Harriet Klausner

December 10, 1996

Copyright 1996 Harriet Klausner. Reprinted with permission

He was just another Medieval noble until the Goddess called him into her service. She changed him into a vampire so that he could be King Arthur's champion, a secret weapon to protect the noble ruler from his many enemies. In the waning years of the twentieth century, he still guards the rulers and emissaries of the English Empire. Currently his charge is the Prime Minister of Toronto, targeted for an IRA assassination by Charon, a professional who never fails to take down his target. Richard's other assignment is more precious to his heart and soul.

Lady Sabra, disciple of the Goddess and a vampiress as well, was the individual who turned Richard into the champion of justice that he is even today. Throughout the centuries, they have remained confidants and lovers, having a special bond. Over time, the beast that dwells inside an immortal bloodsucker takes control to include the outward appearance. Now Sabra lies dying, about to return to the earth that spawned her unless Richard can locate the Holy Grail so that she can drink its healing elixir and regain her humanity. If the quest fails, Sabra has insured that the service to the Goddess continues by giving Richard a daughter, whom he turns to as a friend, lover, and child.

Richard's two cases intertwine when the book he needs to help him find the location of the Holy Grail is stolen by the IRA to pay off their hit man who is supposed to kill the P.M. A woman enters the picture when she also wants the Grail and Richard. The Charon needs the holy artifact as well for he needs to quickly subdue his feral nature before it gets anymore out of control.

Combining Arthurian legend with the vampire mythos, readers are provided with a unique, very special experience that has wide crossover appeal for lovers of the supernatural, fantasy, horror, and the police procedural. Nigel Bennett and renowned vampire writer, P.N. Elrod, gives the audience a fascinating glimpse into Arthur's kingdom, showing how the "facts" were turned into a legend to obscure the forbidden truths because of the fanaticism of Middle Ages Christians.

The character of the vampire, as portrayed in KEEPER OF THE KING, is filled with compassion, eroticism, and a level of horror that deviates from the normal rendition of the inhuman nosferatu. In this work, vampires are divinely homo sapiens, who were chosen for their goodness to guide humanity during periods of trouble and crisis.