As promised, here's a short intermission about Ivan. It's the first time I'm doing this, but for one, I believe that Ivan truly deserves this, and then, I just feel like talking a bit about this character who stole a special place inside my heart. Also, it seems like a few readers haven't picked on how important he is – or they forgot. Ivan is one of the mysteries of this series since there's so little we know about him at this point, so I truly think that this section is necessary.

Some of this chapter will make more sense to my oldest readers (not in age, more like those who have been following the series for a long time) who remember details of the previous books after I made discreet changes and those who read author's notes, but it might turn helpful to many in any case.

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Right, let's make things from the start!

Who is Ivan? Well, Ivan is the man who saved Aaron from the streets and guided him on the path of BDSM. He was his father figure, role model and mentor.

Why the past tense? Sadly, in case you have missed the hints in prior books, Ivan dies.

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Now here's a bit of background...

The first time that Ivan's name popped in the series was in the first chapter of Twisted Moon because that's about when I decided that I would write Aaron's story. Back then, Aaron's past was quite blurry in my head, I had a few ideas, but nothing was truly defined until I started working on the plan of his book. I imagined that he had run away to LA after the rape (though I changed his decision to do so after he was threatened with boarding school by his father as you now know, not because of the rape) and that he had been rescued from the streets by a man who would have taught him everything about BDSM, become his mentor and had died of HIV around New Year's Eve, hence that conversation between Cam and Aaron in the first chapter of TM.

Since then, I have rewritten I Was Shooting For The Moon, I Hit Two Stars, and more recent readers hear about Ivan much earlier in the series, and when I eventually set to rewrite I Would Give Him The Moon and Twisted Moon, I will certainly add more, but that's for later, so let's come back to the sexy LA Master Dom.

Like I said above, in case it wasn't clear to everyone so far despite the various hints in the previous books and the preface of this one, Ivan is going to die and I'm sorry, but as opposed as to what I did with Jeremy (who was supposed to die during Noah's rescue but who lived and got his own story because readers asked for it), I won't change my mind. His death has even been written as I write these few words on October 28th, 2019.

Unlike Timmy, who only appeared in very few chapters of The Darker Side Of The Moon, Ivan will stay around for many chapters, many more than I thought I would write.

My initial idea for Aaron's story was a rather long book (a bit like Twisted Moon) and the first plan included about ten chapters with Ivan (LOL), but as I started what should have been called 314 Moons and More To Come, ideas flew in, the story developed into something bigger, turning Aaron's story into two books. That was until I reached that specific moment when Ivan rescues Aaron and things got out of hands and two books turned into three. Instead of the 10 promised chapters with Ivan, there are (currently) 71 chapters until he dies.

That says how much time you'll have to get attached (or not) to him, so in the end, it's a pretty fair warning for the most emotional readers.

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Now let's talk about the man...

Ivan is a character that you will love and hate. To me, he is one of the most complex characters I have built since the beginning of this series, equally with Aaron though differently.

You'll love him because he's one of those strong Doms with a powerful aura. The most generous soul. Overprotective. Kindly attaching. Above all, he's the one who saves Aaron from his doomed fate, who will push him on the right tracks, who will teach him everything he knows (or almost, because... let's give Aaron some credit and cleverness too!) and who loves Aaron with a passion that you won't understand before a long time (a bit in Rise Of The Moon, but more in A Master Dom's Diary).

Then, you might sometimes hate him because he's one of those super strict Doms with Joshua-like manipulative and selfish skills. He'll get on your nerves, and not only during Aaron's submission phase. He will certainly disappoint you as well when you get to understand why he dies.

I'll just recommend enjoying his presence while he's here and try not to think about his future. Easier said than done, but I think he's worth getting attached to despite the obvious pain his death will cause. Once again, it'll be another springboard for Aaron to move on with his life and finally build what you already know of from the four previous books.

Also, I remind you that Eclipse Of The Moon and Rise Of The Moon are all in Aaron's POV, so don't expect any chapter in Ivan's. This means that you'll only get Aaron's interpretation of Ivan's reactions and thoughts and that you'll have to form your opinion and theories on your own interpretation of discreet hints. A lot of things will get clearer when (and if) I write that ninth book of the series, but that's in the far future, even farther than Twisted Moon 2.

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That's it for this short intermission.

Now I think you're ready to finally meet Mister Ivan Vargas.