Black Dahlia (Gilded Flower #5) by Vivian Winslow-Review and Blog Tour

Black Dahlia
Gilded Flower #5
by Vivian Winslow
Genre: adult, contemporary, erotic
Release Date: November 13, 2014

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Click HERE for read Rachel’s review of BLUE DAHLIA by Vivian Winslow

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 13, 2014

BLACK DAHLIA IS THE SECOND INSTALLMENT OF THE DAHLIA TRILOGY OF THE GILDED FLOWER SERIES.

Grieving from a tragic loss, a deeply depressed Dahlia retreats with her sister Lily and best friend Vi to a sun-soaked Indonesian paradise to heal. There, she meets soulful surfer Kai, who’s seeking to escape from the demons of his own past. Can the spiritual and physical connection between them put back together the pieces of Dahlia’s shattered heart?

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REVIEW: 4 out of 5 for this reader folks!

WOW … Miss Vivian .. where did that come from and how am I suppose to write a review without giving away all the best parts? LOL

Well this is going to be a quick review. Out of respect to Vivian Winslow I am just going to comment on a few things.

Black Dahlia is the fifth book in Vivian Winslow’s Gilded Flower series. This has been a different series in the sense that come the fourth book it branches off with a different heroine but still has the other characters from the first three books. I would recommend you absolutely read the fourth book before this one, but if you are going to do that, then snag the first three too and get a back story.

This book was by far her best one of the series. Right from the beginning you are snagged with the “WOW Factor”. This novel had remnants of her first novel of this series where self discovery, healing and personal reflection really shine through. The sexy scenes certainly are sexy and the bitchy … bitchy! LOL This is another short read (less than 100 pages) and again for so little pages there is so much story. Still a little choppy and rushed, I have to say that though, it didn’t take away from this story all that much.

I’m so sorry … I have literally given you nothing about the storyline … it’s on purpose. 😉

HAPPY READING! 🙂

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Rachel T

1. If you were a dessert, what would you be?

Oooh. Definitely something salty and sweet. There’s a dessert at Big Gay Ice Cream down on the Lower East Side called the Salty Pimp. It’s a soft serve vanilla cone with drops of Dulce de Leche and covered in chocolate. I love anything you eat with your tongue.

2. What 3 things are essential in your bedroom for a sexy/romantic night in?

Music is a must. I change it up quite a bit depending on my mood. Also, the right man (I’m married so that’s a given : )). And, depending on our mood, a toy, prop or just us. Sorry, that’s 2-2 ½ things. Oh, I guess sleeping children. There’s nothing romantic going on when they’re awake.

3. What do you like about writing erotic romance?

I like that I can take my characters to the edge of and beyond their limits. I also get to define what those limits are. The beauty of digital publishing is that there are no set parameters for a particular genre. So it’s been a lot of fun incorporating various elements from other genres (women’s fiction, suspense, etc.) and creating really hot sex scenes to go with them. It’s pure freedom, which for a writer is extremely difficult to find and balance.

4. If you could sleep with any of your characters who would it be?

Ahem. No disrespect to the hot man in my life or to those I write about. I’ve had sex with them all (in my head, except for my husband), and the one I think I’d come back to time and again is Alejandro. He’s a true alpha. Not overly dominating in the way that readers have come to expect because of books like 50 Shades. Rather, he’s confident and secure in his masculinity and is completely self-possessed. To me, that’s what makes a true alpha male. They’re not necessarily assholes or dominants. I think those qualities can often confuse what makes a man a sexy alpha versus a crazy, stalker with low self-esteem masked as an alpha. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt that when I picture him, I see William Levy. So hot.
And confession. Gustavo is a close second. Just once though. I’d have to get it out of my system. Lol.

5. Spanking, yes or no.

Abso-fuckin’lutely. Caveat. Can’t be overdone or done every time. Then it’s just abuse, which is so not hot.

6. Do you like to be tied up. If so, why and with what?

Same answer as above. I have an adventurous spirit, and I’m usually game for anything. Whatever is around can work, like a t-shirt. I’m usually a fly-by-the seat-of- her-pants kind of person so sometimes you have to just work with what you have.

7. What do you use for inspiration for your love scenes?

Personal experiences aside, I have quite an imagination. : ) I’ve been writing love scenes since I was a young girl. If I’m feeling a need for a kick-start, I’ll listen to sexy music, which varies depending on the scene, if it’s animalistic or sensual. I might also read a scene from a sexy book. It doesn’t hurt to look at some hot guys on the Internet. But that’s a last resort. It’s important to connect with the character and figure out what kind of lover he is, for example, rough, gentle, confident, or dominating, and then go from there. While the books are centered on the female characters, their sexual experiences are defined just as much by the men they are with as it is by them. It’s a mutual scene, so it does take two to make it work.

8. Which character has surprised you the most and why?

Gustavo, without a doubt. He’s played so many roles in my mind throughout The Gilded Flower series. I never conceived him to be a villain. Originally, I wanted him to be an open and intense lover for Lily, one who would challenge her and force her to grow and face her fears. As the series progressed, he kept appearing, and thus his role had to change. I secretly hoped he would be her HEA until mid-way through Calla Lily when I realized that wasn’t going to happen. So then he needed to assume a new role. As the series continues, his story deepens and becomes more nefarious. I love it, and I appreciate how his character is so malleable like that. Makes him even more appealing. Amoral characters don’t lose their sex appeal (most of the time).
A close second is Dahlia. I expected a lot out of her, but now that I’ve written the end of her Trilogy, I just want to hug her for how far her character has come.

Vivian Winslow was born and raised in Southern California. Before becoming a writer, she made a career out of moving around the world every couple of years thanks to her husband’s job. She currently lives in New York City with her husband and two elementary school age children, and is grateful to finally have a place to call home for more than two years. New York is the perfect city to indulge her love of shopping, the arts and especially food.

If she’s not at home writing or running around the city with her kids, you’ll most likely find her indulging in pizza on the Lower East Side or having a cocktail at her favorite bar in Alphabet City. That said, she’s still a California girl at heart and would gladly trade in her heels for a pair of flip-flops to catch a sunset on the beach. .

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