Meg Mims's Blog

I know, I know!! It's mid-August! Heat, humidity, beach or pool time -- who can think about Christmas now? But Halloween candy is already on the store shelves, and I'm sure some retailers have candy canes and wreaths, cards and wrapping paper, even trees, all ready to set up for displays.And I'm trying to get myself into the "Christmas Spirit" in this hot summer, writing HAVE YOURSELF A BEARY LITTLE MURDER. Don't you **LOVE** the title? I have to thank the Kensington editors for that. And I have to admit it's easier than I thought, scrolling through photos of the local parade of lights, the Santa Clauses, the decorations, the cookies... OH, THE COOKIES!!! I did gain a pound just looking at them all. Mmmm.I've got a juicy murder planned, lots of interesting characters besides Sasha, her sister Maddie, their parents, Uncle Ross, Aunt Eve -- Mary Kate, Elle, Detective Mason, his new assistant, Flynn and his new flame, plus Jay Kirby and Santa Bear. And some troublesome villagers. There's something about the holidays that bring out the best (and worst) in people. I could call this book "Three Funerals and a Wedding" (shh, it's a secret), but Christmas takes the cake. Er, the theme.ENJOY the rest of your summer! STAY COOL, because cooler weather IS coming! Happy Fall, y'all!!

It's been two weeks since National Teddy Bear Day, and the "shamelessly adorable" cover reveal for Bearly Departed! My editor and her assistant did a wonderful job. In case you missed it,click this link to the videoto watch on Facebook.So how would you find out yourBEAROSCOPE?First, choose a bear featured on the cover here -- and then leave a comment below with your name and the bear. Then we will reply with your "bearoscope" -- which should match your personality. Does it WORK? Yes, indeed!The day of the cover reveal, I mentioned how the panda is my favorite -- due to my daughter. We named her Amanda, and several people gave her pandas. We also took her as a young toddler to the Toledo Zoo to see the pandas from China back in 198-- um... well, let's not go there. Amanda is now quite old enough to drive herself to the zoo, ha!Anyway, my editor sent me this bearoscope:"You are a very distinctive personality with a strong visual aesthetic. You have the ability to look past the obvious and appreciate subtle grace and elegance. You are an artist at heart. You do not feel the need necessarily to follow the pack. You are loving and generous, and you love being surrounded by friends and family."If I say so myself, I have to agree with my bearoscope. Especially the artist at heart bit. I had to give up my art to write full-time, but it's still something I'm going to find time to do again. Some day. For now, here's a sweet illustration I did long ago called Beary Potter.HAPPY READING, all! Next spring, Bearly Departed will hit the shelves! I'm already excited.

Love cozy mysteries? Love teddy bears? Then you will LOVE this new series from Kensington Books! Here's a bit more about it...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 divorcee 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 . . .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 . . .WATCH THE COVER REVEAL OF MY NEWEST BOOK at 2 PM EST on Friday, September 9th! Which just happens to be National Teddy Bear Day.ow.ly/FwcY303YUqW

The Silver Bear Shop & Factory in Silver Hollow, Michigan, might be the cutest place around, but there’s nothing warm and fuzzy about murder  . . .COMING IN JUNE of 2017!!  The Shamelessly Adorable Cozy Mystery series from Kensington BooksHELP!This bear was my mom's and sat on a small rocking chair in her living room.She is a sweet bear and is dressed for High Tea.I would love suggestions for a proper name for her. Please leave a comment!THANKS.Meg

Some people love today. Others loathe it. Oh come on, have a sense of humor! Can't you hear people saying that to you? But being the butt of a joke can be downright unfunny. Who thought up a silly day like today? Well, it could come from ancient Rome, whose citizens celebrated "Hilaria" on March 25th, with mocking others - including government officials - and playing games or masks. The arrival of spring always gives a sense of "renewal" and why not have fun after a long, dreary winter? It's

It's almost Valentine's Day - and you ought to know what that means. CALORIES!   Er, I mean love. LOVE. Of course, plus kisses. Hugs. Flowers. All that. Yeah.   And CHOOOOOOOOOOOCOLATE. Remember that jingle?    That's a commercial from 1992, but Farfel started way back in the 50s. I grew up with Nestle's chocolate. Cheap chocolate, but good enough when you aren't buying it, and can't get better. Nestle's, Hershey's, Mars. Yup. Sugar. Calories. Zero nutrition. But hey, that's what holiday

Romance is in the Air Giveaway Hop Featuring Young Adult & Clean Adult Romance February 4th to 14th   Who doesn't love a great blog hop? The chance to read a sweet romance, just in time for Valentine's Day - better than a box of chocolates! In terms of calories, anyway! But you can always treat yourself to a few pieces or a cup of hot chocolate while reading.   This blog hop will have THREE WINNERS!   #1 - The Key to Love  #2 - The Key to Christmas   GRAND PRIZE BOTH BOOKS in one! The Keys to

Ooooh, I've got the January Blues... OY. Not only have we heard of many, many celebrity deaths, but January so far has been one tough month. The East Coast suffered through a truly terrible blizzard, too. Luckily, the snow bypassed us here in the Mitten. We've gotten whomped before, so I'm rather glad we don't have to dig out.   Yeah, that's the aftermath of the infamous 2011 Groundhog Day blizzard that hit the United States. The storm stretched from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri,

  Every year, I look back over the past 12 months' accomplishments and near-misses, and set goals for the next 12 months. So here we go.     WINTER 2015 -- SNOW AND COLD   I always enjoy watching the snow pile up outside, while writing - and this winter, we sure had a lot!   My writing partner and I did manage to write Book 3 of our Eliza Doolittle & Henry Higgins mystery series. We also loved seeing great reviews for our first book, Wouldn't It Be Deadly.      EARLY 2015 -- AGATHA AWARD BEST

      Meg Mims is thrilled to announce her new cozy contemporary mystery series for Kensington​, writing as Meg Macy.   The series features an amateur sleuth and owner of a teddy bear shop/factory in Silver Hollow - a fictional town in Michigan. Bearly Departed will be followed by Bear Witness to Murder.   Meg is an award-winning author of western mysteries and holiday romance novellas, several including rescue dogs and cats. She is also one-half of the D.E. Ireland writing team of the