Who she is: Natalie Jacobsen is an award-winning journalist, writer and marketer who devotes her time and talent to the nonprofit sector, inspiring others to take action and change the world.
What she does: Natalie has reported on civil rights in Virginia and defended journalists’ rights in court. One of her passions is film-making; she has shown three projects at film festivals. In her spare time, she can be found at cultural festivals, boarding planes, volunteering, and in greenhouses. Natalie is also the author of the 2024 book, “Ghost Train.”
Why she does it: “I grew up in a global-minded, aviation family hailing from the Pacific Northwest, and spent her summers creatively writing in my backyard. After graduating college, I lived in Japan for years as a magazine writer and a photographer for television stations, fostering my love of untold stories.”
Scroll down to learn more about Natalie’s newest novel, “Ghost Train.”
Connect with Natalie on social media @natalieannaj
Ghost Train is a historical fantasy novel set in 1877 Kyoto during Emperor Meiji’s rule, which led the way to Japan’s Industrial Revolution—also referred to as the Meiji Restoration. Based on true events and folklore, samurai daughter Maru Hosokawa spends the summer working in a geisha teahouse haunted by ghosts, plagues, and a mystery surrounding disappearing girls. A kitsune, a fox-shaped demon, finds her and claims the faults lie with the emperor, urging her to help before she, too, falls victim. The teenage girl overcomes her anxiety and finds the strength to confront authority while challenging her society’s rapid transformation and Westernization—her mission is to save her world while finding her place in it.
Jacobsen spent years writing Ghost Train and collaborating with historians and subject matter experts in Japan and the U.S. to ensure its historical accuracy.
“It was critical that I not only rely on my personal experience in Japan but others’ perspectives, knowledge, and expertise,” she says. For years, Jacobsen has had a career in journalism, media, and nonprofits in Japan and the U.S. Her beats included civil rights, travel, and lifestyle.She is a marketing professional for a Federal workplace giving campaign and volunteers in her spare time.
SelectBooks publisher Kenzi Sugihara’s long career in book publishing includes his stints as a Vice President and Publisher at Bantam/Doubleday/Dell and at Random House, ushering in several best-selling and critically acclaimed books.
He formed SelectBooks in 2000, noting that the emergence of desktop publishing and digital printing presented new opportunities in the industry. In response to what attracted him to Jacobsen’s novel, he stated, “One of the many compelling things we saw in Ghost Train was Natalie’s ability to assemble this fascinating tapestry of history, fantasy, and Japanese culture to produce an immersive story. I found it to be simultaneously thrilling and meditative.
Also, her deep connection with Japanese culture is unmistakable and quite profound.
”In his endorsement of the book, Jake Adelstein, author of Tokyo Vice and The Last Yakuza, stated, “With lyrical prose that evokes the mystique of 19th-century Kyoto, this meticulously researched narrative weaves together historical authenticity with the ethereal allure of yokai folklore. Prepare to be captivated by a world where every shadow conceals a mystery, every whisper harbors a secret, and every choice echoes in worlds seen and unseen—a mesmerizing journey that will linger in your thoughts long after the final page is turned.”
As a key new release in their developing line of Young Adult publications, SelectBooks hopes that Ghost Train will resonate with a younger generation that is now rediscovering the rich fabric of Japanese society through pop culture idioms such as Manga comics, Anime films, and the video game industry.
Ghost Train hits bookshelves everywhere on October 15, 2024: A launch party open to the public is set to be held at a New York location TBD and the National Press Club in Washington, DC, in October. She is due to visit several bookshops in the Mid-Atlantic region to speak on Japanese yokai and media, living in Japan, and what we can learn from history’s lessons. “This is my love letter to Japan,” says Jacobsen. “I hope to do right by its history, folklore, and people.”
About SelectBooks Inc. — An independent publisher based in New York City, since its inception in 2001, SelectBooks has had a dual mission. First and foremost, we seek to bring the reader the best new and proven voices from a striking variety of realms. From current events to alternative medicine, from business to spirituality, and from self-help to humor, SelectBooks strives to offer provocative and informative titles. With countless titles in the press, stellar reviews, and a loyal following, we bring information and entertainment to readers worldwide.