Most of the characters are real people from history. Although dialogue and motivation are made up and reflect the times they lived in, I did my best to represent people fairly. There’s no character assassination! However, I did create a fictional character to be a nemesis to my main character.

Joan Fernandez – 15 April 2025

The Back Flap

How did a failed belligerent Dutch painter become one of the greatest artists of our time?

In 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance—hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house to raise her infant son alone, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all, and so sink Vincent into obscurity.

Saving Vincent reveals there was more than one genius in the Van Gogh family.

About the book

What is the book about?

This is the story of the woman who would not let Van Gogh die—twice. Based on a true story, in 1891, timid Jo van Gogh Bonger lives safely in the background of her art dealer husband Theo’s passionate work to sell unknown artists, especially his ill-fated dead brother Vincent. When Theo dies unexpectedly, Jo’s brief happiness is shattered. Her inheritance—hundreds of unsold paintings by Vincent—is worthless. Pressured to move to her parents’ home, Jo defies tradition, opening a boarding house to raise her infant son alone, and choosing to promote Vincent’s art herself. But her ingenuity and persistence draw the powerful opposition of a Parisian art dealer who vows to stop her once and for all and so sink Vincent into obscurity.

How long did it take you to write it?

I began working on the novel in 2018 and it will publish on April 15, 2025, so seven years! Within that time, I deeply researched (including taking a trip to Europe to walk in both Jo and Vincent van Gogh’s footsteps), wrote, revised and edited a manuscript only to decide to start all over for it felt incomplete. So, in 2021 I began again, filling in gaps of missing research, revamping and completely rewriting the story. This version is tighter and truer to Jo’s real life.

Where did you get the idea from?

I first heard about Jo on a 2016 trip to Amsterdam with girlfriends when we visited the Van Gogh Museum. It was at the end of the exhibition that I read a note about Jo. It set me to wondering why there wasn’t wider recognition for her role in saving Vincent.

Are there any parts of the book where you struggled?

You mean, like the whole thing? LOL! In general, trying to pronounce and recall the names of Dutch art dealers and Dutch art institutions still make my brain stutter. I studied French and have learned Spanish since I married a Cuban but had never needed to pronounce so many Dutch words until this book. I’ve turned to YouTube a lot to learn the pronunciation.

What came easily?

Two things: Recognizing Jo’s intuitive marketing sense (since my professional career was in marketing) and identifying how she had to navigate a world dominated by men who didn’t want her there. I’ve had similar experiences since my career began in steel pipe distribution, electronics manufacturing and then moved into financial services. All spaces where patriarchal values are embedded.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Actually, it’s the opposite. Most of the characters are real people from history. Although dialogue and motivation are made up and reflect the times they lived in, I did my best to represent people fairly. There’s no character assassination! However, I did create a fictional character to be a nemesis to my main character. In real life, Jo did not have a singular enemy. So, I created one to represent the prevailing world view of a strident nationalism and rigid status quo that Jo came up against. This enemy is an elegant Parisian I named Georges Raulf. I grew fond of him even though I had to take him down!

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

There are so many! Louise Erdrich writes deeply lived characters. The last book I read of hers was The Sentence. The same with Barbara Kingsolver whose recent book, Demon Copperhead, totally captured the heartbreaking essence of a young man. Both of these extraordinary authors embed each sentence with time and place and history so much so that the characters get under my skin. I also appreciate Kristin Hannah’s works for she is crystal clear on setting up her main character’s yearning right at the get go, inevitably, I cry at the end of all her books even though I saw the set-up! Just brilliant.

Do you have a target reader?

Yes, I believe this is a woman’s book, so my reader is female. She’s 35 – 70. I know that’s a big expanse of years but what she has in common is wanting to make a difference in the world around her.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

Yes, my process is to get my butt-in-chair – lol! In truth, I’m a member of an Early Bird writing group in which we all join by Zoom, turn off our cameras and write for an hour or more. When I’m in the Midwest, I start at 7am, but when in Arizona, it can be as early as 5am. The group meets seven days a week, but I tend to join only on weekdays. My process is to start with deep character sketches. Although I’m itching to begin crafting plot, I need to know who my characters are inside and out.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

Yes, I’m big on creating an outline. I use a process called the Inside Outline, which was created by Jennie Nash, the founder of a book coaching credential firm Author Accelerator. It establishes both external plot as well as the character’s internal state as a result of the action, and then “Because of that”—what agency emerges next. The outline then is a skeleton. I don’t fill in the flesh of the scene—setting, descriptions, dialogue, etc. —until I’m writing it.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’re finished?

It’s a real temptation to go back to previous writing and edit. Sometimes I succumb to that, but I try to write forward as much as possible. The first milestone is always to get it all down. Then go back and look for holes, rewrite bad scenes, etc. because you know the north star you’ve pointed to.

Did you hire a professional editor?

Yes and yes—both a developmental editor to give me an overarching view of how the story is hanging together, and when it’s not. She helped me see when I’d left out critical chapters (like a funeral scene) and had mentioned behind-the-scenes characters that needed to be in-scene for the reader. After I made those rewrites, I hired a copy editor who looked much closer at the manuscript for inconsistencies, such as “Character A is standing but two paragraphs later he leans back in his chair” as well as helping with fact checking.

Do you listen to music when you write?

No, I don’t. I love to write outside where a distant lawn mower or birds twittering nearby won’t bother me, but, for me, music is a distraction.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

Yes, I submitted for about six months to fifty agents but didn’t get much interest. I had my query reviewed and edited by pros three times, but I couldn’t pique attention.

What made you decide to go indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher?

Time. I knew that if I was able to get agent representation that this was only the first step, for she would have to pitch to acquiring editors at publishers who, in turn, would need to pitch the story to the publisher’s sales and marketing team. Then, if it cleared this last group, the book would go into a production pipeline of about eighteen months. Even after that, most of the marketing would be up to me. So, I wanted to see if I could find a model where I’d have more control, and the book could get out more quickly. My indie publisher is a hybrid, She Writes Press, that has a rigorous submission process and a brand of creating beautiful books of high quality. I appreciate being accepted by them.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

It’s gorgeously and professionally designed through She Writes Press by art director Julie Metz.

Do you have a marketing plan for your book or are you just winging it?

Well, my professional career was in marketing so “marketing plan” is etched into my soul at this point! Yes, I have an embarrassingly crazy big google drive filled with lots of strategies and details.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming indie authors?

Yes, first: good for you! Lots of people say that they want to write a book, but most people don’t. Because of this, join an organization of like-minded authors. I’m a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association and it’s been a bedrock for me. There’s a spirit of pay-it-forward volunteerism and camaraderie in which authors of all experience levels (including the brand new) are welcome. Second, set up a routine and then add accountability by joining up with a writing buddy. You hold each other accountable for getting butt-in-chair at the cadence you commit to. Third, adopt an attitude of continuous learning. This is a craft like anything else done well. The beauty of writing a story is that you have something real to apply your learning in real time.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in rural southern Illinois near the campus of a private college where my dad was a professor. In hindsight, it was a unique combination of a farming community alongside a world of ideas far from home. I would leave Illinois for adventures in San Francisco and NYC before returning to the Midwest with my family.

Where do you live now?

My husband and I have a home in St. Louis, and a second one near grandkids in Sedona, Arizona.

What would you like readers to know about you?

There is no obstacle to shattering the beliefs that stand between you and your true potential.

What are you working on right now?

A short story to be included in an anthology about feisty women (of course!)

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Saving Vincent from Amazon US.