BOOK TOUR

I'm so excited to be a stop on the 

book tour for 

Meg Macy

and her new book

BEARLY DEPARTED

Book 1 in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mysteries

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 . . .

An interview with Meg

LKBR:  Thank you for being here today!

MM:  Thanks for having me, Lisa.

LKBR: Please tell us a bit about your book/series.

MM:   The “Shamelessly Adorable” Teddy Bear Cozy Mysteries is set in a small town in Southeastern Michigan. My amateur sleuth, Sasha Silverman, manages her parents’ teddy bear shop and factory and clashes with the company’s sales rep, who wants to send production overseas and cut staff. Soon, he’s murdered – and when Sasha’s uncle becomes the prime suspect, she must prove his innocence by helping to find the real killer.

LKBR: How did you come up with the concept for this series? How about the idea for this installment?

MM:   Bearly Departed is the first book of the series, set in Silver Hollow – a blend of several small towns in Southeastern Michigan. I’ve visited them all over my life, and had a lot of fun mapping out what I needed, including the fictional teddy bear shop and factory. Although I based it on the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory, once located in Michigan and now in Missouri, my version is a much smaller business among other small businesses.

LKBR: Do you have a favorite character in your book/series?

MM:   I guess my amateur sleuth Sasha is – I’ve given her similar likes and dislikes, of clothing, favorite foods, and an adorable teddy bear dog. But I’ve also enjoyed writing the conflict she’s had with her ex-husband, Flynn Hanson. He’s a real character!

LKBR: Is there a certain type of scene that’s harder for you to write than others? Love, action, death, etc?

MM: I find the “in-between” – things not in the outline I use to keep on track – as hardest to write. It’s easy to go from D to E to F, but there’s always something that comes up, a red herring or some fact the characters mention that’s important. Writing can be an adventure all the way through, but it works out in the end.

LKBR: In your writing, have you ever used experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

MM:   Absolutely. Putting in such details give fiction a stronger “reality”, but I don’t use anything sensitive or secret. Almost everything is fair game, except in those instances. Most writers are good listeners and observers of people, and that helps make characters come to life as well.

LKBR: When you’re in the process of writing/creating a book, do you use a computer, typewriter, dictate, or use pen to paper?

MM:   Laptop. I do keep pen/paper handy at night, in case I think of some detail to use the next day. A restaurant napkin, an old grocery list, even the back of my hand, works in a pinch. I am a linear writer – I can’t write out of order. Kudos to those who can!

LKBR: Do you have any writing quirks or rituals that you do before, during, and/or after writing a new book?

MM:   I spend a few weeks on the outline, and then check Pinterest looking for photos to inspire characters, fashions, and setting details. I adore using Pinterest! So handy, like a visual corkboard.

LKBR: What does your family think about your writing? How important is their support?

MM:   I’ve been writing a long time and have heard it all. From “When are you getting a real job?” to “Wow, that’s great – but I don’t read that kind of book.” Yes, from family. I’m lucky close family takes me far more serious. My daughters are fabulous content and logic readers, which can be a huge help. My husband doesn’t read – so I’m hoping my series makes it to the Hallmark Channel!

LKBR: Who/What inspired you to write your first book?  

MM:   My first book, Double Crossing, won the WWA Spur Award for Best First Book of 2011. It’s a western historical mystery – I’m such a fan of westerns. I loved True Grit, both the book by Charles Portis and the films; Double Crossing is my version of that, but set on the 1869 transcontinental railroad. And I also wrote a sequel, Double or Nothing. I’d love to write another western mystery series one day.

LKBR: What was one of the most surprising thing(s) you learned when trying to get your first book published?

MM:   Like I said, I started writing years before I was published. Editors loved my writing, but I’d started in the wrong genre. My romances had murders – the hero and heroine didn’t pay much attention to each other! When I finally figured that out, thanks to my current writing partner and to the mentors / other students at Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction program, I found quick success.

LKBR: What book are you reading? 

MM:   Several books at the same time. Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow; Victoria Thompson’s upcoming book, City of Lies, plus several cozies on the TBR pile – Gretchen Archer; Barbara Ross; Rhys Bowen; the next Sharon Farrow Berry Basket mystery, too.

LKBR: Do you have any advice for aspiring cozy writers?

MM:   I’d love to say that it’s easy. It’s not. Hard work and discipline, that’s key. Learn your strengths, discover your weaknesses, and be open to criticism or even rejection. Publishing is a business that has always been and always will be tough. Persistence is important.

LKBR: Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?

www.megmacy.com   www.megmims.com  Also Facebook and Amazon!

LKBR: Thank you so much for letting us get to know you better!

MM:   You’re so welcome! Thanks again for having me.

~*~*~*~*~*~

*****!!!GIVEAWAY!!!*****

One lucky winner will receive a fun
bear themed prize package! 

Winners will be chosen after June 14

at the end of the tour

Enter using the Rafflecopter form at the end of this post.

Giveaway open to USA only.

This giveaway is through Great Escape Book Tours, not Lisa Ks Book Reviews.

www.escapewithdollycas.com

MY REVIEW

For this being the first book in a series, I was so beary impressed with author Meg Macy’s writing, I couldn’t bear put the book down!

Talk about cozy! How cozier can a mystery get than one set in a teddy bear factory, and stuffed with furry goodness? When I first heard of BEARLY DEPARTED, book one in the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear Mystery series, I knew it was one I had to read.

I enjoyed the way BEARLY DEPARTED started off. In the teddy bear store, and then with a tour of the teddy bear factory. It was fascinating to read how the bears for protagonist Sasha Silverman and her family’s store were made. It’s very clear the author did her research, and it made for educational, informative, fun reading.

Ms. Macy put herself in my favor by making her murder victim a most unlikeable person, so I was happy to see him go! Don’t worry, the scene wasn’t too grizzly. ;-) Like him or not, I still wanted to know why he was killed and whodunit, and author Macy complied by sending me on a winding, twisting conveyor belt ride of suspects and clues.

I’m already looking forward to the next book in this wonderful new series, BEAR WITNESS TO MURDER!

GOOD LUCK!

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