Showing results by author "Hannah Ross" 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!

In a post-war world, where reproduction is strictly controlled and transgressions severely punished, they are society's rejects. Unwanted and unloved, they are raised in an orphanage until age twelve, then taken beyond the Boundary and left to fend for themselves, to live or perish. Benjamin is different, though he doesn't know it. His mother, Rebecca, was forced to give him up, but never lost sight of him. She keeps searching for her son, even while Ben and his friends strive to carve out a life for themselves in the desolate wilderness. In the meantime, Rebecca stumbles across unspeakable...

A dystopian science fiction novel that unravels a great secret of the most mysterious continent in the world. Scott "Buck" Buckley, an environmental scientist, accepts a job at the McMurdo Antarctic research station. After signing a secrecy declaration, Scott discovers the existence of Geyser Valley, an area with a unique warm microclimate, which is home to the mysterious indigenous Anai people. In an outrageous conspiracy, the world governments are keeping the existence of these people a secret, to avoid limitations on the division of land for natural resources. Scott is fascinated by the ...

Ethiopia, circa 960 A.D. Judith, the queen of a small Hebrew mountain kingdom, sets out on a mission to destroy the Aksumite Empire. For centuries, descendants of Israelite tribes have peacefully existed in their isolated holdfasts in the Ethiopian Highlands. But when a poisonous arrow kills her beloved father, King Gideon, the young Queen Judith declares war. There are only two possible outcomes for her people: victory or destruction. To strengthen her position, Judith promises to marry Sahama, an ambitious exiled prince. Can she trust this handsome but dangerous stranger? Or should she ...

In the frozen desert of Antarctica, there lies a unique oasis of warmth and life - the Geyser Valley, home to the mysterious Anai people. When the Anai came to the distant shores of Ross Island thousands of years ago, they had to wage war against a colony of giant pterosaurs. Now, millennia later, the beasts are coming back to life - to the delight of scientists from McMurdo research station, who utterly disregard the threat to the Anai settlement. Researcher Scott Buckley, now married to the Anai chieftainness Ki Tahan, serves as the link between the Anai people and the administration at ...

A history and celebration of women's cycling—beginning with its origins as a political statement, beloved pastime, and early feminist act—that shares the stories of notable cyclists and groups around the world More than a century after they first entered the mainstream, bicycles and the...

When Allie Morton rents an isolated lake cabin near the picturesque village of Gosbury, she only wants a quiet place to sort herself out after an abusive marriage. The last thing she expects is an encounter with a ghost that takes her back to the Regency era. At first Allie doubts her own sanity, but when she delves into the tragic fate of Elizabeth Williamson, the mysterious woman from two centuries ago, she doesn't just uncover a dark secret of the past - she opens a new venue to her future.

Violence is a genetic trait necessary for human survival. Or is it? A New Zealand scientist makes a brilliant discovery: the Anai, a unique tribe living in a warm microclimate pocket in Antarctica, lack the genes for hostility and aggression prevalent in all other human populations. These genes have been bred out of the Anai during the lengthy period of isolated existence in extreme climatic conditions. Quite simply, those who were incapable of peaceful cooperation with other members of the tribe have died out in the course of time. This discovery leads to a revolutionary idea: could the ...

Septimus Swift is no ordinary boy. Born with the Sight—a gift that feels more like a curse—he sees what others cannot. But when his best friend’s sister falls gravely ill, that strange ability may be the only hope of saving her life. To do so, Septimus must follow in his father's footsteps and step across the boundary between the ordinary world and the magical one. The Gates to the Other World are open again—and what waits beyond them is far from safe. Meanwhile, in the kingdom of Tilir, the winds of war are rising. Barbarians press at the borders, foreign powers threaten the throne...

Nicholas Swift is a determined bachelor and a skeptical historian. When he hears about a strange phenomenon in a small village, he goes to investigate it against his better judgment. Sooner than he knows, he is thrust through a magical portal, transported to the mysterious land of Tilir, and left to discover and fulfill a unique mission. Jadine is a witch torn between her thirst for power and her duty to her husband and young children. For years, she has set her abilities aside, but now that Tilir is in danger, she decides it's time for action. Leaving her home and family behind, Jadine ...

Times are changing inside and outside the Boundary. Many people are becoming restless in their confined cities and moving out to resettle the wilderness. The once-abandoned children, now young adults, find that having more neighbors brings both blessings and problems. Meanwhile, President Dahl has renewed his quest for the elusive life-extending formula as he faces reelection. Confident of victory, he is unaware that his younger daughter, Priscilla, is determined to sabotage his campaign and end his evil reign. When she runs away and slips across the Boundary, she discovers people and a way...

Maxine Everett’s fight is far from over. Haunted by her parents’ imprisonment and the growing instability of the world around her, Maxine is determined to act. With the help of the enigmatic sorceress Ceridwen and the brilliant but secretive Reid, she seeks a way to seal the Holes of Nothing—mysterious rifts that threaten to consume all life. But even as Maxine’s powers expand and her bond with Reid grows, the forces of Terrenia tighten their grip. The regime’s arrogance blinds its rulers to the catastrophe ahead, and enemies both human and elemental are ready to strike. As the ...

The Gates are open one final time… and the fate of two worlds hangs in the balance. In a war-torn near future, Claire Swift and her mother take refuge in a remote Alpine valley, waiting for peace—and for the men of their family—to return. But their quiet exile ends when strangers from another world arrive, carrying with them echoes of an ancient family legend and a new call to adventure. Swept into the magical realm of Tilir, Claire discovers a land on the brink of destruction. A powerful, mysterious race of Altered Men has risen to claim dominion over Tilir—and now set their sights...

Loriel is an inquisitive 12-year-old fairy living in the enchanted forest kingdom of Silverbell Wood. The peace and tranquility of Silverbell are disrupted by Gadrak, a troubled dragon who comes to live in the middle of the fairy domain. The dragon’s incessant raids on the bordering human kingdom of Elderland cause the wrath of its people, who are determined to invade Silverbell – a prospect that might end in disaster, with the protective enchantments broken and the delicate balance of the fairy forest disrupted.The fairy king is certain that the enchantments of Silverbell will keep any...

The Anai have lived in their valley since time immemorial, depending on a unique microclimate that enabled them to grow crops and sustain a settlement in the midst of Antarctica. Now, in a post-war world, the treasures of the frozen continent are coveted by many countries, including the Eastern States of America, a new political entity. American geologists declare that the entire region is unstable due to the magma reservoir responsible for the valley's hot springs. Allegedly to prevent a volcanic eruption, they assert the necessity of drilling into the main hot pool, which would bring down...

For many decades, the White Tower barricaded the population inside the Boundary, creating an oasis of civilization and stability in a war-ravaged world. Now ambition finally trumps caution as the Tower starts reclaiming abandoned lands and de facto enslaving the Freeborn, the non-status people it formerly cast out. Priscilla, the rebellious daughter of former president Alexander Dahl, doesn't have to fear these new laws. Her birth and connections will protect her, her husband Benjamin, and their baby son. However, spurred on by their sense of justice, Priscilla and Ben side with the ...

“I can never go back to Terrenia,” Maxine said in a low voice. “If someone finds out…” “… that you have unusual abilities?” “That I’m a freak – yes, a freak – I will be facing worse than deportation.” Maxine Everett's hidden powers place her in danger under the dictatorial government of Terrenia. The ruling regime worships the Earth element and labels people with an affinity to other elements as unstable and treacherous. When Maxine receives an order of relocation to Demergia, a continent of dreary wilderness on the edge of the world, her prospects seem bleak. She ...

Harriet Smith rejects Robert Martin's proposal because her grand friend, Emma Woodhouse, convinces her that a mere humble farmer is not good enough for her. Disappointed and mortified, Robert resolves to forget about Harriet forever. Little does he know that destiny will soon bring them together again. With thieves, smugglers, and clandestine gambling sending ripples across the smooth surface of English country life, there is never a dull day in Highbury. Secret, illicit family connections complete the picture of an outwardly respectable existence where nothing is as it seems. In this sweet...

Five years ago, Rowan underwent genetic modification and joined the Berserkers, a vicious new race threatening humankind. She left behind a devastated family in the peaceful Anai Valley of Antarctica and thought she would never see home again. But things are changing. Bran, the charismatic and ruthless leader of the Berserkers, has his sights set on the Anai Valley as he races toward more ambitious goals than anyone could imagine. Will Rowan stay true to Bran, her commander and lover? Or will she remember old loyalties and turn her destiny around? As the epic Frozen World saga races toward ...

A society of ruthless genetically modified people seeking to recreate a Viking-like culture. A formidable leader looking for the perfect bride to found a new, supreme race. And a girl who has the misfortune to catch his eye thanks to her unique genetic combination. A failed attempt to eradicate the gene of gratuitous violence has backfired, resulting in the novel warlike culture of the Berserkers, modern pirates and Vikings vying for influence, new colonies, and, eventually, world domination. Branstock, the mysterious Berserker leader, sets his eyes on Rowan, a 17-year-old Anai girl whose ...