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Fallow Moon Series #1
Bitter Moon
For two decades, Leo Ruggeri's needs are simple: forget his past. Then he meets a man with eternity worth remembering in his glacier-blue eyes. A man whose existence challenges everything Leo believes. For five centuries, all Kesan Glendubh needed was blood and sex. Then he meets a man worth loving for eternity. A man whose ex is a vampire hunting priest. Kesan's latest novel will be published in graphic format, so he requires the services of a graphic artist. When he and Leo meet, the notion of services takes on new meaning and passion overtakes both men. Kesan realizes he cannot protect the young man, from himself and what he is, so he offers a choice. As both men struggle to come to terms with their feelings, disturbances in the supernatural realm signal a return to a time of danger and persecution for those who walk the night. Kesan and Leo discover they have a Watcher - Father Guillaume Arsenault, come to reclaim Leo's soul for God and his body for himself while fulfilling his calling to rid the world of vampires. Crossbows aren't modern weapons, but they are effective tools for vampire hunters. Eternity, like love, may not be so eternal after all.
- GenresRomanceM M Romance
168 pages, ebook
First published April 9, 2014
About the author
Suzana Wylie
5 books5 followersSuzana Wylie has varied interests, ranging from knitting to American football, from horses to philosophy. She shares her home near Pike's Peak with two Siamese cats named Simon and Garfunkel, reads avidly, and writes poetry as well as fiction. She's been known to pick up a sketch pad or watercolors, has a thing for fountain pens, and is addicted to words in a row. She can usually be found picking cat fur off her MacBook Pro, listening to Adiemus or Lisa Gerrard and taking dictation from the characters that live in her head. If the opportunity arose to emigrate to either the UK or James Cameron's Pandora, she wouldn't even stop to grab a comb.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
May 10, 2014
For a first time author...well, I assume so as there is only the one book listed.... the penmanship wasn't too bad. In fact, I was actually enjoying the read as there were few typos or editing errors and the pace was consistent through the development of the story. I could have actually given a 3.5 or a 4 star if it had reached a satisfying ending. I was of course well aware that this was to be a series and other authors seem to be able to produce satisfying endings while maintaining suspense.
Anyway, I digress, so, the development of the main characters was quite good and there were hints of further developments to the story line based upon their interactions and glimpses of their memories of their individual pasts. The point of view was alternating between the two main characters and you could enjoy the differing views on the various circumstances that the author introduced to intensify the plot.
From the synopsis, the reader knew that an adversary was going to be introduced and, generally how the author treats the outcome of this conflict depends upon how the author plays the reader's emotions to this character's flaws. This is of course all World Building 101.
Unfortunately, this author committed the most grievous sin in my eyes, one that I found most dissatisfying and which dropped my final point level to one star. I will not buy any more of this series until I can determine, once the books have all been published, if the author redeems herself in a subsequent publication. Of course, this means I need a revealing hint in the synopsis of each book. I doubt this will occur unless some vampire premises are shaken to the core of World Building 102.
Anyway, I digress, so, the development of the main characters was quite good and there were hints of further developments to the story line based upon their interactions and glimpses of their memories of their individual pasts. The point of view was alternating between the two main characters and you could enjoy the differing views on the various circumstances that the author introduced to intensify the plot.
From the synopsis, the reader knew that an adversary was going to be introduced and, generally how the author treats the outcome of this conflict depends upon how the author plays the reader's emotions to this character's flaws. This is of course all World Building 101.
Unfortunately, this author committed the most grievous sin in my eyes, one that I found most dissatisfying and which dropped my final point level to one star. I will not buy any more of this series until I can determine, once the books have all been published, if the author redeems herself in a subsequent publication. Of course, this means I need a revealing hint in the synopsis of each book. I doubt this will occur unless some vampire premises are shaken to the core of World Building 102.
June 3, 2014
NO. No, no, no, no, no ... and then, no.
Now. I rarely, if ever, rant online. I'm one of those who finds something about almost every story I read - no matter how ridiculous - to like. And it was actually going along something like that with this one too, regardless of the many, many triggers that would have sent many a reader on a gif-filled rant.
Slutty characters? No biggie. I'm cool with some gratuitous sex.
Instalove? Doesn't bother me. Just that much quicker getting to the gratuitous sex, right?
Excessive man-tears? Meh. I can live with them.
Not exactly - It was really, really tough, but for some reason I still can't fathom, I persevered.
BUT -- An out of the blue, absolutely no good reason to be in a so-called romance, make me want to stab myself in the neck ending? NO. And again. NO.
I will never forgive myself for for continuing past the when I'd already wanted to scratch my eyes out. And I will never, ever forgive the author for oh, so, cruelly leaving me with an ending that I cannot forget, and cannot think about without agonizing regret.
Readers be warned -
Now. I rarely, if ever, rant online. I'm one of those who finds something about almost every story I read - no matter how ridiculous - to like. And it was actually going along something like that with this one too, regardless of the many, many triggers that would have sent many a reader on a gif-filled rant.
Slutty characters? No biggie. I'm cool with some gratuitous sex.
Instalove? Doesn't bother me. Just that much quicker getting to the gratuitous sex, right?
Excessive man-tears? Meh. I can live with them.
Not exactly - It was really, really tough, but for some reason I still can't fathom, I persevered.
BUT -- An out of the blue, absolutely no good reason to be in a so-called romance, make me want to stab myself in the neck ending? NO. And again. NO.
I will never forgive myself for for continuing past the when I'd already wanted to scratch my eyes out. And I will never, ever forgive the author for oh, so, cruelly leaving me with an ending that I cannot forget, and cannot think about without agonizing regret.
Readers be warned -
June 3, 2018
Poetic, unique, unforgettable!
I have drunk the joys of Suzana Wylie’s imagination, like the taste of blood to a vampire, and I leave this book feeling stunned, reeling, like the main characters near the end of this first adventure of Leo and Kesan.
This is a story from heaven and hell both. Not man on man but man on vampire, lust on lust, a story of towering imagination, of fear and hope, life and death. The sex is immediate and compelling; the story is full of both hope and darkness.
A gorgeous man, Leo, has a past; another drop-dead-handsome man enters his life. The second man has more than a past ... he has five hundred years of past, being a vampyr. Yet ironically, the once-time lover of the mortal will become the key to life and death for both of them. The sex is stark and intense, told as though the author has crawled into their very skin. Very impressive..
Not being a reader of the paranormal, I’m not quite sure how to rate this work. I give it five stars for its boldness and creativity … a vision of what could be, if we are to open our minds and spirits to what lies beyond our normal six senses
Here is a gay love story whose beginning you will read while being turned on, then mesmerized, and finally caught in its web of cruelty, danger, and the kind of love which transcends this mortal realm. And this is just book one! I award five stars for sheer brilliance—of poetic writing, of unique story line, of unforgettable characters.
I have drunk the joys of Suzana Wylie’s imagination, like the taste of blood to a vampire, and I leave this book feeling stunned, reeling, like the main characters near the end of this first adventure of Leo and Kesan.
This is a story from heaven and hell both. Not man on man but man on vampire, lust on lust, a story of towering imagination, of fear and hope, life and death. The sex is immediate and compelling; the story is full of both hope and darkness.
A gorgeous man, Leo, has a past; another drop-dead-handsome man enters his life. The second man has more than a past ... he has five hundred years of past, being a vampyr. Yet ironically, the once-time lover of the mortal will become the key to life and death for both of them. The sex is stark and intense, told as though the author has crawled into their very skin. Very impressive..
Not being a reader of the paranormal, I’m not quite sure how to rate this work. I give it five stars for its boldness and creativity … a vision of what could be, if we are to open our minds and spirits to what lies beyond our normal six senses
Here is a gay love story whose beginning you will read while being turned on, then mesmerized, and finally caught in its web of cruelty, danger, and the kind of love which transcends this mortal realm. And this is just book one! I award five stars for sheer brilliance—of poetic writing, of unique story line, of unforgettable characters.
August 6, 2016
I really have no idea why I finished this book.
Leo's character bugged me from the beginning. Why do so many M/M romances turn one of the guys into a girl? I rarely read traditional romance because I hate whiny helpless women who need to be saved by a big strong man. I like M/M romances because sometimes -- just sometimes -- both the characters are strong. This wasn't one of those times.
I loved the idea of Kesan being ancient Irish. I wished for more of his culture. I didn't get it.
I don't usually mind gratuitous sex, but it needs to at least be believable and in-character. There's no way to explain emotionally why the two MCs did what they did.
Often the story would be moving along really well, the words fading into the background as I was sucked up in the story. At these times the author did her job. But then I'd run across some horribly awkward wording or the most freakish metaphor a person could dream up and I'd remember that, yep, this was a Smashwords book. I mean, digging at memories like cleaning one's ears with a Q-tip? Comparing one's own rear end to a ouija board? Really?
The ending is irredeemable. No. Just ... no. Plus, an entire new novel of characters suddenly materialized in the last chapter, their existence never even hinted at in the rest of the book. It's obvious the author suddenly decided to write a sequel and realized she didn't have enough characters to carry it off. Part of me hopes that she'll redeem her horrible ending in the sequel. Another part of me refuses to care.
The thing is, if I'd read the sample, I probably would have decided to skip it. I was put off that early. I need to start reading the samples. And I need to stop making myself finish books.
Leo's character bugged me from the beginning. Why do so many M/M romances turn one of the guys into a girl? I rarely read traditional romance because I hate whiny helpless women who need to be saved by a big strong man. I like M/M romances because sometimes -- just sometimes -- both the characters are strong. This wasn't one of those times.
I loved the idea of Kesan being ancient Irish. I wished for more of his culture. I didn't get it.
I don't usually mind gratuitous sex, but it needs to at least be believable and in-character. There's no way to explain emotionally why the two MCs did what they did.
Often the story would be moving along really well, the words fading into the background as I was sucked up in the story. At these times the author did her job. But then I'd run across some horribly awkward wording or the most freakish metaphor a person could dream up and I'd remember that, yep, this was a Smashwords book. I mean, digging at memories like cleaning one's ears with a Q-tip? Comparing one's own rear end to a ouija board? Really?
The ending is irredeemable. No. Just ... no. Plus, an entire new novel of characters suddenly materialized in the last chapter, their existence never even hinted at in the rest of the book. It's obvious the author suddenly decided to write a sequel and realized she didn't have enough characters to carry it off. Part of me hopes that she'll redeem her horrible ending in the sequel. Another part of me refuses to care.
The thing is, if I'd read the sample, I probably would have decided to skip it. I was put off that early. I need to start reading the samples. And I need to stop making myself finish books.
October 9, 2015
I really have no idea why I finished this book.
Leo's character bugged me from the beginning. Why do so many M/M romances turn one of the guys into a girl? I rarely read traditional romance because I hate whiny helpless women who need to be saved by a big strong man. I like M/M romances because sometimes -- just sometimes -- both the characters are strong. This wasn't one of those times.
I loved the idea of Kesan being ancient Irish. I wished for more of his culture. I didn't get it.
I don't usually mind gratuitous sex, but it needs to at least be believable and in-character. There's no way to explain emotionally why the two MCs did what they did.
Often the story would be moving along really well, the words fading into the background as I was sucked up in the story. At these times the author did her job. But then I'd run across some horribly awkward wording or the most freakish metaphor a person could dream up and I'd remember that, yep, this was a Smashwords book. I mean, digging at memories like cleaning one's ears with a Q-tip? Comparing one's own rear end to a ouija board? Really?
The ending is irredeemable. No. Just ... no. Plus, an entire new novel of characters suddenly materialized in the last chapter, their existence never even hinted at in the rest of the book. It's obvious the author suddenly decided to write a sequel and realized she didn't have enough characters to carry it off. Part of me hopes that she'll redeem her horrible ending in the sequel. Another part of me refuses to care.
The thing is, if I'd read the sample, I probably would have decided to skip it. I was put off that early. I need to start reading the samples. And I need to stop making myself finish books.
Leo's character bugged me from the beginning. Why do so many M/M romances turn one of the guys into a girl? I rarely read traditional romance because I hate whiny helpless women who need to be saved by a big strong man. I like M/M romances because sometimes -- just sometimes -- both the characters are strong. This wasn't one of those times.
I loved the idea of Kesan being ancient Irish. I wished for more of his culture. I didn't get it.
I don't usually mind gratuitous sex, but it needs to at least be believable and in-character. There's no way to explain emotionally why the two MCs did what they did.
Often the story would be moving along really well, the words fading into the background as I was sucked up in the story. At these times the author did her job. But then I'd run across some horribly awkward wording or the most freakish metaphor a person could dream up and I'd remember that, yep, this was a Smashwords book. I mean, digging at memories like cleaning one's ears with a Q-tip? Comparing one's own rear end to a ouija board? Really?
The ending is irredeemable. No. Just ... no. Plus, an entire new novel of characters suddenly materialized in the last chapter, their existence never even hinted at in the rest of the book. It's obvious the author suddenly decided to write a sequel and realized she didn't have enough characters to carry it off. Part of me hopes that she'll redeem her horrible ending in the sequel. Another part of me refuses to care.
The thing is, if I'd read the sample, I probably would have decided to skip it. I was put off that early. I need to start reading the samples. And I need to stop making myself finish books.
February 21, 2015
Intriguing and suspenseful with very hot romances. I love a book that has lusty sex, a mystery plot I can't immediately figure out, and is not the gay junk many authors churn out just to make a buck today. This is a real book, with wonderful characters you'll fall in love with, real mystery, and a beautiful love story. In fact, every book from this series has unexpected twists and turns that will delight and keep you guessing what the sexy guys will be faced with next. Don't read just one and don't make the mistake of not reading the entire book or you will miss many unique experiences the guys have and the talent of a very creative author who obviously cares about writing to keep you entertained and wanting more.
February 17, 2015
I chose this book mostly for the cover. Generally speaking, the writing has possibilities and the idea of the story wasn't bad, but I wasn't able to become emotionally bonded with any of the main characters. It was hard for me to believe that either one knew what it meant to love someone, much less loyalty. I was told what they felt, but not always shown.There's a lot of promiscuity. There was a lot of sex without much emotion. The characters were overly dramatic a lot of the time. Sometimes the pacing was good, other times I got bogged down and lost. Someone reading it because they like vampires and other paranormal creatures may like it, but it wasn't for me.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews