Playing Book Trivia with Joni Parker, Author of Fantasy/Scifi THE EPSILON ACCOUNT: THE GOLDEN HARVEST SERIES BOOK 1

 

It’s time to play Book Trivia!  

 

 

Periodically, we scour the Internet for interesting authors who would like to play Book Trivia with us.  By answering our book trivia questions, we get to learn things about the author no one else knows!  So, let’s get ready…let’s play…Book Trivia!

Today our guest author is Joni Parker, author of the fantasy/scifi, The Epsilon Account: The Golden Harvest Series Book 1.

Thank you for playing Book Trivia with us! 

In the movie Castaway, if Tom Hanks unearthed a copy of Grace And The Golden Rule, how would that help Tom find a way off the island?

Inside one of those FedEx packages, Tom could have found the magical Keys of Eledon. He could introduce himself politely to the keys and ask them to fly him off the island. But since he refuses to open any of the packages…

Everyone knows Miley Cyrus is the wild child in the music business.  But she read your book and wants to let you know that it changed her life for the better.  Why did your book give Miley a new lease on life?

Miley would have been introduced to Corada, a Star Elf and skilled pilot, with questionable moral standards. Although she was engaged to be married, she routinely played around with other men. Then she duped Alex, my main character, into thinking she was a friend, when all she wanted to do was bring her down. But Alex got back at her when Corada shows up to kill her. Miley learned that what goes around comes around. Maybe. 

You are being pulled over for speeding. When the officer asks you for your license and you discover you left it at home, you decide to pull out your book instead. What do you tell the officer?

“Oh, my God! I must have left my driver’s license at home, Officer. Sorry. My name is Joni Parker, and I’m retired from the U.S. Navy. Here’s the author bio page in my book where you can see my picture and a short bio. I retired after 22 years in the Navy. Were you ever in the service?”

You have a chance to appear on the hit talent show for authors, American Book Idol, and the mighty judges will determine whether your book will make it to Hollywood and become a big screenplay.  What would impress them more – your book cover, an excerpt or your best review – and why?

My book cover is supported by an excerpt from my book. My main character, Alex, has been sent on a secret mission to the planet of Oltria. Here’s the excerpt from chapter 35: The Mission:

When I returned to the cockpit, I got a closer look at the surface of Oltria. The first of the two suns rose above the clouds as we descended, turning the sky orange and red as if on fire. Gorgeous! Mountain peaks jutted out of the clouds, only they weren’t mountains. They were quartz crystals. 

“Corada, are those crystals?” They must have been hundreds of feet high, even higher than the trees. 

“That’s the city of Quartile. All their buildings look like crystals.”

The crystals ranged in color from red to blue to yellow, depending on the sunlight. When we descended through the cloud cover, the surface was covered with trees and smaller crystalline shapes in neat rows around the taller buildings. The smaller crystals must have been homes where people lived. Our course kept us flying overhead as we zoomed by, but it piqued my curiosity. What sort of people lived inside crystals?

A homeless man was caught stealing your book out of a bookstore. When asked why he did it, he opened the book and pointed a passage out. What was that passage?

Excerpt from The Epsilon Account, chapter 10 Tulon:

We left the market through a housing area on the outskirts of town. The cobblestone road gave way to a dirt path as it wound its way to the base of a hill. Dozens of soldiers, armed with swords and spears, stood in front of the cave entrance. More soldiers were strategically placed around the grounds. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, knowing this was the trap I was going to be caught in. I had to stay close to the Governor. But how?

“Here we are, Keeper. Come inside, and let me show you the gold,” the Governor said, as he headed to the wooden door, covering the cave opening.

I held up my hand. “No, that’s all right. I trust you, Governor. I don’t need to see it.”

“Nonsense.” He grabbed my elbow and pulled me inside the cave. “You need to report this to the Council.” 

Two soldiers followed behind us, each one carrying a smelly, old-fashioned torch made of tar and straw, emitting fumes that made my eyes water. Inside, the cavern was larger than it appeared, and I stopped inside the door and gasped. The sight of so much gold was almost blinding, and it made me wonder if I had this all wrong. 

Note: The homeless man claims to know the location of this cave and wants the gold, so he can get off the streets.

Finally, you just got word that your book has received the 2013 NY Times Bestselling Book Award and you have to attend the ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan.  Anyone who’s anyone will be there and it’s your shot for stardom.  On stage, you must give an acceptance speech.  What would you say and who would you thank?

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I’m so honored to be here. Every year, thousands of books are published and reviewed by the New York Times, so your selection this year is an honor beyond my wildest dreams. I would like to thank J.R.R. Tolkien for writing the Lord of the Rings, creating a story that resonated through the years. And to movie director, Peter Jackson, who turned that book into a fantastic movie series that inspired me to create my main character, Alex. She brought a lot of stories with her, which I put into words. I must admit the drafts were pretty rough at first, but there was enough of a story for me to develop my first book series. I would also like to thank my editor, Jacqueline Sinclair, for her help on this book. My thanks also go out to my sister, Donna, as a beta reader and part-time editor, and I can’t forget my other beta reader Gayl. Finally, I would also like to thank Amazon for being the first book seller to give self-published authors a platform from which to publish and collect royalties. Once again, thanks so much for this award, and I hope you’ll invite me back next year for my next book. Good night.

 

Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to Japan when she was 8 so her father could become a professional golfer. Once he achieved his dream, Joni and her family returned to the U.S. and moved to Phoenix, Arizona. After high school, Joni served her country for 22 years in the Navy and another 7 years in federal civil service. She retired in Tucson, Arizona, devoting her time to writing, reading, and watching the sunrise.

Author Links  

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Thousands of years ago, Eledon was created for the Elves by their Mentors when they were forced to leave Earth. At least, that’s how the legend goes. In return, the Elves must pay them a tribute in gold, known as the Golden Harvest, every four thousand years. The Elfin Council of Elders appoints Lady Alexin (Alex) Dumwalt, the Keeper of the Keys, to manage the next payment, due 244 years from now. That is, until the Mentors show up unexpectedly and demand immediate payment of the Epsilon Account. Since the Harvest has never been called that, Alex suspects foul play and uncovers a sinister plot by the Star Elves, a rival clan from the Constellations, who want to steal the gold. To make matters worse, they’re willing to do anything to succeed to include murder. Can Alex stop them and save the Elfin gold before it’s too late?

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