Joan Moran holds two master's degrees: Theater and Education. It was her desire to teach in the theater department at UNLV that brought her a position at UNLV where she taught acting and theater history. Five years later, Joan founded and was the artistic director of the Meadows Playhouse, Las Vegas's first year-round theater. Her interest in film brought her entrance to the American Film Institute in Los Angeles as a producing fellow. Before she graduated, Joan wrote her first screenplay and continued to write for film during the next 15 years in Hollywood. During this time, Joan also pursued a career as a motivational speaker and blogger. As a keynote speaker, Joan commanded the stage with her delightful humor, raw energy and wealth of life experiences. She spread her knowledge and energy as she combined 15 years of theater experience as well as over 13 years teaching yoga and meditation at UCLA. Joan began her writing journey with her memoir, 60, Sex & Tango, Confessions of a Beatnik Boomer. Other books followed: I'm the Boss of Me: Stay Sexy, Smart & Strong at Any Age, a compilation of her most popular blogs, An Accidental Cuban, a thriller that takes place in modern day Havana. The novel is currently in development for a streaming series. Her recently published book, Once A Homecoming Queen, is a darkly humorous take on senior alcoholism. Joan also adapted Once A Homecoming Queen into an award winning screenplay. Her latest book is a memoir of her mother: Suddenly, I Was Jewish, The Life and Times of My Jewish Mother.
"""Joan Moran's latest novel, Once A Homecoming Queen, is an insightful but heartbreaking story about one woman's battle with addiction and its impact, not only on herself, but on all those who love her. Get ready for a rollercoaster ride through her life."" -Nancy Cushing-Jones, Creative Projects Group President, Publishing, Media & Branding, Executive Producer "". . . a powerful novel with a badly needed message. With more stories about elderly addiction it gets easier to help people in need. Before you get the chance to experience the film for yourself, get to know more about the writer behind it and learn what you can expect from the story right here."" -Frankie Stein, Film Daily"