Blog – Anna Bushi

Broken Hearts and Secret Trust: Curse of the River Arrives This April

April has always felt like a bridge to me, a month where the air shifts, much like the lives of my characters in the Prophesied Prince series. Today, I’m writing to you with a heart full of both excitement and a little creative grief.

On April 23rd, Curse of the River, the second book in our journey, will finally be out in the world.

If you haven’t had a chance to preorder your copy yet, you can do so here. For my wonderful listeners who prefer the immersion of an audiobook, I ask for just a little more patience. While it will arrive a little later, I promise the wait will be worth it.

The Prince and the Girl of Mystery

Writing this book was a deeply personal experience. I found myself spending so much time in the quiet, tense spaces between Prince Atul and Sugandha.

Atul is a character who lingers with me. In Curse of the River, he is grappling with the aftermath of the elixir he ingested at the end of Book One. He is filled with a gnawing sense of unworthiness, struggling to master powers that feel more like a burden than a gift. Then there is Sugandha. After being alone for so long, she is slowly, tentatively learning what it means to rely on someone else.

I didn’t make it easy for him; Atul truly has to earn her trust. They are both struggling with their own magic and, often, with each other. Yet in that friction, they find a way to make one another better.

Here is a glimpse of him earning her trust through his words and actions:

“There’s a mystery surrounding Guru Ori’s niece,” Atul said, “and I believe it’s vital we unravel it if we’re to bring any peace to this land.”

My chest constricted. Would he name me as the niece?

“Nanda,” he said instead, gesturing to me, “saved my life after Chief Vikramasinha’s men struck me with an arrow. He’s heading to Sangadhara, the village of Purohit Parivan, and I’m going with him to uncover the truth.”

The knot in my stomach loosened. He’d kept my secret. In that quiet decision, my heart edged a little closer toward trusting him.

Even though I knew exactly where this story was headed, the ending broke my heart. It has been in the making for over seven years, since I wrote the prophecy in Heir to Malla.

Looking Toward the Horizon: The Trilogy’s Conclusion

While Curse of the River is the focus of my April, my mind is already beginning to settle into the final chapter of this trilogy.

I’m happy to share that the outline for Book Three is complete. I even have a working title, one I’m keeping close to my chest for just a little longer. I know the arcs for all my major characters. I know exactly how their stories conclude in this series.

It is a bittersweet feeling. As an author, it’s hard to say goodbye to characters who have lived in my head for so long. They still surprise me, of course. Even with a full outline, they often take a detour that changes the story as I write. That unpredictability is the most joyful part of the process for me.

I’ve already started the actual writing and am currently 1,500 words into the first draft. Given how Curse of the River ends, I don’t want to make you wait too long for the conclusion.

A Virtual Journey to Medieval India

While we wait for the 23rd, my read-along of Child of the River (Book One) continues.

We’ve been diving deep into the world-building details I love most: the legend of the Lord who is Half Woman (Ardhanarisvara), the ritual magic of ghee, and the looming shadows of sandstone fortresses. It’s a virtual journey into a medieval India I’ve spent years researching and imagining, and I’ve been sharing some fun pictures along the way.

If you haven’t joined the read-along yet, you can start here.

April 23rd is just around the corner. I cannot wait for you to hold Curse of the River in your hands.

Author Promotions & Free Reads

I’ve teamed up with some fellow authors to bring you a few exciting promotions this month:

Fantasy Books on Kindle Unlimited: Both Child of the River and Curse of the River are part of this collection. If you’re a KU subscriber, dive in here.

Free Historical Fiction Novels: A wonderful way to sample new authors. My book Prince in Shadow is included. Find your next read here.

A Special Short Story: A tale of a dragon breeder marked for death. Can he save himself before time runs out for him and his child? Read it for free here.

A Little “Wordly Detour”: My Thoughts on Game Changers by Rachel Reid

If you’ve been following my writing journey, you know I usually spend my days lost in medieval India. My head is full of heavy crowns, ancient duties, and that slow, breathless tension of a hand-brush in a crowded royal court. But lately, I decided to take a bit of a detour into the modern world with Rachel Reid’s Game Changers.

If you’re on social media at all, you’ve probably seen the buzz about the HBO adaptation of her series, specifically Heated Rivalry. Now, I have a rule that I usually follow: I do not watch the show before I’ve read the books! So, I dove into this contemporary M/M sports romance, and I walked away with two big realizations.

First, I have to say, I really tip my hat to contemporary romance novelists. In a way, their job is much harder than mine! In my stories, the obstacles are built into the world. We have cultural taboos, royal mandates, and rigid hierarchies that do the heavy lifting of keeping my couples apart.

But in a modern setting, especially M/F stories set in America, those external walls aren’t always there. Sometimes, to keep the plot moving, an author has to make characters act a little bit irrational. If they both just realized they were deeply in love by chapter three, the book would be over! Unless it’s handled perfectly, that “forced hatred” can start to feel a little contrived.

That’s why I found the “pro sports” niche so clever. Much like the prince in Red, White & Royal Blue, these athletes have very real, high-stakes hurdles. In Game Changers, the locker room and the public eye become the “castle walls” that keep them apart, even when they know exactly how they feel.

As for the book itself? It was an easy, fun read, and I enjoyed it. That said, I’ve confirmed that I am firmly a “closed door” romance person. I’ve always been a disciple of Jane Austen; I think the most profound love happens in those quiet moments where characters fall for each other without even a kiss.

In my own books, I’m much more of a “fingertips touching” kind of writer. For me, the explicit scenes actually pulled me out of the romance a bit. I suppose my heart just belongs to that simmering, quiet tension of the historical world!

The Verdict: A wonderfully crafted modern love story. Just be aware that if you prefer the “fingertips touching” style like I do, this one is quite spicy!

Recipes: The Essence of the Past

One of my favorite dishes to make on a cold or rainy day is Rasam. Rasam in Tamil means juice, extract, or essence. Rasa in Sanskrit has a similar meaning. Many South Indian languages also call this dish Saaru (juice).

If you google rasam recipes, you will find variations with tomatoes. But for an authentic medieval Indian rasam, you skip the tomatoes and chilies (which didn’t arrive in India until much later). Instead, use: tamarind, cumin, coriander, toor dal, curry leaves, ghee, ginger, and the true star of the era, black pepper.

It is interesting to note that tomatoes originally grew in the Andean region of South America. After being brought to India by Portuguese traders, they were adopted so widely that they now appear in many traditional cuisines. The same is true for chilies, another produce from the Americas that has become a staple of Indian cooking.

Pictured below is a boiling pot of rasam I made recently with tomatoes, before I garnished it with chopped cilantro.

Spiritual Geography

As an author of fiction set in medieval India, I’m constantly fascinated by the spiritual geography of our world. Of the major religions practiced today, three originated right in the Indian Subcontinent: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. Every single one of the world’s most followed religions originated on the continent of Asia.

I often sit in my chair and wonder what this world felt like two millennia ago, when these ideas were first catching fire. In my upcoming book, Curse of the River, Buddhist monks, Vedic priests, and Hindu mythology do play a significant role.

And I’d love to know: If you could travel back two thousand years to witness the birth of a single idea or belief, where would you want to land?

Beyond the Emotional Range of a Teaspoon

In one of the Harry Potter books, Hermione tells Ron that he has the “emotional range of a teaspoon.” In those books, it makes sense for a fourteen-year-old girl to say that to a boy she has a secret crush on.

In the real world, however, I find men to have the same emotional range as women, even if they express it differently. If you have read any books by Anthony Doerr or Fredrik Backman, you would likely agree that some men can express themselves quite exquisitely.

All my books feature both male and female POVs, and my men are not emotionally stunted. I take great joy in writing them:

Prince Jay (Land of Magadha): An heir who grows into his role and falls for a girl who challenges him.
King Dushyant (King in Hiding): A man on a mission to find his father’s murderer who realizes love is worth fighting for.
Prince Giridhar (Prince in Exile): A playwright more comfortable with a book than a blade.
Prince Atul (Prophesied Prince): My protagonist who thinks himself unworthy, yet must protect his kingdom.
Rish Vindhya: My own “book crush.” Fiercely loyal and deeply aware of the woman he loves.

Explore my books and meet these characters.

The River’s Toll: Beta reader reveals

Coffee in the morning and chai in the afternoon is fueling my writing and editing spree as I get across the finish line. When I started working on the Prophesied Princeseries, I decided to use more authentic medieval Indian names. Half my editing time now goes into wondering if a place was called Jalpaiguri or Jaipaiguri and opening my glossary for the 100th time. The joys of writing are many!

Other than that, my editing of Curse of the River is moving steadily, and I cannot wait to get this sequel into your hands.

I recently heard back from my beta readers, and their reactions have been everything I hoped for.

One reader shared:

“Wow! That was a sad but powerful ending to the book! OK, I can’t wait for the conclusion. Really enjoyed this book.”

Another was caught off guard by the final pages:

“Wow!!! The story ends with a cliffhanger for both main characters, but the epilogue! That is quite stark and surprising. I very much look forward to seeing where you take us in book three.”

Preorder Curse of the River Here

A Glimpse into the Journey

To give you a sense of the tension and emotional depth my beta readers are describing, here is an excerpt from Curse of the River:

Chapter 1 – Sugandha Spring Year 2

For most of that first day on the river, Prince Atul rowed like a man expecting trouble. His gaze swept the banks, searching for signs of pursuit. Whenever he spotted someone, too far from us to tell if they were fishermen or travelers, he quieted his strokes and steered us farther from shore.

Sweat glazed his muscles as he rowed with the strength of three men. Suddenly, his head snapped toward a thicket of trees by the water’s edge; his eyes were sharp and his jaw set. He looked like a hunter watching for movement. I studied him in that moment, still unsure if I had been brave or foolish to ask him to come.

“Crouch,” he whispered, in the kind of voice that expected to be obeyed. He folded in on himself, head tucked to his knees. I stayed upright, eyes sweeping the landscape for whatever had rattled him, until his hand pressed down on my head and forced me lower.

“With instincts like yours, how did you survive this long?” he murmured, a grin tugging at his mouth.

“By not trusting strangers,” I shot back, though I stayed crouched. My brush with the nagas had made me bolder, yes; but I was not foolish enough to believe a divine rescue would come every time I found myself in trouble.

Read the full excerpt at annabushi.com.

Book Promotions: Find Your Next Adventure

If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, check out these promotions:

Find your next Fantasy Adventure on KU (Featuring Child of the River)

Indie Fantasy Kindle Unlimited Email

Featured Swap: Tarnished Relics – A Bronze Medalist of the 2025 Global Book Awards. A story of seers, prophecies, and revenge.

Review: The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.

This is, at its heart, a love story between two young people. That they are two men is almost beside the point; their love gives those around them hope that such comfort could exist in such an “Empty” place. The story is set on a plantation called Empty in the American South, following both the enslaved people and those who claimed to own them.

Every character is multi-faceted and feels like a real human being, a bit of good, a bit of bad, and a whole lot of complex feelings. Most chapters are narrated by a different character, and it is amazing how the author uses only his words to paint such brilliant portraits. As I read, I felt as if I were standing on a forest floor with grass under my feet and oppressive heat coating my skin, longing for rain.

The chapters set in Africa were my personal favorite; I found myself wanting to learn even more about the cultures, customs, and stories of that time. And that ending—it truly has to be experienced. This book is a powerful example of how we all have stories within us that only we can tell. A brilliant debut novel.

The River Chronicles: Chapters 11–20 (Crocodiles, Curses, and the Scent of Ghee)

Welcome back to the banks of the river, travelers. If you are just joining us, you’ll want to start at the very beginning. You can find my notes for the Prologue through Chapter 10 right here.

And of course, it is much more fun if you have the story in your hands (or your ears!). If you haven’t yet, you can grab the book here or listen to it on Audible.

Spoiler Warning

We are diving deep into the heart of the story today. If you aren’t caught up through Chapter 20, proceed with caution!

Chapter 11: Crocodiles and Unwanted Affections

In Chapter 11, Sugandha learns a hard lesson: being a hero is exhausting. There is truly no better way to discover the limits of your own magic than while fighting for your life against a crocodile.

But the real “plight” for our protagonist isn’t just the giant, prehistoric beast. It’s the unwanted attention that comes afterward. Because she is disguised as a boy, she earns the admiration of a young woman who starts eyeing her as a future husband. In that moment, can you really blame Sugandha for wishing the crocodile had just finished the job?

No such luck for her, though. I have plenty more ordeals waiting around the bend.

The Cost of Deception

One of my favorite things to explore is the psychological toll of a lie. Sugandha is living as a boy, learning the grueling, beautiful art of swordmaking. These chapters give her a brief respite, a moment of “normal” work, but the guilt is starting to rot.

Her emotions are a mess. She feels terrible for deceiving Parimala, yet she aches for the life she left behind. I wanted to capture that specific longing a girl feels when she has not worn a dress or makeup or jewels in ages. In this medieval world, it is craving for Kajal under her eyes and the scent of jasmine flowers woven into her hair. Every deception runs its course eventually, and Sugandha is beginning to realize that her safety is a very fragile thing.

A Childhood Memory: The Magic of Ghee

Food is the soul of my stories. In this chapter, Sugandha is served extra ghee over her white rice, and writing that took me straight back to my own childhood.

Ghee originated in India over three thousand years ago. In that hot climate, butter would go rancid almost instantly. By heating it to remove the water and milk solids, our ancestors created “ghrita” (Sanskrit for clarified butter), a fat with a long shelf life and a heavenly scent.

Beyond the kitchen, ghee became sacred. It is the purest offering to the gods, used in yagnas (fire rituals) to carry prayers to the heavens.

Favorite Line: > “I felt like I climbed a giant ladder whose rungs shattered with each step I took.”

Read the rest of the behind the scenes of Sugandha’s deception, Atul’s insecurity, and the ancient Tamil ethics that guide my writing on my Substack.

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