Featured Interview With Jan Moran
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?
I was born in Austin, Texas (yes, I still have a little drawl), went to graduate school in Boston, fled for sunshine to California (but I miss New Englanders), and now I’m living under the generally blue skies of San Diego. I also lived in Beverly Hills and the Palm Springs valley, spent a winter in Winnipeg, and travelled around the world.
Pets? I used to have an assortment of beloved cats and dogs, but with my dastardly allergies, it’s hard for me to be around them anymore–so sad!
At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?
As a child, I was an avid reader. Writers were my rock stars! Books were my passport to exotic locales and fascinating characters. My first nonfiction book, Fabulous Fragrances, came out in 1994 and earned a spot on the Rizzoli Bookstores top ten bestseller list. I created in-store touch-screen apps for Sephora; these are now called the Fragrance IQ and Skincare IQ programs. I wrote and edited nonfiction material for the beauty industry for years. In 2012, I switched to fiction, my first true love.
As to early work, my first volume of poetry: fourth grade. My first novel: seventh grade. Both are, thankfully, forgotten. The UCLA Writers Program in Los Angeles was my next stop along the writing route. The RWA (Romance Writers of America) is also an excellent organization for learning and support.
Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?
Favorite authors include: Kristin Hannah, Barbara Taylor Bradford, Jennifer Crusie, Anita Hughes, Michelle Gable, Barbara Delinsky, Elizabeth Adler, Tatiana de Rosney, and Gerard Macdonald. A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford was an early inspiration, and I adore A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable. I love Shanghai Girls and others by Lisa See and The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory. And who can forget Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, or War and Peace. There’s nothing like a smart, strong-willed heroine. For historical fiction, I also adore Allegra Jordan and Allison Pataki, and for modern series fiction, Melissa Foster and Rebecca Forster are excellent.
Tell us a little about your latest book?
BEAUTY MARK is the story of Scarlett Sandoval, an intellectual property attorney in Beverly Hills, by way of Spain. I had great fun with more of my favorite locations in this smart ‘n stylish romantic suspense saga. I had fun with the title, too. Beauty Mark is a play on words combining beauty and trademark with the more nefarious definition.
In the glamorous world of high stakes beauty and fashion, Scarlett Sandoval is in such demand that her firm sends private jets to shuttle her between Los Angeles, New York, London, and Madrid. In the midst of a critical trademark deal between a top fashion designer and an international cosmetic company, Scarlett is shocked to learn that in order to achieve her coveted partnership, one devious partner expects more than she is willing to surrender.
Her denial not only threatens to derail her hard-won career, but it also endangers her life and the lives of those close to her. Johnny, a handsome Beverly Hills restaurant owner she’s known all her life, offers his protection, but one fateful evening, their platonic relationship ignites.
When Scarlett’s world erupts and she discovers there is no way back to the life she once had, her friends help her through the turmoil. Can Scarlett mend her life, or has she made an irrevocable mistake in business, and in love?
Beauty Mark in the second book in the Hostile Beauty series, which follows a group of smart, stylish, entrepreneurial friends as they navigate the turbulences of modern life in the beauty business.
This #2 novel in the Hostile Beauty series was great fun to write. The competitive world of beauty and fashion meets the perilous arena of legal maneuvering and insider trading. This all made for fascinating writing.
Plus, I mined my memories of my travels in Spain — the arts and culture, food, people, and so much more. The scene in Cadiz? Yep, that’s what I unexpectedly encountered once when I landed there.
Add in great fashion, food, parties, and horses, and I hope you’ll have just as much fun reading Beauty Mark.
You’ll see familiar friends from the first novel, FLAWLESS, so you’ll learn what happens to Verena and Lance as their story continues, too.
Reviews:
“An engrossing view into the world of ‘beautiful people’ with an ending that will leave you wanting more.” – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melissa Foster
“Jan Moran is the new queen of the epic romance.” – USA Today Bestselling Author Rebecca Forster, Author of Expert Witness
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