Inspirational Indie Author Interview #184: Patrick D. Joyce Transforms Cold War Childhood into YA Thrillers Filled with History and Music

My guest this episode is Patrick D. Joyce, who grew up at U.S. embassies in places like Moscow, Havana, and Managua, surrounded by secrets, spies, and surveillance. He went on to become a journalist, earn a Ph.D. in political science, and eventually found his way to writing Cold War-era young adult thrillers. We talk about how his past shaped his storytelling, how music and history inform his work, and how he's connecting with young readers today.

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About the Host

Howard Lovy has been a journalist for 40 years and now amplifies the voices of independent author-publishers and works with authors as a developmental editor. Find Howard at howardlovy.com, LinkedIn, and X.

About the Guest

Patrick D. Joyce is the author of two thriller novels for young adults, Back in the USSR (a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize semifinalist) and Strawberry Fields, both inspired by his experiences growing up at US embassies during the Cold War. He has been a newspaper reporter, a political science lecturer, and a medical practice manager. He lives in Massachusetts, where he can be found haunting coffee shops, taking long walks with his wife, and practicing martial arts. You can find him at patrickdjoyce.com and follow him on BlueSky, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok.