Over forty years have elapsed since the death of the British jazz legend Tubby Hayes and yet his story still continues to captivate. Beginning as a precociously talented teenage saxophonist, he took first the local and then the international jazz scene by storm, displaying gifts equal to the finest American jazzmen. He appeared with none other than Duke Ellington and proved almost single-handedly that British jazz need not labour under an inferiority complex. Hayes's triumphs during the 1950s and 60s enabled still later generations of English musicians to take their music onto the world stage. However his story, distorted by the folklore surrounding his tragically early death, aged only 38, has rarely been accurately recorded. Much of what has been written, broadcast and recounted about Hayes has added only confusion to our understanding of his short but brilliant life.In this new, expanded paperback edition, award-winning saxophonist and writer Simon Spillett, widely regarded as the world's leading authority on Hayes and his work, painstakingly outlines a career that alternated professional success and personal downfall. Using credible eye-witness recollection, drawn from conversations with Hayes's family, partners, friends and musical colleagues, unique access to Hayes's own tape, photographic and personal archives - including papers that have only recently come to light - and extensive contemporary research material, Spillett has reconstructed the trajectory of his subject's life both candidly and respectfully.

Her power was born of a giant's rage. She treads a treacherous path, where a whisper could mean her demise. Jassae's world shattered when giants ravaged her peaceful village. Instead of killing her, they thrust her into a cage as a precious captive, an unexpected jewel to control the Dark Goddess. The once-formidable giants are teetering on the brink, their age-old might slowly but surely fading away. In Jassae, a priestess dedicated to a goddess who inspires more dread than reverence, they see a glimmer of hope for survival. During a night cloaked in darkness and studded with stars, Jassae reads the bone runes, conduits of ancient wisdom. As she holds the bleached fragments in her hands, a prophecy unfolds, foretelling the rise of a mighty chieftain. The giants believe she holds the key to securing the coveted chieftain's throne. The storm clouds of war gather, stirred by the revival of old grudges. Jassae's survival depends on her ability to harness the power growing within her, a force capable of devouring her mind and soul. If she can leverage her gift to install her chosen master on the throne, she may reach her first century and achieve her destiny as a priestess of the Dark Goddess. Yet, the path she walks is fraught with danger, and a misstep carries a terrible price: annihilation... and the end of her sorcerous bloodline. Fate's Long Shadow takes place in a dark setting and is intended for adult readers. Read it as a standalone or as part of a trilogy of interwoven stories. Keywords: fantasy, epic fantasy, epic, dark fantasy, dark, ya fantasy, grimdark, gritty, giant, giants, monsters, mythological creatures, magic, standalone novel, stand alone, battle, war, emotion, humanity, fantasy author, dark elf, dark elves, high fantasy, female lead, female protagonist, soft magic

The pandemic is over. Humanity is saved. The misery is over. Or is it? From the wreckage of the old world, a new order has arisen. On the banks of the Borava River, a city stands divided between two oppressive civilisations engaged in an endless struggle with one another. Under the callous rule of their power-hungry overlords, the people long for liberation yet can find no cause for hope or redemption. Amidst the contradictions and hypocrisies of this decaying world however, a string of unexplained murders ignites a spark of renewed enthusiasm as an investigation unfolds in a desperate search for answers to the murderous mystery. It is an endeavour which will lead straight to the grim and uncomfortable truth lying at the very heart of this post-pandemic civilisation, a truth which is better left unknown...

HISTORICAL FICTION. The Long Shadow is compelling historical novel which tells the human story of the Eastern campaign in Salonika and will appeal to readers of The Island and The Thread.

1670: King Charles II's reign has brought peace and prosperity to the Morland family, but James II's ascent to the throne will shatter their restored fortunes. In Yorkshire, Morland Place has flourished during the Restoration, and in London the beautiful and sprited Annunciata, is now Countess of Chelmsford, a wealthy and well-connected woman, intimate with the Royal Family. But storm clouds gather over them all when the reign of James II brings rebellion and discord. Trouble is never far from Annunciata in these turbulent times. Jealousy, betrayal and violent death threaten her children, and for Annunciata herself comes the anguish of love lived in the long shadow of secrecy, a love that can only lead to tragedy.

The Season of the Long Shadow, the second book in the "Messenger Series" of Redpath novels, refers to an ancient Native American prophecy that is already passing over this land and warns of events which will affect everyone. It speaks of strange times ahead and the ultimate decision we will be asked to make. Which path will we follow? What will we need to choose our path wisely?This book provides indepth information on lessons to end Separation, steps to heal our spirit from within, and the Seven Warnings leading to the Season of the Long Shadow.

This seventh collection of essays and reviews kicks off with a survey of some overlooked British poets from the 1940s who, through a network of little magazines with anarchist inclinations, attempted to offer an alternative to the MacSpaunDay generation's sensibilities. Another piece considers how British writers were monitored by MI5 and local police forces, while a third switches attention to the USA and looks at the still-controversial case of Alger Hiss and his alleged role as a spy who passed information to Russia. There are essays about lesser-known Beat-related writers like Bob Kaufman and Brion Gysin, inspections of some little magazines of the 1950s and 1960s, and two long reviews which consider the effect that Dadaism had and the role played in the movement by Tristan Tzara. Walt Whitman, Woody Guthrie, and Malcolm Cowley also make an appearance.