JIA Publishing

03/15/2024

Read the book Publisher's Weekly hails as bursting with "refreshing candor" and "emotional integrity." The true story of a secret Hollywood adoption arranged for a celebrated film composer and forever hidden by TV's biggest star!

The Bastard of Beverly Hills: A Memoir

03/06/2024

I’m not sure why any of the lawfare we’re seeing play out in Georgia, New York, or from Jack Smith should surprise anyone.

I’m not sure why any of the lawfare we’re seeing play out in Georgia, New York, or from Jack Smith should surprise anyone. I was…

03/02/2024

"I nervously enrolled at the legendary Beverly Hills High School in September 1990—the same lousy year 90210 debuted on Fox. The primetime soap was widely popular among my classmates, but I always felt embarrassed by its outlandish depiction of our formative years...."

I nervously enrolled at the legendary Beverly Hills High School in September 1990—the same lousy year 90210 debuted on Fox. The primetime…

01/09/2024

If you haven't had a chance to read the critically acclaimed memoir "The Bastard," Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing is running a FREE promotion for the next five days only! Get your copy today and don't forget to leave a review for a chance to win an autographed copy!

The Bastard of Beverly Hills: A Memoir

12/07/2023

A secret adoption. Arranged by an infamous attorney for a celebrated composer. And hidden by TV's biggest stars.

Moscatel recalls living among the famous—and living with a secret—in this memoir. The author, a film director, presents an engaging and surprise-filled memoir of a man whose true identity was kept from him well into adulthood. The adopted son of Ray and Eleanor Moscatel, a Sephardic Jewish couple living in Beverly Hills, Moscatel was adopted after the tragic death of his parents’ natural son, Albert. Moscatel details how he had always been aware of the ambiguity of his origins (his parents at one point claimed was as a “test-tube baby”), and that it was only later in life that he found out the truth and began to heal from the psychological damage of his parents’ subterfuge.

On a lighter note, Moscatel has plenty to share about living in Beverly Hills among the famous, some of whom were friends and neighbors to the Moscatel family. He recounts his family’s close friendship with actor Michael Landon and his family, as well as various members of the Gilbert family, whose oldest daughter, actress Melissa Gilbert, was an adoptee like him. He includes accounts of encounters, both minor and serious, with celebrities ranging from Frank Sinatra to Tony Roma (the latter was briefly his mother’s husband).

The memoir is full of twists and turns—the surprise ending regarding Moscatel’s background also speaks to the stigma surrounding adoption that has only recently begun to abate. The author writes movingly of his parents’ own difficulties, displaying understanding and grace: “The emotional upheaval of a loss blurs a survivor’s memory. And their grief, from denial, to bouts of anger, guilt, bargaining, and ultimately acceptance, often ends with a little piece of them dying, too.” Moscatel does not offer the reader a pat happy ending, but his story reaches a satisfying resolution.

The Bastard of Beverly Hills

10/13/2023

Have you ever considered the possibility that everything you’ve been taught about yourself is a total fabrication — a well-intentioned lie orchestrated by those you dearly love to keep you safe or, perhaps, in the hopes you won’t run away from them? That surreal yet traumatic experience is more common than you may think. https://www.readersmagnet.club/the-bastard-of-beverly-hills/

Unveiling a Late-Discovery Adoption Journey: Deception, Identity, Forgiveness, and Hope in 'The Bastard of Beverly Hills.'

09/29/2023

Did adoption change your life or somebody you love? Then you gotta get your hands on the best-selling book Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews is raving about! An inspiring, true rollercoaster story about loss, faith and forgiveness that you won't want to put down. Get the book today for yourself or as the perfect gift for a friend you love at Amazon! https://a.co/d/6VANaKV

09/23/2023

Did you know that you can listen to most of the audio version of the critically acclaimed book, The Bastard of Beverly Hills, for free on YouTube! For a limited time, episodes from this epic story, lauded by Publisher's Weekly and Kirkus Reviews is available completely free. Check it out today!

That hideous beast. It murdered my best friend one New Year’s Eve, leaving his bruised, punctured co**se to rot all week on the floor of a Malibu drug den. H...

08/19/2023

Monsters have always captured our imagination. From ancient minotaurs and sea serpents to modern-day chupacabras, being terrified of a beastly creature consuming us is familiar to all cultures throughout the ages. They've been memorialized in literature and film, from Beowulf to Godzilla. But what are these monsters here for? If we turn enough pages studying them, we learn that they are outward manifestations of our darkest fears, and some might say the evil lurking within. They seem almost undefeatable, and unfortunately for some who suffer from severe addictions, for example, there seems like there's no hope of survival. After all, how do you defeat such a powerful force that feels bigger than you, stronger than you, and will not leave you alone? How do you slay the monster without dying yourself? Treat yourself or a friend to the free podcast below to see how to conquer the monster within.

That hideous beast. It murdered my best friend one New Year’s Eve, leaving his bruised, punctured co**se to rot all week on the floor of a Malibu drug den. He died steps from the same sandy beach where, as blood brothers with matching bowl cuts and our third-grade imaginations, we’d once frolick...

08/17/2023

That hideous beast. It murdered my best friend one New Year’s Eve, leaving his bruised, punctured co**se to rot all week on the floor of a Malibu drug den. He died steps from the same sandy beach where, as blood brothers with matching bowl cuts and our third-grade imaginations, we’d once frolicked morning to night, burying treasures at the foot of a rocky cove. The aroma of embers crackling in a nearby bonfire signaled it was time for supper. Now I’m haunted by a different scent. A stench, really. One that lingered like a fume well after Scotty’s interment. It was a day of reckoning, an unearthly event that, ever since, has served as a line of demarcation between the rebellious child I was and the man I’d have to become.... Listen to the new UNCENSORED podcast today on SPOTIFY by clicking below!

That hideous beast. It murdered my best friend one New Year’s Eve, leaving his bruised, punctured co**se to rot all week on the floor of a Malibu drug den. He died steps from the same sandy beach where, as blood brothers with matching bowl cuts and our third-grade imaginations, we’d once frolick...

08/16/2023

Who was your favorite teacher growing up? Did you love them or fear them and why? Mine looked like this guy below!

Mr. Hale was menacing—a carbon copy of boxer Muhammad Ali, with beefy forearms, scarred knuckles, and a perfectly cut Afro. Even his chubby cheeks looked mean. He sat the entire lecture, staring at us like plebs. We were terrified of this man.

08/03/2023

Did you know that March of 1783, as the American Revolutionary War dragged on and its outcome remained uncertain, George Washington felt compelled to deliver a speech before senior officers of the army?

His goal was to quell a mutiny brewing in the ranks and aimed at ousting Congress. There were rumors they might not follow through on promises made to soldiers for their wartime sacrifices. Washington's oration that day was effective and so moving that it reportedly brought many servicemen to tears. Had that passionate appeal been rejected, a breakdown in the chain of command would have led to a genuine insurrection and resulted in a British victory. And certainly, our United States would never have come into existence.

In March of 1783, as the American Revolutionary War dragged on and its outcome remained uncertain, George Washington felt compelled to deliver a speech before senior officers of the army. His goal was to quell a mutiny brewing in the ranks and aimed at ousting Congress. There were rumors they might....

07/26/2023

In 1977, his secret adoption was orchestrated by an infamous attorney for a celebrated film composer 🎼... This summer, read the true story that was never meant to be told and hidden by America's biggest stars... UNTIL NOW. BUY NOW ON AMAZON!👇

06/06/2023

It was supposed to be a secret adoption, arranged by LA’s most infamous attorney, for a celebrated film, composer, and kept hidden by TVs, biggest stars…. But then, the secret got out... get your copy of the number one Summer read, The B@stard of Beverly Hills https://a.co/d/0VJQTpk

05/30/2023

Die-hard fans of The Addams Family probably know that Vic Mizzy composed the show’s catchy theme song and directed the actors in its opening credits. But what you might not know is that Vic Mizzy had a secret grandson whose daughter gave him up for adoption with the aid of an infamous attorney.

Vic Mizzy of the Addams Family had a secret grandson whose daughter gave him up for adoption with the aid of infamous attorney Donald T. Sterling.

05/29/2023

Recipe For Disaster: The Year Chef Tony Roma Married My Mom

Recipe For Disaster: The Year Tony Roma Married My Mom. In The Bastard, I tell a story about the time my mother was married to restaurateur Tony Roma

05/29/2023

Who were Michael Landon's Secret Best Friends? Eleanor and Ray were the star's closest friends and confidants for nearly three decades. Their friendship was full of highs and lows, marked by a great tragedy, and it’s a fabled story that has never been told. Until now.

Actor Michael Landon, best known for his portrayal of Charles Ingalls on television’s Little House on the Prairie was my parent’s closest friend and confidant for nearly three decades. Their friendship was full of highs and lows, marked by a great tragedy, and it’s a fabled story that has neve...

04/29/2023

In the oldest house in Beverly Hills, there once lived a monster...

04/11/2023

The mysterious origin of Albert Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie.

What made my journey through the aftermath of Albert's tragedy surreal was that the character Albert Ingalls on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie was named after my brother.

04/06/2023

The romantic culture and whimsical history of the Sephardic community of Rhodes are explored in a new book, The Bastard of Beverly Hills.

I'm Askenazi and German by birth, but as a baby, I was adopted by a Sephardic family hailing from the Isle of Rhodes. They were, and remain, hot-blooded and whimsical.

03/13/2023

The Monterey Colonial that I grew up in, arguably the “oldest house in Beverly Hills,” is the spooky setting for my new memoir The Bastard of Beverly Hills. I can’t reveal too much about its storied history in this article since it plays such a big role in the book’s plot, but below is a trailer with a few glimpses into the home and some interesting facts about its famous previous owners that old Hollywood aficionados will love.

The Monterey Colonial that I grew up in, arguably the "oldest house in Beverly Hills," is the spooky setting for my new memoir from The Bastard of Beverly Hills. I can't reveal too much about its storied history in this article since it plays such a big role in the book's plot, but below is

03/12/2023

This Wednesday, catch a rare glimpse into what Publisher's Weekly is calling "engaging, authentic and entertaining" with a sneak peek at the explosive new memoir, "The Bastard of Beverly Hills," from JIA Publishing.
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In The Bastard of Beverly Hills, Rafael Moscatel shares the heartbreaking story of being given up for adoption by a renowned family of musicians, a decades-long odyssey to tear down the web of lies that kept him from uncovering their lurid past, and his inspiring journey back home— not to the fabled estate where he was raised but a place he could finally feel comfortable in his own skin.

This poignant and whimsical memoir begins in 1977, after an infamous lawyer buries the secret of Rafael’s origin, placing him with an eccentric, well-connected family from Beverly Hills. Worried he might find out and run away, his adopted mother convinces her friends, including television’s biggest star, Michael Landon, to help conceal the truth. But when Rafael begins to catch on to her lie, he’s discouraged from asking more questions. He bravely embarks on an impossible quest to discover what happened, only to find himself at the center of an old Hollywood scandal that was never meant to see the light of day.

An artful, empathetic, and moving account of a boy, then a man, trying to find himself, The Bastard of Beverly Hills reminds us of our spiritual strength. It is a testament to the power of hope, forgiveness, and redemption. In unmasking and facing the monsters that once haunted him, Rafael shows us it’s never too late to overcome abandonment, learn to forgive, and find the love we deserve.

In The Bastard of Beverly Hills, Rafael Moscatel shares the heartbreaking story of being given up for adoption by a renowned family of musicians, a decades-l...

03/12/2023

In The Bastard of Beverly Hills, Rafael Moscatel shares the heartbreaking story of being given up for adoption by a renowned family of musicians, a decades-long odyssey to tear down the web of lies designed to keep him from uncovering their lurid past, and his inspiring journey back home, not to the fabled estate where he was raised, but a place he could finally feel comfortable in his own skin. Sign up to watch the trailer by subscribing to my youtube channel. https://youtu.be/S7AlpJTI95c

02/14/2023

https://rafaelmoscatel.com/brother-joseph-rudyard-kipling/
The Man Who Would Be King: Rudyard Kipling, Freemasonry and the Perils of New Historicism

Freemasonry figures prominently in The Man Who Would Be King, although ultimately, Kipling, in revealing and exploiting Masonic rituals, proved he was likely unworthy of initiation into the craft to begin. Whereas Mozart, another artistic genius, leveraged his understanding of Masonry to enhance the...

01/16/2023

Alain Locke (1885-1954), an essayist, professor, and, notably, the first Black Rhodes Scholar, was an only child, born to a postman and a schoolteacher from Philadelphia almost twenty-one years after the American Civil War. His painful struggle with rheumatic fever at an early age saddled him with heart issues, a condition that kept him inside yet allowed him to nurture his love of reading, piano, and violin. Sadly, his father passed away when he was only six years old, forcing his mother to raise him alone. However, he didn’t allow those unfortunate events that shackle him, rather, he became an optimist, striving to advance important causes dear to him.

Alain Locke knew that self-realization and reliance were instrumental to the socioeconomic advances seen throughout the first half of the twentieth century.

01/12/2023

What ultimately drives and motivates Bob Dylan to compose and orchestrate such a variety of masterpieces decade after decade? How much of the bard’s genius and talent is a product of his anxiety and restlessness as an artist, and how much is rooted in his deeper search for meaning and spiritual fulfillment? We may never know exactly what drives this chameleon, who hasn’t stopped changing his colors since he stepped into the spotlight.

Over sixty years have passed since a young Robert Zimmerman began making his mark on history, poetics, and culture. Still, much of the inspiration behind his poignant contributions remains mysterious.

12/06/2022

There's been a resurgence of interest lately in Lady Margaret Cavendish's "The Description of A New World Called The Blazing World," a utopian novel from 1666, which some scholars have argued is a precursor to today's science fiction genre. But beyond her elaborate settings, motifs, and innovative narrative, it represents a counterpoint to the strict materialism presented in Hobbes's "Leviathan." He was reportedly Cavendish's tutor for a time, so it's not surprising she's able to dissect his treatise so skillfully. Read my thoughts on the dutchess and her masterpiece, and enjoy a link to the free book on tape below. .

Lady Margaret Cavendish's novel, The Description of A New World Called The Blazing World, published in 1666, has received renewed interest in recent years as feminist academics and woke literary crusaders obsessed with presentism struggle to revise every footnote of the Western canon. Their effort t...