Anna Bushi

Here is a sneak peak

I am writing a Historical Romance series based on the ancient Indian custom, Swayamvara. During a Swayamvara, a bride chooses her groom from the assembled suitors.

Here is how Kalidasa, a medieval Indian poet, describes a swayamvara in The Dynasty of Raghu, an epic poem:

The princess chooses.—The princely suitors assemble in the hall: then, to the sound of music, the princess enters in a litter, robed as a bride, and creates a profound sensation.
Dynasty of Raghu by Medieval Poet Kalidasa

Each book in my series will be a stand-alone romance novel about a royal couple. The series is tentatively titled Swayamvara Weddings.

I am close to completing the draft of the first book yet to be titled. Here is a scene between the protagonists, King Dushyant and Princess Lalitha:

He could see her silhouette against the deep blue sky. That foolish girl hopped on her good leg, grimacing with each step. As she tripped, he bounded to her, trying to catch her. Instead, she fell against him, causing them both to tumble to the ground.

As they sped to the earth, he tried to shield her from the impact of their fall. He succeeded by landing on his back with her sprawled on top of him. Her face hovered inches from his, and her lips parted tantalizingly. For a moment, he imagined kissing her. She drove his imprudent thoughts away by pounding his chest with her fist. Curse her. She was a spirited princess. He tightened his grip on her.
Anna Bushi

While waiting for this book, treat yourself to my completed Land of Magadha series.

On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King

One of the books I read early in the year remains a favorite. If you read one book on writing, make it this. Or read it as a memoir of one of the greatest writers of our time. An authentic voice is such an elusive thing. Stephen King does it so effortlessly.

To imagine him facing near death halfway through his writing and still producing such a great book speaks to his skills as an author.

I learned a lot from this book and wholeheartedly recommend it.

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

This is the first book in her trilogy, and I loved this tale about the legendary Merlin and his twin sister. Medieval Scotland comes alive with the author’s vivid descriptions. As I read the story, I could picture the majestic mountains and simpler abodes. I saw the trees that reached the sky and flowers growing underfoot. I could smell the leather and herbs. As a vegetarian, I did not imagine tasting the food, but she described them in detail. The protagonist, Languoreth, is introduced as a young girl in a magical land.

This quote defines her life: “We may not always have the choice we would like. But we always have a choice.”

Her passion and love bring her momentary bliss, followed by worry and grief. She is headstrong and flawed and took me along on an emotional rollercoaster.

The brother-sister relationship depicted here reminded me of my trilogy Land of Magadha, where the siblings are the protagonists. Good to see more stories explore this beautiful relationship.

I look forward to reading the next book in this trilogy. Recommend for historical fiction and historical fantasy readers.

The Hundred Secret Senses by Amy Tan

This book is a slow read. That said, brilliant writing by Amy Tan. Each chapter is immaculate in bringing us into the characters’ lives. The way the story unfolds is masterful.

It is a tale of two sisters, Chinese immigrant Kwan and her American-born sister Olivia. I can still picture Kwan in my head, calling her little sister Libby-ah. As an immigrant, I could relate to many things this immigrant from China does. I don’t have ghost stories to narrate like Kwan, but the tales my grandmother told me as a child inspired me to write.

The relationship between the sisters is raw and real. It simultaneously broke my heart and brought a smile to my face. It is a story of identity, one we are born with, one we show to the world, and the true self that is hidden even from ourselves. We all need a sister like Kwan to be our voice of reason.

What are your favorite books that you read this year?

Perfect book for a cold winter night

Book Review – The Love That Split the World

Reading Emily Henry’s book is like drinking hot chai on a cold rainy day. It warms your insides. Her debut novel is full of tenderness and warmth.

This book is about a teenager with an abandonment crisis. To be young and to feel so deeply is a gift. One we don’t recognize till our senses have dulled. You can feel Nat’s emotions like a tide swell.

I did not pay much attention to all the multi-verse and parallel universes. I love Sci-Fi, but that is not why I read Emily Henry. I read her books for the emotional punch. I loved all the Native American tales in this book. I can easily imagine a grandmother narrating them under the night sky, sitting in front of a mellow fire.

If you want to experience life through the eyes of a teenager where every problem is earth-shattering, and every pleasure is a god’s gift, this is your book.

Listen to Prince in Shadow

I used some cool AI narration technology to create my audiobook. Parvati, the AI voice I chose, sounded very real.

In some ways, she is no different than my fictional characters, Meera and Jay. My characters live in medieval India with no technology, and Parvati is a 21st-century invention. Her accent is modern Indian rather than medieval.

Good news for you, the audiobook is only $0.99.

I would love to hear your feedback after you finish.

Would you read this tale?

I have written over 50,000 words in my new tale of love. The series is based on an ancient Indian custom called svayamvara. In a svayamvara, a princess chooses a suitable groom from among the gathered suitors. Here is a sneak peek:

Princess Lalitha searches for her father, who fought in a battle against King Dushyant. When Lalitha is injured, a metalsmith rescues her. He accompanies her on the journey back to her kingdom, and there is nothing convenient about the feelings Lalitha develops for him. Her father had promised to hold a svayamvara, a groom-choosing ceremony, for her. With no male heirs, Lalitha cannot succumb to temptations if she wants to rule her kingdom.

King Dushyant was fighting to avenge his father’s death. He did not anticipate saving Princess Lalitha or escorting her to her kingdom. While he had hidden his identity from the spirited princess, his icy resolve to keep his heart untouched began to melt.

Neither can afford to surrender to the current of attraction sweeping them. But the author has different ideas for them.

If you are interested in reading my other historical fiction books, start here.

Are you a fan of Happily Ever After?

I love reading books with happily ever after endings. The ten romance novels I have read this year pay testimony to that. Reading a well-written romance novel can feel like drinking a cup of hot coffee while watching the sunrise. No one does it better than Jane Austen. Capital L love her books. Who is your favorite romance author?

However, writing a happily ever after story requires a different mastery. Unlike the Land of Magadha series, where death came without an announcement, the protagonists in my historical romance novel have to survive to the end to declare their passion. I have written over 50,000 words in this tale of love without killing my star characters, though I came close a few times.

The series is based on an ancient Indian custom called svayamvara. In a svayamvara, a princess chooses a suitable groom from among the gathered suitors. Sometimes, there might be a contest, and the prize for the winner is a wedding. In Ramayana, Rama strings a bow to win Sita’s hands.

The slender maiden glanced at him; she glanced
And uttered not a word, nor heeded how
The grass-twined blossoms of her garland danced
When she dismissed him with a formal bow.
The Dynasty of Raghu, by Kalidasa

Looking forward to sharing updates about my work in progress in the coming weeks.

Book Series Review: The Raje Series by Sonali Dev

I finished the Raje series by Sonali Dev. These books are a Jane Austen-inspired Indian American retelling. First off, the brilliance of Austen and her stories are something to marvel at. Centuries after she wrote, the stories still resonate with us. Sonali’s writing brought me joy, and I highly recommend it to fellow contemporary romance readers. Don’t read the books on an empty stomach. You will be raiding your pantry from the mouth-watering food in the book.

Emma Project review (Rajes # 4)

Forget about the Jane Austen adaptation part and enjoy the novel for itself.

Author Dev has written a delightful ending to the Raje series. I enjoyed the dynamic of well-meaning family members trying to break up and dissuade the couple. Ultimately, it comes down to the protagonist accepting she deserves a happily ever after ending. If you are a fan of Austen and the romance genre in general, this book is for you.

You can read my reviews of Recipe for Persuasion (Rajes #2) and Pride, Prejudice and other flavors (Rajes # 1) on my blog.

Who is glad live events are back?

What a great way to spend my Saturday. I hung out with fellow authors and talked about my stories with book lovers. The weather was still summer-like, and there was something magical about sharing my love of reading with others. I am grateful to the readers who stopped by and talked to me. Special thanks to those to purchased my books.

A reader who purchased my complete series reached out to say she has read the first two books and is halfway through the third. She loved the story so far. I have been floating in the air since I heard from her.

I attended a book reading event by author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni at the Warwick’s book store. Her ability to craft stories was evident in her talk. The one-hour event imparted so many lessons for an author like me. She masterfully narrated her interest in Queen Jindan’s life and how she did her research into the historical period and the queen. I was astounded by how the author set up the scene before she started the reading. Though I have read excerpts from my books, I have never taken the time to explain the background before. Something for me to emulate in the future. The best advice she gave authors is to read great books. That advice is easy for me to follow because I love to read. The best part was getting her autograph on the novel The Last Queen. I cannot wait to read and share my review with you.

A sneak peak

I want to share an update about my work in progress. I am writing a historical romance novel set in medieval India. She is impulsive, and he is calm, except where it concerns her.

Princess Lalitha rode along the narrow forest path, her heart hammering against her ribs. The wind rustled against the branches as she and her tired mare advanced slowly in the descending darkness. She had left her Aunt Chitra’s house two days ago and had journeyed nearly non-stop since then. Only finding the fate of her father kept her moving.
Sneak Peak of Anna Bushi’s WIP

I am reading the Witcher series

I started with The Last Wish.

This book surprised me in a good way. Short stories compiled cleverly into a novel. Sprinkling of old fairy tales retold in clever ways. Recommend for fantasy readers.

Next, I read Sword of Destiny.

I loved that ending. For a story told from the POV of an emotionless witcher, this book (and series) packs quite the emotional punch. Fantastic world, larger-than-life characters, and a narrative that is a feast for all our senses—this is fantasy as it ought to be.

I watched Season one of the Netflix Witcher series after Sword of Destiny. The show has three different timelines (Geralt’s story takes place over a few years, Yennifer’s over a few decades, and Ciri’s is the present), and the books helped me make sense of it all.

Most recently, I finished Blood of Elves.

This is officially the first book in the Witcher series, but this is the third book I have read after the Last Wish and the Sword of Destiny.

I loved the Ciri training montage as it unfolded on paper. What a great way to showcase it.

The letter from Yennifer revealed a mountain of feelings and emotions without Geralt and her meeting.

I cannot wait to read the next book and watch Season 2 of the show.

Author: Anna Bushi