📚 A Bookish Chat with 'The House of Gold' Joni Parker | Author Interview | #AuthorInterview
Joni Parker’s story reads like a cross-continental odyssey with grit at every turn. Born in the heart of Chicago, she was just eight when her family uprooted to Japan so her father could chase a dream most wouldn’t dare—becoming a professional golfer. He made it. And when the dust settled, they landed in Phoenix, Arizona, where Joni carved her own path.
After high school, she didn’t just serve—she committed. Twenty-two years in the U.S. Navy, followed by seven more in federal civil service, Joni built a career on discipline, resilience, and a no-nonsense drive to get things done.
Now retired in Tucson, Arizona, she’s traded uniforms for imagination, channeling her fire into writing, devouring books, and catching the sunrise like it’s a daily ritual of renewal. Her stories reflect the same edge she’s lived with—bold, unflinching, and full of heart.
Her most recent book is the science fantasy, The House of Gold (Book 4 in the Golden Harvest Series).
Visit her website at http://www.joni-parker.com or connect with her on Facebook, Goodreads and Bluesky.
The House of Gold: Book 4 in the Golden Harvest series offers you magic, betrayal and elves. Which of these was the most challenging for you to write about?
I found betrayal to be the most challenging because I’m not that sort of person. I think people should treat each other with kindness. Betrayal is usually an intentional act.
Which of the characters from The House of Gold: Book 4 in the Golden Harvest series do you most closely identify with and why?
The main character, Alex, is my alter ego. I just wish I could be more like her.
What do you think sets The House of Gold apart from other books of the same genre?
It combines two worlds—the world of the mortals on Earth and the Elves on Eledon.
Surprise me. What is something that happens in the book that would make my mouth drop without giving too much away?
I don’t know about your mouth, but mine dropped when Alex found the tunnels under Moonbase were filled with gold knots, harvested from Eledon. She thought the Mentors, the Elf guides, had collected them and taken them home, but here they were under the Star Elf base on the moon.
Who is your favorite author?
I have several favorite authors—Suzanne Collins, Martha Wells, James Rollins, and Louise Penny.
Do you think writing a science fantasy is more complex than writing books of other genres?
I don’t know because I haven’t tried writing any other genre.
What’s next for you?
I have another series in mind, but the idea is coming slowly. I think it’ll be a while before I can get going on it.
She’s done playing by the rules.
Lady Alexin Dumwalt—Alex to those who know better—just got booted from her mortal-world job. Her response? Return to Eledon, reclaim her title as Keeper of the Keys, and dive headfirst into a mission that reeks of politics and secrets.
Her task: escort Lord Quasar of the Star Elves to Nimbus. Her reality: arrested at Moonbase, locked up by a power-hungry Lord Governor, and caught in a prison break that exposes a gold-smuggling operation buried beneath the surface.
The gold? Stolen from Eledon. The ship? Not what it seems. The Fire Elves? Gone—taken by someone who wasn’t supposed to be watching.
Now Alex is under guard, headed to Nimbus, and neck-deep in a conspiracy that could shatter the fragile balance between Elf factions. She’s got questions, she’s got enemies, and she’s got zero patience for anyone standing in her way.
Magic. Betrayal. One Elf with nothing left to lose.
Read sample.
The House of Gold is available at Amazon.
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