Sandra Harris's Blog, page 11

Alien, Mine Blurb Blitz Tour

On Monday, 26th September, I kick off a Blurb Blitz Tour with Goddess Fish promotions. This is a tour of twenty stops over four weeks where the blurb and an excerpt from Alien, Mine will be posted on a tour host’s site. You can find the tour stops and links on my Tour Schedule page.

All commenters will go into the draw to win a smart phone case customised with the book cover of Alien, Mine.

I’d love to see you all somewhere in the blogosphere!

Sandy

Chocolate Plantain Cake & Talking Characters

Well, the characters in my current novel are not only getting their stories straight, but they’re sharing them with me. So progress is happening. Hooray!

To celebrate I’m going to share a grain free recipe for chocolate cake made from plantain flour.

Ingredients:

4oz/120g butter
3 free range eggs
4 tablespoons of milk
3/4 cup castor sugar
3/4 cup plantain flour
1/2 cup mix of cocoa and your favourite drinking chocolate
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, fan-forced
In a separate bowl mix plantain flour, cocoa mix, baking soda and cream of tartar
Soften butter then add sugar and mix well
Add eggs one at a time and mix well
Add half the dry mix of plantain flour etc and mix well
Add half the milk, mix well
Add remainder of flour then remainder of milk and mix well
Pour mixture into a greased, non-stick cake pan (seven or eight inches) and bake for approximately 25 mins.

Hope you enjoy!

Sandy

 

Grain Free Banana Cake

Well, after a bit of experimentation and winging it, I’ve come up with this sweet and tangy banana cake.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Plantain Flour
1/2 teaspoon of bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon citric acid
4 tablespoons milk
125g butter, softened
3/4 cup castor sugar
2 free range eggs
4 organic lady finger bananas

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees, fan forced
Peel bananas and reduce to pulp in a blender
In a separate bowl, mix plantain flour, bicarb soda and citric acid
Cream butter and sugar until light and creamy
Add eggs, one at a time and beat well after each addition
Add banana pulp into mixture and mix well
Fold in half the flour, then half the milk, then remainder of flour and milk, mix well.
Spoon mixture evenly into a seven or eight inch sandwich tin or springform tin
Bake 25 mins

The citric acid in the recipe helps lighten the mix and provides a nice sharp aftertaste to the sweetness of the bananas. I hope you enjoy it.

Sandy

We Have Lift Off!

Today my debut novel Alien, Mine was released on Amazon.

 

Alien, Mine Book Cover

 

 

 

 

Buy link from Amazon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T HE B LUTHEN HAVE ONE CONSUMING P ASSION: T HEMSELVES.

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/a new day.

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 valour 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.

 

I hope you enjoy the ride.

Sandy

Sentient Body Parts

Well, I’ve just completed the second edits for Alien, Mine and I’ve discovered I have at least one major foible. Sentient body parts. Yep, parts of my hero and heroine apparently have minds of their own, act of their own free will. Well they did. Not any more.

For example:

. . . teased (her hands) into grasping for what they wanted.

I’ll let you in on a secret, it wasn’t her hands that wanted the prize.

Her panicked ears tracked…

Can you imagine what panicked ears look like? The imagination boggles!

 

Another weakness? Extraneous information.

She blinked her eyes. Um, what else is she going to blink? Or she nodded her head. Is there another body part she can nod? Admittedly, Alien, Mine is a science fiction novel with aliens, so in theory extra nodding/blinking body parts are a possibility. Not however with the heroine, she’s a human.

I have a tentative release date of June 19 (US time) and hopefully will have confirmation of that within the next week or so.

Sandy

 

 

Moroccan Chicken Recipe

Hi, all,

Well I’ve done a bit more experimenting and come up with another grain free recipe. (Though in truth this one wasn’t too hard, as you will see).

Okay, for Moroccan Chicken you will need

~ 500g free range chicken breast
Zest and juice of one lime
1 Tablespoon of olive oil
1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin Seeds
A pinch each of oregano, coriander and thyme (or your favourite herbs)

Place the zest, juice, spices and herbs in a bowl and mix. Add the chicken breast, cut into preferred sizes. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for at least 15 minutes – the longer you marinate the better.

To cook, hand over to your barbecue specialist and let him/her take charge.

This marinade has a fresh, zesty aftertaste. Your first mouthful might not grab your tastebuds, but by the end of the mean you’ll be repeating, ‘that was really nice’. At least I hope you will.

I found thick garlic mash potato (I use only butter and a dollop of organic cream to mash) and some steamed pumpkin accompanied the chicken very well.

Hope you enjoy it!

Sandy

An Autumn Sunset

I found a fire breathing dragon in the sunset tonight.

 

 

And these clouds must be upmarket because they have a gold lining, not silver.

Sandy

Release Date for Alien, Mine

Hooray! I’ve received the release date from my publisher, Soul Mate Publishing, for my science fiction romance novel, Alien, Mine.

It’s…dah-dah

June 19th.

And this is my beautiful cover.

Alien, Mine Book Cover

 

And here’s the blurb:

T HE B LUTHEN HAVE ONE CONSUMING P ASSION: T HEMSELVES.

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 a new day.

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 valour 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.

 

I’m starting to get a wee bit excited. I have one blog tour in place and am lining up another in the States.

Sandy

 

 

 

 

 

A Late Night Visitor

Last night we heard a bang and a crash that didn’t really coincide with the action movie we were watching. Venturing outside we discovered a late night visitor.

First of all I thought it was an owl, then I realised it was a Tawny Frogmouth. Their diet includes slugs and snails, so he’s very welcome in my garden.

Sandy

An Autumn Sunset

This evening we were lucky enough to have a spectacular sunset to admire.

 

 

 

Sandy