Today, Feathered Quill reviewer Ephantus Muriuki is talking with Michael Okon, author of Dragged Down Deep.

FQ: Congratulations on this novel. What got you started writing a novel in this genre?

OKON: I was on a creature feature binge one weekend, Universal Monsters in particular, and I said to myself, "how in this crypto-creature-living-world, has no one ever written a techno thriller set in the Hamptons with the creature from the Hamptons lagoon as the primary antagonist.” I grabbed my laptop and started beating out the story as the credits started rolling to the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

FQ: You write so well in the action thriller genre. Is there another genre you would like to venture into in the future? 

OKON: My wife, my mom, my brother and my kids continue to tell me, do what you know best. Until I can write sweeping civil war romances, I’m going to stick with the action thriller monster genres for the foreseeable future. Plus, it brings out my inner 80s child, which has been incredibly therapeutic to me.

FQ: Your main character is a cryptozoologist. Do you have an interest in cryptozoology as a field of science in real life?

OKON: Yes. 100%. Bigfoot, Nessie, and the moth man are all real. Erm, real in my head at least. I’m fascinated with the myths and creatures of all folklore. I conquered werewolves, vampires and zombies in Monsterland. Cryptozoology was the next logical step with Dragged Down Deep. Cryptozoology felt more real to me.

FQ: What was the most fun scene to write in Dragged Down Deep? 

OKON: That’s like choosing a child, but if I had to choose it would be the opening Thunderbird scene. It felt like I could create my own Indiana Jones in a cryptozoology universe. It was titillating to write.

FQ: The epic scene in the book culminates in a conclusion that involves Logan and the mysterious Mermaid. Did you write this particular part in one sitting or several sittings?

OKON: My process has always been to write the screenplay first…just in case Hollywood calls (which they kinda already have, and I’m just waiting for the follow up) but I digress. Once the screenplay is complete, it gives me a roadmap to flesh out the chapters and characters. That last scene between Logan and the creature was done in one night. I honestly didn’t sleep because my mind was so excited (and exhausted) from playing out the dance between the two. It was a movie scene in my head that I put down on Final Draft, then turned it into a longer movie scene in the novel. Loved writing it.

FQ: The storyline in this novel would do well as a blockbuster movie. Is transforming this novel into a film something you would consider in the future? 

OKON: That means the world to me. Seriously. That is my ultimate goal – to have my works on the big screen. I’m very visual so writing comes from watching hundreds, thousands of movies over my lifetime. Again, every story I’ve ever written starts as a screenplay. Screenplays are 100 pages. The lines are short and punchy. It’s a roadmap to a much larger story. I’m already working on another screenplay and novel with a studio. Fingers and toes crossed. Dragged Down Deep would absolutely be next.

FQ: Logan Osborne is a character that evolved as the book progressed and readers will, like me, root for him every step of the way. How about writing a sequel about him? 

OKON: Already in the works. Logan’s story is far from over. I’m currently doing a lot of research on Chupacabras and Chile. A South American adventure is in the works.

FQ: It was evident to me that potential readers who come across this work will find themselves waiting for your next port of call. Do you have something in the offing for us?

OKON: I have ten beat sheets for ten screenplays with ten novels behind them. I’m never going to stop writing. There will be many more stories to tell, especially in the Dragged Down Deep universe.

FQ: What is the most challenging thing about writing a novel in this genre?

OKON: Honestly, nothing. When you write what you love and understand, it comes quite naturally. If I had to choose one thing, it’s not making the novel too long. I don’t like fluff and drawn-out stories. I like movies, but in a novel format. Beginning, middle, end. Clear visuals. Clear motives. A great protagonist. An amazing antagonist. And a hero’s journey where everything that can go wrong will.

FQ: As I conclude, I would like to ask what takeaway you would like your readers to carry on as they invest their time in reading Dragged Down Deep?

OKON: Is what we are being told by our government, by our society, by social media, by the masses, the truth about what our reality really is? Dragged Down Deep answers that question.

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