Interview with Michael Okon, Author of Monsterland Reanimated @IAmMichaelOkon #interview #YA #thriller

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.

His latest book is the YA Fiction/Monsters/Thriller Monsterland Reanimated.

Website:

http://www.michaelokon.com/

Email:
michaelokonbooks@gmail.com

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/IAmMichaelOkon

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/iammichaelokon/

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

Snapchat:
https://www.snapchat.com/add/iammichaelokon

Welcome Michael! Can we begin by having you tell us how you got started writing about monsters and werewolves? Did the movies influence you? Books?

Michael: Thank you! I was watching an classic 80s/90s movie marathon one weekend – The Goonies, Jurassic Park, Gremlins, Back to the Future – and the thought popped in my head, why isn’t there a theme park with zombies. I called my brother to tell him about the idea and he said, NO, it has to be a theme park with werewolves, vampires AND zombies. I started writing the story that night.

Do you find writing about monsters and werewolves comes natural to you or did you struggle sometimes?

Michael: Because I’ve been a fan of classic movies and books for so long, writing about monsters was actually quite easy. Once I figured out the character arcs and twists, the story just flowed from my subconscious.

Can you describe the theme park in your book, appropriately called Monsterland?

Michael: Well, think the Magic Kingdom, but instead of Adventureland, Fantasyland, Main Street and Tomorrowland, Monsterland has the Werewolf River Run where guest can be chased by actual werewolves, Zombieville where guests can safely walk among the dead in a suburban town, and Vampire Village where guests can rock out with the vampires in an all-new rock show. Couple these lands with Main Street USA, which are dilapidated buildings with burnt cars and wreckage along the avenue, and you’ve got a pretty interesting theme park. Oh, and I forgot to mention the Copper Valley Inn, which is the haunted resort hotel on property. You’ll learn a lot about this spooky place in Monsterland Reanimated.

Can you tell us a little about the main characters of your book?

Michael: Wyatt Baldwin is a teen who is trying to learn to fit in with the “cool kids” in his new hometown Copper Valley. He’s the protagonist of the story, plus he loves zombies. Melvin is the outcast of the group and Wyatt’s best friend. He has a fascination with werewolves. Melvin has a huge arc in the story. Then there is Howard Drucker, the awkward third of the trio of heroes. Howard has a crush on Keisha, and he loves vampires.

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point when the reader just can’t put the book down. Can you give us one of those pivotal points in Monsterland Reanimated?

Michael: Imagine being chased by The Glob in the middle of desert. This scene was my favorite to write.

Will there be a follow up book to Monsterland Reanimated?

Michael: Of course! I’m already finishing up Monsterland Beneath. I have three monsters, plus more, in book 3!

About the Book:

Title: MONSTERLAND REANIMATED
Author: Michael Okon
Publisher: WordFire Press
Pages: 250
Genre: YA Fiction/Monsters/Thriller

BOOK 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?