The Last Day King

The most magical figure of royal folklore and legendary British king travels to the future to reunite with the girl he fell in love with. The Legend Lives On. In modern day San Francisco, a young girl rescues a boy king from the treacherous waters. The beloved king of lore longs to reunite with his futuristic fascination. After his trusted wizard proposes a mission to save mankind only days before his prophesied death, the king travels with his mystic companions to our time in hopes of embracing his lady love once again, and to save a world which his rule helped create.

Excerpt:

Arthur inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring slightly. "Who is this lovely maiden?" he said, his voice hoarse.

"Do you not remember?" Merlin asked.

Shifting slightly, Arthur took on the aura of a man who knows the impending strategy, yet waits for the attack to come upon him before defending himself. "Tell me."

"You commissioned this painting the night before you married Guinevere. You gazed at it for hours, then entrusted it to me. I remember a boy who dreamt of a different time, who came back to me descanting of a young woman such as this. A child-woman who dragged you to safety upon a beach. In whose eyes you said you saw your destiny."

"No more than a boyhood fantasy."

"No. More. Much more. What if I were to tell you this woman does indeed exist—that I could find some way to reunite you?"

"I would call you a peddler who preys upon those whose emotion has left them devoid of reason." Arthur rose and surveyed the painting.

In his mind's eye, he watched her walk on the beach, heard the cry of seagulls in the air, and felt her moist, salty lips upon his. He shook himself from his reverie, placing his hands on his hips. His silk tunic felt buttery soft under his fingers. "I remember her hands, softer than the garment I wear, softer than anything I have ever touched before." He smiled boyishly as he folded his arms across his chest. "I, a half-drowned, scrawny rat, whom she saved from the waters, unknowing of what time and place I arrived in. She, a heroine, most fair of face and a body fashioned by none other than God himself, with all of the perfections endowed by the greatest artist. St. Nick and his smelly bed covering." Arthur laughed out loud for a brief moment before composing himself. "I could not speak of her to anyone else. Only to you, Merlin. And now you tease me with my blubbery about the woman who dragged me upon the beach, who has ingrained her image into my memory in such a manner that some nights I cannot sleep for the longing of feeling her touch once again."

"She is real. We can find her. You can protect her from the calamities that will befall her in her era."

Arthur ran his fingers over the woman's image. "What gentle kindness and innocence in her face. What virtue and peace she must be accustomed to. Her style of living. Gracious, no doubt. While I have killed, maimed, and destroyed for the sake of bringing order, only to find irony and chaos has cursed me again. What blessings could I bring to a woman such as this? My hands are stained by the blood of thousands of men, so that I could instill a system of law which is constantly abused. Which crushes the lowly even lower beneath the iron of their landowners."

Merlin's crepe paper lips pursed and turned white. "There is a boy in the dungeons I have heard word of, who I believe can take the sorceress Nimue's place. He has the powers of an incubus. Tales of him have spread wide, for the guards have used him to manipulate the weather to prevail in their gambles upon the joust and other games. His name is Alastair."

"Is he a prisoner?"

"He is an orphaned child. Rumor has it he caused plagues of beasts in the market to vex the vendors, and after they were cleared from their stalls, he stole their goods to survive. The prison guards arrested him, but instead of putting him on trial, the warden offered him a job in the dungeons, in exchange for food and shelter. It is said he is essentially held prisoner there, unable to manipulate the weather or call upon large animals to free him."

"Perhaps the child's powers have interfered with my matches against Mordred," Arthur said, as he twirled a pawn between five fingers. "If that is the case, perhaps Lancelot should deal with him." Merlin's expression remained unmoved at his comment. "A jest," said Arthur. "And very obviously, a poor one."

"Since you choose to revert to boyhood habits, tell me once again from your studies what the five pillars of power are that every stronghold must harness?"

"Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit," Arthur replied. "At five points in a circle. From which can be traced the pentagram, which is a symbol of the harmony of elements and the physical body joining with the higher power of the spirit."

"Precisely the need for the Round Table. For contrary to myth, it is not the Round Table that belies the mystical powers of King Arthur, but the pillars of the five points within. Each of the Mystics is necessary to harness the powers of the pillars, and once these powers are harnessed, anything imaginable can be accomplished. Alastair shall take Nimue's position."

"Could his presence give us the powers we once had?"

"Yes."

"And I would see the woman in the painting again? Someone real, who I could reach out and touch? A woman of flesh and blood and not only a dream?" Arthur asked, his eyes hopeful.

"Yes."

Author Interview Questions:

1. I write because…

I love immersing myself in the sensuous world my characters live in, where touch defines a moment, and sense can influence perspective. So often in life, we are distracted by the mundane tasks of our every day world that we forget to attune ourselves to the sights we see, the sounds we hear, the love we feel. Characters are all of those things, times one thousand. There is a certain thrill in experiencing love all over again as one of my characters would do.

2. If I were your favorite cookie, what would I be?

Whatever cookie you were, I would eat you. As long as you don't have nuts. I'm allergic to nuts. I've never met a cookie I didn't like. Especially a smart one. Heh!

3. Plotter or pantster?

Plotter. I need a blueprint for everything.

4. What is your favorite type of character to write about and why?

Quirky, fun female characters with quick wit and a great sense of humor

5. Hamburgers or sushi?

Do fries come with that?

6. Name three things on your desk.

A cup of green tea, a bottled water, and a snack. I could be here for hours.

7. What books have influenced your writing style?

George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire Series. Although Stephen King is far from a romantic, I love the way he captures his characters patois so authentically. So his books are a definite influence. Also Anne Rice, who weaves a story with such sensory detail as well as intense conflict. I love her mystical side.

8. Tell us a little about your book.

The Last Day King is a Fantasy/Time Travel Romance set in both modern and medieval times. Based upon Arthurian legend, the novel is a new and exciting twist on medieval romance.

King Arthur's future love interest, Lilith Vandy, rescues the legendary time traveler from the perilous waters of Ocean Beach near the city of San Francisco. Smitten by her from the very beginning, King Arthur spends years of his life pining for her, and finds there is a way he may reunite with her again in future times.

9. What advice do you have for new and aspiring authors?

Learn the craft, follow the rules, then break them. The grand goal is writing your best work. The success of being published, building a fan base, and hopefully making a little money at what you love to do always comes after writing a great book. Then make sure your next one is even better.

10. What is next on your writerly horizon?

I am finishing up edits on Nightfall, the first of The Veil Series, a YA Paranormal romance filled with the ghosts and specters haunting the halls of Addison High School. After that, I will work on the sequels to The Ashes of Windsor, a post apocalyptic tale of the lives of two teens after nuclear war, and Vampire Eden, a novella about vampires and zombies in Las Vegas. However, I'm going through an intense situation in my life and the makings of a new story is percolating. I'd better get to work on knocking out some of my to do list here.

Top 5 favorite (pick one) desserts, movies, things to eat, ice cream flavors, books.

1. The Song of Ice and Fire Series. Mr. Martin cannot write these books fast enough. But at least there's the Game of Thrones Series to pacify me until the sequel to A Dance With Dragons comes out.

2. Chocolate Banana Cake at The Office in Cabo San Lucas. This cake is unbelievable, and I know cake.

3. Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. The surgeon general needs to issue a warning to your loved ones about the sugar free version. Your comforter will rapidly become a Dutch oven, much to the disgust of your loved one. My advice: eat the stuff with real sugar. Just have a smaller scoop.

4. Pets! Nothing makes me feel happier than petting a cat or dog. Or even talking to fish. Yeah, I admit it. I talked to fish swimming in a tank for a good minute. Anything with eyes that can focus on you has the potential to make a good listener. If you've gone through a divorce, I'm sure you'll find that to be a perfectly reasonable thing to do.

5. A Cafe Latte with soymilk, my iPad, and a bistro setting filled with fun and fashionable people. Cocola at Santana Row in San Jose is my favorite place to spend a Sunday morning.

Author bio and picture:

About The Author

Liz Newman holds an MA in Clinical Psychology, and a BA in Mass Communications with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. Liz Newman worked as an intern at KTVU Broadcasting Station in Oakland, California.  Liz has also worked as a crisis counselor, a community health counselor, and a staff psychologist at a local elementary school.  Liz also contributes anonymously to several texts published to assist children and teens struggling with social and domestic issues. 

Several articles by Liz Newman have been featured in magazines and journals such as San Francisco Socialite, Spirit Song, Highlights, and The Sacramento News and Review, Chic Mom Magazine, Under A Harvest Moon, and Our USA Magazine.   

Several novels and novellas by Liz Newman have been contracted for publication by Breathless Press, Sweet Cravings Publishing, Lycaon Press, and Devine Destinies: an imprint of eXstasy Books.  Her first novel made the Top 10 for Best Print/Electronic Romance Novel of 2011 in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.

Liz is currently working on a paranormal series romance.

Connect with Liz

Website: www.lizrnewman.net

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