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.

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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.

Comments

21 comments posted.

Re: Mia Hopkins | Meet Sam "The Slammer" Lamont

I have not had the pleasure of trying Uni, mainly because I am unfortunately allergic to seafood and shellfish. I would be interested in seeing it in person, however. And maybe convincing my roommate to try it.
(Asher Dane 10:31am November 25, 2015)

I too can't eat seafood/shellfish. Not sure if I would want to even if I could, LOL!
(Elaine Seymour 3:30pm November 25, 2015)

I have not tried Uni. Mostly because I don't like
seafood/shellfish.
(Julie Wingate 5:14pm November 25, 2015)

Never had uni but have gotten sea cucumbers along the beach in WA and AK...this sounds like a very good read, curious to see how they outsmart the loan shark, b/c you know they will ;)
(Kathleen Bylsma 5:25pm November 25, 2015)

I hope ti win. It would be great!
(Judy van Ryn 5:25pm November 25, 2015)

I have never tried Uni. I would be willing to try it.
(Judy van Ryn 5:27pm November 25, 2015)

No I've never tried uni and probably never will as I don't
eat shellfish (dietary restrictions).
(Sandy Haber 9:32pm November 25, 2015)

I have tried uni as sushi. I would be thrilled to win. Happy Turkey Day to everyone. Cindy
(Cindy Davenport 11:14pm November 25, 2015)

I have tried uni and loved it.
(G. Bisbjerg 11:32pm November 25, 2015)

I have never tried Uni.
(Marissa Yip-Young 6:26am November 26, 2015)

I haven't tried Uni and probably won't, but sounds like a fun read.
(S Mickelson 11:06am November 26, 2015)

No never tried Uni
(Jean Patton 2:28pm November 26, 2015)

never tried it and not sure I will.
(Pam Howell 12:11pm November 27, 2015)

Your book looks really great. Thank you
(Candy Briggs 7:29pm November 27, 2015)

thank you
(Candy Briggs 7:30pm November 27, 2015)

I love sushi, but I don't think I've tried uni yet. I LOVED
what you wrote about Sam's eyes and sent the blurb to a
friend who has one brown and one blue eye. Thanks for
sharing that!!
(Marcia Berbeza 9:13pm November 27, 2015)

Never tried it but maybe I will in the future since it's been brought to my attention now.
(Lisa L. 12:09pm November 28, 2015)

I'm allergic to seafood/shellfish, so I've never tried it. I don't think I'd want to, either. Raw meat of any kind just doesn't appeal to me at all.
(Cynthia Powers 9:19am November 28, 2015)

I have not tried uni.
(Kelly Powell 2:01pm November 28, 2015)

I haven't tried it but would like to.
(Donna Antonio 3:23pm November 28, 2015)

I have never tried Uni, nor have I seen it.
(Darlene Comeaux 8:52pm November 28, 2015)

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