M C Berkhousen

M.C. Berkhousen is the author of the exciting Komodo series, targeted to children ages 9 to 14. The author announced that third book of the series, Return to Komodo Island (released October 2019 by Progressive Rising Phoenix Press,) tied for 2nd place in the 2020 Purple Dragonfly Book Award Contest, sponsored by Story Monsters Ink magazine. The first two books, Curse of the Komodo (2017) and 90% Human (2018), won Story Monster Approved Awards for excellence in literature. Both books also won Honorable Mentions in the 2019 Purple Dragonfly contest.

These action/adventure stories are filled with animal facts and universal themes such as brotherly love, friendship, dealing with bullies and the triumph of good over evil. Both girls and boys are featured in prominent roles.

Curse of the Komodo was reviewed in Story Monsters Ink magazine, November 2018 issue. Reviewer Diana Perry wrote: "...This is the ultimate field trip nightmare...and young readers will be most entertained." 90% Human was reviewed in the February 2019 issue of Story Monsters Ink. Reviewer Diana Perry wrote: "...Young readers will love how the mysteries unravel, and parents will find this book a great way to get their kids to read more. I couldn't put it down." (Ages 10-14)

Berkhousen met her first Komodo dragon at the Toledo Zoo & Aquarium in Toledo, OH. "It's eyes were dark and empty, like the eyes of a robot," she explained. "I had the feeling it was looking at me as prey." She decided to use a Komodo as a character in a book.

After she wrote the first few chapters, she asked her 12-year-old grandson to read them. His feedback, "Grandma, this Komodo needs a curse,"changed the course of her writing career." Berkhousen had written adult fiction, mystery, historic romance and young adult manuscripts, but never anything that required a curse. "It took me three weeks to come up with something," said the author. "My grandson was right. A couple of years later, I signed a contract with PRPP and Curse of the Komodo was published."

M.C. Berkhousen grew up in Three Rivers, MI and went to Borgess School of Nursing in Kalamazoo, MI. She won Michigan Nurse/Writer of the Year award for her article on using Journalism Therapy with a patient who was on the USS Hornet when it was sunk by the Japanese during the battle of Midway in WW II. Berkhousen is currently considering extending the Komodo Trilogy to a series.