Scott Mariani

Scott Mariani grew up in Scotland. He studied modern languages and film studies at Oxford University and went on to work variously as a translator, language teacher, professional musician, pistol shooting instructor and freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer. Scott had the idea for the Ben Hope series one day in 2007 while out walking with his dogs in the Welsh countryside. The first draft of the first novel was written in just three weeks, and its original hardback edition sold its print run in less than two months. scott marianiThe Avon imprint of HarperCollins then bought the paperback rights and offered Scott a four-book deal, launching the series in earnest. Within less than a year of the initial contract being signed, Scott was commissioned to write three more Ben Hope books. The Alchemist’s Secret was an immediate success, storming the UK charts while appearing in translated editions all across the world. Since then, the Ben Hope series has expanded to include The Mozart Conspiracy, The Doomsday Prophecy, The Heretic’s Treasure, The Shadow Project and The Lost Relic – with more to come. Scott has appeared regularly in the UK Bestseller charts and been rated as HarperCollins’ second most widely translated international author. He continues to live and write in west Wales. He is also the author of the Vampire Federation series: the first novel Uprising was published in the UK in 2010 and its follow-up The Cross will be released in the UK in 2011. When he isn’t hard at work on his next book, Scott enjoys jazz and movies, is a keen astronomy buff, likes to keep his hand in with archery and shooting, and tries to find time to ride his Triumph Bonneville around the country lanes.