St. Martin’s Press
SCENT OF TRIUMPH by Jan Moran (St. Martin’s Griffin; March 31): In this debut novel by recognized beauty expert Jan Moran, an aristocratic French perfumer is caught in the perils of WWII. Her family torn apart by the impending German invasion of France and Poland, Danielle Bretancourt must decide whether to stay in Europe to find her missing son or flee to the United States to save whose remaining. Though heartbreaking at times, this story is inspiring as Danielle uses her passion of perfume to lift herself and her family out of the distress from the war. Jan is an expert in vintage perfumes and the creator of Scentsa, a touch-screen fragrance program in Sephora stores in the US, Canada, and elsewhere. Her knowledge brings a tangibility to the world of Scent of Triumph, as each chapter opens with a lyrical quote from Danielle’s journal.
JAN MORAN is the author of Fabulous Fragrances I and II, which earned spots on the Rizzoli Bookstore bestseller list. A fragrance and beauty expert, she has been featured in numerous publications and on television and radio, including CNN, Instyle, and O Magazine, and has spoken before prestigious organizations, including The American Society of Perfumers. She earned her MBA from Harvard Business school and attended the University of California at Los Angeles Extension Writers’ Program.
FRENCH COAST by Anita Hughes (St. Martin’s Griffin; April 7): From the author of Monarch Beach, comes a beautiful story of loyalty and love in the luxurious city of Cannes in the South of France. Serena, a young features editor at Vogue, is given the opportunity of a lifetime when she is asked to spend a month in France interviewing the infamous editor-in-chief of French Vogue. Upon arrival, she learns a devastating secret about her family which causes her faith in her parents and boyfriend to crumble. Through her world seems to suddenly crack into a million pieces, Serena uses some new-found friendships, her investigative journalism skills, and luck to find the true meaning of family and what it means to love another. Each of Anita’s books take place in a luxurious location that often take on a character of their own, and this novel is no different. The wonderful backdrop of the Cote D’Azur in French Coast is the foundation of the beautiful imagery, delectable food, and high fashion in this stunning story.
ANITA HUGHES is the author of Lake Como, Monarch Beach, and Market Street. She attended UC Berkeley’s Masters in Creative Writing Program, and has taught Creative Writing at The Branson School in Ross, California. Hughes lives in Dana Point, California, where she is at work on her next novel.
THE THUNDER OF GIANTS by Joel Fishbane (St. Martin’s Press; April 14): From Canadian novelist and playwright Joel Fishbane, comes the extraordinary, out-of-this-world tale of The Thunder of Giants. Nearly 8-feet tall and hoping to build a better life for her children, Andorra Kelsey escapes to Hollywood to star in a film about Anna Swan, the giantess who toured the world as part of P.T. Barnum’s American Museum decades earlier. Their stories parallel each other as both women struggle to find tranquility in a world that sees them as anything but human. Anna and Andorra long for normalcy, but first must tackle the society that is too small to contain them. Will Anna and Andorra find love and peace? Will society see them as more than the mere sum of their measurements? This story, with its underlying themes of the ever-present issues of body image in society, captivated my heart and blew me away.
JOEL FISHBANE is a novelist, playwright, sous-chef, actor, trivia host, amateur boxer, occasional clarinet player and general man about town. His various plays, short stories, articles, critiques and literary musings have been published, performed, honored, and otherwise applauded in Canada, the United States and Europe. He lives in Toronto and almost always wears a hat. For more information, visit www.joelfishbane.com
