A BITTER FEAST will be my 12th book to have an accompanying map illustrated by the wonderful Laura Hartman Maestro. The very first was for the 6th Duncan and Gemma novel, KISSED A SAD GOODBYE, which was set in east London's docklands and the Isle of Dogs.
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| Map by Laura Hartman Maestro |
How gorgeous is that? Just looking makes me want to dive right in and reread the book (which I probably should do...) Look at that clipper ship!
Since then, working with Laura is one of my biggest treats in the publication process. When she's finished reading the manuscript (which she was getting chapter by chapter the last couple of months, like a Dickens serial) we have a long chat about what we might want to include on the map.
Then I send her a real map, with important places in the story (both fictional and actual) marked on it. Like so:
In A BITTER FEAST, it's the Cotswold villages of Upper and Lower Slaughter, in Gloucestershire.
Then, if it's an actual place, like The Mill in Lower Slaughter, I send her a photo.
Or if it's a totally made up place, like my character Nell's cottage, I send her a photo of what I imagine Nell's cottage might look like. (I want to live in this one.)
In this case we decided it would be fun to have a thatched cottage, so I'll have to go back and tweak the text a little bit so that the description in the book fits the illustration.
When Laura has finished a first draft of the map, she sends it to me to proof. I can't wait to see what she comes up with for A BITTER FEAST. I'm guessing there will be at least one dog, a lovely black and white border collie named Bella--and maybe MacTavish, the Scottish deerhound, and Polly, the long-coated Jack Russell terrier. In any case, I'm sure it will be wonderful!
Readers have loved following the stories on the maps--and even using the maps as their own personal tour guides in the UK.
But for those of you who've missed the maps in the e-books, they are all on my website
They can be downloaded and/or printed.
And if you've missed KISSED A SAD GOODBYE and its map, let me know below. I'll send a signed hardcover copy of the book to a lucky commenter!
Tell us if you enjoy maps in books, and if you have any favorites. I fell in love with the end paper maps in Tolkein's LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy when I was fourteen, and have been hooked ever since!
A BITTER FEAST, Kincaid/James #18, will be published in October 2019 and is available for pre-order now!
Oh, I’d forgotten about the wonderful maps in “Lord of the Rings” . . . I remember stopping several times to look at the maps as I read the stories.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed hearing about how the maps for your stories come to life; I think they are a special addition to your books and they’re always the first thing I look at when I get my book [but I did miss “Kissed a Sad Goodbye”]. I’m looking forward to reading “A Bitter Feast” . . . .
Loved reading this, Debs. I always enjoy finding a map when I open a book - I feel as though it's an extra layer of joy for the reader, and an extra effort by the writer to give her readers something extra. I'm very much looking forward to reading "A Bitter Feast!"
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kaye! Laura is truly a delight.
DeleteI have an acute sense of direction and I think it comes from the long road trips we took throughout Texas and New Mexico when I was a kid. We didn't have entertainment systems in the cars then - so I entertained myself by reading road maps the whole way. Without the maps, Middle Earth would just be a vague mishmash of locations for me. Those maps and the maps in your books really helped me form the shape of the stories. I'm so glad you are including another map in your new book and I already love the location! I stayed in a stately home in Stow-on-the-Wold when I was 19 and a more romantic location is hard to imagine. I'm looking forward checking back in with Duncan and Gemma!
ReplyDeleteBonnie, Stow is only maybe five miles from the Slaughters. I stopped there several times while researching the book.
DeleteI love Laura's maps! They are one of many things that make each new Kincaid-James book a special treat.
ReplyDeleteThe first books I remember reading that featured maps were Lloyd Alexander's "Chronicles of Prydain," which I happened onto when I was in maybe the third grade. Then Tolkein, of course, and other books--mostly fantasy novels--over the years. But I love maps in general. Like Bonnie, I grew up reading road maps, loved poring over the giant world atlas we had, and eventually graduated to the fascinating USGS topographic maps, with all their elevation lines that tell so much about how the land itself was formed. Are we losing the art of map reading to the GPS? I hope not!
Like you and Bonnie, I loved maps from early on. My grandmother had a NatGeo subscription and we poured over every issue, then would chart the locations in the features on my globe, which lit up from the inside. I still have that globe, and the light still works!
DeleteFor every book that i've set outside of London I've bought the ordnance survey map of the area. They are fascinating, so much detail! And of course for years in London I've lived by my A to Zed--although I have to admit that having Google Maps on my phone has been a godsend.
I love maps in books! I first saw them in the Lord of the Rings, and later found them both helpful and fascinating in Lindsey Davis’s Falco series. I’m an urban planner with a heavy side of cartography, so I may be a little biased.
ReplyDeleteLove the maps in your books. I bet lots of us started with Tolkien's wonderful maps.He was kind of obsessive in his world building - lucky us! I seem to remember some in Wizard of Earthsea series too.Maps of the real world tell their own stories, if we know how took at them.And old maps of what they thought was the real world are a special treat.
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DeleteI remember the Wizard of Earthsea maps. Wonder if I still have those books...
DeleteAnd of course because Tolkien drew his own maps, they were a gateway to his imagination.
Right after reading and commenting on this interesting blog, I opened my NY Times and found an article about Tolkien! And maps! Enjoy, Reds and friends. If the link doesn't work - it looks wonky - probably Googling NY Times and Tolkien will do the job.
Deletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/arts/design/tolkien-exhibition-morgan-library-and-museum.html?rref=collection%2Ftimestopic%2FTolkien%2C%20J.%20R.%20R.&action=click&contentCollection=timestopics®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=1&pgtype=collection
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Fabulous article, Triss! Someone else recommended it, too. I hadn't seen it because my paper wasn't delivered this morning!
DeleteWhen reading fantasy novels that come with maps in the front of the book, I used to check them out a lot. I had to know where the heroes were at all times. That was when I was a teenager though. As I grew up, fantasy novels lost their appeal and map viewing became something I gave up on.
ReplyDeleteThere aren't a lot of mysteries that I read that come with maps these days. And to be honest, I usually skip right past them in order to get started reading the story.
I love maps, and I love maps in books! The first one I fell in love with was the map of Narnia. I had been given the set of the Chronicles when I was a kid and the map was like icing on the cake. So many places to imagine. On family trips, I loved the chance to sit in the front and be the "navigator" with a pile of gas station maps on my lap. Now it's hard to even find a paper map. The map in your book is wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYes, Narnia! I still have my original editions--going to look at the maps!
DeleteHow I loved KISSED A SAD GOODBYE. Although I've read all your books twice, perhaps it is time to revisit that one. The problem with reading on Kindle that I can't enjoy the maps as much as in print and paper. Even if I don't win today, I'll buy myself a copy and ask you to sign it when I seen you in October.
ReplyDeleteSadly, paper maps have been replace by GDS these days. I loved being the navigator and I am one of those women who don't need to turn the map around to figure out where I'm going and how to get there.
Ann, if you're reading on Kindle, just print the map from webpage and keep it handy.
DeleteWow. Hadn’t thought of that!
DeleteThese are gorgeous Debs! And what fun to work with Laura--you deserve such a treat after the long slog...
ReplyDeleteIf A Bitter Feast is #18, I've missed more than just Kissed a Sad Goodbye! Looks like I've missed three or four of the earlier books, checking your website, Debs. And I do love maps in books, going way back to a childhood discovery on one on a flyleaf. It's a charming detail, but it also makes a story more real and immediate.
ReplyDeleteCover designs that all look similar, by the way, confuse me. On the one hand, it's easy to pick out a Deborah Crombie book from a million others (or a Rhys Bowen one, for instance). On the other hand, since they look so much the same I can never remember if I've read them or not. Is it just me?
Karen, you've brought up a good topic. We should have a post about cover design.
DeleteI was hoping to be able to show you all the cover of A Bitter Feast today, but it's going to be a few more weeks before we have a final. It is gorgeous--and very recognizable as a Crombie book. I think you'll be able to tell it from the others, though.
I like that you’re branded, Deb. And your covers are so distinctive.
DeleteSo fantastic, Debs! Love this, and what treasures they are. How did your relationship begin?
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, I love maps! Even real maps—, so much fun to read them, and how they match with reality is just always fascinating.
Hank, when I was with Bantam, Kate Miciak commissioned that first map. They did the next book, too, A Finer End, but not my third and last Bantam book, And Justice There Is None. (One of my very favorites, too:-() Then I moved to Morrow and they commissioned the maps for every book since. Yay, Morrow!!!!!
DeleteI love maps of real places, but I'm with Jay - I confess I don't pay attention to maps in books - sorry, Debs! I guess I want to figure out where they are going as I read.
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't sound like a stalker, but you popped up in my dream like two hours ago (one of those vivid ones that happen right before awakening), so I feel like I just saw you! And then to see your post. My mind is kind of reeling. Must get more coffee...
Edith, we must have connecting on some plane or other:-)
DeleteI love maps--real ones, fantasy ones, antique ones, flat, globes, topo, whatever kind there is to be had. When I read a Duncan and Gemma book, I refer back to the map as I read--partly to orient myself in their world and partly because the maps are so beautiful. I used to scour used bookstores and antique/treasure shops for old NatGeo maps etc. for one of my nephews--he had the bug too and would spend hours poring over his maps.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested in the history of map making, too, Flora. Hmmm, wonder if I could work that into a book...
DeleteSeeing your maps makes me so happy! I really wish more authors did this so I wouldn't have to go to a lot of trouble and bother myself to see the places described. Even on their own maps are a wonderful way to spend time, but then when you throw in a Duncan and Gemma story it is bliss.
ReplyDeleteAnd since I have only recently started reading your books I would be thrilled to get a copy of KISSED A SAD GOODBYE with its map!
Judi, so glad you're enjoying the books! Do check out the maps on the website!
DeleteDeb, the maps are wonderful, but as Ann says, more difficult on the Kindle. Or when listening on audio (as I've been doing lately). I do know that I found it very sad, as a librarian processing new materials, the maps on the inside covers had to be somewhat covered up by dust jackets and other stickers. Not much you can do about that though. That's why I'm delighted that you shared the resource of your website and perusing the maps there. Can't wait to read the new one! As I said, I'm going to listen to all the books over this year in preparation for A BITTER FEAST. I've already finished 4 of them. Loved them just as much as the first time I read them.
ReplyDeleteKay, my editor tells me that map for A Bitter Feast is going IN the book, rather than on the endpapers, so that will solve that problem--and that of the maps missing in the e-books, I hope.
DeleteOh, but I LOVE them as endpapers! I love endpapers & they're so seldom anything interesting nowadays. I'm so glad to know that the maps are on your website. I ordered "No Mark Upon Her" from the UK (there was a 6-month delay in printing in the US, as I recall) & really missed having the map endpapers in that book. I reread your books a lot & always explore the maps.
DeleteIt's always worth the wait for a new Gemma/Duncan novel! I've already cleared a spot for A BITTER FEAST on my shelf.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love books with maps in them. And floor plans.
My favorite is SORT of a map... any remember the fold-out map of NY's Plaza Hotel in ELOISE (the original) that showed her pathway up the elevator, down stairs, wreaking mild havoc and leaving a trail of hilarity?
I LOVE floor plans, Hallie! I drew one for the main house in A Bitter Feast, as well as a map of the gardens, which are quite spectacular--in my mind, at least!
DeleteSometimes a house will come up for sale that I'm curious to see the inside--you know, those houses you pass and wonder about. And the photos included in online listings are great--but confusing. Floor plans would be great so you can see how the rooms are connected, what the space looks like.
DeleteIn the year or so before we hired an architect to create a plan for our new home I looked at literally hundreds of floorplans for homes. It's always been an interest of mine, anyway, but analyzing so many together helped me understand and help my husband understand room and placement issues I would not have thought about. For instance, probably 85% of existing floorplans did not have coat closets in the entries. Where do you put guests' coats, or your own?
DeleteBy the way, Kristopher Zgorski's BOLO Books blog includes a shout-out for Jungle Reds (and a specific one for Hank), in today's Composite Sketch. Featuring Jay Roberts!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Kristopher, and nice to see you, Jay!
What she said!
DeleteHurray to Kristopher! Going to check it out now!
DeleteYou all know how much this blog community means to me. I am happy to be able to payback some of the enjoyment with mentions on BOLO Books every now and then.
DeleteThanks Karen. It was nice to see the article come out well.
DeleteI love maps! If a book includes one, I go over it before I even start reading, getting used to the names and getting their relationship to one another set in my mind. Then, as I read, I flip back and forth. You are so fortunate to work with Laura. Between the two of you, you give us a whole world! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful maps, Deb! Like you, Tolkien got me hooked on maps when I was about 14!
ReplyDeleteI prefer reading ebooks on my Kindle Paperwhite these days so here's a tip for how to see those lovely maps: open the book in Kindle for iPad. The maps are easy to read and you sometimes have the option to zoom in. I suspect that since it's essentially a tablet, the Kindle Fire is the same way. I don't use one so I can't be sure.
The Nook app has the same ability, Cathy. It's actually nicer than trying to see it in a real book!
DeleteThat's good to know. I usually read on my Paperwhite, but now I wonder if that works on my Android tablet. Going to check it out.
DeleteI enjoy maps and appreciate them in books. It is fun to refer to them when reading. However, I can't say that I have a favorite.
ReplyDeleteI love the maps. I have seen a couple when ordering your first books at the public library ( your books are not available around home). Since No Mark Upon Her , I've downloaded your books on my E-reader so no maps but thank you for the information that we can get them on your site.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember reading Kissed a Sad Goodbye and would be happy to win a signed copy.
Forgot to say : if A Bitter Feast comes out in October, I'll be able to get it at Bouchercon, yes ?
ReplyDeleteYes!!! It's out October 8th!
DeleteI love the maps in your books, though the library covers up half the map on both the front and back. I'm familiar with many of your settings and look forward to reading about the Cotswolds, where we took a hiking trip years ago during lambing season. Baa!
ReplyDeleteYes, there are a few sheep in this one, lol. And sheepdogs!
DeleteDebs,
ReplyDeleteSince childhood, I have loved maps of all kinds, and I can completely immerse myself in an atlas. I always look for the maps in your books!
DebRo
Debs, I love maps in books. Especially the ones in your books! I made my own LOTR map when I was a teenager. I''d like ro see them in every small town mystery. So much easier to figure out how Miss Marple spots something on her way to the church!
ReplyDeleteMaps fascinate me since I grew up using maps when we were on road trips with my family in the 1950's and 1960's. The only method at that time and did we ever treasure these useful and special method. In novels I enjoy knowing the neighborhood and areas so maps are very meaningful and integral to the story.
ReplyDeleteI like maps in books because they help me visualize the setting
ReplyDeleteI love maps. I'm always a bit fuzzy on where things are in relation to other things, so maps are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, those maps in LoTR were amazing!
Maps in books give me a great deal of enjoyment in the story and are important. I want to understand the locale and maps are an authentic and original way to feel part of the book. We always have an atlas and globe in our house as well as many maps for our grandchildren to pore over. Debs, I love your stories.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Laura's maps are more than just a way to find your way around in the story, as she gives your such wonderful little glimpses of characters and settings. They are truly works of art.
ReplyDeleteInteresting to find out how you put the fictional places on the maps. I refer to the maps as I am reading to situate myself in the story. I am not a good visualizer, if that's a word.
ReplyDeleteI love maps in general. When visiting the UK I also always buy the OS map of area I’m staying in then spend evenings pouring over it. My family calls me Map Girl and one of my granddaughters is next generation’s Map Girl. BTW, I’m in Key West and spoke with Roberta/Lucy at Artisan Market last week.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you got to meet Lucy/Roberta!
DeleteSo interesting! I LOVE these maps. They are such an important part of the story and I refer to them throughout my reading. Gives an additional layer of excitement and a feeling of being there. I especially like when the story takes place in an area I have visited.
ReplyDeleteI loved the maps of Middle Earth! All the illustrations add an extra layer to understanding the surroundings. There are several mystery series I read that include a map. And they’re each set in England. Is that the Tolkien influence?
ReplyDeleteI have always been a map junkie. I was always the navigator on family trips using AAA Trip-tiks. I love the maps in your books and I too think they are works of art. I especially love when I have visited some of the sites of your stories and those maps bring back fond memories of real places, now mixed with your fictional places. Since I’ve read quite a few of your books on my iPhone, thanks for letting me know I can download maps from your website! Cheers, Debs! Hope to run into you in McKinney one of these days!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I can usually be found shopping at Trader Joe's on the weekends:-)
DeleteI do love the maps in your books, and I refer to them. Since I mostly read on my iPad with the Kindle app, I also often switch to the iPad’s map apps (Maps, Google Maps, and Google Earth) and take a look at the actual places with satellite 3D views and street views. Since you often use real locations, I really enjoy filling out the mental picture.
ReplyDeleteI love maps in books. The writer's travels, the village and environs, the scene of the crime. Also floor plans too (The Maid's Room, The Study, the Pantry with the secret exit...) And real life maps too. All good.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget the always delightful Dell Mapbacks, from another crime era. I sometimes just Google them for the fun of it, when I have more important things to do.
I love maps and drawings in books. My LOTR edition has a lovely large map included. My favorite Agatha Christie books had drawings of house/room layouts to help figure out the mystery. The maps in your books are such a wonderful addition to the story. I think I'm going to have to go to the website and print the maps out. So excited that you'll have a new book out soon! I think I'll need to re-read the previous ones in anticipation.
ReplyDeleteI love maps in books. If there isn’t one provided, I call up Google Maps and familiarize myself with the locations. I have to admit I’m still confused over the one in your most recent book, Garden of Lamentations. Cornwall Gardens in your map doesn’t quite match what is in Google Maps. I’m assuming yours is fictional. I’ve already preordered your book. So love this series!
ReplyDeleteTeri, it is indeed fictional. It occupies the space that in reality is a housing estate called Convent Gardens.
DeleteI see an unexplored niche in mystery publishing: someone should do a lovely set of books that are just maps of settings in mysteries, maybe with relevant quotes from the story to go with each map.You could break it our by author/character - Maps of Sherlock Holmes or Maps of Kinsey Millhone. Or you could publish by location - where are the settings of crimes in New York State, and how do they relate to one another? Or you could do it by genre: all cozies, all hard-boiled, etc.
ReplyDeleteI would definitely buy books like that to add to my mystery reference shelf.
Me, too, Julia. What a fun idea. I think you should edit this--in your free time!!! While you are also writing the book of essays...
DeleteThis is a great idea, Julia.
DeleteGENIUS.
DeleteThe maps are works of art and add to the feeling of being in the story. Brava for putting them online, sharing the beauty. Awaiting the next book <3
ReplyDeleteIs there any chance you might commission maps for the books that don't have them? I have copies of all your books and I love maps for the first ones. As I've read through these comments and your replies, my anticipation for A Bitter Feast.
ReplyDeleteI love the maps. They are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteWhat a treat! The maps are just stunning and how fun for you to be able to envision your story in a new way, Debs! I'm jealous. Weirdly, I have a corgi pup named Bella in Buried to the Brim, a bit of which I'm sharing on Sunday! My characters call her "Bella from Hella". LOL!
ReplyDeleteJenn, you know I can't wait for this one!
DeleteEnd papers are so lovely and important. Happy that you are keeping the tradition alive.
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ReplyDeleteDeborah, I loved the maps in your books. This reminds me of when I asked another author about locations in her books. I had stayed on Ebury street in London and she mentioned that the mansion where the family lived on Ebury was fictional. I got a map of London and tried to figure out where Fitzroy Square, Warren Street and Charlotte street are.
ReplyDeleteIt is so fun to see the maps in your books. Some of the places in London are familiar to me from my travels there in the past.
Diana
I didn't realize that the maps went that far back. They are such a special touch to the series. I generally love maps anyway, but there is something special about a book that includes one.
ReplyDeleteI love the maps and that we can print them out to look at instead of flipping to the front or back of the book all the time. I mean I REALLY LOVE the maps! Love the books too! LOL
ReplyDeleteI love your books and I love the maps! I didn’t know there were printable maps on your website, now that I do, I am going to print and frame my favorites. So looking forward to the new book!
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love maps in books! And, I am always thrilled with the beautiful maps in the Gemma and Duncan series, Debs. One of the things I've been doing at the Bouchercons is looking for early copies, preferably first editions, of your series. I started out reading them in paperbacks, but slowly I'm working to complete my collection. I actually have two of All is Well. But, I don't yet have Kissed a Sad Goodbye, and it is will be a must for me, even if I don't win it here, because it is the first map book. And, how great is it that you have the maps available for printing out on your website. That's taking wonderful care of your readers.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of maps and books, I became intensely interested in the Dell Mapback books at the St. Pete Bouchercon. Mystery Mike's had several small tubs of them for sale, and I fell in love with them. I bought at least a dozen, with Agatha Christie ones being the most and Margaret Millar coming in second. I've since bought a couple of ones from Etsy and am definitely on the outlook for more. If you're unfamiliar with these little gems, here's a link to a feature on them at CrimeReads, https://crimereads.com/dell-mapbacks-a-history/
This is new to me, Kathy. I had no idea they existed.
DeleteWhat a cool idea.
I didn't either, Kathy!
DeleteI find them so delightful! I hope Mystery Mike's brings lots more to Dallas!
DeleteI love maps in books! I've been listening to the audio version of your books, so didn't realize there were maps in the print books. Thanks for letting us know about the maps on your website.
ReplyDeleteI didn't read all the way down so don't know if others said this, but did you see the article in today's NYT in the Weekend Arts II section titled "The Maps To the Soul and Heart of Tolkien"?
ReplyDeleteNo! And I didn't get my print paper this morning! Will look up online asap! Thank you!
DeleteObviously you are not only an amazing author but also prescient.
DeleteHere's the link if anyone else is interested. Fascinating! I would love to see the exhibit.
Deletehttps://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/14/arts/design/tolkien-exhibition-morgan-library-and-museum.html
I love the maps in your books! I often stop and look to see where a cottage or pub is on you map. I am visiting England this summer, to meet my Penpal of 6 years! We will spend a week together and I will go look up all the maps on you website right now!
ReplyDeleteThat’s what I was thinking! Her maps are as much art as map. They are so unique and add so much to the books. I am not good at navigating and directions, so it helps having the visual for picturing the story. I think the first maps I remember are the wonderful maps of the 100 Acre Wood in Winnie the Pooh by E. H. Shepherd. Yes, some maps are art!
ReplyDeleteI love maps. Always have. I used to have a poster of the Middle Earth map. And I not only love the maps in your books, Deborah Crombie, but I consult them frequently as I read your books. 2!, 2!, 2 joys in one book! Thanks! ps - I even visited the guitar shop based on your map. Well, and the mystery bookstore too!
ReplyDeleteSince my early days of reading, I've loved finding a map in a book. Some old favorites are The Hundred Acre Wood map from Winnie the Pooh, the map in Treasure Island, the map of Middle Earth in The Hobbit... I'm happy you've included maps in your books!
ReplyDeleteOH, YES, Love the pooh maps!
DeleteYes, me, too!
DeleteOh, I forgot about the Winnie the Pooh maps! i had a set of those from the 50's (including two books of poems) that I just passed on to my sister, who has a delightful 2 year old granddaughter that absolutely needs to know them!
DeleteI love the maps in your books and refer to them often while reading each book. I even go online to look up images of the real places mentioned so I can put myself in the setting as much as possible. Sometimes I line sketch a map to help picture a recurring setting in a book. I particularly like village maps, especially Jan Karon’s Mitford series map. I feel like I know Mitford as well as I know my own home town.
ReplyDeleteWould be thrilled to have a signed copy of KISSED A SAD GOODBYE as I have not read that one. Maps really enrich my reading experience,feeling like I am a part of the story, enabling me to visualize where the characters belong in the illustrations. I have a 1933 edition of WIND IN THE WILLOWS that I was gifted as a child in the 1950's. The charming maps on the end papers were one of my favorite parts of that book! Brought Toad Hall, Mole's house, Rat's house etc. to life for me on those pages. Susan Wittig Albert's Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series feature a small map in conjunction with the character bio list and makes it extra fun to place them all! As an aside, so enjoyed reading Jay Robert's Bolo Books interview. You all have created quite a community here on JRW.
ReplyDeleteNow I have to check my copy of Wind in the Willows, but I think it's from the 50s.
DeleteI love maps, floor plans, family trees, lists of characters, and glossaries if there are a lot of foreign words or technical terms. The story is the main thing but I like the extra touches.
ReplyDeleteAs an audiobook "reader," I was unaware of the maps. Wow, I had no idea what I was missing. Thankfully they are available online.
ReplyDeleteLindell, I hope you enjoy them! They do really add a lot to the experience.
DeleteI love seeing Laura Hartman Maestro's artwork so much as part of Deborah Crombie's books that I tracked down the artist and I bought an original drawing from her of a darling sheep. I treasure it and i am grateful to own it. I love looking at all of Laura's intricate maps. She is so creative and the maps are such great companions to the books. --Marjorie of Connecticut
ReplyDeleteInteresting post today! I would love to be the winner! Happy weekend! lindaherold999(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteLove the maps in your books! Have been known to stop while reading to check a google street view. :) Even though I read mostly ebooks now (lousy eyes), I still buy your hardcovers just to have them on the shelf and to enjoy the maps. As a kid, we had a big drawer full of the NatGeo maps, loved poring over them. And loved having the job of maps librarian in a college library, back in the day. Looking forward to the new book!
ReplyDeleteI love maps in books! Thanks for the chance to win a copy of yours!
ReplyDeleteI love maps. I collect puzzles of maps. I'll have to explore your books and maps more. Thanks for sharing your process.
ReplyDeleteSorry to say, I haven’t read KISSED A SAD GOODBYE
ReplyDeleteI love Laura's maps. When they are set in London, I can visualize myself walking on those so familiar streets. When 2 of my grandsons were 4 years old and we were on a 5 hour road trip, I taught them to read the map and forever stilled the " are we there yet? "
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ReplyDeleteI’ve truly enjoyed your stories and watching your characters grow. AND, love those maps! Thanks for everything you do to make the stories so much more meaningful! And thank you for the opportunity to win a signed book! How special!
ReplyDelete