Okon and Publishing

I’m home early from work and I’m met at the door by an author desperate to get to my computer to type up his guest post.

“Okay, hold on, let me put some things away, check on my sink that was backing up last night and…”

Too late. I don’t even have the light turned on and he’s at my computer taking control.

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How I Got a Publishing Deal and What’s Next

It’s a pretty incredible story that I have a hard time believing. I wrote Monsterland and self-published it in 2015. My mom is my publicity manager and she blitzed the bloggers with my book. That fall I was reading a book called Selling a Screenplay by Syd Field. In the book, there was an entertainment attorney named Susan Grode who seemed very knowledgeable about the publishing and film industry. I told myself, when I receive my first contract, I’m going to reach out to her to see if she could help me. About two months later, I received a post on Facebook from an agent in London who asked to represent me. I said sure and asked him to send me a contract. I emailed Susan and introduced myself and mentioned that I had someone who wanted to rep me and I was hoping she could read this contract. She told me before I sign with this London agent, why don’t I meet her friend in Brooklyn, an agent named Nick Mullendore with Vertical Ink Literary Agency. I met Nick for lunch and he signed me that day as his client. That evening, Susan brought me on as her client as well.

Nick began trying to sell my book Monsterland to the big publishers and, as expected, it was rejected. Throughout his attempts of selling, he had a call with a film agent and he was pitching her a romance novel. She said she wasn’t really into romance and was looking for something with monsters. He sent her my book Monsterland, she read it over a weekend, and we had a call that Monday. She told Nick and me if we get the book published, she will get it into a producer’s hands to make into a film. Nick found a publisher called WordFire Press owned by Kevin J. Anderson, who has written all the Star Wars and Dune canon books. WordFire signed me to a two-book deal for Monsterland 1 & 2. After the deal was signed, my film agent did what she promised and got my book into the hands of a billion-dollar grossing producer who is now shopping my book to certain studios.

In two years, I went from a self-published author, to a published author with a literary agent, an entertainment attorney, a film agent, a two-book publishing deal, a publicist, and a producer who is interested in turning my book to a film. It’s been one wild ride, to say the least.

Now, what’s next? Well, one may just sit back and relax, and do nothing. Not I. I’ve already completed Monsterland 2 which comes out May 26, 2018. I’m knee-deep in Monsterland 3. I’ve already started beating out the stories for Monsterland 4 and 5. It seems that the next five years are going to be extremely busy with creating stories centered on monsters. What could be wrong with that?

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Monsterland

Book One

Michael Okon

Genre: Horror, Monsters

Publisher: WordFire Press

Date of Publication: OCTOBER 2017

ISBN: 978-1-61475-594-4

Number of pages: 232 pages

Tagline: In a theme park where real zombies, werewolves and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Book Description:

Welcome to Monsterland—the scariest place on Earth.

The last couple years of high school have not been fun for Wyatt Baldwin. His parents divorce, then his dad mysteriously dies. He’s not exactly comfortable with his new stepfather, Carter White, either. An on-going debate with his best friends Howard Drucker and Melvin 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 rock out with vampires at Vampire Village, be chased by actual werewolves on the Werewolf River Run, and walk among the dead in Zombieville.

With real werewolves, vampires and zombies as the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

Book Trailer: https://goo.gl/83g3Mt

Amazon

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 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.

Website: http://www.michaelokon.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/IAmMichaelOkon

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

Book Trailer Link and Embed Code

https://s3.amazonaws.com/embed.animoto.com/play.html?w=swf/production/vp1&e=1502893655&f=XRvFlIfWbx2m13PvolGJSQ&d=0&m=p&r=360p+480p+720p&volume=100&start_res=720p&i=m&ct=michaelokon.com&cu=http://michaelokon.com&asset_domain=s3-p.animoto.com&animoto_domain=animoto.com&options=autostart

Love

I asked the students to write things they love to do outside of taekwondo.

NOELLE

These are the things I love to do other than taekwondo:

Singing

Playing my flute

Playing basketball

Playing volleyball

Lifting weights

Running (short distances)

Taking scenic walks outside

Looking at he stars

Acting

Playing baseball

Reading

Writing

Talking with my friends

Making crafts

Caring for farm animals (cats, goats, rabbits)

Helping others

Playing softball

Doing math

Taking a test

Sleeping

ELIJAH

These are the things I love to do outside of taekwondo:

I love to read

I love to play baseball

I love to play outside

I love to play basketball

I love to play with my dogs

I love to sleep over with my cousins

I love to write stories

I love to play football

I love to play with my brothers

I love to play soccer

I love to mow lawns

I love to run

I love to play Frisbee golf

I love to take things apart to see how they are made

I love to do puzzles

I love to play my trumpet

I love to play video games

I love to sing

I love to play golf

MADISON

The things I love to do are play with my sister, go roller skating, ride my bike, play with my cousins, go swinging, play tag, and play with my friends. The other things I love are doing math, reading, writing, play outside, fractions, science, social studies, making crafts, making things, making gifts, crafts, Pokemon, books, jump rope, coloring, stuffed animals, making books, and doing things with my family.

SALEENA

I love playing my violin and gym time at school. I love going to the pool and love going to the movies and have popcorn to eat. Love going on trips with my family. I really love my pets and caring for them. I love animals and dolphins and whales.

AMBER

I have a love for swimming and a love for karate. I love my pets Scooby and Emma. I love Garfield and my doll Chelsea. I love my mom and dad. I also love to go on vacation. I love God and Jesus and taking my dog to the park and play at the park. I love Chelsea, Barbie Skipper, Staci and Ken and love playing at the ocean and finding seashells.

STELLA

I really love to paint pictures of nature and trees. I love to play and exercise. My two favorite parts of school are PE and art. I really like running in PE. I like playing games like tag, chase, hide and seek. I love to help cook by helping dad chop vegetables with my knife. Helping out around the house can be fun. I also love shooting my bow and going to 3D archery shoots. It is also very fun to shoot my pellet gun at targets. We shot this weekend at a target that looked like a watermelon that oozed pink goo when you shot it. I also love going to amusement parks and riding roller coasters unless they go upside down. I love camping at the river and fishing. I also love to read books about animals and ninjago. I love nature and looking for fossils. I want to be a paleontologist.

BRENDAN

I love:

Collecting Pokemon cards

Playing video games

Playing basketball

Riding my bikes

Going to my aunt’s farm

Playing with Legos

Playing card games

Help cooking

Being in Boy Scouts

Carving with my pocket knife

Playing with babies

AMBER

A list of other things I love to do:

1. Read

2. Gaming online

3. Dancing

4. Yoga/meditation

5. Travel

6. Cross things off my bucket list

7. Collect marbles and rocks

8. Study fingerprints

Around The Globe with Annemarie Musawale

This morning I pick up my featured author and she wants to be on a beach in Barbados.

“Oh yeah,” I say, “Sun, water, sand, beach bunnies-”

“You’re there to interview me,” she says, “not to look at bikini clad women.”

“But-”

“”No, be serious or I’m not going.”

Sigh. What can I do? She’s correct. I’m there for an interview, so we’d better get to it…

…I’m still going to peek, though.

1. Who are you and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?

I am a self made woman, I have walked my own path in life, made my own way like Frank Sinatra said. I left nine to five – actually more like eight to nine – employment because we only live once and my son was growing up on his own without anyone to guide him. I began to write for a living so I could stay home with him, and found that I was pretty damn good at it. Instead of writing the classic ‘African writer’ type book though, I decided to do my own thing, write about far flung places and sensitive topics. I haven’t been run out of town with torches though, so I guess I’ll keep doing it.

2. Without revealing a deep dark secret (unless you want to), what one thing would people be surprised to learn about you?

I am mortally afraid of chameleons.

3. What interested you to become a writer rather than something else such as supermodel?

Well for one thing, my boobs are way too big to be a supermodel. Also I’m not size two. Finally I much prefer to watch people rather than to be watched.

4. Writers are readers. With which author(s) would you enjoy sharing dinner? Why?

I would really like to put Stephen King on the spot over the ending of the Dark Tower series. Like really sit him down, look him in the eye and ask him, “Honey, what was you doing?” I guess that’s why he told us not to @ him at the end of the book.

I think I could probably listen to Diana Gabaldon talk all day and just being near JK Rowling might cause some of her genius to rub off on me.

5. If I were stranded on a deserted island or suffering from a four hour layover at the airport, why would your book(s) be great company?

Well my books would be great company because you would definitely not notice the passage of time while you’re absorbed in what Phil and Lillian were up to; or Mya and Leo. My newest couple, Ben and Anders would have you too busy rooting for them to notice how hard the airport seats are.

6. Share your process of writing in regards to: plot and character development, story outline, research (do you Google or visit places/people, or make it up on the spot), writing schedule, editing and number of rewrites.

I think it would be stretching it to call what I do a ‘process’. Basically my day job is as a ghostwriter, so when I need a break or writers’ block gets me or I just need to rejuvenate my energy, I turn to whatever story I’m working on and just let it take me away. When I’m lucky enough to have a beta reader like I do now, their enthusiasm for the story also acts as fuel. I love to listen to their feedback. Once that’s done, I might go over the manuscript once to correct issues raised by the beta and maybe up the ante on the writing a bit. Then it’s done.

7. “I think I have a good idea for a story, but I don’t know where or how to begin. Your process may not work for me. Any advice?”

Start writing; one word at a time. Don’t worry about how good or bad it is, just get the story down.

8. I saw an amusing T-shirt the other day which read, “Every great idea I have gets me in trouble.” What is your philosophy of life?

Live it on your terms.

9. Please tell me you’re not going to stop writing? What’s next for you?

Well I have two unfinished manuscripts I need to work on. I just finished In Search of Paradise, a post apocalyptic gay African romance and it’s currently on pre-order wherever e-books are sold. I plan to give all preorder proceeds to the national gay and lesbian human rights commission just because gay rights in Kenya are not where they should be and it’s my way of giving back.

10. Where can people find more information on you and your projects?

I have a blog, a bookpage a Facebook author page, look for author annemarie on Instagram or come visit me on tumblr.

Focus

Another set of student essays. The month’s particular theme was Focus.

STELLA

1. I focus on reading everyday to make sure I don’t forget what I have learned.

2. Focus on learning to ride my bike.

3. Keeping myself healthy by eating good foods and staying hydrated.

4. Focus on not cutting myself when I make supper.

5. Learning to use a calculator to help me learn to add and subtract.

6. Focus on learning to swim without a floatie.

7. Focus on listening to my parents.

8. Paying attention and doing my best at karate.

9. Painting chalkboard in my new playhouse.

10. Focus when I shoot bow and guns with dad.

DEACON

There are a lot of things I need to focus on. Here are some things that I need to focus on. I have to focus on my movements in taekwondo. I have to make sure I get every movement right. In taekwondo, I have to do essays, I have to make sure I did not misspell any words on them. I must focus oat Sunday school on verses. When I come in I need to say the verse, and when I do, I get a prize. At church, I have to write notes and by notes, I mean I have to write down some things that show up on the screen in my little booklet. I have to focus on games, crafts, and the story they tell us. I love books, so I have to focus on them. I focus on the beginning, the middle and the end. A really good book is Goosebumps – The Werewolf of Fever Swamp. I have to focus at school on reading, writing and typing. I have to read every word right and not forget any words. I love drawing so I have to make sure I get everything perfectly straight I have to do chores and one is folding clothes. I have to make sure I fold them all perfectly straight. At last, I focus on work I do with my step dad. I have to cut all the corn stalks that got in someone’s beans. I get paid for doing it. These are when I need to focus on.

BRENDAN

My focus this month is on ‘exercise.’ I’m getting outside more. I’m riding my bike everyday. I want to be more physically fit. I’m trying to get used to exercising out in the heat. Football practice will be hard to do in the heat. I’m trying to get outside and move more.

JACOB

Focuses on:

1. Quiet time

2. Being alone

3. School work

4. Reading

5. Math

6. Learning new moves

7. Learning how to tie my belt

8. Swimming

9. Games

10 My chores

ETHAN

Focus is the ability to keep your mind on something without being distracted. Focus is a good attribute to have for it helps you get things done faster than without it. An example of focus is when I had a test and I had to focus if I wanted to get it done. I just want to say focus is important.

Around The Globe With Paull DeBlassie III

What? A blog on a Thursday. Let me explain.

Actually, where I am, it’s Friday. I went to pick up this week’s featured author in the desert of New Mexico (pictured). He wanted the interview conducted in the mystical desert of Azlan. I told him I didn’t know where that was, so he manipulated the controls and…well, here we are…wherever here is. It’s a bit difficult to describe.

However, after transmitting the interview back to my computer, I discovered a warp-y thing in time and it ended up being posted on Thursday. I just hope I can get back on the correct day…

1. Who are you and what makes you the most fascinating person in your city?

I am a psychotherapist (as well as a writer). And, I’m a man of the desert. It is the desert that breathes inspiration for writing and living. This is what is fascinating.

2. Without revealing a deep dark secret (unless you want to), what one thing would people be surprised to learn about you?

You’d be surprised to learn that Kate, an artist, and I have been married 40 years and raised four wonderful children, writers and artists. We live in the mystic, high country desert of New Mexico., the setting for all of my novels.

3. What interested you to become a writer rather than something else such as rock star?

I’m an introvert, being out there as a star is quite unappealing. So, I stay within and write visionary thrillers.

4. Writers are readers. With which author(s) would you enjoy sharing dinner? Why?

I love all writers, those who are passionate about their craft and speak of it wildly over wonderful dinners and fine wine.

5. If I were stranded on a deserted island or suffering from a four hour layover at the airport, why would your book(s) be great company?

I would pull out Carlos Castaneda, his consciousness raising stories, the Tao Te Ching, and the poetry of William Blake.

6. Share your process of writing in regards to: plot and character development, story outline, research (do you Google or visit places/people, or make it up on the spot), writing schedule, editing and number of rewrites.

Goddess of the Wild Thing, as with The Unholy and all my novels, start out as literal nighttime dreams. From there, I visit various places in New Mexico, Azlan in the stories, and then hit the page running with scores of rewrites and edits always happening before the book is done.

7. “I think I have a good idea for a story, but I don’t know where or how to begin. Your process may not work for me. Any advice?”

It’s best to just begin. Trust your unconscious mind and begin to put words on the page and not stop. If the impulse is there, the story is in you. Lean into it and go!

8. I saw an amusing T-shirt the other day which read, “Every great idea I have gets me in trouble.” What is your philosophy of life?

Every great idea gets us into incredible trouble and that’s because it upsets our old way of being and seeing things. We need the trouble to get us out of our rut. It spurs on on. In Goddess of the Wild Thing, Eve is cornered. She’s in bad, bad trouble because she took a chance. It was a great idea but got her into trouble. And, that’s when the fun starts in life! The trouble brings opportunity if we keep an open mind and heart.

9. Please tell me you’re not going to stop writing? What’s next for you?

I’m onto The Goddess of Everything. You’ll recognize the setting, the conflict over love, and the determination to find a way through seemingly unsolvable and heart wrenching love problems.

10. Where can people find more information on you and your projects?

Check out my website and sign up: pauldeblassieiii.com

Goddess of the Wild Thing

Paul DeBlassie III

Genre: Horror , Sci Fi and Fantasy

Book Description:

Goddess of the Wild Thing is a dramatic tale of one woman’s spiritual journey where magical happenings, unexpected turns of fate, and unseen forces influence her ability to love and be loved.

Eve Sanchez, a middle-aged woman and scholar of esoteric studies, encounters a seductive but frightening man who introduces her to a supernatural world in which the wicked powers of a surrogate mother’s twisted affection threaten love and life.

In the mystic realms of Aztlan del Sur, Eve and three friends struggle with whether bad love is better than no love and discover that love is a wild thing.

About the Author:

Paul DeBlassie III, Ph.D. is a depth psychologist and award-winning writer living in his native New Mexico. He specializes in treating individuals in emotional and spiritual crisis. His novels, visionary thrillers, delve deep into archetypal realities as they play out dramatically in the lives of everyday people. Memberships include the Author’s Guild, the Depth Psychology Alliance, the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy, and the International Association for Jungian Studies.

Website www.pauldeblassieiii.com

Twitter https://twitter.com/pdeblassieiii

Blog www.pauldeblassieiii.blogspot.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theunholy.deblassie

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Paul-DeBlassie-III/e/B00E5TBJXY/