The inspiration for my book, Ten Gold Coins, came from two sources—the story of Judas and his betrayal of Jesus for 30 silver coins, and second, The Hunger Games. A long time ago when I was in Sunday School, I was shocked when I heard the story of Judas and his act of betrayal. But over time, I’ve learned it happens all the time. But how would my main character, Alex, react when it happens to her?
My second source of inspiration came from The Hunger Games in which the twelve districts must pay an annual tribute to Panem. In The Golden Harvest, the tribute is in the form of gold instead of people, and it only comes around every four thousand years. The next tribute will be for a hundred million knots of gold due in the year 12,000, but it comes early. My main character, Alex, manages the program, even though she has no control over it.
Once I finished writing the book, I self-published it on Amazon (kdp.com), since I don’t have an agent. Although this limits me to selling on Amazon, I’m okay with that. It’s easy to do, and Amazon has a huge market share. Besides, it’s free.
The site (kdp.com) was simple to use. The first step was to open an account. After that, I followed the step-by-step directions to set up the book. Note: the title and series title can’t be changed once it’s there, so if that happens, start over. To format the book, I used Kindle Create, available on kdp.com, instead of paying someone to do it for me. It included pages for front and back matter, as well as a Table of Contents based on chapter headings. I could even add images and edit it after it’s uploaded. I don’t pay for a cover designer either, and used Cover Creator (also on kdp.com) to design it. It can be done with or without an image.
After a few more steps for pricing and distribution, the ebook was done and published. The printed version took a little longer, so I could get a proof copy. After I approve it, I can purchase author copies at cost. What a deal!
Title: Ten Gold Coins: Book Two of the Golden Harvest Series
Author: Joni Parker
Pages: 354
Genre: Fantasy/Scifi
Lady Alexin (Alex), the Keeper of the Keys for the Elfin Council of Elders, returns home to Eledon to help her grandmother clean out the warehouse, but she’s kidnapped and forced to use the magical Keys of Eledon in a series of life-or-death missions with consequences that span across the realms. Her captor, Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves, demands her magical help, but once he’s done with her, he turns her over to the Marsh Elf Sawgrass, a criminal, who sends her into the treacherous depths of Hades’ kingdom in the Underworld for his own benefit. To save herself, Alex calls upon the powers of Poseidon, but he enlists her help with the Golden Harvest for Olympus before the Mentors arrive. His brothers, Zeus and Hades, are the only ones who know where the gold is stored, so Alex follows their trail into the mortal world, only to find they aren’t ready to return. What must she do to get them back to Olympus so she can return home to Eledon?
You can pick up your copy at Amazon at https://amazon.com/dp/B0CW1GJDPH .
Joni Parker was born in Chicago, Illinois, but moved the 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 and lives in Tucson, Arizona, devoting her time to writing, reading, and watching the sunrise.
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