image error]is his first book and the only book written by an Indian author on the concept of the existence of God which talks of all religions and is not based on any one particular form of it. His next work is a romance which is currently in progress.
Follow The Author:
Amazon Page  | Twitter| Facebook | Website | Blog | Goodreads

Book Review: KINGDOM COME By Aarti V. Raman

I received this book from the author on April 22, 2014 and have taken exactly 2 months to complete reading it. My sincere apologies to Aarti Venkatraman for the delay!

THE BLURB

How do you kill a man with no Achilles heel? You cut off his foot - Tom Jones.

Set against the serene beauty of Kashmir, Ladakh and Tibet, Kingdom Come is a gripping story of death and loss, vengeance and retribution, love and life. Krivi Iyer is an embittered former spy and bomb defusal expert with only one regret - that he couldn't catch The Woodpecker, a dangerous, mentally unstable bomber who ended his partner's family. He has a second chance to go after his arch enemy with the arrival of Ziya Maarten, the manager of Goonj Business Enterprises in Srinagar, Kashmir, who is alleged to be The Woodpecker's sister. Except Ziya is a beautiful distraction and not a terrorist's sister. When a tragedy in London tears Ziya's life apart, she can only rely on Krivi to give her the absolution and vengeance she needs to move on. Between training to be an anti-terrorist squad member and finding The Woodpecker, Ziya uncovers the secrets of Krivi's tormented past. But will two tortured souls find the courage to love?

MY PERCEPTION

The story has been amazingly penned. I loved every single character in the book, even the bad guys. I would have never believed that I could like a silent, dark, brooding hero but I couldn’t help falling in love with Krivi Iyer. I could feel his pain and so relate to his incredible journey as a spy.

The gorgeous Ziya is feisty and touches your heart. Her determination to raise above all the hurdles that come across her way right from the time of her birth is commendable. The contrast between the siblings - one a terrorist and the other the heroine - has been brought out very well in the story.

Noor is a lovely character and I so wished there was more of her. But she played her role very well indeed.

The story takes you from London to Kashmir to Yorkshire to Tibet to Ladakh (Have I missed anything here?) on a roller-coaster ride as Krivi chases The Woodpecker. He is determined to catch the bomber who is crazy to boot. Will Ziya be a help to Krivi or will she turn out to be his weakness? You have to read the story to find out.

The last fifty pages had me biting my nails and I was quite irritated when dinner interrupted my reading. Finishing my work in the kitchen as fast as possible, I got back to my Android to complete the book and was not at all disappointed when I reached THE END. It was one helluva ride! Congratulations Aarti V. Raman! You do have a way with words.

The book cover is just perfect with silhouettes of Krivi & Ziya against the background of a bomb blast.


If the novel was so perfect, then why did I take 2 months to read it and why am I giving it only 4 stars?

There is a reason to it and I cannot hold the author responsible for the same. The book has been miserably proof-read - for example, a simple word like ‘too’ being used instead of ‘took’. The ‘commas’ and ‘full-stops’ were horribly misplaced, an umpteen times. I found errors right from the beginning to the end. Being a professional proof-reader, I found it very difficult to read the book continuously as my eyes kept honing in on the mistakes. For this I have taken away one star.
Aart V. Raman
Disclaimer: I received the PDF version of this book from the author for my honest review.

About Aarti V. Raman in her own words:

“I live in Mumbai, 27 years old, and my publishing credits include White Knight by Leadstart Publishing out in 2012. I was also a part of the romance anthology An Atlas of Love by Rupa Publications, which came out in February 2014. I have yet another novel Lucas which is part of a Historical romance series that comes out in June by the UK-based publishing house Knox Robinson. And my future works are in consideration with Harlequin Mills and Boon, Harlequin India and Rupa Publications.”

Blog Tour: SPOTLIGHT of THE MADRAS MANGLER by Usha Narayanan

The Madras Mangler by Usha Narayanan







The Blurb
Five pretty girls from around the country, enjoying college life in Chennai, chasing their own dreams. Until a psychopath comes to town, killing girls and dumping their bodies in the rivers. The killer is smart, dangerous and very angry. Just like Vir Pradyumna, ace criminologist from New York, who is fighting his own demons from the past. Ruthless politicians, bumbling cops, beer barons and cyber criminals run amuck. The killer snatches a girl whom Vir has sworn to protect. A Hollywood action crew and the crowds at the India-Australia cricket one-dayer get sucked into the relentless buildup to a nail-biting climax. Will Vir be in time to stop the maniac and save the girl?
Buy @   Amazon.com | Amazon.in | FlipKart | Infibeam |             Watch it


Meet the Author

Be crazy, be creative. That’s been my mantra as a writer and a creative director ― in advertising, radio, corpcomm and web-writing. I turned up the craziness a notch by becoming a novelist, with the freedom to write exactly what I wanted. I started a romcom, changed it into a thriller and sweated and slogged to get the pieces to work together. Research, cliffhangers, suspense, clues, red herrings ― my brain was in a tizzy for days and months. Done, dusted off, dispatched. A few rejections, heartbreak. A contract from Leadstart, bliss. Creating a spooky book trailer with images and music I bought online. A tweak here and there, with my editor. Poring over images for the cover. Suggesting the artist turn ‘The’ in the title sideways. The book comes out on Flipkart and Amazon first. And after some nail-biting suspense, in bookstores. Organised a launch with Suhasini Maniratnam and Rudra Krishna. Great media reviews. Lovely, wonderful blogger friends. I love being an author 
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CLICK HERE  to purchase Sundari Venkatraman's romance novella THE MALHOTRA BRIDE CLICK HERE  to purchase Sundari Venkatraman's romance novel MEGHNA