The sequel released March 2020: The Missing DriscollPeter Wells discovers an old portrait in a Washington, D.C. antique store that he believes has not only been painted by John Singer Sargent, but the Victorian lady's delicate features so intrigue him that he offers to buy it. The antique dealer refuses to sell the painting until it's authenticated. Thus, Peter begins a quest to learn more about this breathtaking beauty. Is this the face of someone he recognizes?SARGENT'S LADY is a story of love, sacrifice, and survival from the late 1800's - 1950's throughout the United States and Europe. After a clandestine love affair in Paris, Maud Driscoll, a Boston debutante, finds herself alone and pregnant, only to learn the baby's father has been murdered. As an aspiring young artist, Maud is forced by Victorian convention to relinquish her baby at birth. She continues studying and painting until the outbreak of the Great War when she returns to the United States. Several years later, Maud marries a prominent Boston scion but discovers her marriage a farce. Not wanting to face any public humiliation or gossip, she returns to Europe, this time to Italy. The subsequent years bring her worldwide fame through her artwork. She finds love and marries a baron. At the onset of WWII, the Nazis commandeer their home, destroying all the vineyards, and the winery. Maud and her husband, Giovanni, work as servants to survive the shattering onslaught. They stay alive, dreaming they can begin a new life in California. Post war, Maud's life takes a dramatic turn. She finds her son and discovers he married the daughter of her best friend. The families unite in love and in common interests as they plant vineyards, and build a winery. Will history repeat itself?
About the Author: Judith Fabris is a native Californian, product of an all-girl high school, graduate of San Jose State University with a B.S. degree and also holds a law degree. She grew up in Glendale and Pasadena, California. Her professional career was in the securities industry and since brokerage firms didn't send "girls" for training, she burned the midnight oil to study. When she originally received her brokerage license, she broke through the glass ceiling to become one of only 1,200 women in the United States to achieve that status. She passed and held all the necessary licenses to manage or own a brokerage firm. Along the way, she's been a managing editor of two magazines, a stringer for "Copley News Service" and an article writer and columnist for numerous magazines. She holds a lifetime California Junior College Teaching credential for personal finance and business law. She began writing in earnest to introduce and educate people about the world of finance. When she retired from her day job, writing became an all consuming passion. She knew she wanted to write fiction, thus began the journey to research and write and historical romance, "Sargent's Lady." In her spare time, she volunteers, something she's done all her life, with projects from the Junior League to PTA; from fundraising to live theater. She also served as a hospital lay chaplain. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, travel, a glass of good red wine, and most especially, the company of her wonderful family and friends.