My new historical novel, Strike the Fuse, will release later this month. It is the second book in the Black Fire Trilogy set in Western Maryland during the 1922 coal strike. The cover is still being finalized, but I will post about that when it is complete.

You can also expect some special promotions with the first book, Smoldering Betrayal, as the release date for the new book approaches.

Until then, here’s a synopsis of the new book.

As coal strike violence escalates, Matt Ansaro’s undercover identity is thrown into jeopardy.

Having survived a mine cave-in, undercover Pinkerton detective Matt Ansaro is recovering from a broken leg. However, the union has called a coal strike and Matt needs to be at his best. The 1922 national coal strike is even more violent in the Western Maryland coal fields as the non-union miners make an all-out effort to unionize.

As strikebreakers are brought in to replace striking miners, tension breaks out in violence between Pinkerton agents and union miners. Matt is caught between both sides as he pretends to be a miner among his family and friends while funneling information to his employers.

To make matter worse, another Pinkerton agent knows who Matt is. David Lakehurst has a grudge against Matt and is determined to settle a score with him.

Joseph McCord, the mine superintendent in Eckhart Mines, is more than happy to let Lakehurst attack miners as long as it keeps his mine operating. He is also seducing Matt’s former girlfriend, Laura Spencer, into his bed.

While this worries Matt, he has more than enough problems from the other women in his life. His girlfriend Samantha Havencroft has caught the eye of another man, and he may have caught hers as well. Matt’s aunt, Toni Starner, knows Matt’s secret and is uncertain how to handle it. Jenny Washington, Matt’s friend, is trying to make a new life for herself but can’t get past what Lakehurst did to her.