I hope you’ve enjoyed your summer. Here in the northeast it’s been nice but rainy, and probably the most frequent comment I’ve made to my husband all season is, “Are we going to be able to eat outdoors tonight?” You see, before he became a news anchor, Brad worked as a weather man and he’s fabulous at reading both weather radar and cloud formations and letting me know if we’re going to be “out” or “in” on a given night. Though we’ve been at our home in Pennsylvania a lot this summer, I’ve been spending about half of each week in New York City. I actually like the city in the summer, especially sitting in outdoor cafes and enjoying a glass of rosé and a salad, especially if it’s got a lot of avocado in it. On one special night I had dinner with my daughter Hayley and checked out her new apartment in Greenwich Village, which was both wonderful and weird for me because I lived in the Village myself in my early thirties as a single girl! I couldn’t agree more with a friend who said in an email the other day, “I’m a hot weather girl,” so it’s always hard for me in late August when there’s a nip in the air at dusk or first thing in the morning. Thus, I’m savoring every last second of this rainy summer.

[photo] [photo]

I have a cover for my next mystery!!!

I’ve liked all my book covers, but I absolutely LOVE the one for my next suspense novel, Such a Perfect Wife (May 7). When my editor first sent over what the art department created, I was so smitten, I felt the urge to ask for its number and see if it wanted to see a movie with me. The reason there are drops of water is because the book takes place in Lake George, New York, not far from where I grew up. Hey, use what you know, right? I’ll be telling you more about it in the next months. What do you think of the cover? Please let me know at kate@katewhite.com

[cover: Such a Perfect Wife]

Enjoy the last days of summer. Remember, fall doesn’t start until September 22!

What I’m Reading

Pieces of Her
By Karin Slaughter

Okay, full disclosure: Karin Slaughter is a friend. But I got to know her because I’m such a fan of her books. When I was running Cosmo, I gave a dinner at my home in her honor and we became buddies from there. And gosh, does she know how to write a thriller! Her brand new one, out this month, is a pulse-pounding, high stakes novel that starts with the terrifying premise that your mother is not the woman she appears to be and that she’s been lying to you for years.

What I’m Cooking

[photo:caprese] [photo:caprese]

For me, summer is all about caprese, caprese, and more caprese, the legendary salad of Capri that is basically Buffalo mozzarella, sliced tomatoes, basil, and very good extra virgin olive oil. At this time of year I also like to try some seasonal variations. If I’m out of mozzarella, I’ll use slivers of aged parmesean cheese. And a great way to savor Buffalo mozzarella that doesn’t involve tomatoes comes from the awesome Argentine celebrity chef Francis Mallmann: tear up fresh figs and Buffalo mozzarella and sprinkle on fresh thyme and toasted sliced almonds and then drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Heaven on earth.