“... in the end, stories are about one person saying to another: This is the way it feels to me. Can you understand what I’m saying? Does it feel this way to you?”
“Write what should not
be forgotten.”
Frannie James is finding her voice.
Her debut novel, The Sylvan Hotel, was released in Oct. 2025 by
Hinton Publishing, a Seattle indie press.
Informed by a collage of places, events, and people,
The Sylvan Hotel is a unique coming-of-age tale that also offers
a fresh look at early ’90s Seattle.
About Frannie James
Frannie James is an Emerald City native, and The Sylvan Hotel is informed by her own experiences in ‘90s Seattle. During that era, Frannie embarked on a coming-of-age chapter that ultimately became one of the most precious and formative times of her life. In recent years, she finally decided to “capture” what she could of that moment, writing her way back through a Seattle that no longer exists.
Outside of book world, this newbie author is a professional marketing creative who has spent 20+ years wrangling content and copy. Outside of 9 to 5 world, Frannie’s thinking about her next novel. She also enjoys cooking, gardening, thrifting, reading, films, photography … and being alive in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.
About The Sylvan Hotel
Welcome to The Sylvan, a small Seattle luxury hotel where polished mahogany walls keep secrets, rock stars slip by in low-lit spaces, and the switchboard crackles with drama.
Joann's working at reception but not planning to stay long; she's "just paying bills" while figuring out a career. Soon, however, the 23-year-old is swept away into a world aglow with love affairs, late-night confessions, and friendships forged in quiet spaces between phone calls and cigarette breaks.
Then there's him. One of Joann's favorite teammates is always looking out for her amid the ever-looming uncertainty. Something's happening between them—but do they really have a chance? Everyone's trying to get somewhere else.
Hilarity, joy, and angst ensue as the '90s continue to roll forward, sweeping all the Sylvans away as they navigate the swing shift ... and the bittersweet adventure that is growing up.
Witty, nostalgic, and filled with the electric hum of youth, The Sylvan Hotel is a love letter to Seattle's most storied chapter and honors the tender truth that some places—and some people—never really let us go.
Longlist
Grindstone International Novel Prize, 2021
Longlist
Page Turner Awards,
2023
Semi-finalist
Chanticleer International Book Awards, 2021
Semi-finalist
Eludia Award, Hidden River Arts, 2023
Finalist
American Writing Awards, 2022
Shortlist
The Letter Review,
2023
Accolades
The Sylvan Hotel, A Seattle Story
Reviews
The Sylvan Hotel, A Seattle Story
“… the author impressively illuminates one of the central conflicts of early adulthood: the draw of one’s cozy youth, set against the exciting promise of full-fledged adulthood … an emotionally intelligent novel.”
-Kirkus
“… much thought-provoking reading …
… a good book club assignment …
… for readers of women’s fiction to those who appreciate stories steeped in discovery and journey …
The Sylvan Hotel is a delight to absorb … highly recommended reading.”
-Midwest Book Review
“Set in the early 1990s, The Sylvan Hotel by Frannie James is a captivating whirlwind of drama that follows a recent college graduate as she navigates the ‘in-between’ state of her life. James also captures the emerald City at the precipice of its evolution from a ‘pretty pit stop’ with provincial sensibilities into a 21st-century metropolis …
Hums with the hotel’s energy and the lively characters who keep it running smoothly … a fun, exuberant story of a young woman forming transformational connections in the most transitional of places.”
-Shahina Piyarali, Seattle literary critic
& Chairperson of the Board, Hugo House
“I hold a strong affection for the Seattle of yesteryear … in the small, upstart, working-class city Seattle used to be. And that’s why I absolutely swooned over The Sylvan Hotel by Frannie James.
The Sylvan Hotel is unquestionably a love letter to Seattle. But, even more so, it is a love letter to young adulthood. A compassionate reflection on how hard it is to grow up, a reminder that we desperately need community, and a call to each of us to hold our former selves - those younger, wilder versions of ourselves - with compassion and grace. They didn’t do it perfectly, but they did their best and they got us here.
The Sylvan Hotel invites us to remember what it’s like on the cusp of being fully grown. To feel again the complicated tensions of young adulthood: grown up - but so much to learn. We tenderly walk with these young adults - and their city - as they grow, change, and struggle; as they stumble toward what’s next.”
-Marilee Jolin, Seattle editor & blogger
“Frannie James writes with striking authenticity … Every scene hums with sensory detail .... Her Seattle feels alive: nostalgic but not romanticized, familiar yet full of small surprises …
… Begins almost playfully, but slowly gathers emotional weight … unfolds patiently, favoring emotional realism over fast drama … The friendships feel lived-in, the romantic undercurrents are subtle but sincere, and the writing itself carries the soft ache of memory. Highly recommended for readers who love realistic, emotionally layered fiction.”
-Book Nerdection
From Frannie’s interview with 1889 Washington’s Magazine:
“I’ve always liked the coming-of-age genre; there’s such a good, brutal honesty to it. And coming of age in a city that’s also coming of age adds an interesting parallel—similar to my experience in ’90s Seattle—a personally epic crossroads that spanned from about 1991 to 1993. At that time, the Emerald City was like a magical incubator, overflowing with creativity and community … Yes, there were drugs; yes, we were still coming out of an economic slump. But somehow, the “magic” held its own during this wonderful, albeit fleeting, moment.”
“ … Fast-forward … and I noticed that ’90s Seattle continued to be portrayed through a pretty narrow lens. But if it’s ‘Seattle’s most storied era,’ shouldn’t there be more kinds of stories about it?”
“ … early ’90s Seattle … was … charged with possibility, art, connection. Most of all, it was still accessible and manageable for working-class folks … we were beautifully ‘on the brink’ … but it couldn’t last forever. And as we see with The Sylvan Hotel, sometimes, it’s just hard to say goodbye.”
Get in Touch
For book rights or publishing inquiries, please contact:
Marcus Harrison Green, Hinton Publishing
marcus@hintonpublishing.com
For all other inquiries, please use the form.
And follow Frannie on Instagram!
@fjamesseattle
