Today
is Character Interview Day! We have Alastair Verne of Michael Okon's new urban fantasy, WITCHES PROTECTION PROGRAM, with us today. Enjoy!
Late Night Interview with Alastair Verne, Lead
Agent at the Witches Protection Program
Michael Okon: Hello! And welcome to the Late Show with Michael Okon! Just kidding, I would never want to put Stephen Colbert out of work. This is a show called LiveMike! Today’s guest is a classic character from one of my most popular novels, Witches Protection Program. Would you please, put a warm welcome together for the one, the only, Alastair Verne!!
Alastair, 55, salt and pepper hair, inches over five feet, joins us. He’s an everyman but sticks out like a sore thumb with his trench coat and fedora.
MO: Mr. Verne…
AV: Please, Mr. Okon. I would hate to correct you but Mr. Verne is my father. I give you full permission to call me Alastair.
MO: Why thank you Alastair! So, Witches Protection Program…
AV: …The one and only…
MO: The one and only Witches Protection Program. I hear you have a new partner.
AV: Indeed. I have been so fortunate to be named as a partner to Mr. Wesley Paul Rockville.
MO: How did that come about?
AV: Well, being that I work for a secret government agency, I’m not at liberty to say. But I can certainly tell you there was an incident regarding some transport that went…a little haywire.
MO: How “haywire” did it get?
AV: You are quite clever Mr. Okon. I like you. All I can say is, my partner was told not to look at the inmate in the eyes.
MO: And what happened?
AV: Read the reports in Witches Protection Program and you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
MO: I certainly will. Now your first assignment with the rookie…
AV: Ah yes, Pendragon Cosmetics.
MO: What was going on behind the scenes at Pendragon?
AV: From what my sources have told me, an evil and powerful witch named Bernadette Pendragon has put her DNA in a face-cream to sell all over the world.
MO: What’s the problem with that?
AV: She wanted to enslave and punish all men on earth.
(Silence)
MO: All men?
AV: Every single one of them. Including you.
MO: (Gulp)
AV: You don’t mess with a Category 10 Willa.
MO: Define Willa for our readers in reader land.
AV: There are two factions of witches…some say there is actually a third but we have yet to find them. Back to the two known types, the Davina and the Willa. The Davina are women in the arts and sciences who contribute productively to society. And the Willa…
MO: Not so good…
AV: I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Willa are seeking world domination. They are destructive and seductive and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When a Davina is threatened by a Willa, it is our duty in the WPP to protect them.
MO: Now Morgan…
AV: Hmmm, Morgan Pendragon. Lovely girl.
MO: Are you familiar with her?
AV: You can say that.
MO: How so?
AV: Let’s just say I’ve read a lot about her in the tabloids. Life must be hard being a twenty-something heiress to a billion-dollar empire.
MO: Is she a Willa or Davina?
AV: Next question.
MO: (Clears throat). What’s next for you and Agent Rockville?
AV: I’ve already been told there are some new adventures and mysteries up ahead.
MO: Care to elaborate?
AV: My dear Mr. Okon. As a defender of the craft, it is my duty to ensure all Davina are kept in a safe and secure environment without the threat of Willa interference. I cannot divulge information, except for the fact that there is a hitman witch lurking in upstate New York, near an old cabin outside Binghampton, I’m told. Our responsibility is to investigate.
MO: And after that?
AV: You are quite the curious cat, Mr. Okon.
MO: I’m very creative.
AV: (Eye roll) Right. Anyway, Wes and I have a large function to attend at the Museum of Natural History. Wes’s super brilliant sister has just been named the Attorney General. She apparently has some big things in store for our department.
MO: Care to elaborate?
AV: Not at this time. That should be all.
Alastair yanks off the mic and walks away.
MO: Well you heard it here folks! That was Alastair Verne, lead agent in the Witches Protection Program. Seems like, with the first case just about closed, there are going to be MANY more adventures for him and Wes Rockville with the Witches Protection Program. I can’t wait to find out more!!
Alastair, 55, salt and pepper hair, inches over five feet, joins us. He’s an everyman but sticks out like a sore thumb with his trench coat and fedora.
MO: Mr. Verne…
AV: Please, Mr. Okon. I would hate to correct you but Mr. Verne is my father. I give you full permission to call me Alastair.
MO: Why thank you Alastair! So, Witches Protection Program…
AV: …The one and only…
MO: The one and only Witches Protection Program. I hear you have a new partner.
AV: Indeed. I have been so fortunate to be named as a partner to Mr. Wesley Paul Rockville.
MO: How did that come about?
AV: Well, being that I work for a secret government agency, I’m not at liberty to say. But I can certainly tell you there was an incident regarding some transport that went…a little haywire.
MO: How “haywire” did it get?
AV: You are quite clever Mr. Okon. I like you. All I can say is, my partner was told not to look at the inmate in the eyes.
MO: And what happened?
AV: Read the reports in Witches Protection Program and you will know exactly what I’m talking about.
MO: I certainly will. Now your first assignment with the rookie…
AV: Ah yes, Pendragon Cosmetics.
MO: What was going on behind the scenes at Pendragon?
AV: From what my sources have told me, an evil and powerful witch named Bernadette Pendragon has put her DNA in a face-cream to sell all over the world.
MO: What’s the problem with that?
AV: She wanted to enslave and punish all men on earth.
(Silence)
MO: All men?
AV: Every single one of them. Including you.
MO: (Gulp)
AV: You don’t mess with a Category 10 Willa.
MO: Define Willa for our readers in reader land.
AV: There are two factions of witches…some say there is actually a third but we have yet to find them. Back to the two known types, the Davina and the Willa. The Davina are women in the arts and sciences who contribute productively to society. And the Willa…
MO: Not so good…
AV: I couldn’t have said it better myself. The Willa are seeking world domination. They are destructive and seductive and will stop at nothing to get what they want. When a Davina is threatened by a Willa, it is our duty in the WPP to protect them.
MO: Now Morgan…
AV: Hmmm, Morgan Pendragon. Lovely girl.
MO: Are you familiar with her?
AV: You can say that.
MO: How so?
AV: Let’s just say I’ve read a lot about her in the tabloids. Life must be hard being a twenty-something heiress to a billion-dollar empire.
MO: Is she a Willa or Davina?
AV: Next question.
MO: (Clears throat). What’s next for you and Agent Rockville?
AV: I’ve already been told there are some new adventures and mysteries up ahead.
MO: Care to elaborate?
AV: My dear Mr. Okon. As a defender of the craft, it is my duty to ensure all Davina are kept in a safe and secure environment without the threat of Willa interference. I cannot divulge information, except for the fact that there is a hitman witch lurking in upstate New York, near an old cabin outside Binghampton, I’m told. Our responsibility is to investigate.
MO: And after that?
AV: You are quite the curious cat, Mr. Okon.
MO: I’m very creative.
AV: (Eye roll) Right. Anyway, Wes and I have a large function to attend at the Museum of Natural History. Wes’s super brilliant sister has just been named the Attorney General. She apparently has some big things in store for our department.
MO: Care to elaborate?
AV: Not at this time. That should be all.
Alastair yanks off the mic and walks away.
MO: Well you heard it here folks! That was Alastair Verne, lead agent in the Witches Protection Program. Seems like, with the first case just about closed, there are going to be MANY more adventures for him and Wes Rockville with the Witches Protection Program. I can’t wait to find out more!!
Meet the Author
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 & SOCIAL LINKS★
Inside the Book
Title: WITCHES PROTECTION PROGRAM
Author: Michael Okon
Publisher: WordFire Press
Pages: 200
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Author: Michael Okon
Publisher: WordFire Press
Pages: 200
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
BOOK BLURB:
Wes Rockville, a disgraced law-enforcement agent, gets one last
chance to prove himself and save his career when he’s reassigned to a
232-year-old secret government organization.The Witches Protection Program.
His first assignment: uncover a billion-dollar cosmetics company’s diabolical plan to use witchcraft for global domination, while protecting its heiress Morgan Pendragon from her aunt’s evil deeds. Reluctantly paired with veteran witch protector, Alastair Verne, Wes must learn to believe in witches…and believe in himself.
Filled with adventure and suspense, Michael Okon creates a rousing, tongue-in-cheek alternate reality where witches cast spells and wreak havoc in modern-day New York City.
Praise:
“Witches Protection Program is a great summer choice, ideal for beach or poolside reading, and with elements of romance, action, crime, and fantasy, there’s a little something for everyone to enjoy.”—Foreword Reviews“…mixes predictable elements–corporate intrigue, sexy witches, cat familiars, car chases, family secrets, and steampunk weaponry–into an enjoyable story.’—Publisher’s Weekly
“Cleverly offbeat, often cheeky, and loads of fun.”—Kirkus
“WITCHES PROTECTION PROGRAM is a fun and quick read, and the out-of-the-norm narrative choices make the novel feel like something wonderfully subversive.” – IndieReader
“Witches Protection Program is a unique gem, one that’s fast-paced with twists, action, and fun characters.” – Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers’ Favorite, Five Star Review
“Witches Protection Program will hook you if not for the action, then the romance and if not for the romance, then the sheer humor, what with its funny dialogue.” – Liezl Ruiz, NetGalley Reviewer
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