Howdy all, Stoney the Bear here. Well, the Bear Formerly Known as Stoney. My friend Dee Stern, the new Golden Motel owner, has rechristened me “Bud the Bear.” Apparently, she needs a more family-friendly name for the cartoons she’s been creating featuring yours truly. See below for one of the cartoons featuring ME!

I do spend part of my day cavorting in the motel pool and scaring off guests, especially during the summer. It’s a nice respite from retrieving salmon from the streams, scrounging the woods for berries, and breaking into cabins to snag treats. Guess who’s taught themselves how to open a fridge door? That’s right, moi! When I snuck peeks at people through cabin windows, I kept seeing them open this big metal box and take out tasty eats. I thought to myself, “Looks good to me,” so I decided to do likewise. Of course, if I set off an alarm, it’s time to skedaddle. Then I’m stuck hunting for edible trash that lazy campers don’t dispose of properly or tearing up cars to get at the snacks people leave inside ¬— anything from a sandwich to a bag of pretzels to flavored lip balm, mango being a particular favorite.

There’s not a lot of variety to my days. Basically, I can sum up them up in two words: find food. That is, until now. An agent friend of Dee wants to sell her Bud the Bear cartoons to Hollywood. Oh man, that would be awesome. Move over, Smokey and toilet paper dudes, there’s a new bear in town! I’ve been toying with a little plastic surgery or even trying one of those weight loss drugs everybody in Hollywood uses. But my bear pals tell me I should embrace who I am and lean into the message of body positivity. They have a point. I mean, being thick is the bear brand, amirite?

We’ll see where this journey takes me. In the meantime, a guy’s gotta eat. Oooh, somebody left a protein bar in that Honda Civic. Excuse me while I tear off a car door…

Solid Gold Murder – A Golden Motel Mystery, Book 2
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: July 2025
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Dee Stern’s Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains promises a tranquil getaway for outdoor lovers in the scenic Californian village of Foundgold. But when Dee accidentally triggers a modern gold rush, she suddenly turns her peaceful retreat into a hotspot for mayhem and murder . . .

With the summer season looming, former Hollywood sitcom writer Dee Stern has one small goal—scrubbing her motel’s unflattering moniker as the “Murder Motel.” Dee and ex-husband-turned-business-partner Jeff Cornetta are excited to introduce a family-friendly panning activity complete with fool’s gold just in time for the peak tourist months. Except neither could have anticipated the discovery of a real gold nugget or the ensuing social media frenzy. In a flash, the viral sensation draws grizzled prospectors, wide-eyed adventurers, and trend-chasing thrill seekers to the abandoned mines scattered around the woods . . .

The instant popularity proves great for business, but it also attracts a group of out-of-touch Silicon Valley techies with dreams of striking it rich—again. Dee finds herself particularly annoyed by the insufferably smug Sylvan Burr, a retired CEO who sold his startup before age 30 and won’t let anyone forget it. But things take a sinister turn when Sylvan meets a grim fate at the bottom of a mineshaft, leaving Dee at the center of a deadly mystery that could end her days as a motelier. And while Sylvan had plenty of enemies, Dee suddenly faces adversaries rooting against her own success. Now, with her life and the future of the Golden Motel hanging by a thread, Dee must unearth a minefield of suspects and outwit a greedy killer before she finally digs herself too deep . . .

About the author
Ellen Byron is a bestselling author, Anthony nominee, and recipient of multiple Agatha and Lefty awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries, Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Catering Hall Mysteries (as Maria DiRico), and Golden Motel Mysteries. She is an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart.