Ernesto Patino: I recently finished another mystery titled The Last of the Good Guys, which will be released sometime in October or November of this year. Like Web Secrets, the story is set in South Florida. I am also working on a new novel titled One Last Dance. It is a love story which begins in Florida and ends in Arizona. I use the world of ballroom dancing, about which I am familiar, as the backdrop of the story.
Jennifer Walker: Do you base any of your stories or characters on real life?
Ernesto Patino: Most of the characters in my novel are composites of people of I have met during the course of my life as an FBI agent and private investigator. Some of the plot points and fictional situations are taken directly from cases I worked over the years.
Jennifer Walker: You have a lot of detail about Florida in the story. Are you from there?
Ernesto Patino: I’m originally from west Texas but I spent over twenty years in South Florida working as an FBI agent and then as a private investigator. I now live in Tucson, but I go back to Florida as often as I can.
Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your background. Education, experience, etc.
Ernesto Patino: I grew up in the border town of El Paso where I attended the University of Texas at El Paso. I taught school for a couple of years before joining the FBI as a Special Agent. I retired from the FBI after 23 years. My first book, A Boy Named Paco, was published while I was still an agent. After leaving the FBI, I completed my first novel titled In the Shadow of a Stranger, which was published in England.
Jennifer Walker: What is your “day job”?
Ernesto Patino: I am a private investigator. I do most of my writing in between cases.
Jennifer Walker: What hobbies do you enjoy?
Ernesto Patino: When I am not working on a case or writing a novel, I practice ballroom dancing at a local studio. I also enjoy cooking and playing the flamenco guitar.
Jennifer Walker: Tell us about your family. Are they supportive of your writing?
Ernesto Patino: I live alone, so there is no immediate family to support me in my writing. However, I do have three sisters who are my biggest fans.
Jennifer Walker: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Ernesto Patino: Barcelona. It is number one on my list of “must see” cities because of its cultural and artistic ambience. I recently saw the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which convinced me that I can no longer put off my trip to Barcelona, home of some of Spain’s most famous artists.
Jennifer Walker What is your favorite sport to play or watch and why?
Ernesto Patino: Growing up I played many sports, except soccer, which was not very popular in west Texas. I enjoy watching it on T.V. It is truly an international sport which I feel can bridge countries and cultures as no other sport can do.
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