Review, Interview & Giveaway: High Octane Heroes Anthology

High Octane Heroes

High Octane Heroes
Erotic Romance for Women
edited by Delilah Devlin

Genre: Erotic Anthology
Publisher: Cleis Press

Date of Publication: September 3, 2013

Number of pages: 227

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon     BN     Kobo

What is it about heroes like Superman, Iron Man or Thor that revs our engines like no other? Is it the suit? The manly physique? Or is it the courage they display, wading in where others fear to go, to save the damsel, the city, the Earth? Are there real-life heroes who inspire the same lustful fascination? Kickass iconic heroes who enter danger zones in the name of duty, honor, country—or maybe love—who conjure images of hard, chiseled bodies, deadly glares and camouflaged features?

High Octane Heroes will satisfy the reader who craves the romantic idea of that “super alpha” man. Imagine the Navy SEAL sent on a suicide mission; the damaged Army Ranger home from war; the para rescue team member jumping into frigid waters; a SWAT team member entering a human trafficker’s den… military members and based in far-flung places around the world or the smoke-jumper living next door. Then imagine the romantic possibilities of being held against that massively muscled chest by a man whose mission is to protect and serve…

Excerpt: 

EXCERPT from Mountain Man by Tamsin Flowers

Frankie and Melody are stranded on the side of a mountain, but luckily help is soon at hand...

The day wore on and we had no food and no drink. Frankie was shivering. I was getting desperate; I didn’t know what to do but I knew it was up to me to do something. That’s when my imagination started playing tricks on me. Voices singing in the distance. A burst of sunshine through the fog. The herbs-and-garlic smell of my favorite Italian restaurant. The whop-whop-whop-whop of helicopter blades.

The WHOP-WHOP-WHOP-WHOP-WHOP-WHOP of a helicopter! Coming closer and far too loud to be imaginary.

“Hooray! We’re saved,” I cried, hugging Frankie, as the fog was blown away by the dark silhouette of a chopper above us.

She winced in pain and I gently let her go.

“So where are they going to land?” she asked. “They’re probably not even looking for us.”

But thankfully she was wrong. Seconds later a man in a bright orange mountain rescue tunic and helmet was being winched down to us on the bottom of a rope. And what a man! He landed on our shelf, unclipped his rope and took my breath away. Six-foot-four of mountain muscle come to take command of the situation. My chest heaved with relief.

“Either of you ladies hurt?” he said, shouting to be heard above the whopping.

I pointed at Frankie’s leg and he dropped to his knees beside her. After a cursory look, he swung a pack off his back and removed his helmet. At which point I was truly lost. No one who’s on a rescue mission has a right to be that good looking. Not when saving a person’s life already gives them such an advantage. His face could have been sculpted out of granite, with sheer cheekbones, a strong jaw and a long, straight nose. But it was anything but stony; his bright blue eyes were like sparks of electricity, while the sensuous curve of his red lips sent a jolt of current right through me. And my fingers were straight away itching to rake through his tousled blond hair.

Interview: 
Today, we welcome Tamsin Flowers to Musings and Ramblings. Let's all give her a big Geeky welcome!

I have some questions for you that are writer specific as well as some fun stuff so that we can really get to know the real you. *grin* Plus we will finish things off with round of Think Fast. Ready to begin?

Writing Specific
1. Tell us something about yourself that's not in your bio.

I thought to answer this, I’d take you right back to my childhood - I used to be a Navy brat! My father was a commander in the British navy and, as a result, I was born in a military hospital and grew in the England, Malta, Canada and Scotland. As a result, I’m pretty open-minded about where I live - you could say that wherever I lay my hat is my home and I think that kids who grow up in a variety of countries have their eyes opened to all sorts of different peoples and lifestyles. The downside? When people ask you where you come from, it’s a little difficult to answer. I usally say, ‘Nowhere!’ and I’ve found that’s a great conversation starter. After all, who can resist trying to find out where ‘nowhere’ is?

But most importantly, I think having a peripatetic childhood makes a great start for a writer - you can put yourself into any world and any situation, because the probability is, you’ve already been there.

2. What do you like to do when you are not writing?

At risk of sounding a little weird... I like to visit old graveyards and cemeteries and take photographs. I know that might seem morbid but usually they’re such peaceful places and full of interesting lives. Best of all, I like it when they’re a little overgrown - nature reclaiming its own can make for some great pictures.

Here are a couple of examples:

3. How did you choose the genres you write in?

I write principally in two genres - erotica as Tamsin Flowers and new adult as Alice Bell - but I think the genres chose me rather than the other way around. I started out by just thinking of ideas and stories I wanted to write, and then I worked out what genre they would fall into.

4. Is there any particular author or book that has influenced you or your writing?

In general reading, I’m a huge fan of John Irving. His books are wonderful and he’s so skilled at conjuring up whole worlds and fantastically believable characters. He also has the rare ability to write things that are at once hysterically funny and poignantly sad - A Prayer for Owen Meaney is like this - you find yourself laughing on one page and then crying on the next. And all his books explore fascinating moral dilemmas and carry strong moral messages. You couldn’t ask for more.

Within erotica, there are a number of writers who I always read whenever I can - Kristina Lloyd, Alison Tyler, Tiffany Reisz, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Cherise Sinclair, Sommer Marsden, Justine Eliot... actually this list could go on and on, so I’m going to stop now, with apologies to all the writers I’ll think of later and wish I’d included.

5. What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment?

The toughest criticism is a hard one because, of course, at first all criticism stings. But if I can take the criticism and turn it around and learn from it, then it’s something I value. If it’s just plain nasty with no constructive element to it, I ignore it - there will always be people out there who don’t like your work for whatever reason. When someone criticises me in a hurtful way, I just stop and wonder to myself if they could write any better. Then I get on with my day.

And compliments? Ahhh... every writer loves it when someone compliments their work. After all, for most of us, that the whole reason we write - not for the compliments but to give our readers pleasure, and so we love to know that we’re succeeding with what we’ve set out to do. My best compliment to date has to be when my editor at Go Deeper Press told me that my writing reminded her of Brett Easton Ellis - wow! What a comparison - that certainly put me on a high for quite a while.

Fun Stuff
6. If you could have dinner with anyone, past or present, fictional or real, who would it be and why?

Tyrion Lannister from Game of Thrones - he never fails to entertain me.

7. You are going to be stranded on a deserted island and bring 3 luxury items. What would they be?

That’s easy - my dog, my Kindle and a large pot of luxurious face cream.

8. Pick two celebrities to be your parents. Who are they and why?

Certainly for my mother I would choose Hilary Clinton. She would be (and is) the most fantastic role model for women and for girls growing up. If she was your mother, I think you’d get the feeling that anything is achievable, as well as being brought up with a strong moral compass, a sense of duty and compassion for other women less fortunate. For a father, I would choose any of the amazing characters in High Octane Heroes - they’d make great fathers for all the same reasons they make great husbands and partners - strong, reliable and soft in the centre.

9. What would we find in your refrigerator right now?

Plenty of fruit, vegetables and salad, salmon and chicken, hummus... I try to eat healthily as I can. But there’s a naughty treat - a pot of heavy cream so I can put a teaspoon in my coffee every day.

10. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

Oh! I’m so traumatised at the thought of someone writing my biography, I can’t come up with a title!

Think Fast
Summer or Winter? - winter
Coffee or Tea? - coffee
Cake or Pie? - cake
Car or Truck? - car
Print or Electronic? - both

Thanks for coming by and spending some time with us. Any final words of wisdom to pass along?

Life is short so try to take something positive from every day - and pass it on to others.

Review: 

The High Octane Heroes Anthology edited by Delilah Devlin, features a foreward by Maya Banks and is the work of 15 different authors.  Since each story is between 8 to 16 pages long, each one is but a brief glimpse into the character's world. Each one was a complete story, even though there were several that I would love to see expanded on in future novels.

The stories run the gamut of Firefighter, Police Officer, Military Servicemen, Prison Guard, EMT, Search and Rescue and even a Personal Trainer. Whether in uniform or out, these are men who know how to take charge of a situation.  Some of the stories have women needing to be rescued, others the women are going toe to toe with their man, but in every one, the Alpha Male is present and ready to assume command.

Some of these stories were hotter and steamier than others, but they are well written and showcased the Alpha male to his advantage.  This anthology would work well as either a great beach read or a long winter's night cuddle up read.  Make sure to check it out and you may just find a new author or two to enjoy. I am going with 4 stars on Goodreads.

Giveaway: 

One randomly drawn commenter will win the grand prize package (US only):

• $50 Amazon gift cert, signed copies of Cowboy Lust and Smokin’ Hot Firemen from Delilah
• Tiara from Sabrina York
• A print copy of Under His Skin and a So Inked mug from Sidney Bristol

Individual blog day prizes for randomly drawn commenters will include:

• Adele Dubois: a download of REV ME UP
• Brindle Chase: an eBook copy of his book Dark is the Night awarded every day of the tour
• Delilah: a hand-painted art pendant, backlist downloads
• Elle James: a prize package of books and swag on her blog day
• Jenny Lyn: $10 gift card to Amazon or B&N and a copy of her new book
• Megan Mitcham: a “hot high-octane guy” calendar
• Sabrina York: an eBook of choice from her backlist on the day she blogs
• Sidney Bristol: an eBook of choice from her backlist on the day she blogs
• Tahira Iqbal: a digital copy of The Merger

So follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning.

Book Tour Info: 
Don't forget to check out the other stops on the Book Tour:

September 2:
MsRomanticReads
Books to Light Your Fire

September 3:
Reviews by Crystal

September 4:
The Reading Addict

September 5:
Musings and Ramblings

September 6:
Reading In Twilight

September 9:
Queen of the Night Reviews
All I Want and More
Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews - Promo

September 10:
Author Accomplice
Selena Illyria

September 11:
Sharing Links and Wisdom
Wicked Readings by Tawania

September 12:
The Divas of Desire

September 13:
Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess

Author Bio:


Tamsin Flowers loves to write light-hearted erotica, often with a twist in the tail/tale and a sense of fun. In the words of one reviewer, 'Ms Flowers has a way of describing sexual tension that forces itself upon your own body.' Her stories have appeared in a wide variety of anthologies and she is now graduating to novellas with the intention to pen her magnum opus in the very near future. In the meantime, like most erotica writers, she finds herself working on at least ten stories at once: while she figures out who's leg belongs in which story, you can find out more about her at Tamsin's Superotica or Tamsin Flowers.

To connect with the author online:

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