Hey there, book lovers! Welcome back to Jen's Jewels, where we chat with the authors behind your soon-to-be favorite reads. This week, I'm thrilled to introduce you to Jennifer Gooch Hummer, whose new novel dives into the captivating world of art forgery and high-stakes heists. Jennifer's got some fascinating insights into the art scene, family dynamics, and the blurred lines of morality that'll have you itching to pick up her book. So grab your favorite drink, get comfy, and let's dive into our conversation with this talented author who's about to take you on a colorful adventure through New York's art world!
Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to write a story about art forgery and heists?
Jennifer Gooch Hummer: First, thank you so much for having me on Fresh Fiction!
I have been obsessed with art crime for the past few years. During the pandemic, I took a class at Sotheby’s (on-line) about art crime and one of the greatest art forgers in the world (John Myatt) came in as a guest speaker. Not only is his story amazing, his paintings are absolutely stunning and some of his “fakes” are still hanging in museums all over the world, with no one the wiser. After reading every book on art crime that I could find, I learned that some forgers are motivated by money, while others are motivated by revenge, and still others fall into this world unknowingly and dare I say, innocently. For Veridian’s character, I combined all three scenarios.
Jen: The art world can be quite complex. Are there any aspects that might surprise readers as they follow Veridian's journey?
Jennifer: Like any subjective business, the fine arts world can be brutal. Every artist of every discipline lives with various states of rejection every single day. What surprised me about Veridian’s journey into the world of art crime is how morally ambiguous she becomes. She is so desperate to prove her talent to the arbiters of the fine arts community, she decides to paint fakes. Sure, she has other reasons as well (I don’t want to spoil it!) but it also feels very great to be recognized and seen as the genius painter that she is. I hope that my readers will be surprised by how easy it is to make the wrong moral decisions when trying to save someone they love.
Jen: How did your own experiences or knowledge of the art world influence the development of Veridian's character?
Jennifer: Actually, I think it’s my experience as an author that has influenced Veridian’s character the most. I’ve been Veridian. The publishing world is just as brutal as the art world and the constant rejections can either sink you or keep you motivated to prove all those who passed on your work wrong. I felt so much for Veridian when she was showing her work to gallerists and assistants who you just knew had already rejected her before they'd even seen her work. Like writing, success in the arts relies on timing and luck just as much as it does talent. For some fortunate few, there might be immediate success, but for others, it comes down to never ever ever quitting. Despite her “grey-area” actions, Veri figures out a way to get her first professional show in New York City because she does not give up.
Jen: Can you tell us about your research process for the technical aspects of art forgery and the New York gallery scene?
Jennifer: I read every book about art crime that I could find. Noah Charney has written many books about art crime and my favorite is: The Art of Forgery: The Minds, Motives and Methods of Master Forgers. Plus, he is so nice! I emailed him out of the blue to ask if he would give me a blurb for the book, and knock me over with a feather, he gave me one!
There are some other excellent authors who write about art crime as well. Tony Tetro’s book, Con/Artist: The Life and Crimes of the World's Greatest Art Forger gives insight into his technique as a forger, which was invaluable information for me.
I have also researched art conservation and restoration. Sometimes it’s a fine line between restoring a painting and forging a painting. This has been a conundrum for Old Master Artists who had apprentices work for them in their studios. In the mid 1400s, a fifteen-year-old Leonardo Da Vinci was an apprentice for Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence, one of the most renowned artists of the time. Despite the painting being attributed to Verrocchio, Leonardo da Vinci’s “brush strokes” can be found in Verrocchio’s masterpiece, Baptism of Christ (1472-1475). Specifically, da Vinci painted the angel on the left side of the picture.
Jen: Are there any specific locations in New York that play a significant role in the story, and why did you choose them?
Jennifer: While there are some galleries that I made up (The Hattfield Gallery, 529 Gallery), the museums that Veri visits are real. Veri visits The Frick with Charles Winthrop to see a Klimt that goes up for auction. She also visits to the Met to see a Rembrandt. Charles and Veri take a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, where Veri gets a quick tour of the greatest art heist in history. (13 pieces were stolen, none have been returned.) Veri also visits the Guggenheim with Charles to see a Dufy. And of course, Veri attends an auction at Sotheby’s. I chose to have Veri live in Hoboken because I wanted her to be on the outskirts of New York City, symbolic of the way she feels as an outcast in the art world. Also, Caroline Leavitt (Days of Wonder, Algonquin) is my mentor and friend, and she lives there.
Jen: The relationship between Veridian and her mother is central to the story. How did you approach writing this dynamic?
Jennifer: I have three daughters! So this relationship came very naturally to me. My husband is a sports broadcaster, so he travels a lot, and I was lucky enough to stay home with my girls when they were younger. They are all in their twenties now and I still see them almost every day. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for my girls, and it was easy to portray Belinda feeling the same way with Veri. Plus, I love Gen Z’s sense of humor, which I tried to capture in Veri and Allison.
Jen: The story touches on themes of ambition, family, and ethics. What do you hope readers take away from this book?
Jennifer: I hope that my readers will feel some empathy for Veri and the choices she makes. In my next book in the series, Veri is faced with more dilemmas that will test her moral character. Veri is an ambitious young woman. Veri will also bend the rules to get what she wants, especially if it means protecting her mother. I would wager some of my readers might do the same. I know I would.
Jen: If your novel were to be adapted for screen, do you have any dream casting ideas for Veridian or other key characters?
Jennifer: I have given my film agent a list of 10 actresses that I think would be perfect to play Veri. Top of my list is Maude Apatow. Charles Winthrop reminds me of a younger Pierce Brosnan. And as for Tate, my dream actor would be Rege-Jean Page, or a younger version of him.
Jen: What’s the best way for readers to stay connected with you?
Jennifer: On my website I have all my socials listed.
Jen: What’s on your summer TBR stack? How does your reading change (if at all) while writing?
Jennifer: Along with millions of readers, I’ve discovered romantasy! Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarrow started my new TBR stack. Carissa Broadbent and Clare Sager and Stacia Stark are my new favorite authors in this genre. Really impressive writing made even more so because I believe they all started out as self-published. Such inspiration! When I’m writing (which is always) I prefer reading in genres that I (probably) won’t write.
Jen: Thank you for chatting with us about your exciting new novel and sharing insights into Veridian's colorful adventure in the art world. We wish you a wonderful summer filled with inspiration for your next project and hope you enjoy some relaxation between your book tour events.
Jennifer: Thank you so much for having me. Have a great summer!
In this colorful and humorous tale, a hopeful young painter finds herself embroiled in the world of art heists…and possibly responsible for the counterfeits needed to cover them up.
Freshly graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design, Veridian Sterling is ready to hang her work in any of the countless New York galleries that are sure to give her a show. The problem is only one will, and they’re not interested in her art so much as her personal assistant skills.
No glitz, no glam, and definitely none of the money she needs to help her struggling mother finally realize her dream of starting her own business after having sacrificed everything for Veri to go to art school. So when she overhears her new boss discussing the impressive finder’s fee for a lost van Gogh, Veri takes matters into her own hands. Maybe her own artwork isn’t celebrated, but she knows how to copy what is, and maybe those skills can help lead to a discovery.
But when a famous art dealer takes her under his wing (and his charming driver takes her interest), Veri realizes she’s in deeper than she expected, and quite possibly with the wrong people. With her mother’s dreams and her own future at stake, Veri will have to pull out every trick she can think of to wipe her canvas clean and erase the mess she’s created before she goes down for someone else’s crimes.
Women's Fiction [Lake Union Publishing, On Sale: July 1, 2024, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781662518997 / ]
Jennifer Gooch Hummer is the award-winning author and screenwriter for her debut novel, Girl Unmoored. Her forthcoming novel, Veridian Sterling Fakes It (Lake Union) will be published July 2024. She is also the author of Operation Tenley, a Kirkus Best Book of 2017. Raised in Boston, Jennifer graduated from Kenyon College with a B.A. in English and moved to Los Angeles where she read scripts for major talent agencies and production companies. Jennifer currently lives in Southern California with her whistling husband, three daughters, and two slightly neurotic dogs.
Jennifer Vido writes sweet romances set in the Lowcountry filled with southern charm and hospitality. In between chapters, she interviews authors for her bi-weekly Jen’s Jewels column on FreshFiction.com. Most mornings, she teaches an arthritis-friendly water exercise class for seniors before heading to the office to serve as the executive director of a legal non-profit. A New Jersey native, she currently lives in Maryland with her husband and two rescue dogs and is the proud parent of two sons who miss her home-cooked meals. To learn more, please visit her website.
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