It’s been a while since Patricia’s Pen had a Guest Feature so I’m delighted to welcome back lovely and talented author, Lisette Brodey. Lisette has recently launched a new book, Too Far Standing Still, which promises to be another fast-paced gripping read. Enough from me, it’s over to Lisette.

WHERE DID I GET MY INSPIRATION
Lisette Brodey

“Where did you get your inspiration for this book?” is a question most writers are asked, at least once if not multiple times during the span of their writing careers. For me, I’ve written fifteen books in multiple genres, and the answer to that question is vastly different for each book.

I can’t speak for other authors, but often, my inspiration is a tiny sliver of something that sparked my imagination. But what intrigues me most is always the characters. What would X person do in Y situation? Hmm. Maybe I should find out!

My last three books are all suspense/psychological dramas … a genre I’ve always wanted to write in … and finally have.

My newest book, Too Far Standing Still is the third book in my unofficial series of suspense novels set in New York City. Some of the characters cross over to other books, but each book stands alone.

The story of my latest came from a Word document on my computer filled with random ideas I’d typed out over the years. While struggling for a new plot, I found success in a fleeting thought from years ago.

What really fascinates me, though, is when I look back at my notes for developing a story. I don’t know about other writers, but I’m often stunned by how very different my books turn out to be, often not even resembling my initial idea.

So, for me, inspiration comes from a spark that is intriguing enough to put on paper and see where it leads. Too Far Standing Still took me to places I’d never imagined.

***

From the author of Twice a Broken Breath and What the Years Remember

How far would you go to realize your dreams?

Tilly Henley was raised in a life of privilege. The daughter of prominent, wealthy New Yorkers, she wants for little. In her late twenties, she marries attorney Jim McNaughton, and the two of them happily plan to start a family. But, for the first time in her life, Tilly learns that being born into money doesn’t guarantee you get everything you want. Far from it. Unable to conceive, and now, after years of failed IVF treatments, her dream of motherhood is slipping away—and so is her marriage.

Complicating matters, Tilly and Jim also covet the $50 million trust her grandfather left for his great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, Tilly’s father, who controls the money, has his reasons for wanting the trust to go only to biological Henleys, making adoption out of the question.

With time running out, desperation turns to recklessness. What begins as whispered “what ifs” spirals into dangerous games of deception, betrayal, and unfathomable choices that could destroy everything.

When the stakes are this high, how far is too far?

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About Lisette Brodey

Lisette Brodey is the multigenre author of fifteen books. She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, lived for ten years in New York City, and now resides in Los Angeles.
She has a background working in the entertainment industry in New York and Los Angeles. More recently, she spent a dozen years working as a SAG-AFTRA background actor in TV and film. An animal and nature lover, she spends her free time photographing wildlife … and yes, her pets.

LINKS
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Please join me in congratulating author Carmen Radtke on the launch of Heartbreak & Hexes (Book 3 of Willowmere Mysteries).

Love comes to Willowmere – and so does murder

Bex Merriweather is happy settling into both her newly single life and the job of mastering witchcraft in midlife.

While the rest of Willowmere goes starry-eyed over the return of famed matchmaker Valentina Swann, who’s planning to join two hearts in front of cameras, Bex is intent on staying out of it.

She has more than enough to do with running her lending library and cooking up magical concoctions under the critical watch of her opinionated cat familiar, Cosmo.

But when the spell wears off and Valentina’s happy ever afters turn into domestic strife, the novice witch suspects more than a few mismatched choices behind the trouble.

When the situation escalates into murder and someone close to Bex is a suspect, she and Cosmo have no other choice than to conjure a miracle and solve the crime.

Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries, magical mayhem, and heroines who believe it’s never too late for a new chapter—or a little witchcraft!

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Thank you to author Mary L Schmidt for such a wonderful surprise this morning with a fabulous review on her website for my new release The Girl in the Ticket Office Window.

Read the review HERE

Order your copy here

Please join me in congratulating my lovely friend and author, Joy Wood, on her latest book, A Family Affair. I love all of Joy’s books and can’t wait to get stuck into this one.

A Family Affair


Odele Gardia . . . married to wealthy businessman Howard, is the hard-nosed matriarch of the family and will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. She’s ruthless in the boardroom and not afraid to lean on adversaries.

Sebastian Gardia . . . Odele’s brother and business partner. His wife, Freya, reveals that she is pregnant with their first child.

Elliot . . . the prodigal son, is returning from America with his girlfriend, intending to propose to her.

Business is booming, her brother is going to become a father, and her son is coming home – it’s surely a time to celebrate. But Odele is hiding a huge secret and is constantly looking over her shoulder. If the secret came out, it would destroy the family.

Jimmy Alder . . . booted out of the police force, has been paid to spy on the family. The discovery he makes could have catastrophic consequences for them all.

A dysfunctional family, protectors of their power, wealth and each other, have no warning of the revelations about to erupt and the cost to their dynasty.

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An update on what’s been happening in my book world.

First off is the launch of my brand new book, The Girl in the Ticket Office Window, Book 1 of the Zara timeslip series. Thank you to everyone who’s ordered a copy or read on Kindle Unlimited. If you’ve read the book and enjoyed it, a review is always appreciated. It doesn’t have to be an essay. Brief works too.

If you’ve not ordered it yet and fancy finding out more, and/or ordering a copy, go HERE

Next up, I’m pleased to announce that I’ve got my rights back from the publisher for House of Grace trilogy, and to celebrate, Book 1, House of Grace, is up for free until Friday. If you’ve not read this trilogy then reading for FREE on kindle is a good time to introduce you to the Granville and Gilmore families.

Download HERE

Thank you to everyone who has read any of my books using Kindle Unlimited. I discovered a couple of nights ago that my books have just tipped over the million page reads. That might not be a lot for an author with a big publisher but for an independent author like myself, it’s huge. So thank you.

In other book news, I’m working hard on Book 2 of the Zara timeslip series, The Girl in the Attic Mirror, which will be ready for publication sometime in 2026, and while away on a recent trip with my writing buddy and editor, Maureen Cullen, a plot and title was formed for Book 3.

I’m also working on The Gymslip Bride, and I look forward to sharing more about this romance story with you all at a later date.

Poetry lovers haven’t been forgotten. The plan is to have a New and Selected Poems for early spring 2026. This will be published by The Hedgehog Poetry Press. Watch out for more news on this one.

And to finish off, the biggest news of all is that my new grandson was born at 6:50am this morning in France. We can’t wait to meet him.

Once again thank you for all your support in my writing career.

Please join me in congratulating my very good friend and author, Lynette Creswell, on the launch of Hoglets’ Great Egg Hunt. The third book in this wonderful series. It’s such a delight to have another book featuring the gorgeous hoglets, Prickles and Primrose.

The eggs are ready, but the Easter Bunny’s sick.

When the Easter Bunny catches a cold, the Egg Hunt is in jeopardy. Determined to save the day, two brave hoglets, Prickles and Primrose, team up with their friend Rosie Rabbit on a race against the clock to decorate and hide the eggs.

Can Prickles and Primrose save the hunt?

With mischievous Freddie Fox up to his old tricks and a secret helper working behind the scenes, surprises await at every turn. Through teamwork, kindness, and a sprinkle of wonder, the friends embark on an unforgettable adventure, ensuring the hunt remains as special as ever.

A delightful tale in the spirit of Peter Rabbit and The Gruffalo.

Available now – Paperback and Kindle – BUY

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I’m excited to announce that today, 10th November 2025, sees the release of The Girl in the Ticket Office Window, my first historical timeslip. I can’t wait to hear what my readers think about this one.

Girl misses train – catches a ride backwards in time

Journalist Zara Wiseman discovers an unexpected story for Feminine Smile Magazine when she finds herself transported back to 1910 and becomes Lady Rebecca. Initially the 24-year-old believes her quest is to save Rebecca from an arranged marriage to Sir Richard Cavendish but soon realises he’s not the true villain. As Zara unearths two deadly dark secrets, she fears Rebecca and Sir Richard’s lives could be in danger.

Torn between travelling back in time to save Rebecca and Richard and leaving her own life behind, Zara summons all her strength to fulfil her mission. With a dual timeline slipping between present day and 1910, Zara is caught in a love triangle with dishy boyfriend, Scott, and Sir Richard, the dashing and devoted gentleman.

Can Zara accomplish her mission?

Will she find her way back home?

Will she want to?

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The Girl in the Ticket Office Window

Patricia M Osborne

Chapter One

Strobe after strobe of blinding light seared through my eyelids then shattered into a thousand stars. I thought my head would burst. Stunned, I forced myself to reopen my eyes. What the…? My jeans and trench coat had gone. Instead, I was dressed in an emerald velvet gown to my ankles. Commuters carrying laptops had disappeared. In their place a few gentlemen in dark suits and bowler hats sauntered over to the platform, swinging large brollies at their sides. I stared up at the unfamiliar glass ceiling. What the hell had just happened?

I moved over to the ticket office window and peered at my reflection. A straw hat topped with flowers and feathers matching the cream lace bodice was positioned on my piled-up hair. No sign of the wheeled suitcase either. It was like I’d stepped inside someone’s dream. My pulse pounded. There had to be some kind of scientific explanation. I headed back out of the station hoping everything would be as usual but all was far from normal.

The road was empty with not a car in sight. I inhaled clean air. My stomach churned so I covered my mouth to stop throwing up. This couldn’t be real. My eyes shot to a little girl in a white smock dress and straw boater perched on a fence. She appeared mesmerised by two young lads in a scuffle. They wore grey tweed flat caps just like my great grandfather had owned. I was losing myself in a history book. I blinked back salty tears. If this was real, supposing I never got back to my own time? Mum and Dad couldn’t lose another child. And what would become of Chloe? My sister needed me.

The bridge ahead was blemish free and surrounded by greenery. As if in an early twentieth century movie, a gentleman in Edwardian dress promenaded out of The Fox Inn. His eyes lit up with recognition as he approached. ‘Good morning, Lady Rebecca.’ He doffed his bowler hat.

Lady Rebecca? Who the hell was I? My name was Zara. Once he’d passed me by I whispered, ‘Please God, if there is a god’ – I sobbed – ‘please help me.’

After stepping off the pavement I witnessed another blinding flash. Disoriented, I stepped back and tripped. A blue Volkswagen almost hit me. The woman driver hooted her horn and raised her fist shouting
abuse. The pedestrian man changed to green. As I hurried across the road my ankle boots felt huge on my feet; the court shoes had gone and so had the dress. I was wearing my own twenty-first century clothes and the suitcase rattled on wheels. The bridge was covered in grime and graffiti. The Fox Inn had disappeared and The Fox Revived had returned. Thank goodness I was back in 2023. I gave a sigh of relief. Had I gone through some kind of portal and then back out again?

My heart pulsated as I turned towards Bridge View Station. Avoiding the main entrance in case it sent me back, I slipped in through the side doorway.

***

Available to buy : Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback. Available from Amazon or order from bookstores. Also available from your local library. If they don’t have a copy, ask them to order it in. Quote ISBN number: 978-9957107-7-1.

Preorder Prices on Amazon Kindle will stay live at 99p/99c up to 8pm (UK time) 10th November 2025.

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Thanks goes to my wonderful friend, Maureen Cullen, for her brilliant editing. Sometimes I think she knows my characters better than I do! To Andy Keylock for the gorgeous cover. To all my beta readers. To my family and friends who’ve supported me throughout, and thank you to all of you too for being my readers.

Finally, if you do read the book and like it, a review is always welcome.

Welcome into the world to my first timeslip, but it won’t be the last. Book 2, The Girl in the Attic Mirror (possibly just a working title) is over two-thirds written.

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I’m delighted to welcome back author Rosemary Noble to Patricia’s Pen. This time it’s to celebrate the release of her latest novel, Isabella’s Curse.

About the book

Two women, two hundred years apart. Can a family curse be broken?

East Norfolk 2019
When Esther Mayhew is engaged to find provenance for art works in a Norfolk country house after the death of Sir Hugh, little does she know what mysteries and dangers lie before her. Why did Sir Hugh leave the estate to an obscure charity and not his grandson? Who was the enigmatic Spanish Lady in the portrait? Why does her curse resonate down the centuries?

Jamaica 1798
Isabella, a new bride, thinks her life is mapped out on her husband’s plantation. Newly pregnant, life is at last peaceful after fleeing uprisings on Hispaniola and losing her beloved mother. Surprisingly, her husband is called back by his father to Norfolk in England and Isabella’s nightmare begins. Trapped in an increasingly bitter family feud, Isabella desperately tries to find a way to escape before her husband can receive her inheritance and there is no longer any reason to keep her alive.

And here’s a taster!

Prologue

Easterton, Norfolk, December – 1799

Tom Woodman snapped the latch behind him while the brindle hound whined and scratched forlornly at the rough timber planks. Unhappy at his desertion, her whine turned to a yowl.

‘Hush Bess, I don’t want even you as a witness.’

His soothing voice calmed her, but she continued whimpering. No one would hear, no one would care. Tom shivered, the biting easterly wind coursing its way through the layers of his clothing, but it was not just the wind; his stomach churned as he considered the task ahead.

Pitch-black, save for the stub of candlelight behind the waxed paper window, he knew his way blindfold. He was born in the cottage twenty-five years before, if he was lucky, he would die there more than twenty years hence, and with a son to follow in his footsteps. With the coins now tucked in a leather bag deep in a hole scraped into the chimney breast, he could afford to court Alice Carter at last. The one good thing to come out of this. Who was he to say no to the master? Not this master at any rate. A chip off the old block, for sure, maybe worse. Time would tell.

He stiffened his back and strode across the yard to the woodshed where he had hidden the tiny pine coffin made the day before. His hands trembled as he lifted the lid, the body of the newborn failed to distress him so much this time. He understood the dilemma, the master would never have accepted a tainted child. It wasn’t up to such as he to question the whys and wherefores. The family at the big house could depend upon his silence.

Taking an acorn from his smock pocket, the gravedigger placed it in the babe’s mouth, dislodging the penny the midwife had placed there. She too no doubt had been proffered a bag of coins, one larger than his, before she scurried off back to Cromer. Far enough away from gossip. Poor mite, the babe had even been denied a shroud. Tom took a scrap of muslin from his pocket.

An owl hooted from the branch of a nearby oak. He took it as a sign.

‘Hear you this, little’un, one day, a great oak will honour you. I’ll keep it watered and tell my son to do the same, should it please God that I am so blessed. Them as live in the big house may forget, but not I. This I vow on my mother’s life.’

He smoothed the thin muslin around the baby’s body, tucking it in gently while reciting a brief prayer. The words came easily. How many times had he heard them as he hung back in the shadows waiting for the vicar and mourners to disappear? Tonight, he was both sole mourner and gravedigger. He took the lid and placed it over the coffin, a hole cut for a sapling to sprout above the babe’s mouth, then hammered in the nails lightly, enough to stop foxes.

Hoisting the tiny coffin in his arms, he walked back into the open where a sliver of sickle moon had resurfaced from behind a rain-laden cloud, picking out the ruins of the old church a few hundred yards in the distance. That afternoon he had hidden a shovel in the nave. The babe would lie in consecrated ground, the least he could do for the lad. In the distant future, he imagined visitors to the church marvelling at an oak tree growing amidst the ruins, a canopy of branches and leaves where the roof should be. Lovers would tryst there, maybe another babe would be made on a bed of its coppery autumn leaves. A child who would be loved and cherished and grow strong, not smothered then cast aside like a drowned kitten. The idea comforted his soul.

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