Showing results by author "S. M.M" in All Categories

With the heady days of COVID-19 well and truly in our rear view mirror, that modern-day plague just an awful memory, we at HellBound Books decided it was high-time to revisit the horror enthusiast’s’ unfaltering love affair with tales of pandemic terror. We have here, for your delight, two-dozen horrific short stories of sickness, plagues, sinister microbial outbreaks, killer viruses, demonic infections, the devilpox, cannibals, and, of course, the ultimate in pandemic terror: zombies!

Defenses are mental operations that restore or maintain psychic equilibrium when people feel that they cannot manage emotions that stem from conflict; they remove components of unpleasant emotions from conscious awareness. In this audiobook, Blackman catalogs 101 defenses - the most ever compiled - with descriptions practical for use in everyday assessment and treatment of psychopathology.

Lady Io Hale has no time for men. And certainly no time for her older brother's stuffy, grumpy, and oh-so-proper best friend, Corbin Masterson, who believes he is so morally superior to everyone else, especially her. Io might have been wrenched from her home in New York, dragged to London, and forced to attend ton parties and balls, but she is drawing the line at tolerating Masterson's snooty, judgmental, and accusatory looks for one second longer.

Words can seduce. Whispers can destroy. And sometimes, the wrong thing said at the wrong time is exactly what sets desire on fire. Mouthy Encounters gathers ten high-heat short stories where professionalism collides with passion, and language becomes the most dangerous weapon of all. In these offices after dark, it’s not silence that keeps reputations safe—it’s the moans, gasps, and whispered provocations that threaten to ruin them. She mouths off to the boss and pays the price. He dares her to say it louder, and she does.

After the collapse of the galactic Web, civilizations crumbled and chaos reigned on thousands of planets. Only on planet Bellevue was there a difference. There, a Fleet Battle Computer named Center had survived from the old civilization. When it found Raj Whitehall, the man who could execute its plan for reviving human civilization, he and Center started Bellevue back on the road leading to the stars; and when Bellevue reached that goal, Center sent copies of itself and Raj to the thousands of worlds still waiting for the light of civilization to dawn.  

DEATH IS NOT THE END OF LOVE A queer, gothic horror romance set in a necromancy-tinged London, sure to entrance fans of The Death of Jane Lawrence and Mexican Gothic. London, December 1849­ Irene Shallcross Haley has dedicated her life to necromancy, a forbidden, reviled art that is passed...

When Alec mistakes a young woman’s workplace for a “happy ending” massage parlor, things get more complicated than he prefers. Especially when their lives become entwined in ways never imagined. Meet Lumen Browne and multi-billionaire CEO Alec McCrae. They are an unlikely couple, and as they struggle to fit into each other’s lives, Alec and Lumen must decide if they’ll fight for love...or walk away.

Captain Andy Sykes just wants to keep his family in one piece. Once a combat pilot for the TSF, he gave it all up for love and a family. But two years ago, his wife disappeared, leaving him with two mouths to feed: eight-year-old Tim and 10-year-old Cara. Since then, he's managed to scrape a living hauling cargo between the Jovian Combine and InnerSol. When a cargo run to Cruithne Station meets with more than one catastrophe, Andy finds himself accepting an offer a less desperate man would refuse: delivering an illegal AI named Lyssa.

Planted by interstellar probes on hundreds of human-occupied worlds, the downloaded personalities of Raj Whitehall and the ancient battle computer known as Center work together for planetary unity. Their goal is to prepare those worlds for membership in the Second Federation of Man. But on one planet they do the opposite: on Visager they work to prevent unity.

Having escaped the clutches of the Lord Protector, Sir Nigel Loring, his son Alan and Little John Hordle have joined with the Mackenzie's and the Bearkillers. Lady Juniper recounts the capture of one of the Lord Protector's most precious treasurers, the Princess Mathilda Arminger. While Sir...

"AI and Healthcare: A Comprehensive Guide" is a groundbreaking exploration of the revolutionary intersection between artificial intelligence and modern medicine. This authoritative volume offers a balanced, thorough, and accessible overview of how AI is transforming every aspect of healthcare, from diagnosis and treatment to drug discovery and patient care.

Psychological first aid, or PFA, is designed to mitigate the effects of acute stress and trauma and assist those in crisis to cope effectively. PFA can be applied in emergencies, including disasters, terrorist attacks, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second edition of this essential guide, George S. Everly, Jr., and Jeffrey M. Lating draw on their experiences in Kuwait after the Gulf War, in New York City after the September 11 attacks, and during the COVID-19 pandemic to describe the principles and practices of PFA in an easy-to-follow, prescriptive, and practical manner.

A separatist revolution brewing for decades has finally begun, but the people pulling the strings have far more insidious plans ahead. In the vast wilderness of space, Nathan Carter and the crew of the Phoenix Titan explore remnant temples left behind by the Enkaye Dynasty. Life is pretty good, but that quickly changes when an old acquaintance makes contact. Once again, the crew of the Phoenix Titan find themselves in the eye of the storm. A new adversary has risen, but nothing is ever as it seems.

Open the Writers of the Future and be carried away by stories—and illustrations—that will make you think, make you laugh, and make you see the world in ways you never imagined. Twelve captivating tales from the best new writers of the year as selected by Writers of the Future Contest judges accompanied by three more from L. Ron Hubbard, Nancy Kress, S.M. Stirling.

When 21-year-old Hanna Breckenridge moves across the country to take a job as her sister's business manager, she has no idea the culture shock she's in for. When billionaire Cross Phillips approaches her, she's flattered, only to find out that he'd been interested for reasons far different than anything Hanna would've imagined. When things take a dangerous turn, she's forced to decide just how much she can trust this gorgeous man.

January Dixon. She's the girl I've lusted after for years. A smart mouth and sharp tongue surrounded by soft beauty and a body I'd give up an organ just to touch. It's a tricky situation since she lives right down the street and dating a neighbor generally isn't a good idea. But this is Violent Circle, where normal may as well be a dirty word. Thanks to an impromptu fashion show where I tossed all self-respect aside and strutted my stuff in full bondage gear in front of our small town, she now owes me a date. And I plan to collect. 

Wealth commands. Power corrupts. Desire destroys. In these ten short stories, passion is not tender—it is ruthless, hungry, and written in velvet and steel. Velvet Chains brings together a collection of dark billionaire romances where the rules are simple: control is never freely given, and surrender is never without cost. Behind closed doors and inside gilded walls, women step into worlds where every glance is a challenge, every touch a claim.

This podcast is for people interested in the teachings and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. It is especially helpful if you have only heard negative things about it, or if you are in an OCIA class.

Mica Powers is thirteen, awaiting his Spinical abilities to manifest. He struggles with the memory of the day his mother was taken from him by the leader of the Dreads, Deedra. Alongside his best friends—the quick-witted twins Kevin and Kelly—he attends the Domain Arizona School of Spinical Studies, where students learn to unlock their Imperia. When a mysterious orphan named Estee Bradford arrives, she struggles to find her place, and Mica forms a bond with her.

In these ten high-heat tales, corporate corridors turn into corridors of temptation, and neat cubicles become stages for desire that refuses to stay buttoned-up. Each story drips with tension—the brush of a tie against bare skin, the whisper of a reprimand that becomes a dare, the scrape of a chair echoing like a promise. The air is thick with the scent of paper, toner, and want; every sound amplifies until even a pen’s click feels like foreplay.