Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of
multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and
self-help. He graduated from Long Island
University with a degree in
English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. Coming from a
family of writers, he has storytelling is his DNA. Michael has been writing
from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films
and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked
on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.
Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist
aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of
Long Island with his wife and children.
His latest book is Monsterland.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Welcome to Monsterland—the scariest place on Earth.
The last couple years of high school have not been fun for
Wyatt Baldwin. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not
exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either.
An on-going debate with his best friends Howard Drucker and Melvin over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.
An on-going debate with his best friends Howard Drucker and Melvin over which monster is superior has gotten stale. He’d much rather spend his days with beautiful and popular Jade. However, she’s dating the brash high-school quarterback Nolan, and Wyatt thinks he doesn’t stand a chance.
But everything changes when Wyatt and his friends are
invited to attend the grand opening of Monsterland, a groundbreaking theme park
where guests can rock out with vampires at Vampire
Village, be chased by actual
werewolves on the Werewolf River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.
With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main
attractions, what could possibly go wrong?
ORDER YOUR COPY:
Amazon
Thank you for this interview! I’d like to know more about you as a person
first. What do you do when you’re not
writing?
I’m a movie buff and will watch anything when not writing. I
have created a music playlist every season since I’m 15 years old (first tapes,
then burning CDs, now making playlists on iTunes. I’ve never not missed
creating a playlist for any season. I love to cook. I haven’t eaten fruit or
vegetables in 3 years. I only eat meat, dairy and eggs, and I’m in the best
health of my life. I just started lifting weights again.
When did you start writing?
I’ve been writing since I’m 15 years old, about the time I
started making music playlists.
As a published author, what would you say was the most
pivotal point of your writing life?
When I got an entertainment attorney. I literally
cold-emailed a top entertainment attorney in Los Angeles
who introduced me to a literary agent. The rest was history. I owe my career to
her.
If you could go anywhere in the world to start writing your
next book, where would that be and why?
I don’t like to travel if it’s not New
York, Los Angeles,
Las Vegas or Orlando.
I’m a creature of habit. I always write in New York.
The other places are my playgrounds.
If you had 4 hours of extra time today, what would you
do?
Lay out in the sun to soak up some Vitamin D.
Where would you like to set a story that you haven’t done
yet?
I recently watched 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and I’m
modeling that submarine backdrop for my next book Monsterland 3.
Back to your present book, Monsterland, how did you publish it?
It’s a pretty incredible story
that I have a hard time believing. I wrote Monsterland and
self-published it in 2015. My mom is my publicity manager and she blitzed the
bloggers with my book. That fall I was reading a book called Selling a
Screenplay by Syd Field. In the book, there was an entertainment attorney
named Susan Grode who seemed very knowledgeable about the publishing and film
industry. I told myself, when I receive my first contract, I’m going to reach
out to her to see if she could help me. About two months later, I received a
post on Facebook from an agent in London
who asked to represent me. I said sure and asked him to send me a contract. I
emailed Susan and introduced myself and mentioned that I had someone who wanted
to rep me and I was hoping she could read this contract. She told me before I
sign with this London agent, why
don’t I meet her friend in Brooklyn, an agent named Nick
Mullendore with Vertical Ink Literary Agency. I met Nick for lunch and he
signed me that day as his client. That evening, Susan brought me on as her
client as well.
Nick began trying to sell my book
Monsterland to the publishers and it was rejected. Throughout his attempts of
selling, he had a call with a film agent and he was pitching her a romance
novel. She said she wasn’t really into romance and was looking for something
with monsters. He sent her my book Monsterland, she read it over a weekend, and
we had a call that Monday. She told Nick and me if we get the book published,
she will get it into a producer’s hands to make into a film. Nick found the
publisher WordFire Press owned by Kevin J. Anderson, who has written all the Star
Wars and Dune canon books. WordFire signed me to a two-book deal for
Monsterland 1 & 2. After the deal was signed, my film agent did what
she promised and got my book into the hands of a billion-dollar grossing
producer who is now shopping my book to certain studios. It’s been a wild
two years.
In writing your book, did you travel anywhere for
research?
Just the comfort of my den where I write every night.
Why was writing so important to you?
I’ve been writing since I’m 15. I love watching movies and
telling stories that really reverberate with readers. When someone is reading a
good book, they don’t think about anything but the story. I feel I did my job.
Where do you get your best ideas and why do you think
that is?
I get all my ideas from listening to music and watching
movies. There is something creative that happens to me when I’m watching or
listening to other’s people’s creations.
Any final words?
Monsterland 2 is completed and coming out May 26, 2018. I’m knee-deep in Monsterland 3,
and beating out the story for Monsterland 4. Looks like I’m going to be writing
monster stories for the next five years. There are eight books planned in the
series.
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