My Teddy Bear Love Affair by Meg Macy

Who doesn’t love a teddy bear? I have to confess, however, that I was a deprived child. I’d been given a stuffed animal, the mouse of the Tom and Jerry cartoons, and while it was great to cuddle at bedtime, I have no idea what happened to it since then. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed of true comfort until adulthood.

My “teddy bear love affair” began on a trip to London’s Harrods department store.  My older sister and I, diehard Anglophiles, had always dreamed of visiting England. We spent three glorious days in London. So a trip to Harrods was absolute. Tea, of course, and chocolate were the things I had in mind as souvenirs. But when I saw a Paddington Bear, with his tag “Please look after this bear, thank you”, I was smitten.

Once I brought Paddington home, I had to buy the book to go with him – and loved his adventures to London from darkest Peru. From then on, my bear collection grew. People gave me tiny bear figurines, my mother found more stuffed bears, and when Hudson’s department store in Detroit issued the first Santa Bear (without a year on the hat), well – we had to buy that! The following year, I received two more Santa Bears at my baby shower. I soon added Pooh Bear and Corduroy Bear for my daughter, plus the Velveteen Rabbit – her favorite stuffed animal. She also received an adorable Red Riding Hood bear with a basket from a relative. During the Beanie Baby rage, I added lots of bears – including the purple Princess Diana bear.

Within five years, I had a huge teddy collection plus a five foot bear that took up half a bedroom. The local newspaper even did a write-up on my teddy bear obsession. By the time my daughter was in high school, I’d donated that giant bear to a church along with other teddies gathering dust on the shelf. Children deserved to love them. I kept many favorites, however, tucking them here and there in my house. I named two bears that my mother had dressed in lace; Charlotte Anne and Lilibet Rose do enjoy a good tea party along with Mom’s ballerina bear. And I bought a super soft Chelsea Teddy Bear when I first had the idea to base my “Shamelessly Adorable” cozy mystery series on the Chelsea Teddy Bear factory, formerly in Michigan.

I can’t help adding a few teddies – like the small plush bear I bought after riding the Agawa Canyon train in Canada. Friends haven’t stopped giving me bears, either! I get lots of compliments on the bling-y keychain and a lapel pin. Who doesn’t love a sweet teddy bear, in whatever shape and form?

My love affair isn’t going to end any time soon.

 

 

“You’ll fall in love with this delightful debut mystery.” —Victoria Thompson, bestselling author of Murder in Morningside Heights

The Silver Bear Shop and Factory might be the cutest place around, but there’s nothing warm and fuzzy about murder . . .

As manager of the family teddy bear shop and factory, thirty-one-year-old Sasha Silverman leads a charmed life. Well, except for the part about being a single divorcée with a ticking biological clock in small-town Silver Hollow. And that’s just kid’s stuff compared to Will Taylor, the sales rep who’s set on making drastic changes to the business her parents built from scratch—with or without Sasha’s approval . . .

But before Will digs his claws in, someone pulls the stuffing out of his plan . . . and leaves his dead body inside the factory. Reeling from shock, Sasha’s hit with more bad news—police suspect her hot-tempered Uncle Ross may have murdered him. Sasha knows her uncle would never do such a thing, and she’s launching her own little investigation to expose the truth. As she tracks Will’s biggest rivals and enemies for clues, Sasha can’t get too comfy—or she’ll become the next plaything for a killer . . .

“A twisty mystery tale with a likable protagonist and a colorful supporting cast. Sure to be a very enjoyable series!”—Livia J. Washburn, bestselling author of Black and Blueberry Die

“Cute and cuddly on the outside, murder and mayhem on the inside—I love this book!!! Totally adorable.”—Duffy Brown, bestselling author of Braking for Bodies

Meg Macy loves teddy bears, and once owned a huge collection of them including stuffed toys, statues, jewelry, books, and even a giant five foot bear. Meg uses several favorite spots in Southeastern Michigan – Plymouth, Chelsea, and Ann Arbor – as inspiration for her Shamelessly Adorable cozy mystery series’ charming setting of Silver Hollow. Bearly Departed is not all warm and fuzzy, though, with a murder spoiling the fun. And Sasha Silverman must prove her uncle’s innocence, since he’s been tagged as the prime suspect. Check out more at Meg’s website: megmacy.com.