Hello and welcome to my blog, Author Interviews. My name is Fiona Mcvie.

Hello Fiona, thank you for the invite.

Let’s get you introduced to everyone, shall we? Tell us your name. What is your age?

Stefan Bohdan. I will be 52 in June.

Fiona: Where are you from?

I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, lived in Jamaica and Iran, and currently live in Central Florida.

Fiona: A little about your self (ie,  your education, family life, etc.).

I have an AA Degree and I am a university dropout (a former student of Computer Engineering). I have been a licensed building contractor, a custom home designer, and I am retired from the architectural/engineering/construction world. I now spend my time writing poems and novels. I also enjoy drawing, painting, sculpting and taking photographs. I am married to my beautiful wife Margaret and I have 5 adult children and two grandchildren.

Fiona: Tell us your latest news.

Well, my poetry collection, God’s Breath (140 poems/195 pages) (illustrated by Red Focks and cover art by Marcel Herms), was just published by Alien Buddha Press and is now available for sale on Amazon. Also, my poetry collection, Unorthodox Poems Volume III (485 poems/527 pages) (illustrations and artwork by Stefan Bohdan), will be available for sale on Amazon later this week.

Fiona: When and why did you begin writing?

I wrote my first poem and first short story in 1980. There was never a why, there was just an overwhelming compulsion to write.

Fiona: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Only recently. It was when I started sellingmy poetry collections and my novels on my Amazon author page and started receivingsome positive feedback. Seeing my writings published in book form also helped.

Fiona: What inspired you to write your first book?

I always wanted to write a great dystopian novel like We (Zamyatin), 1984 (Orwell) or Brave New World (Huxley).

Fiona: How did you come up with the title?

My titles are usually a play on words. For example, my dystopian novel The Department of Corrections, the title sounds like it may bereferring to the real world prison system, but it is actually referring to the brainwashing of inmates minds, or their being “corrected,” by The Department of Corrections: a futuristic, ultra-totalitarian, for-profit criminal justice system using torture, chemical persuasion, lobotomies and invasive technologies to control inmates’ thoughts and actions for profit.

Fiona: Do you have a specific writing style? Is there anything about your style or genre that you find particularly challenging?

Unorthodox (poetry). Orwellian (novels). I am a better poet than author, so my challenge would be to improve with every novel.

Fiona: How much of the book is realistic and are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Most people think I am writing about myself, which I find funny. If I have had a personal experience I can use, I will use it, but most of my writing comes from my imagination.

Fiona: To craft your works, do you have to travel? Before or during the process?

No travel. But I will read up on or Google subjects I am unfamiliar with.

Fiona: Who designed the covers?

All of my covers are designed by my publishers or by my wife, Peggy Bogden. Peggy designs book covers and publishes books on Amazon.

Fiona: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

The individual against the state.The individual against the collective.

Fiona: Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest?  Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?

My favorite writersareOrwell, Rand and Dostoevsky. I only read classic novels and classic Russian literature. My favorite poets are Hafez and Rumi.

Fiona: Outside of family members, name one entity that supported your commitment to become a published author.

Alien Buddha Press just published 140 of my poems.

Fiona: Do you see writing as a career?

I treat it like a career, but it sure doesn’t pay like one.

Fiona: If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Yes, less description (The Department of Corrections).

Fiona: Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

Yes. A lot about the criminal justice system and for-profit prisons.

Fiona: If your book was made into a film, who would you like to play the lead?

Pruitt Taylor Vince.

Fiona: Any advice for other writers?

Never give up! Keep writing until you are published.

Fiona: Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

All of my novels, poetry anthologies, and volumes of poetry can be found on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Stefan-Bohdan/e/B0768ZYF7X

Fiona: What book are you reading now?

Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank. A classic dystopian novel.

Fiona: Do you remember the first book you read?

The first real book I read was The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand. It was a gift from my mother and the beginning of my love of reading.

Fiona: What makes you laugh/cry?

My wife makes me laugh. ASPCA television commercials make me cry.

Fiona: Is there one person, past or present, you would love to meet? Why?

Leonardo da Vinci. He was the ultimate polymath.

Fiona: Do you have any hobbies?

Drawing, painting, sculpting and photography.

Fiona: What TV shows/films do you enjoy watching?

The food network. Dystopian movies.

Fiona: Favorite foods, colors,  music?

Pierogi, halupki, and kapusta soup (Ukrainian) and all Mexican food. Yellow. Classic rock and roll.

Fiona: Imagine a future where you no longer write. What would you do?

Paint abstract paintings.

Fiona: What do you want written on your head stone?

Author and Poet

Fiona: Do you have a blog or website readers can visit for updates, events and special offers?

All of my novels, poetry anthologies, and volumes of poetry can be found on my Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Stefan-Bohdan/e/B0768ZYF7X

My author website is under construction.

Bio

Stefan Bohdan lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife Margaret. He is retired from the architectural/engineering/construction world. He now spends his time writing poems and novels. His poems have been published in multiple books, anthologies, journals, Ezines and translated into Persian, Arabic, Urdu, Nepali, Estonian and old Japanese.

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