A few days after her mom, Lorraine Ormson, died in 2019 at the age of 98, Sue Patterson was sitting with her husband, James, when something "totally insignificant" came to mind.
Rather than moving on from the thought, Patterson, a Palm Beach resident and chairwoman of the town's Landmarks Preservation Commission, lingered on it.
Her mom, she realized, was no longer around to share her thoughts with, no matter how insignificant they were.
There were "so many things," she wanted to tell her mom, she told her husband, and it struck her that she no longer could.
Related:Embroiled in book-ban controversy, author James Patterson makes his home in Palm Beach
That feeling of loss inspired Patterson to begin work on her debut novel, "Things I Wish I Told My Mother," which will be released by publisher Little, Brown and Company, on Monday.
The book, which will be available online and in stores, was co-written with author Susan DiLallo.
James Patterson, a best-selling author who has written three children's books with his wife, also contributed to the novel.
"I did a little back and forth," he said of his role. "My biggest contribution probably was during the outline stage — just different thoughts. The little things. But it's mainly Sue and Susan, who's a good friend."
"Things I Wish I Told My Mother" was written as a tribute to the women's mothers, who both lived into their 90s, Sue Patterson said.
The book tells the story of a mother and daughter who learn how to listen to each other while on a spontaneous two-week trip to Paris and Norway.
The mother, Liz, is a physician and perfectionist who travels the world with a matched set of suitcases. Laurie, the daughter, is an artist who travels the world with a worn, beige duffel bag.
"They couldn't be more different," James Patterson said of the characters. "The mother is a doctor — very efficient, a little stern. And the daughter is an artist. They decide they're going to go to Europe and stop being mothers and daughters, and to be adults and friends. It doesn't work. It's sometimes comical, and sometimes it's tragic."
The book is fictional, but Patterson and DiLallo drew on elements of their own lives to shape the narrative.
Their goal was to tell a story about mothers and daughters and the experiences they shared and the lessons they learned while on a life-changing trip.
"We really had a good time doing it," Sue Patterson said of writing the book. "It was really fun. Susan had lost her mom not long before mine, and they were both in their 90s. At that time, during COVID, I had all her things to go through. It was a really nice thing to do, and it made me feel good about thinking back on the relationship. It was heartwarming."
The book will strike a chord with readers, James Patterson said, as it acknowledges that relationships between parent and child aren't always easy.
"There's something really special about mothers and daughters," he said. "A lot of times, it's very good, and a lot of times, it's not so good. Sue's book really captures it, and I can't imagine too many mothers or daughters who won't be satisfied with this book."
The book is the fourth for Patterson, but her first for adult readers.
It comes decades after she had first sought to write books, but was deterred from that goal when she was in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
"Ever since I was in college, I wanted to write children's books, and then I was dissuaded from doing that when I was in grad school," she said. "It's not easy to get a book published. So I went into advertising. Eventually, I did children's books, and I absolutely loved that experience. It really put everything together that I had in my background."
James Patterson said he was proud of his wife's work on the book, and he expected it to do well.
"This book is a really good idea," he said. "It's one of the better mother-daughter books, and it's going to do well because of that. It's going to be a best-seller, and that's not easy."
James and Sue Patterson will sign copies of the new book from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Graff store, 221 Worth Ave. The event will include a question-and-answer session with the authors. To register, contact rsvppb@graffusa.com.
Jodie Wagner is a journalist at thePalm Beach Daily News, part of theUSA TODAY Florida Network.You can reach heratjwagner@pbdailynews.com.Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
