. . . The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found . . .
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?
Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature Joie Lesin and The
Passenger a ghost story set in post WWII California wine country. Today’s
guests include Joie and Paolo Clemente—the ghost who sets off a chain of events
that forever changes the lives of several generations.
Tell
us a bit about The Passenger. It
is the story of the beautiful young woman who aided me at the moment of my death.
With her generous heart, she helped me to return home to mia famiglia in
California so that I could make peace with the mistakes of my past.
What
did you think the first time you saw Adriana? The first time I saw my wife, it was at the harvest
day celebration at the vineyard of mia famiglia back in Italia.
When my eyes lit upon her, knowing she was not there for me, I thought the man
who would win her heart would be both extremely fortunate yet face many
challenges.
How lovely. What was your second thought? I would see to it that she become mine.
Was it
love at first sight? I did not fall
immediately in love with Adriana. If I were meant to ever fall such a way, it
would have been with her. So you see, I do not believe in love at first sight,
but I do believe in loving someone for all eternity.
What
did you like most about her? I would
not be Paolo Giovanni Clemente if I did not say I admired Adriana’s beauty.
Yet, that is not what I liked most about her. What I admired most about my wife
is her strength and her ability to speak her mind no matter the situation. I
admired the way she gives her heart and loves those of us lucky enough to have
it with an unmatched fierceness.
How
would you describe her? I could
describe the waist-length, raven black hair of her youth or the graying hair
she wore bound at the nape of her neck when I returned to her. I could describe
her striking, coffee-colored eyes or
perfectly shaped nose . . . instead I will describe for you the strong woman
who raised our son without my presence. This woman, my Adriana, came to America
unable to speak the language and learned to run a vineyard. This resilient and
beautiful woman kept my dream alive and passed it on to my son.
How
would she describe you? She once told
me when we first met, she believed me to be built of lean lines and sinewy
muscle. She believed me to be an aristocrat made for Roman society and not be
the don of a country vineyard.
Later, she told me while divine to
look at and despite her undying love, I frustrated her like no other with my
mule-headed nature. That said, I ask who is the mule-headed one? For she loved me
in my absence and never stopped waiting for me to return to her.
What
made you choose to own a vineyard for a career? Would it appear I am waxing poetically if I tell you,
it is in my blood? I grew up the eldest of three brothers and always knew the
responsibility of the tending the beloved vines and perpetuating the magic of
turning them into wine.
What
is your biggest fear? My biggest fear
is to live without mia famiglia.
How
do you relax? In the early years of
my life work and relaxation were the same to me. From boyhood, being amongst
the vines was always akin to being in church. Within the vines, I found peace.
Ah, but I do suppose you mean what
activities I do to relax. Well, I do like to read the occasional book though
later in my life I had but a few in my position. As a boy, I learned to
appreciate music—especially the opera. In her youth, mia madre had
dreamt of moving to Milan and singing in the opera. This leads me to your next
question and a story I must share.
Who
is your favorite fictional character? As
I have mentioned, mia madre loved the opera and passed that love down to
me.
She never achieved her dream of
singing. No, she became the mistress of a country vineyard and gave birth to
three strapping boys. While my brothers took no interest in mia madre’s
appreciation of music—she only sang in private when she believed no one to be
listening but I made sure to give ear to her voice and count those times among
my most favorite. I digress . . . I alone attended the rare traveling theatre
troupe performances that came near our home.
One day Pagliacci came through town.
Have you heard of it? It is the story of Canio, a pagliaccio—a clown—who
despite heartbreak must don his make-up and costume to perform. After this
performance, I always believed mia madre saw a bit of herself in Canio.
Day after day, she put on a brave face and took on the expected role of
mistress of our vineyard. Later in my life, I too saw how I hid behind a mask
just to make it through each day.
What
is the best piece of advice you ever received? The best piece of advice I have ever received but did
not take to heart came from my father-in-law. “Paolo,” he said, “if you want to
live a long and happy life with my daughter, listen to everything she says.”
Had only I listened, I might not have
returned home a ghost.
Thank
you, Paolo. This has been lovely. Now, we’d like to chat with Joie.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? Marlys Millhiser’s book The Mirror is not only
my favorite but also the book that has had the biggest influence on me as a
writer.
I originally read The Mirror at
sixteen and was instantly thrilled over the fact that the story evolved from
another person’s imagination. Marlys Millhiser’s vision whisked me away to the
1900s Boulder, Colorado and back again to 1978 with the help of a cursed
mirror. Through the words, I lived vicariously through the two main characters,
and I loved it. I knew this was the kind of story I needed to write. It showed
me that I could put my limitless imagination to good use.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? The
Passenger was released by The Wild
Rose Press on August 21.
I’d originally heard about them back
in 2007 through authors in a writer’s group I belonged to. I was with another
publisher at the time, but they stayed in the forefront of my mind through the
books they offered, conference appearances, etc. I’d always had a thought that
perhaps one day I would have the opportunity to work with them.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? I have an extensive TBR pile that fills several books shelves and a
rather packed eBook reader. Some of the books I’ve recently moved to the top
are:
·
Curse of Flame by J. Von Tobel
·
Breaker by AK Nevermore
·
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
·
Witch of Wild
Things by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
·
The Witches of
Bone Hill by Ava Morgan
·
The Singer
Sisters by Joy Ross Davis
·
Sedona by Kerry Fryer Freeman
Last, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I am currently in the process of working on two
projects at once. The first is a story that takes up where The Passenger
left off. Like its predecessor, Watch Over Me is a ghost story and
answers some questions left open at the end of The Passenger.
This story takes place in 1968 and
tells the continuing story of Elizabeth’s daughter, Bella. I’m also working on
a mermaid novel that explores the relationships between sisters, mothers, and
daughters. I’m very excited about both of these stories and cannot wait to
share more about them.
To
purchase The Passenger, go to:
The
Wild Rose Press Book Page:
https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/
OR https://www.amazon.com/Passenger-Joie-Lesin/dp/1509256644
To
learn more about Joie Lesin and the stories she creates, go to:
·
Website: https://www.jlesin.com
·
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin
·
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin
·
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin
·
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoieLesin
·
Amazon Author
Central:
https://www.amazon.com/author/authorjoielesin
·
Goodreads Author
Profile: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2899613.Joie_Lesin
