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Inside Black Smoke by Robin Leigh Miller
What do you get when you combine two alpha personalities that don’t share well? A whole lot of tension, head butting, shouting and eventually body parts connecting. Now, toss those two personalities into a dangerous situation and you’ve got the makings of an explosive relationship.
Let’s start with our beautiful heroine, Samantha Wells. When I created her the first thing I did was come up with her name. Samantha. I happen to have a niece named Samantha, a very beautiful young woman who just happens to be a diesel mechanic. She loves her work, is excellent at what she does and can ignore the ignorance of people who look down their noses at her for choosing this line of work. A girl after my own heart.
Taking some of my niece’s characteristics and mixing in some of my own, Samantha Wells became a woman with unbelievable courage, a heart the size of the universe and an attitude of help me or get the hell out of my way. She puts everything she has into what she does whether it be saving a young woman from a kidnapper or loving a man.
Life hasn’t been easy for our young Sam. She lost her parents at an early age, witnessing their murder and barely escaping with her life. Raised by her loving Uncle Walt Cannon, Sam finds safety and solace among men who are called on to put their lives on the line to save others. A cause she can whole heartedly understand.
Growing up in this environment gives her a purpose. She knows what she has to do with her life and is willing to sacrifice for that purpose. So, starting at a young age, Sam trains herself to become the best black ops agent alive. Good thing she has a side kick to help her out.
Let’s whoa it a bit, as my fifteen year old son likes to say. Sam isn’t your typical black ops agent. Yes, she has help. But, not in the form of a person that stands by her side. No, her side kick can’t be seen, only heard, by Sam alone. On that fateful night when her life was turned upside down a gentle voice stepped inside her head, the voice of her spirit guide. A voice she now depends on and coexists with everyday of her life.
With the help of her guide Sam is able to do the impossible. Her training, her good sense of justice and the warnings of danger have molded her into a legend among the black ops community. Too bad no one really knows who she is or what she looks like. A necessity to keep herself alive. With so many secrets, how’s a woman supposed to find a man she can trust and love? Or, a man that can deal with an independent streak a mile wide.
Enter Mark Lowe, a.k.a. Kong, and his two best friends Boomer, Ben Campbell and Ricochet, Carl Underwood. I love creating male heroes, especially military type heroes. Be still my fluttering heart. I get to make them anyway I want. Don’t you wish you could do that in real life? Okay, moving on. This handsome, sexy trio is called upon to assist in a rescue mission, a mission rife with danger and top secret.
Not unusual for our military hunks. Danger is a way of life, top secret is nothing new. Kong, however, doesn’t like secrets being kept from him when it comes to putting himself or his friends into danger.
Basically raising himself as he was shipped from foster home to foster home as a child, he doesn’t trust easily. The military is his only family and the closest he’ll ever come to actually loving anything or anyone. Mark Lowe isn’t even sure what love is.
Now he’s faced with working with a woman of all people that half his being is hot for and the other half is screaming secrets, danger and an end to life as he knows it. He’s used to giving orders, this hot sexy little ops agent doesn’t take orders. Kong beliefs in life are watch out for yourself and to hell with everyone else. His new teammate puts others ahead of herself.
Samantha Wells is a conundrum. A deadly, head strong woman that quit possibly could be a better soldier than him. How’s that possible? What’s a man to do? Let the head butting begin.
Trust and love, not emotions Kong wants to deal with. Life and death, things he understands. See, he’s a pretty simple guy.
Meanwhile, Kong’s buddies Boomer and Ricochet are standing on the outside watching a very unusual mating ritual. Which ego will give? Can they meet in the middle? Boomer and Rico always have Kong’s back, but who will they side with when this fragile partnership collapses?
Ah, the joys of women working in a man’s world. Don’t ya just love gumming up the works? Make’s life interesting don’t it?
Really, Sam and Kong aren’t that different from everyday people. Women all over this country are stepping into men’s worlds with their heads held high. Sure they have an uphill battle but they forge on and because of women like this, we as a gender have more opportunity.
And yes, there are some men out there who will acknowledge and praise those women who do the better job. Good for them. Their mother’s will be proud.
To all the women like my niece, Samantha. Here’s to you. (Raising my beer)
Happy reading.
Robin Leigh Miller knows a little about finding love in odd places. A retired dirt track racecar driver, she found love and adventure on the track. After three months of dating a fellow driver, he proposed and seven months later, they married. Now she gets her adrenaline rush from creating spunky, determined kick ass women that don’t let anything get in their way. Mix in her passion for paranormal, action and adventure and you have some unique thrilling stories. Enter a world where anything can happen and hold on tight. It’s a bumpy ride but worth the trip as you watch her characters plow through what life throws at them and come out the other side more powerful and of course in love. You can visit her website at www.robinleighmiller.com. 
Ellora's Cave (Erotic) and Cerridwen Press (Romance) Titles
EC: Friday, 5/7
EC: Friday, 4/30
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