But his past life is a recurring nightmare—filth, desperation, and blackouts. And more trouble is only a hundred miles away. Darren and Alastair leave Liverpool, heading south in a rickety old car. They have been sent by their gang boss to wreak violent revenge, but they have only a rough idea of their quarry: a one-armed man.Interspersed between the scabrous banter and a pitch-perfect street dialect, Niall Griffiths offers stunning descriptions of the Welsh landscape and a dark, knowing humor. Despite the ever present drugs, violence, and anger, he reveals a fragile humanity. Graywolf is proud to introduce this striking, distinctive voice to American readers.

    Arrogant, cold, but a brilliant soldier, FitzStephen commands a castle yet although his mother was a princess his father was a lowly steward. When a Welsh rebellion brings defeat and a crippling siege, his highborn comrades scorn him, betraying him to the enemy. A hostage of his cousin, Prince Rhys, FitzStephen is disgraced, seemingly doomed to a life of obscurity and shame.Then King Diarmait arrives ...Diarmait is the ambitious overlord of an Irish kingdom. Forced to flee by the High King of Ireland, he seeks to reclaim his lands by any means possible and that includes inviting the Normans in. With nothing left to lose and perhaps a great deal to gain FitzStephen agrees to lead the Irishman s armies, and to drive Diarmait s enemies from his kingdom. His price? Acceptance, perhaps ... or perhaps a kingdom of his own?

    Based in the mid-19th century, it tells the story of the young Standish family, who move from the coalfields of Lancashire to the slate quarries of North Wales. The eldest Standish boy is something of a changeling; he desires a different life and ruthlessly goes in pursuit of his dream of the grandeur and riches of the landowners' class. Mead's exceptional talent as a raconteur lets us share the family's emotional rollercoaster ride, as they lose the eldest son, as he grasps the riches that are so important to him, regardless of the hurt and misery he causes his family and anyone who dares step in his way. Joe, his father, is a gentle giant of a man and through his eyes we see the beauty and majesty of the Welsh countryside, thus giving this book a greater substance. My only criticism of The Widow Makers was that it ended too soon; I felt bereft! A sequel please. Review Welsh Books Council. A historical family saga, a family feud that survives generations and hides the truth of murder, fraud, conspiracy and eventual betrayal.

    One night British Sea Harriers reduced his Beirut headquarters to rubble and his evil empire to ruins. But Abdul Habib still had money, and hate, enough hate to spare to construct an elaborate plan which would destroy Gibraltar and the British Aircraft carrier which had committed the fatal strike. All he needed was luck to thread a nuclear warhead through the complicated network of the Middle East terrorist rings, get it on a Libyan freighter and head west across the Med-And enough luck to avoid the one man whose hate is even greater than his, Captain Peter Brodrick of the Royal Marines. A man Habib foolishly left alive, though he killed all his friends. A man whose fate is inextricably entwined with his.

    Angelic, devilish, immoral, charming, self-destructive, given to alcoholic binges, he was not what the sober world of American academe had expected. Students loved him—although after his first few encounters with them, the girls had to be protected. And he made quick friends with countless American writers, journalists, and barflies, instantly creating a pop-culture mythology of the doomed artist for the late 20th century. The man who was Thomas’ patron and guide was the young poet John Malcolm Brinnin, who watched horrified—though utterly beguiled by the poet’s charm and genius—at Thomas’ slow descent into hell. This is his harrowing account of the poet’s tragic last years.

    Together, they work to restore Britain to its glory, battling against political opposition on all sides as the country sinks deeper into despair and oppression. In this series, you will revisit some of your favorite "fairy tale" stories from the past with a new and "grown up" perspective. As these champions of the Old Ways struggle to bring magic back to Britain, you will find yourself immersed in their sacred, and sometimes dangerous, world. Daughters of Avalon is a story about the inter-connectedness that touches us all and how the fine strands of circumstance bind us together in an intricate and interwoven dance of life. Bran, The Merlin of Britain Reborn, and the love of his life, Lillian, who is The Lady of the Lake, work to assure the safety of Avalon and the people who practice the Old Ways on the mainland. Working aggressively to end the rampant persecution that took hold after the death of Arthur, they find a unique and unusual way to propagate the return of magic throughout the land. This is book one of the series Seven Sisters of Avalon that follows the secret ambassadors of Avalon out into the world to preserve the sanctity of magic and find their own adventures in the construct of some of our familiar childhood tales. Enjoy these familiar stories told as you have never heard them before, set against the backdrop of ancient Britain.

    This is what I had been told back then, and what I had tried very hard to believe in since." Beside a lake in the northern Ontario wilderness, fifteen-year-old Zachary Tayler lives a lonely life with his father, his only neighbours a leech trapper, an eccentric millionaire and an expert in snow. All Zack has for company is the harsh and moody landscape, which holds both beauty and terror in its depths and whispers with the promise of dark, secret spaces and undiscovered worlds. Summer and life change with the arrival of the mysterious Eva Spiller, who is determined to find the spot where her parents disappeared in a floatplane after flying off from the lake. While trying to navigate between summer and winter, the living and the dead, the past and the present, Zack and Eva grow closer. The people of Sitting Down Lake will have to rely on each other to come to terms with the past and realize that death is never final: something always remains. In his fifth novel, award-winning author Tristan Hughes has created a vivid and poetic coming-of-age story about loss, absence and redemption.

    But his fantasies about his executive assistant are nowhere near as hot as the reality of having her in his home...and in his bed. When the snow melts, will he be able to say goodbye?

    But then a chance discovery draws her back into the story of Plas Eden, the huge, ramshackle country house where, at eighteen, she said goodbye to her childhood sweetheart, David Meredith. 1898 The last time Ann was in London she was a spoilt, aristocratic bride. Now she stands destitute on London bridge, with the Meredith charity hospital her only lifeline. But who can she trust, and will she ever escape her past? Two women struggle with love, family duty, long-buried secrets and their own creative ambitions. But more than a hundred years ago Ann left a trail through London, Cornwall and Wales that leads Carys on a tantalising and increasingly shocking search for the truth.What is Plas Eden’s connection with her own family history and what are the secrets of the statues in the garden?‘It’s a great romantic read and also a very atmospheric, ingenious mystery.’ Margaret James, Writing Magazine‘This powerful and moving story… held me gripped.’ Trisha Ashley'Beautiful writing and a charming, intriguing story.'Sue Moorcroft‘Juliet’s characters are so believable and richly drawn the reader really cares what happens to them…’Anne Bennett

    Aisling, despite her best efforts has failed to become the seer her mother desired, so when her mother dies leaving her alone, she departs Ireland for Wales to be with her brother, Cormac, at the royal court at Gwynedd. There she finds he is joining Prince Madog's voyage to the western lands in order to escape the threatening war. After Madog refuses to let her come with them she stows away, desperate to remain with her brother. A terrible storm arises and she is tossed overboard by a resentful Welshman and washes up on the shores of the Gulf Coast. Caxna, a Tlingit trader and former shaman, finds her and reluctantly agrees to let her join him on a trading journey to the Mayan city of Xicallanca, and later Etowah (in modern day Georgia) in the hopes she might find Madog and her brother. Caxna must succeed in this trading journey in order to free his clan but with Aisling along everything changes ....Gleeson leaves us with a memorable and poignant love story and a vision of a wonderful culture, unique in my experience of literature. Karen Charlton, author of 'The Heiress of Linn Hagh' and 'Catching the Eagle' The underlying sexual tension is all the more powerful for the beautifully restrained writing, which makes the slightest touch electric; a medicinal massage becomes a moment of physical communion.... This is what Kristin Gleeson does best; portraying different cultures and showing how humanity can cross them. Jean Gill, author of 'Song at Dawn' and 'Bladesong'

    The lady with the big bag. She’s knocking on the front door. She’s knocking and knocking. I’m not opening the door. I’m not letting her in. I’m behind the black chair. I’m waiting for her to go away.Tomos lives with his mother. He longs to return to another place, the place he thinks of as home, and the people who lived there, but he’s not allowed to see them again. He is five years old and at school, which he loves. Miss teaches him about all sorts of things, and she listens to him. Sometimes he’s hungry and Miss gives him her extra sandwiches. She gives him a warm coat from Lost Property, too. There are things Tomos cannot talk about – except to Cwtchy – and then, just before Easter, the things come to a head. There are bad men outside who want to come in, and Mammy has said not to answer the door. From behind the big chair, Tomos waits, trying to make himself small and quiet. He doesn’t think it’s Santa Claus this time. When the men break in, Tomos’s world is turned on its head and nothing will be the same again.

    Jones, Mike Blackburne's most perilous mission to date was infiltrating the suburbs to recuperate, and discovering his defenses are futile against a single mom. In Hero Under Cover, Annie Morrow, an art authenticator, needs bodyguard Pete Peterson's protection. But what will happen when she learns his secrets?

    But as the killer scrambles to cover up the truth, the body count rises.Working with a new young team, Warlow peels away the layers to reveal the dark and rotten heart that beats beneath the chocolate box tranquillity of an area renowned for its quiet beauty.But does he still have what it takes to root out the monstrous truth before all hell lets loose?The Engine House is the gripping debut crime thriller set in the heart of wild Wales from author Rhys Dylan. Perfect for fans of LJ Ross, JD Kirk. JM Dalgliesh and Simon McCleave. Celtic noir with a spatter of dark humour.

    On the eve of a promotional trip to America, he vanished from his London hotel room, his car later discovered near the Severn Bridge, a notorious suicide spot.Over two decades later, Richey’s disappearance remains one of the most moving, mysterious and unresolved episodes in recent pop culture history. For those with a basic grasp of the facts, Richey's suicide seems obvious and undeniable. However, a closer investigation of his actions in the weeks and months before his disappearance just don’t add up, and until now few have dared to ask the important questions.Withdrawn Traces is the first book written with the co-operation of the Edwards family, testimony from Richey’s closest friends and unprecedented and exclusive access to Richey’s personal archive. In a compelling real-time narrative, the authors examine fresh evidence, uncover overlooked details, profile Richey's state of mind, and brings us closer than ever before to the truth.

    Embittered, the loner lawman heads home to Shadow Creek, Texas, a town full of unsettling memories for him. But Knox is floored when he discovers that the woman he loved and lost has a son that looks just like him.  Allison Rafferty thought she was doing the right thing by not telling Knox about young Cody all those years ago. Now the man she still loves insists on getting to know his son. And as a threat looms over Shadow Creek, they'll both discover just how far a Colton will go to protect what's theirs.