Author Spotlight: Amy Metz

Today I welcome Amy Metz back to Reade and Write! It’s been a while since she was last here (in fact, it’s been since 2016! Here’s the post.), but I’m thrilled that she has a new book coming out and I wanted to share it with everyone!

Congratulations on your latest release! Tell us a little about the book, Liars and Lunatics in Goose Pimple Junction.

Thank you! There are several liars in book five but the biggest is Virgil Pepper, a mayoral candidate who tries to woo Caledonia and every other woman in town. The reader finds out early in the book that he’s the murder victim, but the book goes back six months to tell what led up to his demise. There are a lot of suspects, a bunch of liars, and a few lunatics in the book.

People who have read the other four books in the Goose Pimple Junction series will know the stories are funny, smart, fantastic mysteries. For readers who aren’t familiar with the series, can you give a quick synopsis of each book?

Aww . . . thanks! Well, let’s see . . . Murder & Mayhem is about a 75-year-old cold case that newcomer, Tess, and her love interest, Jackson, attempt to solve.

Heroes & Hooligans features Lenny, a philanderer husband of Martha Maye. Following her divorce, she begins a budding romance with Johnny, the new police chief. Lenny and his brother are a couple of hooligans and Johnny is a hero.

Short & Tall Tales is a novella and short story compilation that gives some background information on some of the main characters.

And Rogues & Rascals is about two women—Caledonia, a Southern belle in a troubled marriage, and Wynona, a wannabe assassin—who prove that you can’t keep a strong woman down.

Pick one character from Liars and Lunatics and tell us more about him or her—preferably something that’s not in the book!

Virgil Pepper is based on a liar and a lunatic I knew in my personal life. There really are narcissists like Virgil in the real world, and I got quite an education and a lot of material from one in particular, much like Caledonia does in the book. Ironically, he used to tell me I should kill off my next fictional murder victim with a tennis racket. I took too much pleasure in doing just that to Virgil.

What was the hardest thing about writing Liars and Lunatics in Goose Pimple Junction?

The middle part. I didn’t have trouble with the beginning and ending, but I was stuck for a long time on the middle. And often, once the middle part is resolved, it changes the beginning or ending. I listen to my characters’ voices in my head and try to stay out of their way.

Is Goose Pimple Junction based on a real place? If so, tell us about it. Did you stick close to the original in the story? Have you made changes to fit your story?

The town of Goose Pimple Junction in my head is loosely based on a small town in Alabama and the town of Stars Hollow in Gilmore Girls. I’ve tried to stick to the original, but in this last book, I expanded the scope to a side street. Up until book five, most of the action has taken place on Main Street or in a neighborhood or the outskirts of town. I had fun adding Honeysuckle Street and the shops on that street in Liars & Lunatics.

What’s next for you?

Good question. I’m trying to decide whether to continue this series or do something new. While I’m deciding that, I think I’ll get back to work on a thriller I started several years ago called Wax Man.

What’s your favorite way to promote your books?

Blogs like yours! I’m very thankful for you giving me the opportunity. I just wish more book blogs would help out indie authors.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

I like the second round of writing when I have the base of the story down and I can go back and add dialogue and details. My least favorite is that darn middle part of the story. I always have trouble with that. How much detail do I include? Which scenes will be entertaining but also advance the story? Which ones are unnecessary and I should delete? How do the characters go about discovering the identity of the killer? What sideline stories will add to the book? And often the question ‘What do the characters want to happen next?’ is the hardest thing to flesh out.

 

Your covers are some of my favorites. I love the artwork. Can you tell us a little about the artist and how you came to choose that particular person?

Thank you! All five books are done by different artists. I commissioned Karen Mathison Schmidt for book one, and with just a little description from me, she nailed the Goose Pimple Junction in my mind.

For the second book, I wanted a Southern house for the cover, and I went searching online. John Charles Gibbs’ “Southern Home” was the exact house I had in my mind.

For book three, I found a painting of Ezzie, the basset hound in all five books, on Etsy by Anne Rackley Berenbrok.

I discovered the painting “Rainy Day” by “Emerico” Imre Tóth online and liked it so much I not only asked to use it on the cover, I incorporated it into a scene in the book.

And for book 5, I found artist Tamara Višković on Fiverr.

Now for some fun rapid-fire questions:

Coffee, tea, or some other beverage? Sweet tea with lemon.

Early bird, night owl, or something in between? Usually night owl.

Snacks: sweet or salty? Definitely sweet.

Favorite season? Fall.

Favorite color? Coral.

Thanks so much, Amy! You’re a peach.

And thank you, Amy, for being my guest today! Best wishes on the new release. I’ve got my copy!

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LIARS & LUNATICS IN GOOSE PIMPLE JUNCTION

It’s election season, and there’s a new candidate in town. Virgil Pepper is determined

to take the job from Goose Pimple Junction’s long-time mayor. Virgil is a charming and

charismatic candidate but someone who will say anything (and mean none of it)

to get what he wants. Three things top his list: to become mayor, to acquire Jackson

Wright’s land, and to make Caledonia Culpepper one of his many conquests.

 

Wynona Baxter is back, and she’s a new woman. Now Daisy has a new identity, new life,

and new business-ironically named Killer Cupcakes. But the town soon finds out that

isn’t the only kind of killer in town. Book five of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series

combines political hijinks, delicious cupcakes, Goose Juice moonshine, the ups and downs

of finding true love, and, of course, murder.

 

It is said that “It’s a basic truth of the human condition that everybody lies. The only

variable is about what.” Lying in politics, lying for personal and professional gain,

lying about an identity . . . What are the folks of Goose Pimple Junction willing to

lie for . . . and what are they willing to die for?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WMZV27F

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About the author:

Amy Metz is the author of the Goose Pimple Junction mystery series. She is a former first grade teacher and the mother of two grown sons. When not writing, enjoying her family, or surfing Pinterest and Facebook, Amy can usually be found with a mixing spoon, camera, or book in one hand and a glass of sweet tea in the other. Amy loves unique Southern phrases, cupcakes, and a good mystery. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky. Find out more at https://www.authoramymetz.com/

Connect with Amy here:

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Amazon

Until next time,

Amy