WHY DID I WRITE A BOOK ABOUT A GUY WHO GETS A TATTOO ON HIS FACE?

If you look at my body of work before INDELIBLE (The Age of Apollyon Trilogy, The Jerusalem Chronicles), a book about a guy from California with a tattoo on his face might seem a bit unusual. Well, a big reason why I wrote INDELIBLE is because I put myself on a writing schedule where I write two dark, thriller-type books, and one book in a different genre. My first two books were THE AGE OF APOLLYON and BLACK SUN, and INDELIBLE came next. (After INDELIBLE, I wrote SCORN and I just completed CYN, and my next off-genre book will be called BEAST). I can't hang out in the dark forest all the time and sometimes my imagination needs a break.

But the biggest reason why I wrote a book about a guy from California with a tattoo on his face is because if it were socially acceptable (and, more importantly, spousally acceptable), I would tattoo my face without hesitation. Every time I see someone on TV with a facial tattoo (usually a nameless thug who gets beaten up by the hero), I feel a twinge of jealousy, even though I know it's probably just make-up. My torso is a collage of tattoos and I've very happy with my collection, but there's something primal and savage about a facial tattoo. I don't want to alienate myself from society or be perceived as an aggressive person, which is why I will probably never get a tattoo on my face, but  the desire is there. I've always been fascinated by masks and I gravitate towards tribal and geometric tattoos, which are usually the best kinds for facial tattoos.

Therefore, I wrote a book about it, and I imagined what life would be like if someone decided to tattoo their face. Of course, it's a work of fiction, and it is just one man's experience. I spoke to many people who actually had facial tattoos to get a read on what life is like for them, and I tried to incorporate the new opportunities and new prejudices they encountered.

The bottom line is that getting a facial tattoo is a monumental decision and it takes a lot of balls to go down that road. Give INDELIBLE a try - maybe you'll become curious as well...