Sharing: BOOK-A-MONTH MARATHON, AN AMAZON KDP SUCCESS STORY

All my 20 titles on Amazon #KDP

Freedom!!!

I owe my thanks totally to Amazon KDP for my freedom—to do what I love while making an awesome income.  

And I feel oh-so-honoured by the recognition I got from them.

Read on to find out how you can also make a successful writing career with Amazon...

Yes, I seem to have managed the near impossible: My 14^th title in 13 months! Well, of these, one is a box set (Flaming Sun Collection 2: Marriages Made in India) while another is a second edition (The Madras Affair). But I still feel good about the whole thing since I proof and format my books too, sticking as close as possible to my self-challenged book-a-month marathon.

Sundari Venkatraman (that's me)

It was in June 2016 that I published Tales of Sunshine, a collection of Human Interest short stories. It was three months after An Autograph for Anjali. I suddenly felt unleashed after the constraint placed on me by traditionally publishing The Madras Affair. The contract bound me to stay away from publishing any other title over a period of one year. (I was probably lucky when compared to many of my counterparts is what I hear.)

It was by chance that I came upon a link where I read that Nora Roberts had written and published 24 books in two years. It was inspirational and I was all fired. All it takes is a wild imagination and the grit and discipline to write regularly.

I am lucky that my kids are grown up. I have a supportive husband (he actually has given up, I think), a maid who’s actually a housekeeper, a cook and a few others who make my life easy. Then there are my beta readers—I have two—and my cover designer who have been supportive throughout my madcap ventures. Then, there is The Book Club helmed by Rubina Ramesh. I won't be what I am today without them. 

Let me not forget my readers and fans who have been a great source of joy with their encouraging words, reviews and star ratings. No, I don’t let the critiques sway me. If they have something constructive, I definitely welcome their feedback. Otherwise, I have developed a pachyderm.

And finally, the most important support, the very foundation for my success—Amazon KDP! I am absolutely grateful to Amazon for having given me a platform for what I am today, a successful, well read author with an audience around the globe, while sitting right here at my home in Mumbai.

Are you a writer who aspires to become a published author? Who wants to keep the reins of control in your hands? If you are ready to work for it, then this is a wonderful opportunity for you: Amazon brings you a Contest on #KDP called #PentoPublish with incredible prizes for the winner:

1.       Rs. 10,00,000

2.      A print publishing contract with Westland

3.      You get to be mentored by Chetan Bhagat

Clickhere to know more about the contest...

I am truly proud to be a part of the Amazon KDP journey, featuring on the panel along with the likes of Mr. Chetan Bhagat and Mr. Ashwin Sanghi while also being highlighted as one of three success stories.

You can click here to know more about Sundari Venkatraman's Amazon... 

Sharing: AN EXCERPT FROM MY NOVEL "MEGHNA"

Meghna is the second novel that I penned. It's an entertaining romance with a "Happily Ever After" ending. The ebook also happens to be a #Bestseller on Amazon around the world. Meghna is also available in paperback in select countries.

I remember publishing this book with a friendly warning to my readers. Here you go...

This book has been written only for the purpose of Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment! If you are looking to learn something or improve your lives after reading this work, then this book is not for you. I am not trying to get into competition with the Author Biggies of this world. I wrote this simply for the fun and joy of it. One thing I can promise the reader though: Well proof-read, perfect language that I feel is very important for every book that's written in any tongue. 

Click here to check the blurb...

An excerpt from my book:

A tear slowly found its way down her golden face as Meghna stood at the window. She dashed an angry hand against her cheek, only to have another one coming right after the first. The shock of meeting Rahul after so many years had taken its toll.

   Life had never been the same after Rahul kissed her. Meghna unconsciously touched her lips. All these years she had waited for him to contact her. And suddenly he was here, larger than life and, she clenched her fists, teasing her mercilessly. It appeared as if the years in between ceased to exist. The tears flowed faster. 

   Rahul placed a gentle hand on Meghna’s shoulder. “Meghna.” She tried to push his hand away in vain.

   “Meghna, look at me.” Rahul right hand came out to take hold of her chin and turn her head to face him. 

   There was no reply as Meghna kept her gaze down, refusing to meet his teasing brown eyes.

   “It’s lovely. Your choice, I suppose,” said Rahul.

   Her head came up at that and she looked at him as if he had taken leave of his senses.

   “The floor - the pattern’s beautiful.” Rahul explained patiently.

   Meghna glared at him, confused.

   “Where are your wits, my darling? Weren’t you trying to draw my attention to the floor? I’m impressed. It looks great,” his expression was serious. 

   “Rahul,” said Meghna, “You’re impossible, incorrigible and, and—”

   “And?” prompted Rahul, his eyes alight with mischief.

   Meghna just managed to stop herself from saying, ‘adorable’. The devil didn’t need her to feed his already swollen ego.

   “And nothing.”

    “Nothing?” Rahul looked at the self-confident woman in front of him. He thought of the young girl - short and plump with no confidence at all - he had left behind. His lips parted in a slow smile. “Why the tears?” He asked in a sudden change of subject.

   Meghna had been watching the morning sun’s rays playing on Rahul’s handsome face, totally absorbed in the dashing figure he cut. She didn’t hear his question.

   “Meghna,” Rahul’s voice came from near her ear, curious at her wandering attention.

   She raised startled grey eyes to his face that was too close for comfort.

   “What?” 

   “Why the tears?” he repeated.

   “Forget it. It’s nothing important,” said Meghna.

   “How can I? As you mentioned earlier, it’s barely a few hours since—”

   “Please Rahul. I’m perfectly fine.” Meghna answered quickly, worried that he might leave.

   “Would you rather I stayed elsewhere?” continued Rahul, “I don’t want to upset you.”

   “Don’t be silly, Rahul. Sanjay and Bhabhi will be very upset if you stayed elsewhere.” Meghna refused to look above his shoulder.

   “And you?” A dark eyebrow rose up in query. 

   Meghna didn’t reply. She was afraid of saying the wrong thing. He had seemed like the Rahul from her childhood days in the dining room. Now he appeared to be a sophisticated stranger making demands on her that she didn’t even begin to fathom. He was like a new person. She didn’t realise that the change was more in the way she perceived things, then as a teenager and now as a young woman. 

   Rahul snapped his fingers in front of Meghna’s startled face, “Earth calling Meghna,” he said, his face breaking into a wide grin.

   Meghna brought her rambling thoughts under control and looked at him questioningly.

   Rahul sighed extravagantly. “Meghna,” he said, “Do you want me to leave?”

   “Well,” answered Meghna softly, “if you stay elsewhere, how will you find time to bug me?” She tried hard to look sad. But her twinkling eyes gave her away.

   “That’s my Meghna.” Rahul put an arm around her shoulder. Thank God!  For a minute there he thought he was going to be thrown out. 

   Meghna was just the perfect name for her. Her grey eyes reminded him of dark, rain-bearing clouds. The lightning temper in her eyes and the thunder in her expression added to his conviction. Just now the grey eyes were smiling guilelessly up at him.

If you enjoyed reading the excerpt, you can purchase your copy here: Meghna on Amazon #KDP 

Blog Tour: JUST ME, THE SINK & THE POT by Sudesna Ghosh

Are you a fan of the #Romance genre? Click here to know more...

JUST ME, THE SINK & THE POT

by

Sudesna Ghosh

Blurb

Meet Pamela, an overweight girl who's looking back at her school days. From longing for a Valentine to dealing with a sibling who hates her, Pamela has a lot to deal with. She even has a special bunch of friends at home who she can turn to - but they aren't the kind of friends you'd expect. Life sucks when you're fat. Can Pamela ever be happy?

Read an excerpt of the book here...

One day a classmate asked me, “Where is your lunch?” I told her that I had already had it and went back to my fake laughter and smiles. The others chatted and laughed while they ate from their tiffin boxes. Some brought samosas or ice cream from outside the gate. My hunger pangs got worse as I saw all the food and smelt the delicious odours around me.

The ice cream cart was run by a sweet old man who knew me since I’d started school. He would ask me some days, “Child, you don’t want your favourite orange stick?” I would say no thank you and smile before running away from him and his cart. One day he seemed to be desperate to make me have an ice cream. “Child! Come here and have an ice cream. You don’t have to pay me,” he called out. I smiled, turned around and went to hide in an empty classroom. Two minutes later, I shrieked; the old man had found me. He was carrying a dripping ice cream for me. I started laughing. Then I started running away from him. The old man started running after me!

My classmates were shocked. The sports teacher was happy to see me run for the first time – I had never run before because fat moves when you run. Everybody would laugh. The lunch break ended with me accepting the mostly melted orange stick from the kind ice cream man. We were too tired to talk about the whole event. But it did make me a bit popular that year, with the school Yearbook including the story and a picture of me running away from a 6 feet tall man holding an ice cream.

Grab your copy @

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About the author

Sudesna (Sue) Ghosh is a writer based in Kolkata. She was born in the United States and moved to India when she was 9. After completing high school there, she went back to the US for her higher education at the University of Rochester. She has also penned What Would I Tell Her @ 13 and News Now, along with several short stories. When Sudesna isn’t writing, she tries to do her bit for animal welfare.

       

                          

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