**Author Peek** Interview with Sundari Venkatraman
**AUTHOR PEEK** Interview with
SUNDARI VENKATRAMAN!!
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INTRODUCING….SUNDARI VENKATRAMAN.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
Hi Karen,
Thank you for hosting me on your blog.
My name is Sundari Venkatraman. I live in Mumbai, India. I used to work first with a newspaper and later with a couple of websites, writing content and doing copy editing until I turned freelancer. I did that for a year before becoming full time writer. I have four novels and one anthology (all romances) published to my name.
My cat Simba is my favourite hobby. Other than that, I like to travel and cook; bake. Most of my time I spend in writing and promoting my books.
1. What genre(s) do you write and why?
I write romances. I love the “happily ever after” endings for one thing and it’s also the genre that I read the most.
2. If you were to choose one superpower, what would it be?
Teleport – disappearing from one place and appearing in the place I want to reach in a jiffy. I get goosebumps every time I imagine doing that.
3. Do you ever get stuck when you’re writing a book? What do you do to get “unstuck”?
Yeah, at times. When I get stuck, I stop writing for a few days and do a lot of reading and walking till I want to write again.
4. What is your least favorite part of writing?
Following editorial guidelines to rewrite sections; though I do realize the importance of this exercise.
5. If we came to your house for dinner, what would you prepare for us?
If you are into big meals, I would like to serve you a typical South Indian meal on a plantain leaf.
Adding a picture for your audience:
The items on the leaf:
1. Sarkarai pongal – sweet dish made of rice, polished green gram, jaggery and cardamom
2. Vellarikkai pachidi – cucumber and beaten curd tempered with mustard seeds and green chilly
3. Avarakkai curry – boiled Indian beans with sauté
4. Pudalangaai kootu – snake gourd in coconut gravy
5. Nendarangai chips – plantain chips
6. Paruppu – plain lentil with salt
7. Steamed rice
8. Ghee – clarified butter
9. Carrot sambar – a flavoured curry of tamarind, lentil and other spices to be had with rice
10. Thakkaali rasam – tomato flavoured clear soup made of tamarind puree; also had with rice
11. Thayir saadham – a mix of rice and curd with sauté
12. Water
6. What is your typical day like?
I am a late riser. I prepare breakfast and lunch before sitting on my PC. I do promotions on social media and write. I do my best to write at least a thousand words. My husband, daughter and son (both are adults and we live in the same house) leave late for work – so family time is more in the morning than at dinner as everyone gets home late. I have inculcated an exercise routine recently. I enjoy my siesta and go to sleep at around 2-3 am at the earliest. I read at night and then there is a gratitude journal that I write just before going to sleep.
7. What is most difficult for you to write? Characters, conflict or emotions? Why?
Conflict is what I find most difficult to write. I see the world through rosy spectacles all the time. It’s not as if we are a peaceful family without arguments. We are quite hyper and have shouting matches pretty often. But I still find it difficult to pen conflict between characters. I need to really work at this, especially as I have taken to exploring the Romantic Thriller genre recently.
8. How likely are the people you meet going to end up in your next book?
More than the people, I think it’s their characteristics that end up in my book. If I use a specific person, I find that it curtails my writing. So it’s one person’s eyes, another person’s nose and yet another person’s temper; if you know what I mean. 
