Author Interview: Ember of Night by Molly E. Lee

Looking for your next paranormal romance? We sat down with Molly E. Lee to talk about writing Ember of Night, which is one part supernatural, one part romance, and a whole-hearted dive into Harley’s story. Check out our interview below and pick it up on May 4th!

Ember of Night

by Molly E. Lee
on May 4, 2021
Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal
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I’ve been told I was as useless as a weed most of my life. Mainly by my worthless father.

But I’d suffer anything to give my kid sister a better life—the minute I turn eighteen, I’m getting us the hell out of here. And some hot stranger telling me I am the key to stopping a war between Heaven and Hell isn’t going to change that.

Let the world crumble and burn, for all I care.

Draven is relentless, though. And very much a liar. Every time his sexy lips are moving, I can see it—in the dip of his head, the grit of his jaw—even if my heart begs me to ignore the signs.

So what does he want?

I need to figure it out fast, because now everyone is gunning for me. And damn if I don’t want to show them what happens when you let weeds thrive in the cracks of the pavement…

We can grow powerful enough to shatter the whole foundation.

Interview with Molly E. Lee

Talk to us about Harley. What motivates her though Ember of Night?

It might be surprising to those who’ve read the blurb or the book, but love is a huge motivator for Harley. She has this unconditional love for her little sister Ray, and pairing that with her deeply ingrained survival instincts has her living basically to protect Ray from the life she’s lived so far. Harley does have this constant inner rage she can never seem to get rid of and in some instances those feelings motivate her in a different direction. She’s struggling to find a balance between accepting that rage and choosing the best path for her sister, and that is what pushes her through each step of her journey. 

Ember of Night is an ambitious story that is a little romance, a little mythology, and a fast-paced read that keeps you wholly engaged. What did your writing process look like to create such a story?

This is a story that has developed over the years for me. Harley and Draven and the supernatural world came to me about a decade ago while taking an ancient religions class in college. I wrote a very rough draft back then, but it wasn’t ready yet, so I tucked it away until I thought I had a good handle on it. Then, when it fell into the hands of my editor, we sharpened the world and the ideas and really dug into Harley and Draven’s characters and Ember of Night was born! The writing process was a lot of reshaping, really digging deep into their characters, and casting a wide gaze at their world and the stakes that came with it. There were a lot of phone calls and texts and several ‘ah ha’ moments. I probably played my book playlist at least a thousand times throughout the year we worked on it. Probably drank just about as many cups of coffee too. I couldn’t be happier with the end result, and I’m so honored Harley and Draven are finally out in the world for you amazing readers to meet! 

Are there Easter eggs within the story that your readers will find? 

There are definitely hints at what is to come in the next book, but they can be hard to find.  

What will fans of your previous books love about Ember of Night?

Ember of Night is my first paranormal release, but I think fans of my contemporary young adult will enjoy escaping into a world that might look like ours at first glance but is quickly revealed as an intricate supernatural world with magical creatures and characters that keep you guessing. Readers of my contemporary romance will also enjoy the edgy female lead paired with the confident and mysterious hero.