Together we will make nine original blocks, using my favourite piecing techniques, to create a quilt that explores the imagery of autumn: the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter; turning leaves and misty mornings; festivals of fire and fairytales at bedtime...Autumn, the burnished sunset of the year, washes the garden with shades of copper and gold. Nights draw in, mist rises, the winter approaches. Larders are stocked for the dark months ahead and favourite books taken down to read by the fireside. At home in Shropshire we celebrate with a Bonfire Party and, as we head back to the house with our friends, I imagine all the nocturnal residents of our garden gathered around the embers of the fire...

Welcome to the illogical, idiosyncratic, outrageous linguistic phenomenon known as the English language. The story of how this ragtag collection of words evolved is a winding tale replete with intriguing accidents and bizarre twists of fate. In this eye-opening, fabulously entertaining book, James Essinger unlocks the mysteries that have confounded linguists and scholars for millennia. From the sophisticated writing systems of the ancient Sumerians through the tongue twisters of Middle English, the popular National Spelling Bee, and the mobile phone text-messaging of today, Spellbound chronicles the fascinating history of English spelling, including insights about the vast number of words English has borrowed from other languages (“orange,” “vanilla,” and “ketchup,” to name a few), and how their meanings differ from country to country. Featuring a lively cast of characters ranging from the fictional to the historically noteworthy (Chaucer, Samuel Johnson, Noah Webster, Shakespeare, Bill Gates), this affectionate tribute to English spelling shows why our whimsical, capricious common language continues to hold us spellbound.

Autumn, the burnished sunset of the year, washes the garden with shades of copper and gold. Nights draw in, mist rises, the winter approaches. Larders are stocked for the dark months ahead and favourite books taken down to read by the fireside.At home in Shropshire we celebrate with a Bonfire Party and, as we head back to the house with our friends, I imagine all the nocturnal residents of our garden gathered around the embers of the fire

Can Cassius and Morgan overcome an elusive enemy and save a young girl’s life? Eden Monroe has spent her entire existence believing she has no magic. Shunned by her mother Brianna and the magical bureau Hexa, she runs away from home when she is forced to embrace a future she never chose, only to fall into the hands of ghastly monsters from the Nine Hells. After being rescued by a mysterious Dryad with secrets of his own, Eden realizes there is more to her past and future than she could ever have imagined. When San Francisco PD asks Argonaut to assist them in solving a series of strange bank robberies, Cassius Black and Morgan King uncover a disturbing plot that points to an unknown artifact hidden somewhere in the city. Their investigation soon has them crossing paths with a desperate Brianna, who seeks their help in finding her missing daughter. When the witch reveals the shocking circumstances surrounding her daughter’s birth as well as the deadly magic sealed inside the young girl’s body, the Argonaut agents realize their case is linked to Eden and the weapon of devastating power the bank robbers are after. Can Cassius and Morgan defeat the malevolent organization behind it all and save Eden from her cursed fate? Or will the young girl suffer a destiny worse than death itself? Spellbound is the second novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. This is an MM paranormal adventure full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons. Visit Ava's author store at Shop AD Starrling to get digitally signed books and discounted bundles!

Asserting that written language is on the verge of its greatest change since the advent of the printing press, visual artist Craig McDaniel and art historian Jean Robertson bring us Spellbound – a collection of heavily illustrated essays that interrogate assumptions about language and typography. Rethinking the alphabet, they argue, means rethinking human communication. Looking beyond traditional typography, the authors conceive of new languages in which encoded pictorial images offer an unparalleled fusion of art and language. In a world of constant technological innovation offered by e-books, tablets, cell phones and the Internet, McDaniel and Robertson demonstrate provocatively what it would mean to move beyond the alphabet we know to a wholly new system of written communication.

A quilt that gazes westwards across the wide Atlantic sea from the Cornish coast to New England...We live a long way from the sea and in the height of summer it can take many hours to reach the coast.But the minute we catch a glimpse of the water, sparkling on the horizon, the cares of the journey disappear.A brisk, salty breeze; clear coastal light; and the sound of the seagulls whirling overhead - eyeing up our fish and chip supper - as we stroll along the pier and we are restored...