Meet Michael Okon
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.
Synopsis from Amazon:
Welcome to Monsterland - the scariest place on Earth.
Wyatt Baldwin's senior year is not going well. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either.
An ongoing debate with his best friends Melvin and Howard Drucker 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 interact with vampires in Vampire Village, be chased by werewolves on the River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.
With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?
Coming to Amazon on October 15, 2017!
I would like to welcome Michael Okon, author of the young adult paranormal novel Monsterland, to Emeraldfire's Bookmark. Mr. Okon was kind enough to write a guest post for me and here it is below in his own words:
Current events, just like anything else, plays an important role in my writing. You can't help but feel impacted by what you see and hear around you.
In Monsterland, Vincent Konrad is able to come to power due to a raging plague. I remembered the news reports of the Bird Flu and the Ebola Outbreaks to describe the pandemic of the plague that turn people into zombies.
Watching aging rockers was my inspiration for Vampires. Seeing a talk show with my favorite band, now looking old and campy served to inspire me to portray vampires in a brand-new light as social outcasts that have failed to reinvent themselves and adapt to society. Everybody has one crazy uncle who can't seem to let go of his glory days and live in the present. I consider all current topics from climate to the economy, trends and social issues and then I try to weave them into the story to make it relatable.
When you read Monsterland, you'll see global tensions between countries much like we are experiencing now between world superpowers. Homeless people, joblessness and the effects on towns in America find it way in the story as the world economies collapse with the outbreak.
Recalling the financial crash of 2008, from our not so distant past, served as a reminder of what so many people lost and how they suffered. Social issues like tolerance and acceptance are in the news and very much a part of the book. Everyday life influences my books and if it is around me, affecting me, it will find a way into my stories.
Ultimately, whether I am writing about the past, the distant future, or a fantastical imaginary world, all my stories are about the human element and the things that surround our lives.
Michael Okon is a bestselling author and screenwriter. His newly revised book, Monsterland, is scheduled for release on October 15. Michael invites readers to connect with him on his website.
‘How Current Events Influence My Writing’
by Michael Okon
Current events, just like anything else, plays an important role in my writing. You can't help but feel impacted by what you see and hear around you.
In Monsterland, Vincent Konrad is able to come to power due to a raging plague. I remembered the news reports of the Bird Flu and the Ebola Outbreaks to describe the pandemic of the plague that turn people into zombies.
Watching aging rockers was my inspiration for Vampires. Seeing a talk show with my favorite band, now looking old and campy served to inspire me to portray vampires in a brand-new light as social outcasts that have failed to reinvent themselves and adapt to society. Everybody has one crazy uncle who can't seem to let go of his glory days and live in the present. I consider all current topics from climate to the economy, trends and social issues and then I try to weave them into the story to make it relatable.
When you read Monsterland, you'll see global tensions between countries much like we are experiencing now between world superpowers. Homeless people, joblessness and the effects on towns in America find it way in the story as the world economies collapse with the outbreak.
Recalling the financial crash of 2008, from our not so distant past, served as a reminder of what so many people lost and how they suffered. Social issues like tolerance and acceptance are in the news and very much a part of the book. Everyday life influences my books and if it is around me, affecting me, it will find a way into my stories.
Ultimately, whether I am writing about the past, the distant future, or a fantastical imaginary world, all my stories are about the human element and the things that surround our lives.
Michael Okon is a bestselling author and screenwriter. His newly revised book, Monsterland, is scheduled for release on October 15. Michael invites readers to connect with him on his website.
May you read well and often
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