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MICHAEL THOMAS PERONE IS BUILDING A UNIVERSE OF FICTION, AND READERS ARE HOOKED - VORAKA.
- Voraka Magazine
- Jul 16
- 4 min read
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA
Article Published on 16 July 2025 by Suzume Naoko | www.vorakamag.com
Michael Thomas Perone is an award-winning author and seasoned journalist whose work has appeared in a range of esteemed publications including The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore City Paper, Long Island Voice (a spinoff of The Village Voice), and The Island Ear (now Long Island Press). In the digital realm, he has contributed to platforms such as Yahoo! and WhatCulture!, among others. Known for his sharp insights and critical voice in the music industry, Perone’s writing has been cited on Wikipedia and featured in national press kits.
Perone’s literary debut, Danger Peak, an action-adventure novel for young adults, garnered widespread recognition. It won The Fall 2022 BookFest Award (Young Adult – Action and Adventure), The 2022 Firebird Book Award (Magical Realism), and was a finalist for The 2022 American Fiction Awards (Inspirational), while also receiving Honorable Mentions at both The 2022 New York and Hollywood Book Festivals.
His second novel, Déjà View, a coming-of-age sci-fi mind-bender, earned First Place at The Spring 2024 BookFest Award (Young Adult – Literary and Coming of Age) and won The 2024 Firebird Book Award (Coming of Age). It was also named a finalist for The 2024 Eric Hoffer Book Award.
Most recently, Perone released a short story collection titled The Electric God and Other Shorts, which received First Place at The 2024 Firebird Book Award (Short Stories) and was honored by The Spring 2025 BookFest Award in the same category. He currently serves as a Senior Editor and resides on Long Island with his wife and two daughters. ABOUT THE BOOKS
DANGER PEAK
What’s on top of Danger Peak? That’s what 13-year-old Robert Kin and his two best friends, wisecracking and loyal Chris and sweet but put-upon Rinnie, want to find out in their small suburban town of the late 1980s. The three teens are members of the motorbike-racing club the Wild Boars, and with the unintentional help of their eccentric technology teacher Dr. Howard (who prefers to be called “Doctor,” not “Mister,” thank you very much), they build Robert a better, faster, and stronger dirt bike, piece by piece. Haunted by flashbacks of his older brother Danny, who died trying to scale Danger Peak the year before, Robert becomes obsessed with conquering the magical mountain. For the respect of his friends and school, and with the aid of his improved Action Bike, he discovers what lies beyond the peak of the mountain and maybe even beyond the bounds of Earth itself. Filled with humor, adventure, and, most importantly, heart, Danger Peak is an inspiring story about what it takes to achieve your dreams, and what it means to feel alive. DÉJÀ VIEW
Twelve-year-old Bobby Dalton doesn’t want to grow up. All his life, he has relied on the imaginary games of childhood with his best friends Joe and Max to get him through the tough times. But this all changes when his Seventh-Grade class buries a time capsule to commemorate the end of the 1980s. Now Bobby is being haunted by visions: ghostly doppelgangers of himself, his friends, and others. He calls them “déjà view.” Are these visions real, or has his imagination finally gotten away from him? And if they’re real, what do they want? Bobby needs to figure this all out to survive his childhood…and his life. From the author of the award-winning Danger Peak, Déjà View is a darkly funny coming-of-age dramedy with a sci-fi twist, cranked up to eleven. But even more, it’s at once a pulse-pounding thrill ride and a haunting portrait of paranoia, mental illness, and the unbearable sadness of growing up. THE ELECTRIC GOD AND OTHER SHORTS
A small town becomes obsessed with television, to the point of madness.
A cheerful, innocent confronts the harsh reality of the world and is forever changed by the experience.
A struggling author begins receiving strange messages on the paper he uses to write.
A bullied, brilliant teen is put through the wringer of his high school and comes out the other side insane.
A detective of the future discovers he may be investigating his own untimely demise, and that of the world’s.” These and one more dark fable await you from the imaginative mind of the award-winning author Michael Thomas Perone. Part fractured fairy tales, part nightmare fuel, The Electric God and Other Shorts follows characters who struggle to remain sane in an insane world and features stories that will keep you up at night, wondering what might be lurking in the shadows.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL THOMAS PERONE
VORAKA: How has your background in journalism influenced your approach to writing fiction?
MICHAEL: Space is at a premium in the newspaper business, so being a journalist taught me to be pithy and make my point as quickly and effectively as possible. My books aren’t very long, but I don’t believe in wasting readers’ time. You’re not going to be bored with my books. There aren’t just scenes of people hanging out and talking.
VORAKA: What inspired the emotional and adventurous journey of Robert in Danger Peak? To continue reading the full interview, click here to download our latest Literature special issue.