“Tattoos are the ultimate form of self-expression, presenting a person's personality and loves like an open book.”
(Spictatoos on Instagram)
Do you find tattooed men attractive?
If you do, you're not alone - it has its own romance category. It was high time that tattoos would feature in one of my books, hence, Erez, the very appealing hero of my next book, has two of them.
My heroine, Dafna, doesn’t have any tattoos and was once married to a guy who would never get one (Dafna’s ex is a PI who goes undercover, so inking himself might have taught strangers intimate details about him). Discovering she likes tattoos and eventually deciding to get one would be part of Dafna's Journey in the book.
I don’t have any ink, nor does my husband (who is very attractive nonetheless). To write about it, I needed to do some research. It proved to be both fascinating and lots of fun.
I searched the web for beautiful, original tattoos to include in my book. I wanted it to be sea-themed because Erez is a surfer.
I found Spictatoos on Instagram and connected with her. She not only draws mesmerizing tattoos but also writes beautifully about it, and the cherry on top: she’s Israeli, and I could meet her in person. Spictatoos's real name is Hilah, and you should definitely follow her on Insta, even if you don’t speak Hebrew.
Hilah immediately agreed to help me, and I drove to Rehovot where she lives and works. The street she lives in, her building, her studio, and Hilah herself are depicted in my book, with her permission, of course.
Hilah taught me how one would go about getting a tattoo, the best place on the body to get one, and what she likes to do best - which is to cover scars with a beautiful drawing.
“Ink is an incredible way to conceal scars.” Hilah explained, “This is evident among cancer survivors who, as part of the healing process, turn scars into new masterpieces. Even birthmarks, stretch marks, and non-disease-related scars are often covered with ink. Perhaps that's the magic of tattooing – its ability to close one chapter and start a new one, to let go and move forward.”
We discussed the scene that happens in her studio. She had great suggestions for how Dafna behaves when getting her first tattoo and the process she goes through when picking the drawing, deciding where it would be on her body, and how large it should be. This all-important ink is one Hilah made for a real-life client. You'll need to read the book in order to find out what Dafna decides to have and where.
My book depicts another real-life tattoo by Hilah, the original tattoo that made me stop my scrolling:
I asked and received permission to have this on the book cover. The cover is still in the drafting phase, but Enni, my book cover artist, has already sent me the drawing of the tattoo.
Here it is:
How cool is that?
The book is out on March 15, 2024, you can pre-order it now.