5 Things YouShould Know About Monsterland
By Michael Okon
1.
I came up with the idea of Monsterland –
a theme park with real werewolves, vampires and zombies – while watching a\
classic movie marathon one weekend with my kids. I figured if they made a theme
park with dinosaurs, why haven’t they done it with zombies. I called my brother
and he said is has to be all the monsters. I started writing that night.
2.
Monsterland was originally self-published
in 2015. It was later chosen as my first published book with WordFire Press.
The self-published version and published version are very different.
3.
Monsterland was optioned by Kerner
Entertainment, the same company that produced The Mighty Ducks and Smurfs
franchises. They hired two Disney screenwriters who pitched me their take on
Monsterland. After 2 years, the option ran out.
4.
Monsterland is the first book in series
of 6 books. The sequel Monsterland Reanimated came out in 2018. The third book,
Monsterland Beneath is currently at 100k words, the largest of the series. I’m
currently working on book 4.
5.
The Monsterland series has every monster
possible. The first book is werewolves, vampires, and zombies. Monsterland
Reanimated has The Glob, mummies, and a reanimated monster. Monsterland Beneath has The Kraken, Killer
Clowns, and Giants.
About 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 & SOCIAL LINKS:
Website: http://www.michaelokon.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Michael0kon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iammichaelokon/
About the Book:
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?
Praise:
“Michael Okon crafts a fabulous novel with unique, unforgettable
characters. …The world building was done fabulously. There were
believable backgrounds that explain how it could be possible for there
to be a world that had not only vampires, but also werewolves and
zombies, excuse me, the vitality-challenged. It all comes together
seamlessly as the plot lines converge to make for an explosive ending.” – Devouring Books 2017, blogspot
“I can assure you of this: you will not be disappointed. Nor will you
sleep well at night for a while, either. But isn’t that the mark of a
master storyteller! Hat’s off to Michael Okon” – Theodore Jerome Cohen, Author of “House of Cards: Dead Men Tell No Tales (Martelli NYPD, #2)”
“As this book deserves not only top of the New York Times bestseller
list but on the big screen as well. The moment I began to read my world
was transformed and I was living through the novel.” – Carey Hurst, Tales of A Wanna-Be SuperHero Mom
“First rate YA fiction with a monsterous twist. Highly recommended.” – Richard Schwindt, author of “The Death in Sioux Lookout Trilogy”
“Okon does a fantastic job of creating distinct personalities for the
different monsters. The vampires are sly and cunning while the
werewolves are weary and brooding. Even the zombies have some
personality, albeit it’s only shown through thoughts they struggle to
string together.” – Alejandro Ramos, medium.com
“I enjoyed the beautiful prose, the great characters, and the
exciting plot. It’s hard to read this novel without getting emotionally
involved.” – Divine Zape, Readers’ Favortie (Five Star Review)
“I think MONSTERLAND provides something different for the YA
category that really isn’t otherwise present, not only in type of story
but in teen/adult relationships.” – litbites.com, Blog Tour
“This book has a charm often lost in supernatural stories. Michael
Okon sets a brilliant scene where you can hear and see the world coming
to life before your eyes. You don’t read this book, you live it. .. Monsterland makes for a fun yet harrowing horror read, with injections of comedy, and masterful execution.” – K.J. Simmill (5 Star Review)
Monsterland Awards
- 2017 Readers’ Favorite Five Star Review
- Feathered Quill Book Awards 2018 – Science Fiction/Fantasy – Second Place
- Feathered Quill Book Awards 2018 – Teen Fiction, Graphic/Anime (13-18 years) – First Place
- The Feathered Quill, The Write Companion Award for Best Overall Top Pick
- 2018 Shelf Unbound – Notable
- 2018 Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal Winner in the Young Adult – Horror genre
- 2019 International Book Awards – Fiction: Fantasy – Finalist
- 2020 Feathered Quill Book Awards – Gold/1st Place – Best of Backlist
ORDER YOUR COPY
Amazon → https://amzn.to/31KQKFy
Barnes & Noble → https://bit.ly/2SCCo5P