Friday, September 6, 2013

Book Tour for Alien, Mine by Sandra Harris (Review & GIVEAWAY)


As a fan of sci-fi I was excited to read Alien, Mine by Sandra Harris and bring it to you today.  Keep reading to get a taste of this story through my review and make sure to leave a comment telling us your favorite sci-fi book, movie, or TV show for your chance to win a unique prize.......

THE BLUTHEN HAVE ONE CONSUMING PASSION: THEMSELVES.
IN THEIR EXPANSION ACROSS THE GALAXY, THEY WILL GO TO ANY LENGTHS TO DOMINATE SPECIES THEY ENCOUNTER.
Torn from modern day Earth and stranded on the far side of the Galaxy, Sandrea Fairbairn must use every particle of courage she possesses to adjust to her new life and live for tomorrow.
Eugen Mhartak, a general in the Tri-Race Alliance Army, refuses to bow to the merciless Bluthen. Haunted by the loss of far too many innocent lives he has vowed to drive the ruthless invaders from Alliance space.
The strength and valor of Eugen Mhartak attracts Sandrea as no man ever has, but she struggles to read the enigmatic general’s heart. Determined to help him triumph over the Bluthen she uncovers a diabolical plot against the Alliance.
Drawn by the courage and exotic beauty of Sandrea, Mhartak battles to overcome the barriers of cross-cultural differences that separate them and claim her ardent interest. He must conquer his deepest fears to be the man she needs. When his principles are betrayed by his own government and he is faced with the impossible prospect of taking Sandrea’s life in order to save his home planet, Mhartak desperately searches for a way to keep safe both his world and the magnificent woman who has stolen his heart.

EXCERPT:

“I’m sure Miss Sandrea is safe, Sir.” Sergeant Kulluk’s voice interrupted Mhartak’s sombre contemplation of his moon-speckled boots.
He shifted his back against the rock he leaned against and stretched his legs before him. Trying to get comfortable while wearing body armour was still an art he had yet to master, even after all these years. The subdued murmurs of Corporal Shrenkner and Privates Ragnon and Dovzshak drifted from the dark behind him. Their quiet discussion on the aptitude of the Magran villagers and their resolve to defend their settlement with the weapons reaped from the fallen Bluthen heartened him.
Pride in his team warmed him as no fire could. They’d routed the Bluthen despite being outnumbered five to one. Cold and weary, with nothing but combat rations to satisfy hunger, they nevertheless followed covert procedure without murmur. He hadn’t even had to issue an order to prohibit fires. They were no keener to advertise their position than he.
“Your brother is a good man,” Kulluk continued. “He’ll ensure nothing harmful befalls our little human.”
A bristling sense of possessive anger flared through Mhartak’s gut. The only ‘our’ Sandrea belonged to was him and her, even if he was yet to convince her of that.
“He’ll protect her,” Kulluk offered.
Yes, T’Hargen’s protective instincts ran deep—too deep for his own good.
“And she’ll feel safe. He always was a charming . . . person.”
That, Sergeant, is what concerns me.

BUY AT AMAZON here.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

As a fan of the sci-fi genre I was immediately drawn to this story and its premise.  Alien, Mine nicely combines fast-paced action with a hot romance and vivid worldbuilding in a story of a fish out of water who's forced into making a new life for herself after she's stolen from her old one.  Luckily she has the support of a domineering man who's immediately attracted to her and a group of aliens enamored of her uniqueness and emotional fortitude in standing beside them in battle.

Sandrea wakes up with virtually no memory of her past but knows she must save the aliens being tortured alongside her.  This immediately earns their respect and her a new home as her past slowly returns and she discovers that the world she once knew is gone.  Her emotional strength helps her accept her fate quickly and she soon takes up arms in support of the people she now considers friends.  With no military past she easily acquaints herself with warfare and dives head-on into the bloodshed as she realizes she's a pawn in an enemy race's battle for supremacy.  With her life in jeopardy it's the serious and commanding Mhartak keeping her safe as he takes her under his wing and claims her as his own.  She's immediately drawn to his caring and compassionate nature and struggles to make him understand that two very different people can come together as one and create something meaningful and long-lasting.

Mhartak is used to giving commands that are immediately heeded.  The outspoken and strong-willed Sandrea therefore confuses him as he's the one doing her bidding.  He's never felt such a strong attraction as he does for her ever before as they embark on a battle of the species in the realm of romance.  He's an unexpected kind of hero in that his looks are somewhat reptilian which fits in nicely with the sci-fi theme.  Most authors have their alien species look somewhat similar to humans but I applaud Ms. Harris being true to the genre.  Mhartak is charming, sweet, and constantly worried that his strength will hurt her.  He also worries that she's clinging to him out of fear of the unknown which means it's up to her to start their romantic relationship as she takes the lead in their encounters.  Their journey to a HEA goes through a few emotional upheavals as she discovers other humans and he fears he can't compare but ultimately ends in an uplifting and immensely satisfying way.

The story starts off a bit slow with a few action sequences coming out of nowhere to bring out the GI Jane in Sandrea.  The remainder of the story is intriguing but I never felt completely immersed in the story as it seemed to go on too long.  The worldbuilding is vividly depicted though with the different alien species adding an exotic element to the story.  The secondary characters have distinct and colorful personalities and it's easy to see why Sandrea could immediately befriend them.  The romance is hot with sexual tension that builds from the very moment the hero and heroine meet amidst action sequences that are exciting with heart-pounding life and death situations.  Fans of sci-fi will find this a worthy addition to the genre and I look forward to Ms. Harris' future works.

My rating for this is a B.

*I received this book from the author for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

AUTHOR INFO:

Born in the far north of Australia, yearly cyclones, floods and being cut off from civilization for weeks at a time were the norm. An outrageous imagination helped occupy Sandra’s mind.
An abiding interest in astronomy and a deep-seated need to always see the good guys win naturally influences her writing. Not satisfied with the amount of romance in science fiction novels she set out to redress the balance.
She currently lives in sunny South East Queensland, Australia, with her husband and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, who doesn’t seem to realize she comes from royalty and should act in a more appropriate manner.

Website: www.sandraharrisauthor.com
FB: https://www.facebook.com/Sandra1Harris

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Sandra will be awarding one Alien, Mine customized iPhone case to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. This will be available for Apple iPhone 5, 4/4S, 3G/3GS, Samsung Galaxy S4, SIII/S3, SII/S2 or BlackBerry Bold 9900/9930 (winner to choose phone case size) and is US ONLY.

-To be entered, LEAVE A COMMENT TELLING US YOUR FAVORITE SCI-FI BOOK, MOVIE, OR TV SHOW, along with your email addy (no email=no entry).
-Winner will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.
-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 9/20.

2 comments: