Dragged Down Deep received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Michael Okon.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
Dragged Down Deep. December 2024
What’s the book’s first line?
They say the early bird gets the worm, and that was the only explanation for Logan Osbourne to be hanging by his bloody fingernails from a six-story cliff in the middle of nowhere.
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Logan Osborne has spent his life chasing the shadows of the past.
As a child, he watched helplessly as his father was snatched from a fishing boat by what he swore was a mermaid. No one believed him then. No one believes him now.
Determined to prove that mythical creatures exist, Logan is drawn back to the small coastal town where his nightmares began after another mysterious disappearance stirs the waters.
Teaming up with his pragmatic colleague Elliot Sheppard and his fiercely loyal friend Penny Swanson, Logan dives headfirst into an adventure packed with danger and deception. As they dig deeper, the trio faces resistance at every turn—a secretive agency with its own agenda, a suspiciously unhelpful police force, and Logan’s old flame, who may know more than she’s letting on.
What they uncover is far darker and more terrifying than Logan ever imagined: the truth about his father, the secrets of Minatuck, and the horrifying reality of the Mermaid of the Hamptons.
Will Logan and his friends expose the lies that have haunted him for years, or will they be Dragged Down Deep into the swampy, secretive underbelly of a town that guards its mysteries with deadly intent?
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
I was watching Creature From the Black Lagoon and I wondered why it hasn’t been remade. The words Dragged Down Deep popped into my head and I started beating out the story as the credits to the movie began rolling.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
If you’re interested in a cross between a modern day Indiana Jones, who’s on the hunt for the Creature from the Black Lagoon, in modern day Hamptons, NY, (and who isn’t), I strongly recommend reading Dragged Down Deep.
What’s the most distinctive thing about the main character? Who-real or fictional-would you say the character reminds you of?
Logan is everything I’ve always wanted to be. A tattooed adventurer who isn’t scared of anything. The opening pages reveal Logan searching for the elusive Thunderbird in Arizona. Indiana Jones has been one of my favorite movie heroes of all time. I always wanted to write a character in that vein. An adventurer searching for the arcane. In this case, Logan is trying to make cryptozoology a mainstream science.
How much time do you generally spend on your writing?
Writing for me is more research and development than actually writing. I try to spend the bulk of my day researching subjects ad nauseam generally via other books and YouTube. The subjects are limitless. R&D is nearly 6-8 hours a day. Then after everyone goes to sleep, I will take a few hours each night to write a chapter of two.
What’s a great piece of advice that you can share with fellow indie authors?
Research. Write. Sleep. Repeat. Don’t do this for fame and fortune. Do it because you love it. Surround yourself with people who support you.
Is there something in particular that motivates you (fame? fortune?)
I am extraordinarily visual. Movies play an integral role in everything I do. My books are 200 page movies. My writing process always begins with writing a screenplay. I have the bones of a story. Then I take my time and flesh out the characters and scenes into a novel. My books have been optioned but I am on a mission to get my works on the big screen. It’s been a dream of mine since I’m 5 years old. Whatever happens, and I’ve come very, very close a few times, I’m loving the process.