Ink: Beneath the Stain

by Zita Harrison

A boy is born with a giant blue birthmark covering half his face, and given the name "Ink" by his quirky artist mother. In a world full of bias, we watch him grow from an unconcerned toddler, to a spirited, defiant young boy, to an angry, hostile, and lonely teenager who despairs that no-one will ever see the boy beneath the stain. Finally we see him as a calmer young man who is starting to accept his fate. Providence steps in and he is swept away by a billionaire entrepreneur to a different world, a world of modeling, of Art, where what the rest of the world sees as eccentric and bizarre are celebrated. Perhaps he has found his niche. But, even now, all he is to people is his birthmark. No one really has any interest in getting past it. Then he discovers that two other people have also suffered from bias all their lives: the billionaire entrepreneur, lord and master of this new world of Art, and a poor, beautiful dancer from Paraguay. The three form a charged and passionate relationship which hurtles towards tragedy. In the end, however, love prevails.

298 pages, Paperback

Published July 12, 2016

About the author

I have found nothing out there that compares to the thrill of creating and experiencing Art. Art in every form: writing, painting, music, theater; all in the end expressions of life. The joys, the agonies, the frustrations. However abstract, transcendental, bizarre, Art draws from life; a vision, a thought, an epiphany sparked by what is going on around us. It challenges boundaries, explores new ideas and new ways to communicate them, and, finally, has the power to reach and connect with people of all different cultures and beliefs.

To share two of my favorite quotes on the topic: about Art, Pablo Picasso once said: "A work of art must make a man react, feel strongly, start creating too, if only in his imagination. He must be seized by the throat and shaken up; he has to be made aware of the world he's living in and for that he must first be jolted out of it." Thank you, Maestro. That says it all.

And my favorite quote about writing is one from Carl Sagan: "Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people who never knew each other, citizens of distant epochs. Books break the shackles of time. A book is proof that humans are capable of working magic." YES!!

All my life I have been passionate about both Writing and Art and am now happily writing, and creating Art in the form of both Graphic Design as well as personal Art.

I designed the covers for all my novels which inspired me to offer cover design to writers at a very reasonable price, since I'm trying to get my name out there! In my career as a Graphic Designer I have designed posters, CD covers, brochures, and many other things which have equipped me with the skills necessary to do book covers. Visit my COVER DESIGNS page and my OTHER DESIGNS pages to see samples of my work! I am working on a PRICING and SPECIAL OFFERS page and hope to have it up soon!

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting

This is not a book I would normally read, but I am glad I did. It brought light to a couple of hard realities. How cruel we are to differences and how little we tolerate it. We are not nice as we age. We become so..judgemental. Children are more accepting as shown in the story of 'bitten by a dragon. I could not put the book down. There are some issues with repeated paragraphs but that may be kindles' fault.

[v.geniebrown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good

Quite an interesting story, the characters are vivid and interesting. Kissed by a dragon might be a good title .