Author Peter Gooch is a painter and former art professor whose short fiction appears in numerous literary magazines. Apprentice House Press published his debut novel SEREN in April 2025 and his second literary fiction release LIPS: Kiss The Lips That Lie in June 2025. You’ll find Peter on PeterGoochAuthor.com and Instagram, and his Amazon Author Page.
What is your elevator pitch for LIPS?
In a world defined by old money and calculated moves, LIPS uncovers the hidden currents of desire, secrets and vulnerability beneath the surface of privilege, where navigating relationships becomes a game of survival.
Share a little about your main characters. Why did you choose them to carry your story?
Selene Ormond, a British banker’s daughter, works as an au pair in a Midwestern university town. She came to the USA after college on a lark, but also to shed the burden of a careless sexual past involving a set of posh ex-pats from her school days. Davis Beckwith (DB), scion of old money, and heir to the family accounting firm, lives a life freighted by the expectations of others. When DB’s tendency to sexual voyeurism collides with Selene’s capricious exhibitionism, sparks fly. Both major characters are haunted by the past and by family secrets which shape their choices. LIPS is the story of their struggle to escape a destiny shaped by others.
In my mind, Selene and DB are the story. They embody fundamental dichotomies which propel the narrative: exhibitionist/voyeur; middle class/upper class; pan-sexual/straight are all contrasts that create literary friction. Also, both Selene and DB are characters surrounded by a Greek Chorus of friends and family, each of whom embodies the different ways the past can be a prison. Both primary players are haunted by their parents—DB’s father is a kind of ghost, and Selene’s father appears to her only in her dreams. Gillian, Selene’s friend and ex-lover, ties Selene to a lifestyle that she would sooner shed. DB’s only friend, Walter Blanchard, is a woebegone bachelor who shares DB’s desire for connection and permanence. Other ghosts of different sorts populate the main character’s histories and inform their choices going forward.
All of my characters are a composite sketch of people I’ve known closely over the years. Traits and habits of the fictional roles are drawn directly from observing life and listening to the tales of others. I try my best to write people who interest me, and who I wouldn’t mind spending time with in real life.
What sparked the story idea and how did the book come together after that?
LIPS is the distillation of a much longer, more disjointed story that I started working on more than a decade ago. Structurally, the original version was a compilation of vignettes—episodes if you will—without connective tissue. Many of the scenes focused on intense sexual obsession. Gradually the piece drifted more toward issues of caste and family history. Nowadays, when I look at the actual, physical book, I’m surprised it’s so long. I intended a much shorter novel, akin to Damage by Josephine Hart (177 pages) or Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill (224 pages). The fact that LIPS weighs in over 300 pages suggests to me that the narrative expanded well beyond the dyadic tale of a relationship.
One inciting element of the initial concept for LIPS was the familiar romantic trope of little white lies that lovers tell each other in the bedroom. These innocent fibs form the psychological grease of relations between the sexes. Generally, they go unremarked upon—almost nobody thinks they represent actual truth, but we keep whispering them into each other’s ears. Another analogous set of lies reside in the family myth, that is to say, the sustaining fictions families create to justify themselves over generations. There may be a litany of horrors buried in any given family tree, but those are often glossed over, denied, or ignored. Generational wealth gained through nefarious practices is one of the foundational realities of this country, and Western Civilization as a whole. DB’s family in particular, has a battalion of skeletons rattling around in the Davis family closet, that have been covered up through decades of wealth accumulation.
“Kiss the lips that lie,” the quote from George Sand can refer not only to deceptive spouses, but also family traditions that perpetuate a congratulatory image of ourselves.
What are your main settings? Why are they the perfect choice for your story world?
I chose the sleepy, college town of Ann Arbor, Michigan as the setting for LIPS because I was born and raised there; went to school there; and worked there for a while. Many of the locations in the book actually existed at one time or another. For example, Café Felix was a town staple for many years, and the kind of place DB and Walter Blanchard might have habited. I also felt the locale suited the tale because Ann Arbor is a magnet for intellectuals from all over—many from other countries. British ex-pats are not uncommon—either teaching at the University of Michigan or working in healthcare or scientific research. All the characters in LIPS are very much the kind of person you might meet in Ann Arbor. Plus, the quaint conformity of the Midwest allows the actions of the characters to stand in slightly higher relief than if the action took place in NYC.
DB’s family cottage on Lake Michigan actually exists and is very familiar to me. I made a few modifications for the book, but in general it’s a real place. I spent many happy hours in the house itself, and thought the setting might be appropriate for DB’s mother, Miss Addy. I also felt the proximity to the lakeshore provided a scenic frisson between elements—land, sea, and air.
What did you learn in writing/publishing the book that you can apply to future projects?
My biggest takeaway from LIPS was the necessity to face, acknowledge, and accept the process: write, revise, cut, revise, and cut. Cut until bone begins to show, then cut some more.
Why did you choose the title of the book?
The title LIPS came very early on. The George Sand quote from the subtitle is well known, and I liked the brevity and simplicity of a single word—LIPS which suggests whispers, kisses, and sex.
What was the most rewarding aspect of writing LIPS?
At the end of the process, I found myself most interested in the atmospherics of language, and the languid pace. I wanted the scenes to feel as if they were viewed through the clouded eye of a small, intimate camera.
Did you find it challenging to write from the point of view of a female character?
One of the early and ongoing aspects of writing LIPS was the variety of dissatisfactions coming from editors regarding the scope and agency of Selene. Much of the unhappiness people experienced was the result of projecting their own prejudices and ambitions onto a limited and purely fictional being. Criticisms ranged from her hypersexuality to wanting more about her dance studies. I took all comments to heart and examined them through the lens of artistic unity. Some wants were acted upon, some not. The breadth of human behavior and motivation is limitless. My major hope for Selene was that she be plausible, and a catalyst for reaction. As with the other characters, I had no desire to make her “likable” but rather interesting and disquieting. Like many addicts, she is at the mercy of her drug—which in this case is sex.
Do you prefer the creating or editing aspect of writing? How do you feel about research?
I love revising more than anything. I try to draw most elements in any book from my personal experience, but don’t mind researching when necessary.
What does a typical writing session look like for you?
I make up stuff in the morning and revise whenever I can.
What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on a sequel to my first novel SEREN—working title: AIX. The plot follows the main character, Fairchild Moss, and his girlfriend, Claudine Boatwright, as they resume their quest to find the elusive and deadly muse, Seren, in the south of France.
KL Wagoner loves creating worlds of fantasy and science fiction. Her current work in progress is The Last Bonekeeper fantasy trilogy and short stories in the same universe. A member of SouthWest Writers since 2006, Kat has worked as the organization’s secretary, newsletter editor, website manager, and author interview coordinator. Kat is also a veteran, a martial art student, and a grandmother. Visit her at klwagoner.com.
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