Josef Lemoine
Josef Lemoine is a Filipino-American writer, speaker, and consultant from Southern California. His first love is story, and he sees it everywhere—from multi-billion dollar entertainment franchises to underlying narratives at local hotels, shops, and restaurants.
He also sees the countless stories lying dormant within you.
Since 2011, Josef has worked in story development for a renowned entertainment company, helping to design the world’s most beloved theme parks, attractions, and immersive experiences.
His fiction and poetry have been published in several literary journals. In February, 2021, he was featured as Moon Tide Press’ poet of the month. Under a different title, his debut coming-of-age novel—The Unsaid Summer—was a runner-up for the 2022 Red Hen Press Fiction Award. It was released in October, 2023.
He is also the writer of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: A Little Golden Book, which was published by Penguin Random House in September, 2024.
Josef lives with his wife, son, and daughter in the San Gabriel Valley, where he often concocts tall tales while dropping his kids off at school.
Books
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure: a Little Golden Book
Join Disney Princess Tiana as she prepares to host a one-of-a-kind party in this Little Golden Book based on the Disney Parks attraction Tiana’s Bayou Adventure!
The Unsaid Summer
Two childhood friends. A summer quest for love. The confession that changed a friendship forever. The Unsaid Summer takes readers on a nostalgic ride of young love, self-discovery, and heartache.
What readers say about The Unsaid Summer
“I saw myself in this story and in the characters and it felt exactly like *my* life and *my* love story, like it was written just for me. Trust me — you will be invested in Bradley and Sammie (the main characters) and by the end, care very deeply about them… The story stays with you well after the ending, leaving you wanting more.”
— Jeanette L.
“This novel is brilliantly told in the form of a letter. A letter that most can imagine writing when experiencing a deep longing to reconnect with a person who has made a significant impact in their lives. The Unsaid Summer is revealing and vulnerable and so very relatable. This story evokes feelings and (sometimes painful) memories of ‘self’-searching and the profound experience of falling in and out of love.”
— Desiree
“For me, THE UNSAID SUMMER ranks among the great Coming-of-Age stories of the last several decades. In literature and film. Like those stories, the novel is driven by an exciting, vulnerable voice that forced me to reflect and meditate on every event until the story’s final moments. And the bittersweet, uplifting feeling I had while flipping that last page still lingers.”
— Michael D.
“Just finished reading it, and ahhh, I LOVED it! The entire time I was captivated... felt like I was right there experiencing the experiences and feeling the feelings. The author's words don't simply paint a picture, they absolutely bring the world to life. Seriously. Wow.”
— Veronica B.
“Humanity captured to a perfect rhythm with amazing characters painted in masterful detail. I found my head bobbing to the imagined sounds emanating from its pages and my feet shuffling on the carpet… ‘quick, quick slow…quick, quick slow.’”
—Michael G.
“For the young reader, this story can save you a lot of time. Before you go on a journey of trying to be someone, read this. You might save yourself from the heartache the protagonist of this book endures; you might skip the dark night of the soul and never need a reckoning between who you want to be and who you authentically are.
“Or you could, as many of us do, find these truths through your own trial and error. But I doubt you'll be able to present these truths as artfully as they are written here.”
— Dresden
Recognition
Under a different title, Josef’s YA novel was runner-up for the 2022 Red Hen Press Fiction Award.
Josef was named Moon Tide Press Poet of the Month for February, 2021.
