Please help me welcome Joie Lesin…
Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?
I was born on the East Coast, the youngest of five to parents who both came from large families. My father was one of 18 children, and my mother was born fifth in a family of 13! While I’m originally from Massachusetts, my family relocated to my mother’s birthplace, Minnesota, when I was six years old. I consider myself a Midwesterner with a splash of the East Coast still lingering on the inside. On occasion, the accent I lost while in elementary school still pops up in my day-to-day conversations. The funny thing is, it’s happening more and more lately. My husband never shies away from pointing out when I say “water” with just the right inflection. Even funnier is my young adult daughter does the same though she and her older brother were born and grew up right here in Minnesota.
I met, dated, and married my husband while in the midst of the Covid pandemic. We now live in St. Paul with our blended family which includes a very rambunctious grand-corgi named Posh.
Where did you get the idea for The Passenger?
The original idea for The Passenger came to me when I was 16 years old. I was on the city bus on the way home from school playing the “What If” game I used to create fictional stories for the random people I would encounter throughout the day.
On this particular day, I noticed a man sitting at the back of the bus who seemed a bit down on his luck. I wondered, what if he were alone in the world? What would happen if this man collapsed there on the bus? Would he die right there on that bus alone? What if I, or someone else, comforted him in his dying moments?
The tale bloomed from there and went through many metamorphoses until I finally sat down to truly write it 16 years later when I was 32.
Why did you choose this genre?
The genre chose me.
The Passenger came to me as a ghost story.
Now, when I write try as I might not to, a ghost always haunts my stories. Someday, though, there might be a story where there isn’t a restless spirit lingering on the pages with some unfinished business. For now, all of my stories are ghost stories in one way or another.
One thing I do know is there will always be something otherworldly in my fictional worlds.
Do you collect anything?
When I was a child, I collected unicorns. These came in the form of trinkets, picture books, story books and even music. I still have most of these—some on display, others stored away for those rainy days when I take them out and remember the story behind each of them.
Now, I would say—books. Does that count? I have shelves of books. I never quite realize just how many books I have until I decide to move, and the heavy boxes of books outnumber everything else!
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?
My favorite book of all time is the time travel thriller The Mirror by Marlys Millhiser.
Not only is this my favorite book but one I can honestly say has had the biggest influence on me as a writer.
Originally released in 1978, The Mirror made its way from my older sister’s hand into mine in 1984. From page one, I was transfixed. I remember sitting in my teenage bedroom, devouring every word. It excited me that this story evolved from another person’s imagination. That the author’s vision could whisk me away to the 1900s Boulder, Colorado and back again to 1978 with the help of a cursed mirror. Through the words, I could live vicariously through the two main characters, and I loved it. I knew this was the kind of story I needed to write—that I could put my limitless imagination to good use.
As for my favorite childhood book, there are many. I read voraciously. Those that do spring to mind are The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and The Pearl by John Steinbeck.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read The Passenger?
The message that love—be it romantic, parent-child or friendship—endures through the passage of time and across the plains of existence.
What is your favorite quote?
“My darling girl, when are you going to realize that being normal is not necessarily a virtue? It rather denotes a lack of courage!”
~Aunt Frances Owens – Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
What I like about this quote is that while I was growing up, I always felt a little out of step with other people. I don’t know why but maybe it was how I lived so often in books and my fictional worlds. This quote embodies how I accepted who and how I was. Doing so has fueled me throughout my life, enabling me to create the stories that I do.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
The simple answer is—entirely from my imagination. That’s the simple answer because the characters, especially those who live inside The Passenger, have become fully realized people in my mind. I’ve lived with Elizabeth and Gio, Paolo and Adriana, Anna, Marco, and Esteban for so long they cannot be compared to anyone live or fictional because they are who they are.
How did your interest in writing originate?
It started with books. Books are and always have been a form of magic to me. As a small child, I loved to be read to and I loved to make up stories. To add to that my oldest brother, who’s 15 years my senior, is a writer. I knew I would be a writer when I grew up before I truly comprehended what that meant. It’s almost as if it is in my DNA.
Your favorite…
Movie: A Walk on The Moon
Music: 80’s and Current Indie Rock
Place you’ve visited: San Luis Obispo County in California
Place you’d like to visit: Madeira, Portugal
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Thanks so much, Joie…fun interview. And, wow, your book sounds fabulous. Can’t wait until it’s released! Readers, check it out below…
She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer. He’s the son of a ghost.
Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.
Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction. Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?
Excerpt:
Elizabeth’s stomach churned in nervous knots. She squirmed on the cloth seat, and her foot twitched. If he heard her erratic heartbeat, he’d realize how frantic she was—and hot. Perspiration built up on her forehead. Grabbing the metal handle, she rolled down the squeaking window, and inhaled the pure air. The fragrances of the forest filled her senses—the resinous scent of pine, the earthiness of soil, and damp detritus of fallen branches and decaying leaves. The surrounding land was alive, vibrant, and something more she couldn’t quite identify. Somehow, the vehicle they drove in and the path it traveled seemed out of place.
Gravel on the uneven road crunched and ground under the truck’s tires. Elizabeth sat straight in her seat and stole stiff, awkward glimpses at Giovanni. A frown marked his lips. His lean, well-defined face held soulful eyes bringing to her mind images of the sad little boy he must have been.
A thin red scar stretched down his right cheek and she itched to run a finger along the faded edges. She’d caress his stubble-shadowed chin and tell him how terribly his father missed him. Instead, she stared out the truck window.
The Passenger is coming soon from The Wild Rose Press.
About the Author:
Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and the author of The Passenger. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including ghosts. She loves to write a good ghost story—especially when it includes a touch of romance.
Originally from Massachusetts, at six years old, Joie moved to her mother’s birthplace, Minnesota. By eight, Joie lost her New England accent, however, it’s gradually returning as the years go by. She grew up in Minneapolis but now resides in St. Paul with her husband and their blended family—which includes a rambunctious grand-corgi.
Joie misses the ocean, but she often finds herself walking by one of Minnesota’s many lakes and travels to one of the coasts as often as she can. In fact, she considers California her home away from home. When she’s not writing, reading, or walking, you can find her listening to music. She absolutely loves music—especially live—and songs have sparked most of her story ideas.
Website: https://www.jlesin.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoieLesin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin
Author Alicia Dean 