Q&A with Phaedra Patrick

 

Photo by Samral Photography

 

 

Phaedra Patrick is the author of the new novel The Time Hop Coffee Shop. Her other books include The Messy Lives of Book People. She lives in Saddleworth, UK. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Time Hop Coffee Shop, and how did you create your character Greta?

 

A: I’d always wanted to write a book about a family who were once famous for their coffee commercials. I’m not quite sure where the idea originally came from, but it’s one I’ve had for a long time.

 

I’m fascinated by actors or pop stars who were once in the public eye and what happens to them when the spotlight fades. People still recognise them, but they have to return to and adjust to living a “normal” life.

 

This concept sparked my idea for my character Greta Perks. Once the quintessential wife and mum, starring in the iconic Maple Gold coffee commercials on TV, that glamorous side of her life has evaporated.

 

She’s separated from her husband, Jim, who once starred alongside her, and their adorable toddler daughter is now an opinionated teenager. Greta looks back and longs for the approval and adulation that fame once gave her.

 

Exploring this tension—between the perfect persona she projected, and the person she is now—helped me to shape Greta as a very ordinary, flawed human, almost grieving for the “perfect” version of herself.

 

Q: In the book's Author’s Note, you write, “This story marks a bit of a pivot from my previous feel-good novels…” Can you say more about that?

 

A: My seven previous novels have been uplifting, feel-good, book-club-style fiction, whereas The Time Hop Coffee Shop steps into magical-realism territory. There’s always been a touch of fairy-tale charm in my writing, and this story allowed me to lean further into that, into a genre I’d never fully explored before.

 

It took me a while to relax into it and to start conjuring up an alternate world for Greta. Her longing for the perfect life she used to enjoy in the past begins when she stumbles across a mysterious coffee shop.

 

There, she discovers that drinking a cup of magical coffee transports her into the glossy, idyllic town of Mapleville—the make-believe place from the adverts she once starred in, now brought to life.

 

Q: How did you create the world of Mapleville?

 

A: When creating Mapleville, I imagined those classic coffee commercials from decades past, where the women wore elegant suits and pearls, and called everyone “darling.” The men were handsome, in suits and with slicked-back hair.

 

Everything was immaculate, with the sun shining, white picket fences, pristine gardens, no litter in sight, and a sense that everyone was fulfilled. In that world, a cup of coffee could seemingly fix anything. That polished, slightly surreal aesthetic became the foundation for Mapleville.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: I hope the story gives readers plenty to think and talk about—especially in book clubs. Many of us wish for change, or for things to have turned out differently. However, if you could actually drink a magical cup of coffee and transform your life into something “perfect,” would you truly want to live that life?

 

That’s the dilemma Greta faces as she slips between her real life and the seemingly perfect world of Mapleville. The heart of the story is her journey toward recognising what she truly wants—and deciding which life she will ultimately choose.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: The Time Hop Coffee Shop is my eighth novel, and I’ve just begun writing my ninth. I can’t say too much about it yet, but I always gravitate toward subjects that mean something to me, such as libraries, charm bracelets, hotels, and gemstones.

 

Book Nine follows that same path of writing about something I love. I also enjoy exploring families, dynamics, relationships, legacies, and weaving in mystery and intrigue. My new novel will bring all those elements together, and I’m thoroughly enjoying diving into it.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The Time Hop Coffee Shop is my first book with beautiful sprayed edges and gold lettering. I hadn’t encountered sprayed edges before, so it was incredibly exciting when my editor, Erika, told me it would have these special details.

 

It feels like a very special edition—perfect for gifting to yourself or the book lovers in your life. The cover reflects the enchantment of the story inside.

 

And finally, I just want to say a big thank you to readers, bloggers, librarians, and booksellers everywhere for supporting and championing my books. I wouldn’t be here without you.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Phaedra Patrick.