Straight Chatting from the Library: Michael Okon

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READ THE INTERVIEW

Do your characters love the direction you take for them or do they have other ideas?

My characters always tell me what to do while I beat out the storyline.

Any tips on writing that you’d like to share?

Always create an outline. You have to know all your character arcs before you write Chapter 1.

Did you choose your genre or did it choose you?

I choose Paranormal and Fantasy. Those genres have always fascinated me.

Did you enjoy language arts in school? Did you have a teacher that particularly encouraged you to write?

Yes, very much so. Yes, Dr. Simon, 10th grade and 12th grade Englsih. The best.

How do you feel about being interviewed?

Love it, especially when the questions are super insightful.

READ THE BLURB

After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos. World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief.

During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.

When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid reanimated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?

READ AN EXCERPT

A new, larger outline made his heart quiver with fear. It crouched in a corner, its snout covered with blood. This one was bigger, not a coyote, a wild wolf. Wait, he thought. Weren’t the gray wolves of California all but extinct?

Igor narrowed his eyes. The beast was a light reddish brown and not the silver gray of a wolf ’s pelt. A chain hung from its neck, the pendant of a werewolf ’s head dangling, emerald eyes flashing. What was it? Was it a mutant coyote? A wolf? Some weird hybrid, he wondered for a minute, his breath harsh in his ears. They watched each other soundlessly.

A hybrid then. He’d heard about them, a rare mixture of wolf and coyote. What did they call them? Coywolves …? or was it Woyotes? He shrugged indifferently. Perhaps someone’s pet, he decided. Igor’s mirthless laugh came out like a snort.

The coywolf stood still, its ears alert, its head cocked as if it was observing him.

Igor dropped the makeshift weapon, calling out, “Eat the rest of your meal, you dumb beast.”

The animal continued to watch him, its two front paws on the remains of a zombie’s chest.

Igor wiped his forehead, waiting, his eyes coming back to search the village, confirming it was empty, except for the carrion eaters like the coyotes and vultures. He looked up, noting the circling predators waiting for him to move on.

“Interrupted your meal,” he chuckled. Just the local scavengers looking for food. That was all; the shadows revealed nothing else. Satisfied he was alone, he moved on. He had work to do.

A paper flew past him, hitting a kiosk as the wind plastered it against its surface. It flapped like a dying bird. Igor reached over, taking the fluttering paper, peering at the map of the park, the one they gave people as they entered Monsterland. A bark of laughter escaped his mouth.

He looked up at the giant monolith that was once the Werewolf River Run, its hulking shape obscuring the horizon. “You are here,” he giggled, pointing a grimy finger on the paper’s surface. He dragged his deformed body further down the pavement. The storefronts that used to be Monsterland’s Main Street yawned vacantly, the wind whistling through the narrow alley- ways. “Now, you are here,” he laughed. Shouting, he listened to the sound of his voice bouncing off the blood-splattered walls.

MEET THE AUTHOR

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 in 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.

Website: http://www.michaelokon.com/
Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Michael-Okon/e/B0752THRZV/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
iBooks Link: https://itunes.apple.com/us/author/michael-okon/id1292020808?mt=11
Kobo Link: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/search?query=Michael Okon&fcsearchfield=Author
Barnes & Nobel Link: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/monsterland-michael-okon/1126998959?ean=9781614755944
SmashWords Link: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/MichaelOkon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAmMichaelOkon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iammichaelokon/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammichaelokon
Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/iammichaelokon

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