The following is an interview with author Elizabeth Bass Parman regarding the recent release of the novel, Bees in June, through Harper Muse. In this interview, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief Barbra Dillon chats with Bass Parman about her creative process in bringing the story and characters to life on the page, what she hopes that readers may take away from the story’s themes, and more!
Barbra Dillon, Fanbase Press Editor-in-Chief: Congratulations on the release of Bees in June! What can you share with us about the premise of this uplifting story?
Elizabeth Bass Parman: Thank you so much! The idea for this story came from a social media post. A friend had posted a newspaper article about a swarm of bees that attended their keeper’s funeral. The bees gathered at the cemetery, resting on the tent and floral sprays during the service, then returned to their hives afterward. I was intrigued and started researching, where I found the enchanting custom of “telling the bees,” an ancient Celtic tradition of informing the family’s bees when their keeper dies. I loved the idea of talking with bees, and when I wondered what would happen if the bees talked back, the idea for Bees in June was born.
BD: Bees in June deftly weaves one women’s empowering journey with a whimsical dose of magical realism. How would you describe your creative process in bringing this story and characters to life on the page?
EBP: I started with the bees, of course, and had lots of questions. Who would own magical bees? Where did they come from? How could the bees help their family? Could I write an uplifting story that wasn’t too sweet, but could still capture the innocence and optimism I felt the story needed? I wanted to use the same setting of Spark, Tennessee, from my first book, The Empress of Cooke County, so how would that work?
With those questions, I began plotting a story about a young woman named Rennie who thinks her future is hopeless, set against one of the most hope-filled moments in 1960’s history, the first Moon walk. Rennie has experienced the tragic loss of her infant son and is trapped in an increasingly abusive marriage. Her beloved Uncle Dixon suffers a stroke, and she begins to care for him and the bees his late wife Eugenia brought with her from Appalachia. Eugenia, who has a POV in the story, was a controversial figure in town. Some called her a witch, while others knew her as a healer. The bees also have a POV, and they act as a Greek chorus, commenting and even interfering in the humans’ lives when they feel it is necessary. The bees help Rennie reconnect with the magic she knew from her childhood spent with her aunt and uncle, and illuminate the path forward to what she once thought was as unlikely as a man walking on the Moon— a happy and fulfilling life.
BD: What makes Harper Muse the perfect home for this story?
EBP: I was lucky enough to have a four-way auction for my first book, The Empress of Cooke County, and ended up with a two-book deal as part of the auction. After talking with the editor at Harper Muse who wanted the manuscript, Becky Monds, I knew Harper Muse would be the right home for me. Like me, Becky had grown up in Nashville, and we had even attended the same high school. Becky immediately understood my story, and her vision for how to strengthen it made perfect sense to me. Harper Muse’s focus is on publishing southern fiction, women’s fiction, and historical fiction, and my book was all three.
When I first pitched the premise for that second book, Bees in June, my log line was: It’s the Kenny Loggins’ song, “Return to Pooh Corner,” but with Appalachian witches. I outlined the story to Becky at a local coffee shop, and she was enthusiastic.
BD: At Fanbase Press, our #StoriesMatter initiative endeavors to highlight the impact that stories can have on audiences of various mediums. How do you feel that Rennie’s story may connect with and impact readers?
EBP: I find the world today to be pretty discouraging. Bad news assaults us at every turn. I wrote about a young woman, Rennie, who could be any of us. Through no fault of her own, she has lost faith in goodness, but is slowly able to rediscover the magic that I feel lies within us all. As Rennie grows stronger, she begins to see how beautiful life can be, even while dealing with hard topics like child loss or domestic abuse. As we navigate through this world, I think my readers will connect with the idea of overcoming adversity by finding the light that can illuminate even the darkest corners of our lives.
BD: Are there any projects – past or current – that you would like to highlight for our readers?
EBP: Bees in June is a standalone novel, but I would love for your readers to also experience life in Spark though my first book, The Empress of Cooke County. Fair warning, though, the book has a character named Posey that readers love to hate. I caution people, Commandments are broken. Several. The story is a dual-POV about a mother and daughter, and is based on the two opposite meanings of the Empress tarot card, depending on whether it is drawn from the deck upright or reversed. The mother, Posey, is the personification of the unpleasant characteristics of the Empress reversed, and her daughter, Callie Jane, represents all the good qualities of the Empress upright. Rennie and Uncle Dixon are minor characters in that story, so readers can learn a little more about them. Readers will also recognize familiar places like the Blue Plate diner and the Curly Q beauty shop, and see more antics from Darlene as she organizes the Spark High 20th reunion.
BD: Lastly, what is the best way for our readers to find more information about Bees in June and your other work?
EBP: I am active on Instagram, where I can be found at @elizabethbassparman and my website is elizabethbassparman.com. My website has my tour schedule for Bees in June, along with articles about my work. People can also sign up for my monthly newsletter on my website, where I give my latest bookish news.
