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The Passenger by Joie Lesin is a Paranormal and Paranormal Romance Event pick #historicalfantasy #paranormalfantasy #mustread #giveaway

  • Writer: N. N. Light
    N. N. Light
  • 4 days ago
  • 4 min read


Title:  The Passenger

 

Author:  Joie Lesin

 

Genre:  Historical Fantasy

 

Book Blurb:

 

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?

 

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.

 

Excerpt:

 

Elizabeth sat bolt upright in bed. She gathered the hand-knit blanket up around her shoulders to fend off the cold hovering around her. “Is someone there?” she whispered. The hairs on her arms stood on end. “I-I know there is, but I can’t help you.”

 

A presence vibrated within the room as if the air contained a beating heart. While no sound met her ears, Elizabeth sensed one building, and she braced herself for a shriek.

 

She glanced around the room, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Nothing appeared and the room remained silent.

 

Throwing back the covers, she swung her feet to the floor. The softest touch brushed her shoulder, sending chills scoring up her spine. Elizabeth bit back her own cry. She stood up and fumbled at the foot of the bed until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed her soft, cotton robe and threw it over her shoulders.

 

“I can’t help you.” Her voice trembled.

 

This wasn’t Paolo. He didn’t terrify her. She’d known from the start he wouldn’t bring her harm. He was her friend. This apparition frightened her down to her core. “I can’t help you,” she said again and edged toward the door. “So leave me in peace and don’t come to me again.”

 

The air grew arid, and electricity sizzled through her. Visits like these terrified her as a child. They weren’t all like Paolo. While her mother’s skill included a tenacity to calm the enraged, reckless spirit down, Elizabeth’s fear overtook any diplomacy she might possess.

 

“Rrrruuu.” The unearthly sound echoed around her. “Oh, God,” she moaned with a threaded voice. “Leave me in peace.” She dashed out the door.

 

****

 

“Whoa.” Gio rounded the last step and held his arms out to keep Elizabeth from falling down the stairs. She’d come at him in the dark with her head down.

 

“Wait.” He grabbed her by her ice-cold shoulders, knocking her robe to the floor. “My Lord, Elizabeth, you’d think someone was chasing you.”

 

Gasping, she rested against his shoulder without saying a word. She trembled against him, and silent tears wet his shirt.

 

Hesitating, he wrapped his arm around her, drawing her closer. With his hand firmly on the small of Elizabeth’s back, he pressed his palm against the thin, smooth material of her nightdress. His throat grew dry at the feel of her petite, lean body pressing into his.

 

“Can—” He gulped. “Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

 

Elizabeth shook her head against his chest.

 

“Should I take you back to your room?”

 

“No,” she whispered.

 

“Well.” He glanced around in the dark. “Downstairs? Should we go downstairs?”

 

She pulled away from him. “Please,” she murmured and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “If you wouldn’t mind.” Sniffling, she bent and picked up her robe. He took her trembling hand and led her down the stairs.

 

“Did you have a bad dream?” he asked over his shoulder.

 

“Yes,” she said softly. “A nightmare.”

 

Why did a dream leave her so shaken?

 

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):

 

The Wild Rose Press Book Page:  https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/

 

 

 

 

 

 

What makes your featured book a must-read?

 

The Passenger is a must read for those who enjoy emotional and heartfelt ghost stories with themes of love, forgiveness, redemption, and second chances. Set between coastal Massachusetts and California’s wine county, the subtle yet immersive descriptions of the land and the people transport the reader to another place and time. All this along with the deeply relatable characters who navigate the challenges of long hidden family secrets, matters of the heart, and the supernatural make this an unforgettable read.

 

Giveaway –

 

Enter to win a $20 Amazon gift card:

 

 

Open Internationally.

 

Runs April 8 – April 15, 2025.


Winner will be drawn on April 16, 2025.

 

Author Biography:

 

Award-winning, Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

 

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©2015-2025 BY N. N. LIGHT. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. (2015-17 on Wordpress) 

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