Amy Meyerson
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson
Author of The Water Lies
Heavily pregnant with her second child, Tessa Irons has enough on her mind without her toddler throwing tantrums at the local coffee shop. The boy is inconsolable, shouting “Gigi!” to a woman Tessa’s never seen before―and never will again. The next morning, the woman’s body is dredged up from the canal outside the Ironses’ posh Venice Beach home, and Tessa’s gut tells her it’s no coincidence.
Barb Geller refuses to believe that her daughter’s death was just some drunken accident. She heads to California for answers, where she crosses paths with Tessa. Together they hunt for the truth, certain they’ll find a connection between their children.
But the police don’t believe them. Tessa’s husband dismisses her worries as pregnancy jitters, and even though people are always watching along the canals, no one saw a thing. Tessa and Barb only have each other, their intuition, and the creeping sense of danger that grows with every shocking revelation.
Join us for an Evening with Amy Meyerson •
Join us for an Evening with Amy Meyerson •
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are so, so many. I have always loved Ann Patchett. Whenever I want to read great writing, I return to her. I love all her books, but State of Wonder is one I returned to while writing The Water Lies. Other favorite writers I love: Margaret Atwood, Jennifer Egan, Lisa Jewell--if I keep naming writers I love, we'll be here all day:)
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
The bath, with bubbles and maybe a glass of wine. But, I'll also settle for a heating pad on the couch with the record player going. I like to be cozy when I read. I like to create an atmosphere with limited distractions. I also love reading on airplanes, something currently unimaginable on flights with my three-year-old. On writing days (which is pretty much every day), I like to read before I start drafting. It gets me in the mode. But, I'm so pressed for time that I usually only get to read for about a half-hour. Reading on a plane, for hours on end, feels decadent.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I may be taking this too literally, but I think if I were stuck in an elevator, I'd want to be with someone resourceful like Sherlock Holmes. I think he'd figure out why we were stuck and how to get us out of there. But, if I had to be stuck in an elevator with someone without hope of getting out quickly, I think my current pick would be Bev from Amity Gage's latest novel, Heartwood. It was my favorite novel of 2025. Bev's a ranger (technically a game warden), who leads the search for a missing hiker on the Appalachian Trail. I'm deep into writing my next book, which features a park ranger, and I've loved getting to talk to a few rangers about their careers. It's a fascinating job. Amity Gage clearly did her homework for Heartwood, and Bev is so fully realized that I'd like to chat with her about her experiences off the page. I think she could tell me some pretty incredible search and rescue stories.
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I've always wanted to be a writer. I don't know how the idea was implanted in me, but as long as I can remember having goals, my primary one was to write a book. When I was a kid, I used to sit on my parents floor and write stories on their typewriter. I wish I still had them. Even though I've always wanted to be a writer, I didn't understand what that meant until I sold my first book. I was so singularly focused on trying to finish and publish a book that I hadn't really considered what comes after. The aftermath requires a lot more determination, discipline, and perseverance than I anticipated--you have to be constantly thinking about the next project, even as you're revising the current one. But, being a writer also involves so many unexpected joys. I've gained a new community. Of readers, of course, but also of friends. Writers are the most welcoming and supportive folks. And, in a career as solitary and idiosyncratic as writing, you need people who can commiserate and celebrate with you.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
These days, between having young children, a long commute, and bouts of insomnia, I am an audiobook girl. It's fundamentally changed the way I think about stories. It's taught me about pacing and the fundamental elements of a story. It's also helped me to hear other people's voices as I'm writing. So, I can channel a narrator and have more distance from my own words. If I'm not listening to an audiobook, I'm ideally reading a hardback, even though they aren't the best for carrying around, and I always like to have a book with me. Still, I like the weight of a hardback. I pretty much only read ebook of ARCs (advance readers copy), and I'm slow to read those because of it. I spend so much time on my computer that a screen doesn't feel like the right place for reading.
The last book I read:
Pinky Swear by Danielle Girard, which is coming out in February. This one, I was lucky to get as a physical ARC. It's about a woman, struggling with fertility, who agrees to have her best friend from childhood be her surrogate. Four days before her due date, the friend goes missing. I love books like this that have a simple yet highly original premise. It's a fun, wild ride that makes a great addition to what I call the "mom thrillers."
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I always draft on computers. The keyboard keeps better pace with my mind than my hand. While I write on computers, I do all of my editing on paper. I need to see the story on the page, to be able to literally cut and paste, to move parts around in front of me. I also am a big proponent of reverse outlining, which I do on a legal pad. I LOVE legal pads. Before I begin writing, I only have a very basic outline of a story. After I have a draft, I write an outline based on what actually surfaced on the page. It really helps me see how the story is unfolding, where it lags, where something happens in the wrong moment. Then, I'll input all my changes and do a final read on the computer for surface errors.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I don't think I'd want to be friends with my favorite characters, from contemporary or classic literature. I can't imagine being friends with Blythe Connor from The Push, one of my favorite contemporary novels, or Jo from Little Women. What draws me to characters is their messiness. I like flawed characters, but I don't think I'd want to spend much time with them.
Author Interview - Amy Meyerson | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Well, I'm also a professor, which is the perfect day job for a writer. You get to engage with young people about their ideas. You also have enough flexibility in your schedule to write. Lately, though, I've been thinking that if I wasn't a writer, I'd want to be a film editor. I was working on a novel about a documentarian filmmaker, which I think has been permanently abandoned. During the research stage, I spoke with some film editors. I hadn't realize how responsible they are for turning footage into stories. Editing is my favorite part of the writing process, and it seems like a more visual version of that.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I feel like styles are changing so quickly that every era seems to be in fashion these days. When I was in high school, I was obsessed with 60s fashion, early to late. I think the range there is still my favorite. I love flowy dresses but also mod style. Lately, I've been enjoying all the throwbacks to the 90s, since I spent the first two-thirds of my teenage years in that decade.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I've been pretty lucky to have travelled extensively. My mom is a travel agent, so my family always prioritized seeing and learning about the world. In the 90s, that job had some major perks. We'd have fruit baskets and upgrades waiting for us at hotels. Like everything, that's been scaled back, and I don't travel as much with my parents--or in general as I used to. Before the pandemic, my husband and I were plotting a trip to Portugal, which got waylaid by the pandemic and children. I still fantasize about going there. We will get to Portugal one of these years!
My signature drink:
I pretty much only drink water, wine, and coffee, but my favorite cocktail is the paper plane, which feels like a classic cocktail but was actually invented in 2008 in Chicago. It's named after an M.I.A song and is equal parts bourbon, aperol, amaro nonino, and lemon juice. I think you have to like bitter liquors, but to me, it's dangerously good. It's best really cold.
Favorite artist:
Georgia O'Keeffe. Probably not very original, but it's true! Actually, Ghost Ranch is a place I'd really like to visit, but given that I live on the west coast, this feels like an achievable travel goal. I just need to wait until my kids are either old enough to appreciate it or to leave behind.
Number one on my bucket list:
I don't know what it says about me, but I've never had a bucket list. I would really like to raft through the Grand Canyon. I'd also love to learn how to tile and do other handy things around the house. I've always been good at crafts--I used to make jewelry as a hobby--but I've never ventured into home improvements. If I found myself with time for a new hobby (ha!), I would learn some carpentry.
Anything else you'd like to add:
Just that I'm so excited for you to read my new book, The Water Lies. If you enjoy it, I'd love to hear from you!
Find more from the author:
https://www.instagram.com/amy.meyerson/
https://www.facebook.com/amymeyerson.author/
About Amy Meyerson:
Amy Meyerson
Amy Meyerson is the acclaimed author of the internationally bestselling The Bookshop of Yesterdays, The Imperfects, and The Love Scribe. Her books have been translated into eleven languages and are frequently chosen for best-of lists, including lists from Good Morning America, Publishers Weekly, The Christian Science Monitor, Library Journal, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Texas Library Association’s Lariat List, among others. Meyerson completed her graduate work in creative writing at the University of Southern California, where she now teaches in the writing department. Her new novel,› The Water Lies--her first work of psychological suspense--will be published on January 1, 2026 from Thomas & Mercer. Originally from Philadelphia, she currently lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and two children.
