Book review - Teddy Bears by Brandon Witt

Teddy Bears is an appropriate title to Brandon Witt’s new Christmas story, although Beauty and the Nerd would have worked as well.  The tale opens with loner and full-time geek Brian working at a popular bathhouse in Denver and just existing.  During his off-hours, he is either gaming or recreating Buffy the Vampire Slayer scenes with his hamsters to post on Youtube.

A few weeks before Christmas, a big, muscle bear comes into the bathhouse.  Brian can hardly breathe, much less complete the checking-in transaction because he is so taken with the huge daddy James.  Brian is even more surprised when James asks him out on a date. 

Although Brian is ecstatic, his own insecurities begin to gnaw at him.  Where James is masculine, attractive and sexy to everyone, Brian is not.

I typically avoid reading stories like this since I can totally relate to Brian but, in actuality, nerds don’t ever get the good-looking bears, especially the muscular ones.  However, I still enjoyed reading how the geek gets the hunk.  The story remains light-hearted, doesn’t take itself too seriously and is a satisfying romance.

Book Review - "An Actor's Guide to Murder" by Rick Copp

I've enjoyed watching "Where the Bears Are", a comedy series about 3 roommates solving murders in Los Angeles' bear community.  I wanted to learn more about the show and then found out the actor Rick Copp, who plays Reggie, is also a writer.  And I had one of his books in my library.

"An Actor's Guide to Murder" reads like an episode of "Bears", a mystery laced with a mix of action and comedy.  Jarrod Jarvis, a former child star, is trying to make a come-back, auditioning for bit parts and walk-ons.  At one such audition, he bumps into an old flame, another former child star, Willard.  When they were in their teens, their love affair went public and snuffed out their successful careers.

They reconnect and Jarrod decides to throw Willard a birthday party but his former lover dies just before the celebration.  Everyone, even Jarrod's current boyfriend Charles, a detective for LAPD, says it was an accident.  Willard got drunk, tripped and feel into his pool, and drowned.

Jarrod believes differently.  He is convinced Willard's death was no accident.  Despite popular opinion and overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Jarrod presses on.  Soon he is attacked and threatened, and only then, people begin to take notice.

Copp peppers his story with sarcasm, wit and plenty of pop culture references to keep the reader entertained and interested.  I devoured it, reading most of it in one afternoon.  I could see it easily becoming an episode of "Where the Bears Are", campy, funny and sexy men.  Despite the comedy, it is a good cozy mystery.  I'd definitely read more of his works.

Gentle Ben saves a crow from drowning!

Proving once again that bears are gentle people, this bear in the Budapest Zoo helps a crow out of a pool and from certain drowning.  The crow isn't exactly gracious, giving the bear a peck on the cheek, but the bear doesn't shirk his duty.  Watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCnkCG0UZWc