BLOG TOUR: Enchanted Ink by Robin Lynn (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)

BLOG TOUR

Book Title: Enchanted Ink

Author: Robin Lynn

Cover Artist: Art by Gio Guimaraes, Design by Katie Marlin

Release Date: June 1, 2023

Genres: LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy

Tropes: Fantasy/Magic/World-building, Tattoo artists, Hurt/Comfort, Meet-Cute, Secret Identities, Celebrities, HEA, Queer romance

Themes: Self-acceptance, trauma recovery, transformation, Demisexual representation.

Heat Rating: 3 flames

Length: 60 000 words

It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger

Pre-Order Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

When it comes to transformation, magic only fixes what’s skin deep…

Blurb

In a world where an artist’s magic brings tattoos to life, ink gone wrong can spell lasting heartache for those unlucky enough to experience it. Jaded and cynical on both life and love, tattoo artist Ashton is about to find out that even the most deeply-etched scars can be transformed into something beautiful when the right person is holding the pen.

“Enchanted Ink” is a ground-breaking romance that showcases how, with a bit of ink, some love, and a whole lot of trust, even the ugliest scars can be transformed into something impossibly beautiful.

Using the art of tattooing as a metaphor for life, “Enchanted Ink” makes it a mission to show even the most cynical and scarred of us that it’s possible to heal, to find love, and that it’s never too late to start all over again.

Excerpt
The twelfth annual “Enchanted Ink” Tattoo Convention has been in full swing for hours, but Ashton has yet to venture inside. It’s not as if he doesn’t know what he’ll find there: a fairly standard convention space, divided using equally standard black curtains hanging from predictable portable frames creating both booths and stations offering displays that are anything but ordinary. Various tattoo artists and their work, in the flesh—the best of the best, by both fact and opinion.

In addition to the booths, there are always several centralized showcase stands, right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle. Elevated platforms where human works of art strip down to their underwear and pose, proudly displaying full-body and wildly colorful tattoos boasting some of the most intricate and beautiful imagery that probably exists in the entire inked world.

This particular convention admits artists by invitation only, and while Ashton isn’t technically here to work this year, it’s an event he’s enjoyed immensely in the past. It’s bittersweet—perhaps a touch heavy on the bitter—hovering on the outskirts, wondering whether he’ll ever find himself behind a booth and promoting his work again. While that remains to be seen, there’s plenty here to worry about in the meantime.

The thought of Whitaker working somewhere inside the building behind him crosses Ashton’s mind and makes him grimace. He can practically feel the tentative nerve he’s so painstakingly gathered, the courage to finally wander through the front door, trickling away like water through a sieve.

Again.

Good thing it’s a nice day out, today. Sixty-eight degrees and sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and Ashton brought a book. He can wait. The courage to go inside will come.

Probably.

Sighing, Ashton rubs the sleeve of his too-dressy collared shirt across the backs of his eyelids. The button on the cuff pokes his eye, and it feels like a call-out. He’s too dressed up, he looks out of place. Too covered, if nothing else. Which isn’t to say that tattooed folks can’t be modest—naturally, that’s false and would be a terribly judgemental view to hold. Either way, the whole point of a tattoo convention is to show off one’s body and as much art decorating skin as possible. It’s supposed to be a positive, empowering experience.

That’s definitely the point, and his body is aesthetically pleasant to look at, both sculpted and toned—yet here Ashton is, buttoned up solidly from head to toe. Acting like he cares more about looking the part of a corporate stooge rather than flaunting the walking canvas he is. Lame. So lame.

Lame, but necessary, he reminds himself.

Q&A with Robin Lynn

Introduce yourself and your writing:

Hi, my name is Robin Lynn! I’m a thirty-six-year-old queer mom of two with a background in emergency nursing and paramedicine. I’ve always loved storytelling but shifted to writing novels with the intent to publish after becoming unexpectedly disabled several years ago. My passion is crafting engaging and emotional love stories with queer audiences in mind and with the goal of reflecting our experiences in mainstream media. I believe that everyone deserves to see themselves mirrored in relatable, imperfect characters simply existing and living out their happily ever afters!

1) Tell us about your new release. What inspired you to write it?

I’m obsessed with my new release! If I could live inside any universe of my choosing, it would be this one, in a heartbeat. “Enchanted Ink” is a gay contemporary romance that follows Ashton Andrews, fresh out of a terribly unhealthy relationship, on his somewhat accidental journey through processing his experiences, accepting himself, and the excitement and fear that come alongside learning to trust and fall in love again.

The story is set in a modern fantasy world where magic is plentiful but intrinsically infused into daily life, where the skill to use it must be cultivated and honed in the same way as an artist’s talent. With charms existing for nearly everything but each one only as useful as the person wielding the power has developed it to be, magic is more of a tool and less of a cure-all.

“Enchanted Ink” explores that magical infusion into the otherwise mundane, doing so specifically through Ashton’s chosen field of augmented tattooing, using the charmed designs themselves as metaphors for life. As not only an artist but a person in possession of a tattoo gone severely wrong, Ashton has a particular perspective on the technical aspects of fixing his ink but is almost painfully naive when it comes to fixing his damaged psyche and broken heart.

Enter Link Remington: magical tattoo artist extraordinaire, devastatingly handsome media darling, and co-owner of the famed tattoo studio, Soul Survivor. Ashton knows that Link has the artistic chops to repair his skin, but is completely unprepared for the charming, persistent, and impossibly understanding man to find a place inside his heart.

As his unwanted, intentionally-ruined art undergoes a transformative journey toward becoming what it was always meant to be, so in kind does Ashton’s perspective on love, life, and himself. Even more surprising, Ashton discovers that he’s not on that journey alone. While Link pushes him to step outside of his comfort zone, Ashton manages to convince Link to share some closely-guarded secrets of his own. Together, they begin to discover that healing isn’t linear and that self-acceptance isn’t about becoming flawless, but instead choosing their own scars and learning to wear them proudly.

This fantasy romance truly bloomed from absolutely nothing. Originally, my intent was to gift a short story to a friend, and I asked her to shoot me a few tropes or themes that she particularly enjoys reading in lieu of some direction. The list she compiled was long, hilariously wild, and all over the map, with no common threads to connect one trope to another. She handed it to me with an apologetic caveat and the insistence that she absolutely knew I wouldn’t be able to include everything in one story. I took that extremely personally, refused to rest until I did just that, and here we are!

2) How did you decide on the title?

I really wanted something grabbing that would hint at the novelty of this particular fantasy world and the magical tattoos, so the title was an easy choice! “Enchanted Ink” is also the name of the tattoo convention where Ashton and Link have their meet-cute, and the convention’s appearance bookends the story in a pretty satisfying way.

3) Why M/M?

As a queer author, it feels incredibly important to me that I add to the supply of LGBTQIAA2S-friendly literature in the world. M/M just happens to be my favorite canvas, for several reasons. In my experience, there are a lot of pervasive and problematic stereotypes and fetishization when it comes to M/M relationships and men who love men in general. I enjoy breaking those issues down via subversive characterizations, expectations, and dynamics, both inside the bedroom and out.

I also really enjoy creating spicy fiction, but due to my own past trauma, I struggle with spicy sapphic scenes. Using M/M characters creates a distance that allows me to write explicit romance and even work through my own trauma and struggles while doing so. The adult version of “Enchanted Ink” has some hints toward this particular struggle when the main character thinks about intimacy in his past relationships.

4) Which other writers do you follow?

I just love Erik J. Brown—apocalypse fiction is my favorite, and if you make it queer?? You had me at gay people without society. One of my new favorite authors is Caytlyn Brooke. I’m not usually into M/F romance, but her “Among the Hunted” series is the Take Back the Night dark fantasy adventure I didn’t know I needed. She’s a super fun follow on TikTok, as well!

5) Are any of your characters based on you or people you know?

All of the side characters in “Enchanted Ink,” (mostly clients who visit the shop to receive a magical tattoo from one of the main characters) are based on friends of mine! Actually, some of the charmed tattoos we see showcased are based on their real-life body art, as well—just with a magical component that brings the ink to life. If only!

6) Do you get emails asking why characters didn’t get together and whether you’re going to write more about them?

No to the first, because I’m a happily-ever-after person to the core! There’s nothing I dislike more than an unsatisfying ending or a thoughtful build of sexual tension and anticipation, of palpable emotional connection and longing that goes absolutely nowhere. I’m in pain just thinking about writing that, honestly. I do get quite a few emails (and comments, when I write fanfiction) begging for additional scenes, timestamps, or sequels to stories, yes. A lot of, “I could live in this world forever.” When it comes to “Enchanted Ink” and its magical, contemporary urban vibe, I happen to strongly agree!

Are you a panster or a plotter?

That’s an evolutionary journey, for sure. I definitely used to be an adamant pantser and refused to so much as write some notes at the bottom. Now, years later, I won’t even scribble an inspirational blurb without a basic outline. The extensive lists of continuity details that I keep for work-in-progress stories these days are embarrassing. We’re talking pages of character backstory, world-building, setting specifics, plot points, etc.

I think more than anything else, that reflects my developing interest in plot complexity and managing sub- and side plots effectively, so they don’t get out of control, lost, or contradict each other. “Enchanted Ink” is one of my earlier works and is a bit more straightforward, but I will say that in my opinion, it’s easier to infuse organic passion, emotion, and spicy heat into a “panster” plot.

8) What are your writing and personal goals for 2022 and beyond?

I have quite a few finished books in the pipeline that need to be edited and polished but are otherwise ready and waiting for their chance to be published. My goal is to put out at least one new book (in both ebook and paperback form) every six months for the next several years.

9) Are there big events in your life that affect your writing?

Absolutely. Big and small, good and bad, I have always been a “write what you know” person, for sure. I pour a lot of myself into certain aspects of every book, especially my experiences in relationships and as a queer person. As a reader, I feel like I can often tell when an author is particularly invested and emotionally connected to the elements in their work, and that leaning into such vulnerability can really elevate a piece of writing from an enjoyable story to something you want to sleep with underneath your pillow at night.

In that same vein, I find that storytelling provides such a unique opportunity and a vehicle to process trauma in a productive and transformative way. If you can weave that transformation into something engaging and relatable, the result might even be healing to readers who have been through similar struggles. For that and other reasons, I often work things that have happened to me (especially things I couldn’t control or wish that I could “do over”) into the narrative, specifically so that my characters can have the satisfying, redemptive, reclaiming, and maybe even revenge-filled moment that I didn’t get.

10) If you could choose any superpower or magical ability, what would it be and why? What would you do with it?

After writing “Enchanted Ink,” I think that I would genuinely choose the ability to create magical tattoos on skin, in part because it’s such a unique talent! Forget invisibility, I want to tattoo wings that come to life and spread wide behind the person’s body! Definitely not the obvious pick, but imagine all of the emotional gut punches you could create. As someone who is unhealthily attached to her pets, I would love to have a “live-action” likeness of my late dog, one that could walk around and wag his tail, maybe even bark! That would be such a healing keepsake. It would be pretty cool to give that to other people as well, the way Ash and Link do.

About the Author

Robin Lynn is a 36-year-old queer, autistic mother of two, an unabashed fangirl sometimes known as “Wings,” and a disabled former firefighter, paramedic, and registered nurse. She writes for queer audiences with the goal of reflecting and centering the lgbtqia2s+ community in more media, because everyone deserves to see relatable, imperfect main characters who mirror themselves simply existing and getting their happy endings.

Find out more and follow Robin for additional content and future projects