Dear Friendly Readers,

I always anticipate a relaxing summer when I leave Key West, and does that ever happen? Not a chance! John and I took a breathtaking trip to Scandinavia in June, whizzing through Copenhagen, Oslo, across the gorgeous mountains and fjords to Bergen, up to the Lofoten islands, and ending in Stockholm. We marveled at how well the people speak English, their magnificent scenery, and the food, of course! I am now on a quest for the perfect Scandinavian cinnamon bun recipe. (I did the work for you and tried a lot of them…)

Here’s where we imagined Hayley Snow might live if she were Swedish...

We also visited many museums, but this had to be my favorite—ABBA! The costumes and music were astonishing, and it was very interactive, including an opportunity at the end to design your own touring poster…here’s mine…

But did I write? Of course not. So I’m in a bit of a panic to wrap up Key West food critic #15, while also getting ready to launch LUCY BURDETTE’S KITCHEN and A POISONOUS PALATE. I am thrilled with this recent review from Kirkus: “A fascinating mix of Hemingway lore, flashbacks to the 1970s, and appended recipes.” You can read the whole review here.

And the grandkids are visiting so of course spending time with them takes precedence over everything else!

I’ll leave you with a couple of links, a snippet from Key West #15 on Jungle Red Writers, and a round-up of summer salad recipes on Mystery Lovers Kitchen.

Enjoy your summer—here’s hoping it’s full of good company, good food, and great books.

Love, Lucy

PS: Mark your calendars for a few events coming up this summer. August 8 at RJ Julia’s in Madison CT with Sarah Stewart Taylor, August 13 at 6:30 at An Unlikely Story in Plainville MA with Hank Phillippi Ryan and Sarah, and September 12 at the Italian Club in Stamford CT with Elise Hart Kipness. (Apparently I only powwow with authors who have 3 names!)

Do you have a reading friend who might enjoy Lucy’s books? You can forward the newsletter below.