Sundari Venkatraman's Blog, page 67

Blog Tour: INTERVIEW BY SONIA RAO

Sonia RaoI 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....

Blog Tour: REVIEW BY VISHWAS MANJULA BYRAPPA

Vishwas Manjula ByrappaI must say I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the 4-star rating given my book by Vishwas Manjula Byrappa. As he says it himself, he is not a fan of the romance genre. Thank you so much for your words of appreciation Vishwas!

About Vishwas in his own words:

"Byrappa is a Philosopher in Love, a Chief Applied Imagineer, a Parenthesis Whore, a Roamer & a Professional Bullshitter. Byrappa is an editor, ghost writer / re-writer and publisher; and has been breaking and taking things apart (Under the guise of testing and/or reviewing) apps, gadgets, games, cameras, mobiles, and websites since the late 90s. After a long crazy ride, he delusionally thinks he can write and has just started to review books."




Book Review
Double Jeopardy by Sundari Venkatraman is short romantic novella, which by judging its cover, looks like a triangle love story, telling the story of Sanya who is caught between her childhood crush for Arth, and the unexplainable feeling she has for Ansh.

What I like…

Sundari has created characters that are at once both likeable and relatable. The characters, their personalities, intentions, relationships, conflicts, and feelings have all been described in a simplistic and effortless manner, yet it still leaves a lasting impression on you.

While parts of the story are predicable, the suspense has been handled very well, giving you a bold and interesting twist. The story also explores various topics like relationship with family, insecurities which rip apart friends, the concept of the crazy thing we call love, sensitive social issues, insensitive society & media, and importantly the journey of a self-discovery, of Sanya, a poster child for Millennials.

CLICK HERE to read the complete review....

Blog Tour: INTERVIEW BY RUCHI VASUDEVA

Ruchi VasudevaI was thrilled when Mills & Boon author Ruchi Vasudeva offered to interview me for Double Jeopardy. She has authored two books for M&B; You Can't Fight A Royal Attraction & Bollywood Fiancé For A Day .

About Ruchi Vasudeva in her own words:

"An author who’s found a second career in writing, the first is being a medico. I write romantic and emotional stories. My debut book, out in August ’13, is Bollywood Fiance For A Day, published with Harlequin Mills and Boon.

I discovered or rather rediscovered my writing zen rather late, after a gap of about twenty years from when I first thought of being a writer. However, once it caught hold, the spirit to get published didn’t let go of me. Despite many upsets in daily routine, it’s been a fun journey and I look forward to sharing similar experiences with other writers and readers. This blog is a landing space for the flight of my writing side and its endeavours."

Thank you Ruchi for doing the interview!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Today I have with me author Sundari Venkataraman, talking about her new book with the intriguing title of Double Jeopardy. Let’s get to know her better through this question and answer session.

Q: Tell us something about yourself and how you got into writing?

A: I have grown up in a family where a woman’s main aim in life is to get married, preferably an arranged marriage. I got married to my husband Venkatraman when I was 23 and had two kids. While I always loved reading, I never could write creatively.

I enjoy Mills & Boon romances and kept visualizing Indian heroes and heroines in them. I used to weave a number of scenes in my head but never wrote as I had no confidence in my writing.
One fine day, I just decided to put my thoughts into words in the form of a novel and quite liked the way it read. And that’s how my writing happened in my life.

CLICK HERE to read the complete interview....

Blog Tour: REVIEW BY SRIDEVI DATTA

Sridevi DattaThe 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....

Blog Tour: REVIEW BY RUBINA RAMESH

Rubina RameshHello 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. Thank you Rubina!




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.

THE BOOK CLUB BLOG TOUR

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS! I have some great news to share here 


Double Jeopardy by Sundari Venkatraman


The Blurb
Sanya doesn’t just have trouble, she has double trouble. Twins Arth and Ansh Sharma, are rich, sexy and sinfully handsome – what’s a girl to do?
Sanya last saw the twins when she was ten years old. Now, all grown up, she has come looking for gentle Arth, the twin she has loved ever since she can remember. But instead, she is confronted with fiery Ansh, who is hell-bent on seducing her. And what’s worse, she can’t seem to stop herself from responding to him.
As she chases Arth and is chased by Ansh, Sanya finds herself on a crazy roller coaster ride with no way of getting off. How will she deal with these two very different men in her life? Will she be able to convince one twin that she loves the other?
Meet 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 and had them published in her blogs. Her luck turned when Indireads approached her to write for them and Double Jeopardy was born.
You can stalk her @
                 
                      

Blog Tour Schedule
1Jan-11 Jan 2014 (The Blog links will be live as and when the posts come up)
2nd Jan 2014 Adite Banerjie  (Spotlight) aditebanerjie
3rd Jan 2014 Jaibala Rao (Review/Interview) My School Of Thought
5th Jan 2014 Sridevi Datta (Review) THE WRITE JOURNEY

7th Jan 2014 Vishwas Byrappa (Review) Byrappa's notes
7th Jan 2014 Tales Pensieve (Interview)
7th Jan 2014 Ruchi Vasudeva(Interview) Ruchi Vasudeva Author's nook
8th Jan 2014 Sonia Rao(Interview) soniaraowrites
9th Jan 2014 Neelesh Gajanan Inamdar (Review) From the Heart - Neel
10th Jan 2014 Dola Basu Singh (Spotlight) Shiuli
10th Jan 2014 Sumeetha Manikandan (Review) Book Reviews by Sumi
11th Jan 2014 Rubina Ramesh (Review/ Interview) The Book Club


You can buy DOUBLE JEOPARDY on these websites
Amazon Barnes & Noble Flipkart Smashwords Indigo Diesel eBooks Bookworld All Romance Books Indireads

Food Review: BUSAGO @ BANDRA

BusaGo @ BandraAfter the Christmas trip to Mount Mary Church & Taj Lands End, Vinny & I went to BusaGo in Bandra to buy a takeaway lunch. It’s a quaint little restaurant, tucked away in Bandra, with a few tables in the open and some more in the AC section.

Their menu on the wallThey have an open kitchen where you can see the cooks and waiters getting the food together. While they have a number of Thai & Burmese fare on offer – both vegetarian & non-vegetarian – we ordered Burmese Kaukswe which is what the place is renowned for.

How to make your bowl of KauksweA bowl of Kaukswe – a type of Burmese Curry made in coconut gravy – comes along with a serving of noodles, white rice or brown rice. Zucchini, broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms and carrots were the veggies used in the gravy. We took three of these along with an extra portion noodle & brown rice for eating at home along with Venkat & Viggy. The bill was quite decent coming to less than Rs. 900.

Burmese Kaukswe with brown rice & condiments! Yum YumThey serve a number of condiments with the Kaukswe which is what makes the meal rich in taste. There was fried onion, fried garlic, roasted peanuts, chopped coriander, chopped green onion stalks, chopped onions, chopped celery, chilli flakes and lemon wedges.

Seats both outside and inside at BusaGoYou make a bed of noodles or rice or both on the plate. Over this, you spread the various condiments that suit your taste, sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice and pour the Kaukswe on top. Now set out to polish off the whole. It tasted simply awesome! Definitely droolworthy!

BusaGo (Meals in a Bowl),
11, Gasper Enclave,
Opp. Gold’s Gym,
St. John’s Road,
Bandra West,
Mumbai
Phone: 022-61278897 / 98

Food Review: BusaGo @ Bandra

BusaGo @ BandraAfter the Christmas trip to Mount Mary Church & Taj Lands End, Vinny & I went to BusaGo in Bandra to buy a takeaway lunch. It’s a quaint little restaurant, tucked away in Bandra, with a few tables in the open and some more in the AC section.

Their menu on the wallThey have an open kitchen where you can see the cooks and waiters getting the food together. While they have a number of Thai & Burmese fare on offer – both vegetarian & non-vegetarian – we ordered Burmese Kaukswe which is what the place is renowned for.

How to make your bowl of KauksweA bowl of Kaukswe – a type of Burmese Curry made in coconut gravy – comes along with a serving of noodles, white rice or brown rice. Zucchini, broccoli, baby corn, mushrooms and carrots were the veggies used in the gravy. We took three of these along with an extra portion noodle & brown rice for eating at home along with Venkat & Viggy. The bill was quite decent coming to less than Rs. 900.

Burmese Kaukswe with brown rice & condiments! Yum YumThey serve a number of condiments with the Kaukswe which is what makes the meal rich in taste. There was fried onion, fried garlic, roasted peanuts, chopped coriander, chopped green onion stalks, chopped onions, chopped celery, chilli flakes and lemon wedges.

Seats both outside and inside at BusaGoYou make a bed of noodles or rice or both on the plate. Over this, you spread the various condiments that suit your taste, sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice and pour the Kaukswe on top. Now set out to polish off the whole. It tasted simply awesome! Definitely droolworthy!

BusaGo (Meals in a Bowl),
11, Gasper Enclave,
Opp. Gold’s Gym,
St. John’s Road,
Bandra West,
Mumbai
Phone: 022-61278897 / 98

Festival: MERRY CHRISTMAS 2013!

 
Mother Mary & Baby Jesus on Christmas Day 2013!Merry Christmas!

Up the hillI was quite thrilled when Vinny suggested that we go to visit Mount Mary on Christmas this year. While I have been to that area a number of times and even went to the church once, it has always been in the night. So, I was quite happy to go there in the daylight.

Candles sold outside the churchWe got off the rickshaw opposite Mehboob Studio and walked up the sloping road. The weather was awesome and the walk quite scenic. We went down a couple of by-lanes, taking our time reaching the church at around 1.30 pm.

Vinny checks out the wares on saleThe church was packed with a number of people spilling into the compound too. Most of them were obviously not Christians, same as us. We both walked inside to sit on a pew. After praying for a few minutes, I got up to walk to the altar. Mother Mary and Baby Jesus wore diamond crowns to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. They looked beautiful.

Mount Mary Church in the afternoon sunlightAfter praying there, I walked out from the right side where a crib had been set up. It looked lovely. I waited on another pew while Vinny completed her prayers and then the two of us left from the opposite door.

The cribWe walked down the hill from the other end and went to Taj Lands End where Christmas Carols had been organised in the main hall. Children from a nearby school were celebrating the birth of Jesus by singing carols.

The scenic walk downhillWe sat there to listen to “Jingle Bells” (my favourite) and “Silent Night”. It was lovely to hear their young, sweet voices. We left after having a glass of fruit juice served by the hotel.

Christmas Carols at Taj Lands EndIt was a wonderful Christmas for me as we went on to buy a takeaway lunch at BusaGo in Bandra before going home to share it with Venkat and Viggy.

Cute stuffed Santa Claus at the Festivity Desk at Taj Lands End


One of the 4 pretty Christmas trees in the lobby of Taj Lands End!

Jewels of Mumbai: UDIPI SHRI KRISHNA BOARDING

Outside Matunga StationThis blog has been long overdue. I have visited Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding umpteen times since I had planned the write-up.

The counter where you buy couponsThis restaurant was established in 1942 – yeah, since before Independence. Amazing to see the quality of food served and so cheap too!

The Full Meal begins...The restaurant serves a complete South Indian meal – read Karnataka style. There is a Full Meal section – costs Rs. 180 as of now. They serve everything unlimited here except for the sweet. In this meal, one gets to eat rotis or puris (puris are served only in the evenings and Sunday afternoons), rice, three types of veggies, sambar, rasam, dal, fried papad, one sweet, pickle, one cup dahi and chaas. You need a gargantuan appetite to do justice to this. But, it tastes amazing. We used to visit this section regularly some years back.

The Plated Meals sectionRecently, not able to consume much, we have shifted focus to the Plated Meals section that costs Rs. 55 plus. The ‘plus’ is for those extras that you might want – like a sweet, extra sabzi, papad and so on.

Rotis being preparedThis serves three limited sabzis, unlimited sambar, rasam, dal, limited papad, pickle, curd, chaas along with 3 sets of staples. You can combine it any which ways. 2 rotis-3 puris-1 cup rice – you can have 3 cups of rice, or six rotis, or 9 puris or a combo that suits you. It’s quite flexible.

Puris & Papads fried here in different kadaisOn a regular day, there is a choice of four sweets on offer.

They have one condition in both sections – DO NOT ask for items and waste. In fact, if you waste sambar, they charge you extra for that.

Cups of rice being readiedAll the food items are freshly prepared and taste absolutely delicious. We always avoid going to Rama Nayak’s for Sunday lunch as the crowd is just too much. There is a snaking queue that runs down the lobby sometimes down on the staircase. You will probably need to wait for an hour or two to be accommodated.

Vattis for Sambar, Rasam & DalAny customer can visit their kitchen on request. They even allowed me to take pictures. I got to talking with the owner’s son on one of my visits.

They buy all vegetables from APMC Market in Navi Mumbai. Only seasonal vegetables are used. All the tables and chairs are moved against the walls and newspapers spread on the dining room floor for cutting veggies in preparation for lunch and dinner.

Diesel boilers for cooking rice, sambar, etc.
While LPG stoves are used for cooking rotis & dry sabzis, they use diesel to cook rice, sambar and the like. These are cooked in what look like boilers. The guy manning the rice cookers said that it takes barely 5-6 minutes to cook a few kilos of rice. Amazing!

The waiters, cooks and cleaning boys are well-behaved and treat the customers with respect. There are at least 2-3 supervisors keeping an eye on all customers to ensure that everyone is served well. One can get a copy of their booklet that tells you Shri Krishna Boarding’s historical journey since 1942 and even before, when Shri A. Rama Nayak came to Bombay.

Notice Board with newspaper cuttingsYou will find all classes of people from different communities coming there to eat the excellent fare served. You will find a notice board full of clippings from various newspapers & magazines where the restaurant has been featured.

The restaurant is just one step away from Matunga station.

A. Rama Nayak’s
Udipi Shri Krishna Boarding,
1st Floor, LBS Market Building,
Matunga, Mumbai – 400019.
Phone: 24142422
Lunch: 10.30 am to 2.30 pm
Dinner: 7.00 pm to 10.00 pm
CLOSED ON MONDAYS