The Black Velvet Coat: A Novel

Description

Twenty-eight-year-old struggling San Francisco artist Anne McFarland is determined to get a one-woman show, even though no one, including herself, believes she can do it. But when she buys a coat at a thrift shop with a key in its pocket, strange, even magical, occurrences begin to unfold, and she is inspired to create her best work ever. Fifty years earlier, it's 1963, and the coat's original owner, young heiress Sylvia Van Dam, is headed toward a disastrous marriage with a scoundrel. In a split-second reaction she does the unimaginable, which propels her on a trip of self-discovery to nature-filled Northern Arizona. When Anne and Sylvia's lives intersect, they are both forced to face their fears and, in the process, realize their true potential.

Jill G. Hall facilitates creativity groups for artists of all types and curates exhibitions at Inspirations Gallery, NTC at Liberty Station. Her poems have been published in A Year in Ink, Wild Women, Wild Voices, City Works Press, Serving House Journal, and The Avocet. She resides in San Diego. Learn more at www.jillghall.com.

2021 Next Generation Indie Awards Winner in Series (Fiction) 2021 CIBA Fiction Series Book Awards First Place Winner 2016 International Book Award Finalist, Best New Fiction "In Jill G. Hall's lovely debut novel, a vintage coat and the brass key discovered in its pocket provide the foundation for the alternating stories of two women from different eras. As we read, we follow Anne and Sylvia as they navigate love and loss, heartbreak, and triumph. The Black Velvet Coat is an absolute delight." -Midge Raymond, author of Forgetting English "Jill G. Hall creates a novel with two unforgettable characters whose lives, though generations apart, are inexplicably intertwined, which gives you the qualities you want in a great story-mystery, suspense, and romance." -Judy Reeves, author of Wild Women, Wild Voices "The Black Velvet Coat is a story about fate and friendship and love. These characters will break your heart in all the best ways." -T. Greenwood, author of Two Rivers, Bodies of Water, and The Forever Bridge "Jill G. Hall's book is a real page-turner! Artists everywhere will especially enjoy reading about the artistic process and the inspiration behind creating new work." -Jane LaFazio, mixed media artist and feature writer for Cloth, Paper, Scissors and Quilting Arts magazines "Readers looking for a simple story will find charming elements in this blend of mystery and historical fiction." -Library Journal "Spellbinding. Readers will feel they are watching an Alfred Hitchcock movie as they turn the pages of this vivid, fast-paced novel about how uncovering the past can lead to discovering oneself. You'll never look at vintage clothes quite the same way again." -Jennifer Coburn, author of We'll Always Have Paris