Interview with Ernesto Lee, Author of Flawed Beauty

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Flawed Beauty?

Up until now, the bulk of my previous work has been concentrated on the development of my crime fiction series, The Dream Traveler, which I have thoroughly enjoyed writing. Although well-received by my readers, the mostly serious subject matter combined with elements of dream and time travel does at times stretch the boundaries of the notion of “suspension of disbelief”. Nothing particularly wrong with that of course, but five volumes in, I felt ready to take a break to work on a more gritty, more realistic crime thriller overflowing with shock factor.  

If you woke up in the world of Flawed Beauty, what is the first thing you would do?

Ask for an immediate transfer. Failing that I would run and hide!  

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

The Burning Shore by Wilbur Smith. Born with the silverest of silver spoons in her mouth, the only life Centaine de Thiry has ever known is one of wealth, privilege and comfort. When the horrors of war steal away everything she holds dear, she embarks on a dangerous sea voyage to a distant and wild land in search of relatives she has never met. Torpedoed, the ship sinks, leaving Centaine to fight for her life first in the shark-infested seas and then in a scorched, barren, and burning desert. An epic story of survival, companionship, and love.

What are your ideal reading conditions? Set the scene for us.

A quiet room, a cup of coffee, my laptop, my notebooks, and the radio playing country music low in the background.

Where did you write Flawed Beauty?

I’m very much a creature of habit. I’m lucky to have a little office perfectly set up to write with a great desk and a comfy chair in my home. I’d say that 95% of Flawed Beauty was written in this office. 

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

Oh wow, that’s a difficult question and not one I’ve ever been asked before, but for Detective Chief Inspector, Erin Blake it would have to be, Independent Women by Destiny’s Child. It’s a great fit for a strong woman successfully juggling raising two teens alone and heading a high-profile murder squad. The rest of the characters I will pass on for fear of giving anything away.  

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading Flawed Beauty what would it be?

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover and trust no one!  

Ernesto Lee is the author of the new book Flawed Beauty

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