15 Weeks of Bees Blog Tour: Mary Russell and Laurie King

I've been a fan of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell novels since the first book, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, was published in 1994 (well, technically I've been a fan since the paperback came out in 1995). In The Beekeeper's Apprentice, set in 1915, independent 15-year-old orphan Mary Russell becomes, after a chance encounter, apprentice to a nominally retired Sherlock Holmes (aka the beekeeper). In their first meeting, Mary is walking along on the moor reading a book, and literally stumbles across Holmes. He takes her for a boy. She takes him for a tramp. And so a life-altering partnership is born. Mary is young, bright and adventurous. She's the perfect foil for the sarcastic and sometimes supercilious Holmes.

Since that first book, Russell and Holmes have had a variety of adventures on different continents, solving mysteries wherever they go. I've found all of the books to be clever, engrossing, and well-researched. The ninth book in the series, The Language of Bees, is due out on April 28th.

During the 15 weeks leading up to the new book's publication, Laurie is taking a blog tour: 15 Weeks of Bees. I was honored when Laurie's publicist for the tour, Zoe, approached me about participating. As Zoe pointed out, this is a series that's always had a lot of crossover appeal for young adults. Mary Russell is a teenager at the start of the series, for one thing. For another, mysteries are often bridge books by which teens first dip into adult fiction (I know this was true for me). Plus, these books are both smart and exciting, two attributes sure to appeal to teens. So, although I'm not normally a big blog tour person, this was one that I couldn't pass up. Without further ado, I bring you a guest post from Laurie R. King:

"Readers often wonder how much of the author is in her story. How much of Mary Russell is actually Laurie King, anyway?

I wrote The Beekeeper's Apprentice in 1987 during a time when I couldn't seem to find much of interest in the library, and I decided that telling myself a story would at least keep me for longer than reading one. And I wrote that book the way I have written all 17 books since then, by launching myself into it and seeing where it took me.

Not knowing where the story I'm writing is going until it gets there means that when I finish, I then turn and look back at it, trying to figure out what I was aiming for. And when I've done that, I begin the rewrite with that aim in mind, seeking to make those key elements stronger and clearer. But sometimes, I've finished the rewrite and the book has gone off to be printed and I'm long past the point at which I can fiddle with the story, but I'm still not altogether certain what story the book is meant to be telling. Sometimes, it takes the first reviews before I begin to figure it out.

One of the early reviews for The Beekeeper's Apprentice was in the San Jose newspaper. The woman who wrote the article, a combination of review and interview, noted that the book was for all those girls who had read the Sherlock Holmes stories and then realized, They don't mean me.

Yes, I thought. Mary Russell may not be me—she's far more clever, infinitely braver and more resourceful, than the woman writing her on the page. However, Russell is me in the sense that she is who I would love to be, and without a doubt she is who I would love to have been at the age of fifteen. Independent (and independently wealthy) and sure and clever and physically competent to boot; quick-tongued instead of having laboriously to construct clever comebacks; possessing a trace of romantic tragedy in her past, instead of being boring and middle class. Heavens, she can even throw a knife with deadly accuracy!

Mary Russell is a person able to argue with a man three times her age-and win. Who wouldn't want to be her?"
******

So true! I would have loved to be Mary Russell when I was 15, too. And probably when I was 25. Thanks so much for sharing this, Laurie!! I can't wait to read the new book. And I recommend the series to all of you reading this, young adults and up, especially for those looking for strong female characters.

Laurie R. King's ninth Mary Russell novel, The Language of Bees, will be published in April 2009, shortly after the first in the series, The Beekeeper's Apprentice, turns fifteen. Her website is celebrating with contests, activities, and Russell and Holmes events during this spring's Fifteen Weeks of Bees.

Here is the schedule for the entire the blog tour:

February 2 Bookish Ruth
February 13 Reading Group Guides
February 18 & 19  A Striped Armchair (review & guest post)
February 26 Jen Robinson’s Book Page
March 4 Age 30+… A Lifetime of Books (Guest post)
March 11 A Work in Progress
March 18 Age 30+… A Lifetime of Books (Interview)
March 26 Presenting Lenore
April 2 Reading Group Guides

© 2009 by Jennifer Robinson of Jen Robinson's Book Page. All rights reserved.

Comments

[Fiddler]

Jen, thanks for posting about Laurie R. King and Mary Russell. The Beekeeper's Apprentice is one of my all-time favorite books, and I loved reading King's words about how she writes.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks so much for stopping by, Fiddler. I love these books, too. You might also like Jacqueline Winspear's Maisie Dobbs books (I just finished reading the latest one), also historical, also with a strong female character, and more than a hint of psychological profiling.

[Anamaria]

I've had the first book in the series on my to-read list for awhile now; I'm looking forward to finally reading it (especially since there are many more to follow!). Thanks for participating in the tour and sharing King's insightful words about her process. I envy writers who can do it that way. I cling to my road map, which causes trouble when it proves to be outdated.

[Jen Robinson]

I hope you like the series, Anamaria. I envy you, having all 9 books stretched out in front of you. There's nothing like starting a good series when there are already plenty of books to read. Enjoy!

[Sarah Rettger]

The Beekeeper's Apprentice is the book that made me stop saying "I don't like mysteries." My mom, an amateur beekeeper, insisted that I read it - and from there (and all the sequels) I went to Elizabeth Peters, Jacqueline Winspear, and all sorts of others.

I don't buy many books - as a bookseller, I can get my hands on the new stuff in other ways, so there's no need - but The Language of Bees will be coming straight home with me.

Thanks for hosting a great guest post, Jen!

[Sherrie]

You know, I read a lot of Agatha Christie books when I was a teen and a few Holmes mysteries as well. I've seen this book before, but never picked it up. Now that I know what it's about, I'm thoroughly fascinated. I'll have to add it to my pile :^)

[TadMack]

Oh, squeeeeal! I haven't heard of this author, but now I WANT THE BOOKS. I am gaining such a great love for mysteries, and I love bees and beekeeping (in theory, although I am allergic... *sigh* I like honey, anyway...) and this sounds like another great winner for girls who really would have liked to have Holmes write for them.

[Jen Robinson]

I've actually noticed a bit of a correlation between adults who enjoy mysteries and adults who enjoy books for children and young adults. Maureen Corrigan, in her book Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading called mysteries "children's books for adults", and that makes sense to me. Both tend to feature strong plots, and interesting questions.

Sarah, I have used this series to get a couple of different friends interested in mysteries, too (one friend now reads more mysteries than I do). It's a good bridge series, I think, because the books are so intelligent. And so, Sherrie and TadMack, I definitely recommend these books. Read them in order, and enjoy Russell's evolution as a character, as well as the individual mysteries. Hmmm .... I feel like going back and re-reading these now.

Thanks for the feedback, all!

[KT]

I love this series - especially the first. This was a great post. I would still (secretly) love to be Mary Russell!

[Jen Robinson]

It's not a secret now, is it, KT? But really, I think that most of us, knowing Mary Russell, would secretly like to be her. So cool.

[Beth Kanell]

Ever since I started reading Holmes as a kid, I've wanted to "be" the sleuth -- and now I realize why Laurie King's series has been a "must read" for me all along. Tell me again how I can learn the quick flash of Mary Russell's intellect, wit, and knife style! My imagination is in gear for this ... and I can hardly wait to read "The Language of Bees." Thanks, Jen, for hosting this post, and for framing it so well.

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for your feedback, Beth. The whole "be the sleuth" aspect makes a lot of sense in explaining the appeal of this series.

I hope you like the new book. I'm looking forward to it, too!

[Laurie King]

Hi (new) friends, sorry for the delay in checking in, I've been nose-down in the new Russell (10 pages a day, high-gear writing) and need someone to tap me on the shoulder regularly. Huh? Oh--hi!

Sarah, say hi to your beekeeper Mom for me, I hope her bees are well.

And what Sherrie says is interesting--what is it about a book that actually makes us pick it up and sample it, anyway? She's seen the books for some time, and never had her attention caught. This is a thing that you can believe concerns publishers (and especially their art departments): what tempts the hands to pick up a book? Because once it's in the hands, it's halfway to being read.

And KT (and Jen)--well, sure, even her creator would love to be Mary Russell.

By the way, if you're interested in how Laurie King came to receive the Russell memoirs, that saga is unfolding on Russell's Myspace blog on Mondays, and my own blog Mutterings on Tuesdays. Kind of fun, really.

Thanks for inviting me, and if you come across me during my May tour for The Language of Bees, let me know you saw me here!

Laurie

[Jen Robinson]

Thanks for choosing my blog for a tour stop, Laurie! I really enjoyed it! And I think we've succeeding in inspiring several people to want to read the Mary Russell books, a success that I think is wonderful. I'll keep an eye out for the rest of the tour!

[Wanda]

Hi, got here a little late, I love the Russell series and the Martinelli series also.

Sherrie,
I'll bet when you pick it up - read the 1st 5 pages and it won't even make it to you tbr pile, it will be given a place of honor in you will read again bookcase!

[Wanda]

oops looks like my your's lost their 'r'!

[Jen Robinson]

These books are definitely keepers, Wanda! I liked the Martinelli series also. But for me, the historical backdrop makes the Russell books ones that I would keep and re-read, in a way that I'd be less likely to re-read the Martinelli books. But I do love the characters in those, too.