Author Q&A with Anna Bushi

I am an avid reader who decided to write late in life. The joys of writing are many-fold. It allows me to escape into my imagination and create new worlds and live in the minds of my characters.

The stories I read growing up inspired me to write. I am interested in historical fantasy and within that society, examining the human heart in conflict. I like to place my female characters in difficult situations and see how they learn to survive with no actual power. And watch my male characters fall in love while fighting for king and land. I love exploring the struggle between love and duty.

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Brief Introduction to Heir to Malla

The story unfolds in Malla, as Princess Meera learns her brother Crown Prince Jay is missing. She sends the man she is in love with, Rish Vindhya, to search for him. Prince Amar of Padi, known for his penchant for violence, harbors desires for Malla and Meera. Suddenly, Meera is catapulted into the battle for her kingdom. If Jay is not found, the price she needs to pay is steep, her love and happiness. Will Prince Jay be found? Can Meera control her destiny? Read to find out.

1. Have you always wanted to write?

Many writers come from backgrounds you typically expect: English majors, journalists, English teachers, history, or literature students. Then some writers like me have no background in literature or writing except for a deep love of books. I had no thought of writing till a few years ago.

I along with thousands of others, waited for the next book in the “A Song of Ice and Fire” series. This book series was made famous by the television show “Game of Thrones”. I had read every theory on the dark corners of the web about what would happen in books six and seven. As a reader, I was eager to find out what happened to my favorite characters. After waiting many years, a seed got planted in my head, and I wondered what it would mean to write my own royal saga loosely based on Indian culture.

That seed grew and without any training apart from having read many books, I started writing.

2. What’s my favourite genre to read?

I read practically anything I could get my hands on.

I have read all Jane Austen novels. Who says romance is easy to write? To write a book that appeals to someone 200 years later is monumental. Her female characters are witty, headstrong, make mistakes, and very human.

I have read several Charles Dickens novels, and my favorite is A Tale of Two Cities.

Epic fantasies with complex plots, alternate universes, and a myriad of characters are a delight to read. I have read Lord of the rings, Mistborn series, A Song of Ice and Fire, among others. Magic, when weaved carefully into a tale, can be a powerful tool in the writer’s tool kit.

Science fiction opens our mind to possibilities, and Neal Stephenson books tackle some contemporary issues, and the Dune series takes you into space.

3. How do you approach starting a new book?

For my first book, I just started writing without any outlines. Once I finished my first draft, I edited it and the story got rearranged and chapters got dropped.

For my current WIP, I wrote a broad outline and mapped chapters. This is working so much better. I think I like having the outline to follow while the details are flushed out as I write.

4. How do you fit writing into your everyday life?

I work full time in a demanding job and I am raising a family. Finding time is tricky. Writing is important to me and keeps me sane in a chaotic world, so I try to find at least 15 minutes a day to write. Typically at the end of the day.

I spend more time writing during the weekends. I try not to worry about another author’s writing speed or how prolific they are. I stick to my rhythm of completing a chapter in one to two weeks.

5. Tell me about your current work?

In Heir to Malla, set in fictional Land of Magadha, you were introduced to Princess Meera, Prince Jay, Rish Vindhya, and many other characters. If their stories captivated you, you would enjoy returning to this world in book 2.

This book starts a few years later and includes many of the familiar characters you met in book 1. Because I have spent many years in these characters’ heads, the story has been flowing more naturally. The human heart in conflict is what I enjoy writing about, and there is plenty of drama to enthrall the readers.

I left plenty of hanging threads in book 1, and I am having fun pulling them to see what unravels and what tightens into a knot.

My protagonist Meera and my other POV character, who will remain nameless (Book 1 Spoilers), have plenty of conflicts – love, duty, and desires pulling them in different directions. What the self wants to do is not what is best for society. Love, that strong overpowering feeling, leading them down perilous paths with no return. And why is it so hard to do one’s duty? All happening in the backdrop of war for Magadha itself.

6. Tell me about your main character

When I started writing the book, I aspired to craft a strong female protagonist, while staying true to the medieval settings. Princess Meera wields no sword or magic. Her strength is still very palpable.
She has influential role models to learn from, her grandmother, and her stepmother. These older women have very different traits and provide Meera two distinct paths to follow. What she learns from them is a subtext in her story.
Strength comes in different forms, and Princess Aranya provides an intriguing contrast to Meera. Two adjacent chapters feature Meera and Aranya, where their similarities and differences are presented, and I had fun writing those chapters.

Where can you find Anna?

Twitter: @annabushibook

Instagram: @anna.bushi.book

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabushibook/

Author Website: https://annabushi.com

Author Q&A with Anna Bushi