Ink

by Tory Temple

Cade Tomlin wants nothing more than to tattoo people. He’s been drawing on himself with markers since he was little, but it can’t compare to the feel of a tattoo machine in his hand. When he finally discovers an artist who is willing to take him on as an apprentice, Cade learns more secrets and details about tattooing than he thought existed. However, his first real client, Kip Parker, teaches him much more about what a meaningful tattoo can say.

Genres: M M Romance

23 pages, ebook

First published January 24, 2012

About the author

I live in southern California, the land of no seasons. (Is wind a season?) I live with three dogs, two cats, and some tortoises. I'm married to a firefighter, which is great in the sense that some nights I get the TV all to myself, but not so great in the sense that some nights I have to figure out what to do when the washer starts leaking. (Or when there's a bat in the house, which is a thing that happened when he was working.)

Most of my books are centered around the firehouse. When you spend a lot of time around firemen, you write what you know! And what's hotter than a fireman?

Two firemen.

Enjoy!

Reviews

[Serena Yates · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ink is a fun short story, with lots of details about tattooing and what it means to Cade as an artist. When he finally gets to do his first tattoo he's totally excited - in every sense of the word. Kip, the man who specifically asks for him to decorate his skin, is just as hot for Cade, and the post-tattoo celebration leaves nothing to be desired.

[Tam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review can be found at Brief Encounters Reviews.

This is less of a romance story and more the story of Cade’s journey to fulfill his dream of being a tattoo artist. I liked how Cade became fascinated at a really young age and when the opportunity arose he found a way to make his dream come true. The difficulties of living in a small town with no opportunities to learn, and then in a larger city where he had to convince an established artist to take a chance on him was interesting and showed Cade’s determination to not give up. I also like his mentor who seemed like a great teacher and friend.

The romance is really only a beginning for the two men. Cade observed Kip getting a tattoo by his mentor and then is stunned when Kip asks him to do his next tattoo soon after, but Cade’s mentor is confident Cade can do it. Immediately following the tattoo, they end up at Cade’s place where I get the feeling that Cade is only expecting a one-off, Kip seems interested in more. You don’t get much of a feel for them as a couple, or why Kip was so enamoured with Cade, but for a short story, you can’t really expect much development of both characters and I did like Cade a great deal for his youthful determination and good nature.

So if you like stories about tattooing and tattoo artists, it is an interesting read as there is more about the process of becoming and artist than most books cover. Short and sexy and great for a quicky when you are in the mood.

[Lindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun short m/m romance (Sip) - nice voice & flow. I'd read more from this author. :)

[Jess Candela · Rating 2 out of 5]

There might have been a good story in there, but it was too short to really have any idea.