McKenna’s Blog

Behind the story of Wedding Bear Blues by Meg Macy

January 5, 2021 By Terry 7 Comments

Meg Macy is an award-winning mystery author with a passion for cozy mysteries, gardening, and crafts. She’s written the Shamelessly Adorable Teddy Bear cozy mysteries for Kensington and is one-half of the writing team of D.E. Ireland for the Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins mysteries. Two of her books, Wouldn’t It Be Deadly and Get Me to the Grave On Time, were Agatha Award finalists for Best Historical. Wedding Bear Blues is the fourth Teddy Bear Mystery.

Teddy bears and family first

Meg said she’d known about the Chelsea Teddy Bear Factory in Southeastern Michigan for years, and even turned down a chance to tour the factory because she was busy with other things at the time.

“I figured it would always be there. Unfortunately, by the time I came up with a ‘teddy bear’ theme for a cozy mystery series, I was too late – the factory had closed up and the business moved to Missouri. Rats! But I did find some photos of the factor and the bears, so I decided to make my own version of a teddy bear shop and factory, plus the family that runs it.”

One of the themes Meg stresses in her books is ‘family first.’ Family, as well as her close friends, are important to Meg. “My protagonist, Sasha Silverman, believes in family first with her heart. After a terrible first marriage, she returned home to her family and appreciates their support throughout along with close friends in the small town of Silver Hollow. Although I’ve never lived in a small town, I’ve visited several. I know it’s true that ‘everyone knows everybody’ — and that gossip is ripe. I also stress that teddy bears are ‘childhood innocence’ at its best. My books include the terrible ways in which adults use these toys for drug smuggling and worse crimes, but justice always comes for them in the end.”

On the personal side

Meg describes herself as a voracious mystery and historical fiction reader. Her reading interests also influence her writing, which include contemporary cozies, westerns, and romance. “Everything I write has either a hint of mystery or a full-blown mystery involved. I’m also an artist – watercolors, pen/ink, and acrylic. I haven’t had much time to devote lately, but after this past year, I may try to pick up my brushes once more.”

The past year has been a challenging time for Meg’s writing. “It’s hard to drum up the creativity to write. To do anything, in fact, with all the bad news every day. I’m sure we all remember experiencing the same problem after 9–11. When New York City shut down, my brief ‘career’ writing puzzles, games, etc. for children’s magazines dried up completely. I had to refocus my creativity, which wasn’t easy. Sometimes these life-shaking events are just another door opening. I may be stepping through another next year. Time will tell.”

Inspiration in the stacks—real or virtual

“I absolutely love research. I remember going to the university library stacks in college and browsing through old books — there’s nothing like that smell of musty pages, and wondering who last looked up information inside that book, if ever. With the internet, we can now find things from so many other libraries and sources. The world opened up at our fingertips! While considering a sequel to my first published novel, Double Crossing, I happened to come across a printed menu on a website for a lavish dinner that took place in Sacramento in late 1869 for railroad magnates and politicians. That was the perfect starting point for Double or Nothing. Those gems an author stumbles over don’t come often, but they can be inspirational.”

Learn more about Meg Macy and Wedding Bear Blues on her website at megmacy.com. Did you like this interview? If so, click here to read more Behind the Story interviews from your favorite authors.

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Three coronavirus scams and how to beat them

January 2, 2021 By Terry Leave a Comment

2020 was a crappy year for many people, but it’s turned into a great time to be a scammer. Why? All in all, there’s a tsunami of COVID-19 cases. There’s hope on the horizon in the form of vaccines. And many people are running scared. Indeed, it’s an excellent time to run any one of these three coronavirus scams, and that means you and I need to be extra vigilant.

Three coronavirus scams

Vaccine priority

The contact may come by phone, email, or text, but the story is the same—COVID-19 vaccines are available early. And you may be selected to qualify for priority treatment. Pretty awesome, right? Just pay a small fee or provide your Medicare number, and you’ll get priority treatment.

Contact tracing

A contact tracer calls to ask questions about your exposure to COVID-19. This is an especially difficult issue because legitimate contact tracers deserve every bit of cooperation they can get. But, if the caller asks for your Medicare number or financial information, you’ll know that call’s a fake. In another twist, a scam caller might ask if you’re interested in paying to set up a COVID-19 test.

Testing availability

Not everyone has equal access to COVID-19 testing. For some, that access may be limited by geography, availability, or personal income. This sketchy availability makes some people a prime target for a scam offering fast and easy testing. Again, this scam is straightforward. All you do is pay a small fee or provide your Medicare number. Either way, the person contacting you is offering an expedited COVID-19 test.

What these scams have in common

All three of the scams are designed to either get your money or, if you’re on Medicare, your Medicare ID.
All three can be an entree to Medicare fraud, which is a huge business. In 2019, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimated there were $29 billion in ‘improper payments.’
These scams can start with an email, a text message, or a phone call. Some scammers have even started going door-to-door and soliciting in person.

Three tips to avoid three scams

Never give out your personal information, including your Medicare ID if you have one, to an unknown party.
You already know not to click on a link or respond to a message, right? Even if it’s an offer for an early vaccine, expedited testing, or to schedule an appointment for these services.
Social media sites are great places for cute kitty videos, but they’re terrible for finding a service provider. If you need information about contact tracing, coronavirus testing, or vaccines, visit the CDC website.

Did you like this scam tip? Why not check out last month’s tip, 5 tips to avoid a package delivery scam?

Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup

January 2, 2021 By Terry 2 Comments

I don’t know about you, but around our house, we’ve gone into winter soup mode. This Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup takes a bit of work, but it’s chock full of good-for-you broccoli and there’s less fat than in other recipes. If you’re looking for a tasty soup for a cold winter night that won’t break your calorie budget, this one might just be exactly what you want.

Healthified Broccoli Cheddar Soup

5 from 1 vote

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Course Soup

Ingredients

1 bunch broccoli
1 small onion finely chopped
1 medium red-skinned potato diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup grated extra-sharp Cheddar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
One 12-ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
2 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

Separate the stems and the florets from the broccoli. Trim and discard the bottom of the broccoli stems and peel the tough outer layers. Finely chop the stems and coarsely chop the florets and set aside separately.
Saute the broccoli stems, onions and potatoes until softened (about 7 to 10 minutes).
Working quickly, add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened and the vegetables are tender, 12 to 15 minutes.
While simmering the broth, combine the reserved florets and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and continue to steam until the florets are bright green and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the entire contents of the pot with the florets to the soup along with the nutmeg. Stir to combine and remove from the heat.
Stir in the Cheddar, Worcestershire and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the scallions.

Notes

This recipe requires you to work very quickly once you start cooking. Take your time getting all of the prep work done and make sure all of your ingredients are measured and ready-to-go. The original recipe and photo came from foodnetwork.com

Keyword vegetarian

2020 photos – the year in Friday Fotos

January 1, 2021 By Terry Leave a Comment

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2020 has been one of those years most people will want to forget. The good news is, we’d had a good travel year in 2019, so there were plenty of photos to share. Here are my 2020 photos that I shared on Friday Fotos.