Over the course of writing my Lucy McGuffin cozy mysteries I’ve gotten emails asking me if, like my main character Lucy McGuffin, I have a “hatred” for squirrels.
The answer to that is … sort of.
True story:
When I was 4, each week my mother would take my sister and I to the grocery store to do her shopping and if we were “good” we’d get to stop by McDonald’s to get lunch.
Back in those days, money was really tight for my parents so a trip to McDonald’s was like a little slice of heaven. This was back in the early 60s before Happy Meals existed, so I would always order a plain hamburger, small fry, and a Coke (woo hoo!)
After we’d get our food, we would take it to this little picnic area outside to eat. Well, one day, I took a bite of my hamburger and then, being 4 years old, I turned my attention to p
lay for a few minutes, leaving my hamburger unattended.
You can guess what happened next. Yep. A squirrel came along and STOLE my hamburger.
I cried and stomped my foot, but my mother refused to go back inside and get me another hamburger because that’s how moms taught actions-and-consequences back then.
It taught me a valuable lesson: Never turn your back on a squirrel.
Plus, I’m a Scorpio and we carry grudges!
