Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Spotlight & Giveaway - Reconquest:Mother Earth by Carl Alves


Reconquest: Mother Earth
by Carl Alves 
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Montag Press
Date of Publication: March 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-940233-02-4
ASIN: B00IKYE5WM
Number of pages: 304
Word Count: 75,000
Cover Artist: Jeremy Rathbone
 
Buy Links:
Amazon       BN 

Book Description:
SEAL Mitch Grace was among the first humans to see the aliens when they landed at the naval base where he was stationed, but like the rest of humanity, he was powerless to stop them.
Five years later, Mitch awakens from his coma under the care of an alien physician to find that aliens control the planet.  Starting alone, as a one man army, he rallies the surviving humans to build a resistance movement to take the planet back from the alien conquerors. After his capture by the aliens, Mitch is forced into intergalactic slavery to become a gladiator, fighting as the sole representative of the human species. Against all odds and far from home, he lays the plans for the reconquest of his homeland.
Reconquest: Mother Earth is the thrilling combination of Red Dawn, Independence Day, and Gladiator.
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Excerpt:

Chapter I

 Charles Amato stared at the enclosed area.  His three years of Navy SEAL training and ops could hardly prepare him for what he was witnessing. 

 Charles closed his eyes and shook his head.  When he opened them, the impossible scene had not changed.  He fought his instincts to run away.  He had to take responsibility and do something.

 Clutching his gun, he did not take it out.  The threat wasn't immediate, and he did not want to appear hostile to the alien life forms fenced inside the motor pool storing military vehicles. 

 The alien nearest him was a large, stocky light-blue skinned creature whose spiky head looked oddly small in comparison to its tall, wide frame, which was over three meters in height.  Its long tongue darted in and out from its sharp teeth. Four short and stocky legs supported the alien’s hairless body.  Its four spindly arms, each with six thin fingers, shot out in all directions.

 The alien looked like it was jumping rope as it bobbed its head and shifted its weight to each of its four feet.  It gazed at Charles, but did not move toward him. 

 The second alien had a tall, angular body with a dark brown face and wide, oval eyes that looked almost human.  Its pupils were the size of a quarter.  Wiry tendrils just below its nose had the appearance of a long mustache except that the tendrils shifted and moved like appendages.  Short, matted hair covered its head.  Its mouth was located just above its neck.  Two sets of short, mosquito-like wings from its back flapped continuously, creating a buzzing sound. 

 The second alien stood on an open-air vehicle that resembled a train, except that it hovered in the air and was not supported by tracks.  A trail of smoke emanated from the rear of the vehicle.  The alien’s upper torso stuck out, and it drove in a circle, not paying any attention to Amato. 

 Charles slowly stepped backward, hardly believing what he was seeing.  Perhaps this was a hologram created by a computer wiz on a SEAL team, but these creatures occupied physical space and had mass. 

 Mentally retracing his tracks, he had returned from the base’s infirmary after receiving treatment on his sprained ankle.  He had injured it on a jump during HALO training when he had been trying a maneuver while falling through the air. 

 After getting his ankle evaluated and rewrapped, his mind had been locked in on rest and relaxation during the upcoming weekend until he had encountered this situation.  First, he had heard a buzzing sound.  Then, he had spotted the vehicle moving, before getting a full view of the two aliens. 

 Other than the sprained ankle, Charles felt fine.  He was not sick, hallucinating or delirious.

 He considered his options.  If they were hostile, he did not want to attract their attention.  Although he was armed, he had no idea of their capabilities and did not want to find out. 

 He looked around, but could not see anyone nearby.  He felt alone and isolated, wishing there was an officer to advise him.

 The two aliens continued to ignore him.  How the hell did they get here?  Not just to the planet Earth, but within the Navy SEAL base on Coronado Island.  They did not have a ship adequate for transport from a location thousands or millions of miles away.  What did they want?  They were not wearing any suits, which meant they were capable of breathing the Earth’s air.  They probably came from an environment similar to this one.  What did it all mean?  Were these two a precursor of what was to come or had they arrived here accidentally?

 The light blue alien chirped something incomprehensible.  The second more human-looking alien did not reply.  It tilted its head back and forth in a swaying motion.  He wanted to call out and announce his presence, but the words stuck in his throat. 

 Charles had to do something.  He was not a helpless civilian.  He was a member of the most elite naval special warfare unit on the planet.  It was time for him to get past his fear and act. 

 The second alien drove its hover-train towards the edge of the fence.  The alien shook violently and screeched as its tendrils grabbed the fence. 

 The light blue alien began to jump up and down on its four legs and shrieked in unison with the other alien. 

 “What the hell?”  Charles shook his head.  He had to get help.

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About the Author:
Carl went to Boston University majoring in Biomedical Engineering.  Carl graduated with a BS degree, and has since worked in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries.  He later graduated from Lehigh University with an MBA degree.  His debut novel Two For Eternity was released in 2011 by Weaving Dreams Publishing.  His novel Blood Street was released in 2012 by True Grit Publishing.  His novel Reconquest: Mother Earth is scheduled to be released in 2014 by Montag Press.  His short fiction has appeared in various publications such as Blood Reign Lit, Alien Skin, and Dark Eclipse.  He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and has attended the Penn Writers Conference.  
You can visit his website at www.carlalves.com
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Giveaway:

5 copies of  Reconquest: Mother Earth by Carl Alves- winner’s choice print or ebook  (print open to US and Canadian Shipping Only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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