#AuthorInterview with Sundari Venkatraman

Today, as part of The Book Club Blog Tour of Sundari Venkatraman’s new book, The Runaway Bridegroom, I have the pleasure of hosting the author and asking her some incisive questions! 😉

As a romance author do you follow any dos and don’ts when you set up your characters, plot or situations?

Sundari: I don’t have too many conditions. But that said, I do have a few. My protagonists don’t smoke. If at all, they have done it when they were young and have stopped as they matured. They have to be honest even if they utter white lies. That’s very important to me. Successful and go-getting heroes and heroines are equally important. I like it best when my book addresses a social evil WITHOUT PREACHING. I hate to preach, probably because I can’t stand anyone preaching to me. 😉

So true. Preaching is a big put-off! You have had much success with your social marketing book promotions. What is one tip you would give to authors?

Sundari: How much ever you talk, shout about your books, it works best when others do it for you. How do you achieve that? Promote others as much as you would like them to promote you. That’s the only maxim that works on social media. And I would say that that’s the key to my success.

Many youngsters scoff at the idea of romance. As a romance author do you sometimes feel like you have to sell the idea of love and romance to a cynical younger generation? Your thoughts please.

Sundari: I agree when you say that youngsters aren’t too keen on romance nowadays. Then again, I find that many get interested when they see Indian characters in romances. I loved reading Mills & Boon since my teens. But my daughter isn’t able to relate to foreign characters. She likes reading my books only because there are Indians there and she is able to relate my writing to Bollywood flicks. I don’t try to sell my books to cynics. The world population is big enough. I am sure there are enough people who love romances and I would rather they bought my book. Why run after a lost cause?

Well said, Sundari. But, if you hadn’t been a romance author, which other genre would you have picked and why?

Sundari: “Thriller” or “Supernatural” – of the positive kind – will probably have been my forte. I cannot relate to blood, gore or evil. Just not my cup of tea! I am actually planning to weave such scenarios into my romances sometime in the near future.

What challenges you most when you are writing a book and how do you overcome it?

Sundari: The major challenge is laziness. I come up with plots, write out chapter outlines and keep everything ready. Fleshing it out – I keep postponing till that time when I realise I cannot escape any more. Deadline! I fix a date and finish my book by then come hell or high water. Only that works for me.

Absolutely, Sundari. Deadlines are an author’s best friend. Best wishes for a grand success of TRB!

Sundari: Thank you so much Adite for giving me an opportunity to air my views on your blog. I loved answering your questions.

THE RUNAWAY BRIDEGROOM

Sundari Venkatraman

Blurb

Chanda Maheshwari’s family is shaken when her thirteen-year-old bridegroom Veerendra runs away immediately after the wedding. The eight-year-old child doesn’t even understand the impact on her life. Unable to face their neighbours and friends, the Maheshwaris move from their village to Jaipur and begin a new life in the city.

Fourteen years later, Chanda is studying in a Delhi College. She takes up a temporary job at RS Software Pvt. Ltd. and falls head-over-heels for the boss of the operation. But what about Ranveer Singh? Is he interested in her?

Ranveer’s secretary Shikha is desperate to make him fall for her. All she wants is life-long security with a rich man. But it’s nerd Abhimanyu who keeps getting in the way. Abhi is Ranveer’s second-in-command and Shikha isn’t keen on him as she’s eyeing the main chance.

When Ranveer appears to show interest in Chanda, she’s faced with a new problem. Astrologer Vidyasagar insists that she would get back with her husband Veerendra. Does anyone want to know what she wants?

Chanda feels torn between the man she has fallen for and the family values that have been instilled in her. Will she ever find happiness?

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Meet the Author

Sundari Venkatraman has authored four ebooks so far, The Runaway Bridegroom being the latest. Three of her books, namely, The Malhotra Bride; Meghna and The Runaway Bridegroom have all been self-published on Amazon under the banner of Flaming Sun. All three books are regularly seen on Amazon’s Top 100 Bestsellers’ Contemporary Romances list.

A great fan of Mills & Boon romances over the past four decades, Sundari has always believed in ‘Happily Ever Afters’ and all her books promise happy endings.

The Runaway Bridegroom talks about ‘Child Marriage’, an evil perpetrated even in the 21st century in a country like India. While a large number of the country’s population live in the cities and lead modern lives, there are many who follow old customs unaware of the negative impact on the lives of the younger generation.

The book is a work of fiction and of course does not preach. The author has but made an attempt to bring this ancient custom to the eyes of the modern public around the world while bringing a simple solution to the protagonists, the victims of child marriage.

“I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I loved writing it,” says Sundari Venkatraman.

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