Born in San Francisco, Joan Moran attended UCLA and Berkeley, majoring in theater arts. She received two master's degrees in education and in theater, while living in Las Vegas, Nevada. While teaching Theater at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Joan published two textbooks, The Dynamics of Acting and Acting: In Person and in Style. She turned to theater producing in the late seventies and co-founded The Meadows Playhouse, a nonprofit year-round professional theater. The success of this theater won her the Governor's Award for Distinguished Excellence in Theater. Joan moved to Los Angeles and produced her first music video. She then attended the American Film Institute as a Producing Fellow and produced three short films. Joan began writing screenplays, one of which she turned into the novel Woman Obsessed. Located in Los Angeles, Joan is a freelance writer and marketing strategist. She continues to write novels and screenplays.