This week’s Danger Gal Friday profile is of Raina Bowen, heroine in Eve Kenin’s new book DRIVEN. Mad Max meets the History Channel’s Ice Road Truckers.

Raina Bowen is a tough as nails I-can-take-care-of-myself-thank-you-very-much kind of gal with a soft spot for — albeit the oddly named — tall dark and silent type. Wizard is like Star Trek’s Commander Data in Tom Wisdom’s body (Astinos, 300). His name really isn’t that strange once its reason is revealed.

DRIVEN is one of the recent books out by the new Shomi line, which publishes books with female protagonists who challenge feminine stereotypes. Raina Bowen owns her own rig, tricked out with not only a nifty 30-second shower, but also a magazine of weapons any military character would drool over. She’s been on the run from a dangerous enemy her whole life and, of course, finally has to face off with him.

Raina also has her own snow mobile and rescues Wizard not once, but twice, the second time in an adrenaline-punched action sequence.

One of the factors that interested me was how well Kenin handled writing about two characters who are essentially cut off from their emotions — and making me see into their pain and care about them. I enjoyed watching these two people learn how to emote.

This book has just been released, so I don’t want to spoil the plot and the ending for anyone. If you like reading about strong, no-nonsense heroines in a fast-paced story, like a steamy Romance with some fun Science Fiction tech, then you’ll enjoy DRIVEN.

Kenin dropped hints that this might be the first in a series of sorts. There were many characters introduced who could carry their own books.

Check out an excerpt here.