Featured Interview With David Bush
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Maltese Islands where I spent my childhood. I then settled in the UK where I became a doctor and specialized in Haematology. A few years ago, I returned to my first home where I still practice hospital medicine. I was the co-founder of a support group for patients with blood cancers. Since I gave up my private practice, I have more time to spend with my two great-nephews Jack and Luke. Their joie de vivre has given me the impetus to attempt novel writing. Writing a novel has been one of my many lifelong ambitions.
In my earlier days, we had two cats who both died of old age. We had become very attached to them, and after they died, we all resolved not to have any more cats. We didn’t want to re-live the trauma of seeing them slowly deteriorate physically and mentally in their last years.
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As an early reader, I had read practically all Enid Blyton’s books. But in my early teens, I was an enthusiastic subscriber of the magazines Look and Learn, World of Wonder and Tell Me Why. It was through these magazines, that I developed a penchant for historical adventure novels, like the Scarlet Pimpernal, H. Rider Haggard’s tales, Hornblower and many other such stories. That’s when my lifelong love of literature really blossomed.
Unusually, I recently had two free weekends, when I had the house to myself, as everyone else was abroad. During each weekend, I wrote the first draft of two novels which were intended to be part of a trilogy dedicated to my great-nephew Jack.General jack and the Battle of the Five Kingdoms is the second book of the trilogy.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
I like AJ. Cronin and Somerset Maugham (both of whom had a medical background) who both write in the style of Guy de Maupassant. For family sagas, I like Taylor Cauldwell. I like the gritty naturalism of Emile Zola and Sigrid Undset, both Nobel Prize Laureates.
My favorite genres are historical novels, and generational family sagas, especially if they have a Christian theme.
The books that have most influenced me are Animal Farm for its humourous political satire, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien for their allegorical imaginative world building, and Francois Mauriac who is the best author for narrating internal conflict within a protagonist. The latter author influenced Graham Greene who is another of my favourites.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
It’s an anthropomorphic fantasy adventure along the lines of the Chronicles of Narnia. It’s intended for the young adult reader but it should appeal to all adults. It transcends various genres, like YA fiction, Christian fiction, fantasy, action & adventure, allegory, myths &legends. It’s not a particularly long book, about 200 pages. I intended it to be an entertaining, inspiring and educational book. I have also included some back matter to encourage further reading for any reader who may be inter