QSFer A.J. Llewellyn has a new fantasy book out:
Summoned from the past, Konu rises naked from the sea to reclaim his power for the freedom to live—and love. If the forces of evil don’t get to him first!
On a hot day in Waikiki, beachgoers are stunned when a tall, handsome man rises from the ocean. Striding naked to a small, ringed enclosure containing four huge stones most tourists never even notice, he becomes visibly upset. These are Wizard Stones, positioned between the beach and the foot traffic on Kalakaua Avenue. Konu, the naked man, is agitated by a young Asian girl draping her beach towel over the stones. He’s come a long way, from Tahiti, and is one of the ancient wizards whose power was infused into these sacred stones four hundred years ago.
With the invisible battle between good and evil raging, Konu has been dispatched to help balance the power. Landing in modern-day Waikiki, he’s stunned by the changes – and to find he is alone. A cop tries to arrest him for indecent exposure but the young girl’s grandfather – who thinks Konu’s a homeless lunatic offers him refuge. Will the ancient forces of evil beat this wizard in Waikiki? Or can Konu find his power again, and perhaps…even love?
This book was previously published. It has been edited and re-released with Ai Press.
Giveaway
Winner’s Prize: 5 E-copies of A Wizard in Waikiki
Excerpt
“He’s a nut case, Granddad. We’re not really taking him home, are we?” the girl asked. “He’s a naked, homeless guy.”
“We’ll put some pants on him and take him over to Jason.” His voice dropped, but Konu heard every word.
“He can give the fellow a bed for the night, I’m sure.”
“I bet he’s a glue sniffer.” The girl’s voice rose to an unpleasant pitch.
Konu longed to speak. He wasn’t homeless. He had a home in Tahiti. But it was a long time ago and far, far away. He wanted to ask what a glue sniffer was, but by her tone, he suspected it was not something nice.
Konu had come here because the four wizard stones were in jeopardy. He’d been so eager to begin—to accept this assignment of protection in return for the restoration of his magical powers—that he hadn’t really listened to the entire story. He was sorry now.
“We missed the bus,” the girl said, as they crossed a street with white lines painted along it. She glared at Konu as if it were his fault.
Konu realized they stopped when the lights were red and walked when they turned green.
“No problem,” the old man said. “I’m sure our friend here doesn’t mind walking. Son, what is your name?” He glanced up at Konu, who smiled down at him.
“I am Konu.”
“Hawaiian?”
“Tahitian.”
“You’re a long way from home.”
Konu nodded. Would he ever see his home again? On the physical plane, it had changed so much, just like Waikiki, but it was home.
“And your name?”
“I’m Takahashi. Raiden Takahashi. My granddaughter is Ayumi.”
Konu stopped. Maybe the old man was the sign? He was named for the Japanese God of thunder and lightning.
“May I call you Raiden Takahashi?” Konu asked.
The old man opened his mouth to speak, but the young girl chimed in.
“Just take it slow, okay, Granddad. Take your time.” Ayumi seemed really concerned. She was nicer, now they were alone, away from other people. She really did love her grandfather. Konu felt himself warming to her.
They approached a building that called itself the Queen Kapiolani Hotel. Hmmm… was she a new queen? Perhaps Konu should visit her and let her know he was here to help. They walked right past this however, passing a long, flat building emitting the strong odor of animals. He saw a sign saying Honolulu Zoo and the clatter of birds and monkeys reached his ears. How sad. All the animals had been confined. He remembered the majestic birds of old Honolulu…
“Not far now, Ayumi,” the old man said. “You know, I usually get tired, but I’m actually feeling okay. How about that?” He grinned up at Konu.
“Of course. I fixed your heart, Raiden Takahashi. What happened to your hip?” Konu asked.
Raiden Takahashi stopped. The girl kept walking, oblivious to the halt in their progress.
“She’s fifteen, but thinks she knows it all, already. She has seen too much, this little one. Both her parents are addicted to ice. They live in the homeless encampment up Kea’au Beach on the leeward side of the island. I begged them to let me keep her with me. She needs to stay in school.”
Konu absorbed all of this. What is ice?
The old man squinted at him suddenly.
“What do you mean, you fixed my heart?” His tone was not pleasant. “And how do you know about my hip?”
He is afraid of me. He thinks I am a…glue sniffer, whatever that is. Why are people so afraid of power? Especially power that heals?
“An old… break. I can feel it. Today it causes you no pain. On cold days, it feels like…” he searched for a word that described the almost unimaginable pain he’d tuned into, just standing next to the old man.
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Author Bio
A.J. Llewellyn lives in California, but dreams of living in Hawaii. Frequent trips to all the islands, bags of Kona coffee in the fridge and a healthy collection of Hawaiian records keep this writer refueled.
A.J’s passion for the islands led to writing a play about the last ruling monarch of Hawaii, Queen Lili’uokalani as well as a non-erotic novel about the overthrow of her kingdom written in diary form from her maid’s point of view.
A.J. never lacks inspiritation for male/male erotic romances and on the rare occasion this happens, pursues other passions such as collecting books on Hawaiiana, surfing and spending time with friends and animal companions.
A.J. Llewellyn believes that love is a song best sung out loud.
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