John Lamb was once one of the toughest cops in Oceanside, California. For 24 years, he dealt with the criminals of this world. While many of his fellow officers saw him as a rather cold individual, one talented forensic investigator (his future wife) saw him as nothing more than a big teddy bear.

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It was the symbol of the teddy bear that eventually inspired the couple to start learning about and collecting more and more of the cuddly critters. John later retired from the police force and began chasing down his dream of becoming a writer. It was then that he began seeing his teddy bears as more than just decorative dolls. With the police work now in his rearview mirror, he left the world of forensics in exchange for “FURensics.” He created the Teddy Bear Mysteries, a book series that always finds Teddy at the center of the crime. John has written several books in the series so far with titles like The Clockwork Teddy and The Treacherous Teddy. He’s developed a devoted fan base in the artisan teddy bear world and he even promotes many real-life bear makers in his works.

My Generation caught up with this cold cop turned teddy bear to find out how he made this life-altering transition and is now living the good life.