Mia Hopkins | Meet Sam "The Slammer" Lamont

Hi, everyone! Thank you for having me as a guest today.

Cocky, brave, and indestructible—meet Sam “The Slammer” Lamont.

Sam is the male protagonist of my new red-hot contemporary romance, DEEP DOWN. A commercial fisherman, Sam lives in California where he is the captain of his own boat, the Bravado. Sam’s specialty is Santa Barbara red sea urchin, or uni, a delicacy in sushi bars around the world. To catch the spiky invertebrates, divers must harvest each one by hand using special metal rakes.

Sam is a classic Han Solo character, so being independent is very important to him. When bad luck and desperation drive him to make a bad business deal with a loan shark, Sam has to find a way to pay back the money and protect his way of life. When the loan shark proves to be far more dangerous than anyone suspected, Sam finds himself relying more and more on Eve Ono, his mysterious and beautiful new deckhand. Sam is twenty-six. He looks a lot like the actor Henry Cavill in full scruff mode—dark hair, heavy beard. (Think of the fishing boat scene in Man of Steel.)

As an author, I find inspiration everywhere. Here are three things that inspired the creation of Sam.

Heterochromia. Sam has a genetic condition called complete heterochromia, or eyes of different colors. When I first learned about this condition, I looked up famous people who have it or something similar: David Bowie, Kate Bosworth and Jane Seymour. Sam’s version is really dramatic—his right eye is light blue and his left eye is brown, like real-life Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer. I believe that a little bit of asymmetry in an attractive face makes it even more compelling. For Sam, who lives half of his life on solid ground and half on the water, his eyes represent his unique way of seeing the world.

Sea urchin divers. A few years ago, I came across a short article in Los Angeles Magazine about a sea urchin diver named Jack Buttler. From the article, I learned that uni are harvested wild and the fishermen who gather them are skilled divers. I read up on the topic, including a funny and informative memoir called BLUEWATER GOLD RUSH by retired urchin diver Tom Kendrick. I began to think that one of these tough, scrappy dudes would make a good hero in a romance novel. And that’s how Sam Lamont was born!

Aphrodisiacs. How does sea urchin taste? Here’s an excerpt from DEEP DOWN:

[Eve] had once read someone describe eating a raw oyster like French-kissing a mermaid. But eating fresh sea urchin was like doing something far more obscene to a mermaid.

For me, sea urchin tastes like the essence of the ocean, sweet and mineral. Depending on its quality and origin, its texture can be very creamy and custard-like. It is not a taste for everyone, but in my experience, those who love it love it completely. Uni is a beloved food in Japan, where many people consider it an aphrodisiac. Because it contains high levels of the euphoria-causing neurotransmitter anandamide, uni may prolong the brain’s ability to experience pleasure. Sam and Eve enjoy their fair share of uni in this book. They also enjoy its prolonged physical effects! (Eyebrow waggle.)

Spending time with funny, indestructible Sam was such a treat. I’d love for you to meet him, too!

Giveaway

Have you tried uni? Did you love it? Leave a comment below for a chance to win a digital copy of DEEP DOWN from the book retailer of your choice.

About Mia Hopkins

Mia Hopkins writes lush romances starring fun, sexy characters who love to get down and dirty. She’s a sucker for working class heroes, brainy heroines and wisecracking best friends.

When she’s not lost in a story, Mia spends her time cooking, gardening, traveling, volunteering and looking for her keys. In a past life, she was a classroom teacher and still has a pretty good “teacher voice” and “teacher stare.”

She lives in the heart of Los Angeles with her roguish husband and two waggish dogs. For more books, freebies and fun stuff, please visit her website at www.miahopkinsauthor.com or connect with her on Twitter @miahopkinsxoxo.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Blog

About DEEP DOWN

Sex, drugs, and spicy tuna rolls?

Resilient and disciplined, tsunami survivor Eve Ono moves to California from Japan looking for a position as a sushi chef. When she’s suddenly fired from her restaurant job, desperation drives her to find work on a fishing boat despite her fears of the ocean. To make matters worse, she’s stuck in close quarters with her new captain—a man whose raw physicality drives her out of her mind with lust.

Free-spirited and roguish, Sam Lamont is a commercial fisherman aboard his own dive boat, the Bravado. When he makes a bad deal with a deadly loan shark who threatens to take his boat, Sam is in danger of losing both his business and his way of life. On top of that, he’s got to train his new deckhand—a beautiful hard-ass who just so happens to be sexy as hell.

A female sushi chef with mad knife skills. A deep-sea diver who's pissed off a Mexican drug cartel. Together, they're in trouble, and the only way out is down.