Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Lucy Burdette Launches FATAL RESERVATIONS


HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: We love it that you share these moments with us.  Here at Jungle Red, there's a special reverence for days like today. Launch day. The day the rest of the world gets to read what we've created, agonized over, celebrated, wondered about, embraced--the book that's the very very best writing we can do. The book we offer you, our readers, saying--"Hey, this is a good story! And I am crossing fingers you love it, too. And I gave it everything I had!"

So today is the big day for our darling Lucy Burdette and her brand new fabulous FATAL RESERVATIONS! We are cheering, we are crying with joy, we are celebrating.  We are so  thrilled--and here she is to tell all--with a message especially for you. (And then, Jungle Red is offering a special prize!)


LUCY BURDETTE: A few weeks ago, I had lunch and went walking with a dear friend whom I hadn't seen in a while. She remarked how much my life has changed since we first met–back when I was a psychologist and an avid tennis player. And well before writing fiction was even a glimmer in my eye…

And she's right, my life has changed. It is rich with writing friends who console me on the agonies of the business and celebrate the ecstasies. And it's rich with people I’ve never met who read my books and are kind enough to write about their reactions. And rich with my new friends in Key West, both real and imaginary. My neighbor describes this series as a love letter to the island. And she's right, too!

So on the birthday of the sixth book in the Key West series, the most important thing I want to say is THANK YOU! From the bottom of my heart, thanks to every single friend, reader, librarian, writer, bookseller!

On to the events of the day: FATAL RESERVATIONS, the sixth book in the Key West series is in bookstores today. You heard during our last “What We’re Writing” week that Hayley Snow’s great friend Lorenzo has been accused of murder. Then he disappears, leaving his new kitten with Hayley and Miss Gloria. And that only makes him look more guilty. So Hayley plunges in, trying to discover the secret he’s hiding.

You know by now that I can’t seem to help weaving real details into my stories. I’ll tell you about a few…

While I was writing this book, I saw this tattooed on a young man's arm in the Miami airport: I used to disregard regret, but there are some things I can't forget. I was so taken by the words, I had to ask him about it. He said it was a line from a song. 


Of course I Googled it when I got home, and learned it’s from a song called NO WORDS, written and performed by MAKE DO AND MEND, a band I'd never heard of. I wrote the songwriter for permission to use that line and it’s become one of my Favorite Clues Ever.






photo by Carol Tedesco
And there was the matter of the cemetery burglar in Key West. Over the period of a year or more, again while I was writing this book, a series of unsolved, nighttime burglaries plagued the town, scaring the residents who lived in homes around the cemetery and baffling the police. The cemetery is a beautiful, spooky, historic place—a perfect mystery setting. I decided that Hayley’s houseboat-mate, Miss Gloria, would take a job as a cemetery tour guide so that she and Hayley would have reason to visit more than once. And that way I was able to echo the real suspense of the cemetery burglar in my fictional mystery. 


And the food…yellow cake with raspberry cream cheese frosting, blue cornmeal pancakes, walnut-spinach pesto, nocciolato fudge...it's a good thing I don't gain weight just by writing about these things. (Nor will you gain by reading!)

And finally, I can’t help leaving you with one of my favorite cameo characters, Snorkel the Pig. I love this guy--he's one of the street performers at Mallory Square. Here he is, performing in his full glory! He doesn't do much more than this in the story, but really, should he have to?





Thanks again to each and every one of you! FATAL RESERVATIONS can be found wherever books are sold!


HANK: Want to win a book?  Just comment and say: I want Fatal Reservations!  and…well, you'll have to take care of that yourself. But one lucky winner will win any other Jungle Red authors' book of choice. Any of our books, you name it. Even the ARC of WHAT YOU SEE.  Let's celebrate Lucy and FATAL RESERVATIONS!

57 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Happy Book Birthday, Lucy!

    I definitely want "Fatal Reservations" . . . can't wait to read the rest of Lorenzo's story and see how the line from the song fits in and those cemetery robberies . . . thanks for sharing all those delightful stories and telling us how they became part of Hayley's newest adventure.

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  3. I can tell everyone right now that you are going to love Fatal Reservations! Lucy has created such wonderful characters in this series, and it's set in Key West, For Goodness Sake (a play on words of the new restaurant Haley reviews). I was lucky to receive a copy in advance, and it was such fun reading. Lucy, you continue to bring Key West alive for your readers, and I thought the story revolving around the Sunset Celebration performers, especially Lorenzo, was brilliant. Because of your friendship and Haley's friendship with him, I was brave enough to have Lorenzo do a tarot reading for me during my last trip to Key West.

    I have featured your book with my review on my blog posting of yesterday, which is all about sizzling summer reads. My review is also on Goodreads and getting posted to Amazon and Barnes & Noble in the morning. Have a fantastic launch day,Lucy!

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  4. What a funny pig show! I love hearing about the kernels that lead to stories. Best of luck with the new book, Roberta. I want Fatal Reservations.

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  5. Congratulations on your new book!! I want Fatal Reservations!

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  6. thanks so much everyone, it's so much fun when all the pieces come together. And thank you Kathy for your kind words!

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  7. I WANT FATAL RESERVATIONS! (I know, I can't win. But I love to say it.)

    What's the best thing you've eaten at a restaurant lately? The other day I had SUCH delicious bluefish pate.

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  8. I SO want FATAL RESERVATIONS - Lucy is a 'new' author for me - and I get excited about 'meeting and reading' new authors!!!!!!!!!!!

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  9. Can't wait to get my copy (ordered and Amazon says "on its way" but not soon enough) this is some amuse bouche!

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  10. Well, of course I want FATAL RESERVATIONS!!!!

    What a terrific piece! Was the burglar finally found and arrested???

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  11. I want Fatal Reservations...and thank you for the Stories. I love the tattoo one I'll have to look that group up...
    Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com

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  12. How can I *not* say, I want Fatal Reservations, after that introduction? I have to get going with this series. Thanks for the Launch Day posts. It introduces us to so many good books.

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  13. They keep getting better and better. Gook luck with the new one!

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  14. Congratulations, Roberta. I am salivating for Fatal Reservations. Love Snorkel's routine - thanks for posting it!

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  15. They do, Jack, they really do!

    Lucy, what are you doing this launch day?

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  16. Congratulations, Roberta! I have multiple copies en route!

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  17. You sure do know how to pitch a book. I want "Fatal Reservations"! Congrats!

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  18. Congrats on the new book! I love it when little things work their way into stories. I've never thought about visiting Key West and now I want to. Bucket list.

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  19. The answer is Yes! Love it and want to come to Key West and see the Sunset Celebration in person! For now, reading will have to do, with gratitude for all the hard work and heart poured into the writing!

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  20. I want Fatal Reservations! I love this series -- every entry reminds of how much I loved Key West on my one in-person visit. With each book, I'm back there enjoying the sun, the characters and the wonderful food.

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  21. Of course I want FATAL RESERVATIONS. And I want to know what nocciolato fudge is. (Heading to google.) Happy Book Birthday!

    To answer Hank's question about the best thing I've eaten in a restaurant - I was in Bar Harbor a few weeks ago and had halibut with a lobster risotto. Yummo! (And the view was to die for.)

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  22. Thanks again every one of you for the good wishes, and purchases, and support!

    Hank, this is really a silly way to spend a launch day but...I had my yearly physical. Healthy, yay! and need desperately to work on pages for the new book this afternoon. way behind.

    I will have the real celebration on thursday at RJ Booksellers in Madison, CT, and then celebrate more with friends this weekend!

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  23. Love all the background to Fatal Reservations. Congratulations on Launch Day! But my favorite comment of all? "...need desperately to work on pages for the new book this afternoon...." Because the writing life just keeps on keeping on! Yay!

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  24. I think the yearly physical on launch day is brilliant! You're healthy, your book is healthy, and all is well.

    Tell us more about RJ Julia!

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  25. I loved Fatal Reservations! (lucky me, early read :-) ) Congratulations on the release and enjoy this day. I love release days, when the suspense is finally over - but then it builds again for another Jungle Red. We are lucky readers to have so many Reds!

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  26. Yes! I want Fatal Reservations! I want it bad enough that if I don't win I'll go buy it, though. :-)

    Best of luck, Lucy Roberta!

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  27. I want Fatal Reservations!

    Good luck with your launch today. I can't wait to read.

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  28. I want "Fatal Reservation."

    I also want to say that I love this blog. I came to it by way of searching for information on the next book In Julia Spencer Fleming's Millers Kill series and have read several of Rhys Bowen's books after reading about her on the blog. Now I find there is a series set in Key West - a place I visited for the first time almost two years ago and fell in love with. I need more hours in the day to read all the thing I want to read!

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  29. I wanted Fatal Reservations, but I already have it and have read it for review on Thursday. It's a wonderful book that I'm sure everyone will enjoy. Congrats, Roberta/Lucy! (But I wouldn't complain about an ARC of Hank's latest....)

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  30. That is for sure--the writing life will not wait. or will it? that's another blog!

    thanks to all for the good wishes.

    Liz, we're so glad you found Jungle Red! we have a lot of fun here and we adore our readers:).

    Thanks Mark, I'll put a word in for you with Hank!

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  31. Book launch will take place at one of the best bookstores in the world, RJ Julia in Madison CT, July 9 at 7 pm. I'll talk for about half an hour, and then we adjourn for cake and wine and lots of books!

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  32. I love all these authors and so enjoy the blog and recipes.

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  33. Lucy, my books haven't come yet! Boo hoo. So looking forward to reading Fatal Reservations! Congrats on the physical, and have a lovely, lovely launch day with virtual hugs from all of us! We think you and Hayley are terrific!!!

    P.S. Love Snorkel the Pig, too:-)

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  34. I want Fatal Reservations! I remember my one trip to Key West quite fondly, and will definitely read this one way or the other. Wishing you strong sales!

    Avis in NH

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  35. Delightful. I can't believe this is number 6! Time flies when you are reading a fun series. As a former denizen of the Florida Keys - I can vouch for Lucy's depictions of Key West. What a wonderful way to kick off beach reads season. Thanks, Lucy!

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  36. Happy Book Birthday!! I love the look behind the scenes. Lorenzo AND Snorkel. Can't wait to see how Hayley copes without her consulting tarot reader, with him away on a trip.

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  37. Congrats on your pub day, Lucy!

    I agree with Kait - FATAL RESERVATIONS is a wonderful way to kick off the beach-read season. Here's hoping a copy is in every bag!

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  38. Diane Hale here. Of course I want Fatal Reservations. I'm shilling for you--want every mystery reader I know to get hooked on your books!

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  39. I would like to read "Fatal Reservations" then get the rest of your books. Sorry, I didn't know about these.

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  40. Happy book launch day, Roberta! I'd love to read FATAL RESERVATIONS too. Don't you love how great ideas (from real life) arrive while we're writing a story? I get so excited when that happens.

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  41. Congrats on the new book! Have been enjoying the Key West series, and glad to hear the next one is out. I want Fatal Reservations too!

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  42. Very best wishes on the new baby's arrival in the big world. May she fly off the bookseller shelves!
    Huzzah!

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  43. I want Fatal Reservations! Congrats on your new book.

    bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  44. thanks so much everyone! You guys are so sweet. Lynn, glad you have heard about them now:).

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  45. Absolutely I want Fatal Rrservations! Have to find out what happens to Lorenzo.

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  46. I want Fatal Reservations! And, now, I'll have to read the first five, with pleasure.

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  47. I want Fatal Reservations!

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  48. I want Fatal Reservations! Sounds good, need to check out the first!

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  49. I want "Fatal Reservations"! I want a book to wow our book club with, and have fun reading a really different book!

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  50. I want "Fatal Reservations" I'm impressed with 14 novels - makes my 2 novels look puny!

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