EKHO by Marie D. Jones
Ten-year-old Elvis Jones is tired of being picked on, taunted, and teased by the bullies at his elementary school, so he does what any smart, technologically brilliant kid his age would do: he creates EKHO, the Evil Kid Hunting Organization, a sophisticated network of kid spies and secret agents that utilize a variety of cool gadgets to stay one step ahead of the enemy – the bullies. They hire kids, make them swear allegiance to the organization, and train them as Commandos, Privates, and Elite Spies. As kids rise through the ranks, the missions, posted on an encrypted EKHO website, require more smarts and skill, especially when the bullies form their own counterspy group called DEKE (Destroy EKHO Kids Everywhere).
It’s all in good fun, until the kids of EKHO must put their pretend skills to use for far more serious, and dangerous, missions. As field agents come across evidence of more sinister forces, they now have to deal with the strange, weird, and the unknown as they look for the truth about the bizarre and creepy threats to their school, their families, and their own lives. They experience betrayal, intrigue, infiltration and counter-espionage as well as teachers and adults who act more mysterious with each passing day, which leaves Elvis and his EKHO team wondering: who can you trust when the person standing next to you might not be entirely human?
Author Marie D. Jones
Marie D. Jones is a best-selling author with an extensive background in unknown mysteries, metaphysics, science, and the paranormal. She has been featured multiple times on the History Channel in Ancient Aliens and Nostradamus Effect. Marie also served as a special UFO/abduction consultant for the 2009 Universal Pictures movie, The Fourth Kind. She is a staff writer for FATE Magazine and Intrepid Magazine and a regular contributor to Paranoia Magazine and New Dawn Magazine. Marie has been interviewed on hundreds of radio talk shows all over the world, including Coast to Coast AM, and has been featured in dozens of newspapers, magazines, and online publications, internationally. She has lectured widely at major paranormal, new science, and self-empowerment events, and is the screenwriter and co-producer of 19 Hz, a paranormal thriller in development with Bruce Lucas Films.
PLEASE WELCOME MARIE TO BOOKHOUDS ya
1. Do you have a secret talent?
Yes, I can speed read. I get to read more books that way. I taught myself to speed read after reading some articles on certain techniques you can use
to read faster. I can read a 250 page book in an hour or two. I don't do it often, because it gives me a headache, but sometimes it comes in handy!
2. Is there a song that really reminds you of your book?
Because "EKHO" is all about finding your "inner champion" in a way, I always think of that old song by Queen, "We Are the Champions." Most kids won't know who Queen is nowadays, but chances are they've heard the song a million times in TV commercials and movie soundtracks! "We are the champions, my friend…and we'll keep on fighting til the end…" really makes me think of the kids of EKHO and how they were brave and kept on fighting against bullying and became their own champions, as well as champions to other kids like them.
3. What was the easiest thing about writing this book?
The easiest thing about writing "EKHO" was knowing that it might help kids who are being teased or bullied or taunted learn that they have the power to take back control, whether it be doing something like the kids of EKHO did, or going to a parent or supervisor, or learning ways to defend themselves and become more confident in handling difficult people and situations. It was also great fun getting to add in the extra science fiction angle that will develop over Book Two and Book Three, knowing how it will surprise readers and really test the kids of both EKHO and DEKE. Oh, wait til you see what they have coming!!!
4. Is there a word you love to use?
It's hard to pick just one word, but I think the color "periwinkle" is hilarious and will try to sneak that into stories if I can!!! Periwinkle…it just sounds so…SILLY! Not the color itself, but the word. I mean, who thought of naming that color "periwinkle?" What were they thinking? I also like "plethora." It's a fun word to use instead of always saying things like "a lot," or "many," or "a number of…" The cool thing about words it that you have a "plethora" of choices to describe one thing!
5. Any real or imaginary pets?
We have a real cat named Lucy who is very old, but still acts like a kitten sometimes. And we just got a chihuahua mix at a local shelter named Maya. She has a crooked tooth, so we all call her "Snaggletooth." No imaginary pets, because they are too hard to clean up after!!!!
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