Tina deBellgarde--The Magic of Maps

DEBORAH CROMBIE: There is nothing I love more than a map in a book, and apparently I'm not the only one. I think it was the maps that made me fall in love with Lord of the Rings when I was fourteen, and to this day I cannot resist a book with a map. I've drawn maps for books I've read, and for my own books, and I've been lucky enough to have a good many of my own novels accompanied by maps by the wonderful illustrator, Laura Hartman Maestro. 

But our guest today, Tina deBellgarde, has THE MOST envy-inducing maps in the latest book in her charming Batavia-on-Hudson series, AUTUMN EMBERS.  (And what a gorgeous cover!) Welcome, Tina! Tell us how the maps came about.

 

Tina deBellegarde: Debs, thank you and all the lovely ladies at Jungle Red Writers for hosting me today. What a treat! Today I’m writing about the magic of maps.

My Batavia-on-Hudson Mystery Series takes place in a fictitious village in the Hudson Valley of New York, but Autumn Embers, the newest book in the series, alternates between Batavia and Kyoto, Japan.

When I started writing my series, I debated over setting the stories in my new hometown of Catskill, New York (yes, there is actually a village of Catskill), but I worried about what that would mean to a small town. Would I forget something or someone, or get just it wrong? In a town of this size where everyone knows everyone, any faux pas would be noticed.

Then I thought about the nearby towns, all lovely in their own right. Did I want town A for the beautiful town square? Or town B for the vibrant Main Street? One day, I realized that if I picked my favorite parts of each, I could have the perfect town and I could place things exactly where I thought they belonged.

This decision, like so many writing decisions I’ve made, was arrived at while walking. When it hit me that I could work with a brand-new town, I rushed home to my writing cottage. (Yes, I know, a writing cottage. My husband made it for me long before she-sheds were a thing. I am very lucky!) I pulled out four sheets of plain paper and taped them all together to make a large sheet and I sketched the first version of the Batavia-on-Hudson map before it even had a name. It was exhilarating to have this much control. I had discovered the magic of maps!

As I sketched all the places I thought should belong in my town, the villagers came to life and scenes started to unfold. The quaint cabins on the lake were just like the ones at the family resort where I worked as a teenager. They became the location of the first murder in Winter Witness. I placed the Crossroads Inn at the center of town, which later in Dead Man’s Leap became central to a story depicting the crossroads of a life. The bridge I drew over the creek eventually got washed away in a flood, and Stella’s Diner naturally became the hub where the villagers cross paths every day.

I even placed a defunct tannery by the shore of the Hudson along with company housing. Then I put the town founder’s mansion on the hill above the company housing and that became a part of the story of Batavia, about capitalism and exploitation. The complex stories hidden behind the facade of wealth and privilege started revealing themselves.

Once I placed the community center and the town hall on the map, I envisioned all the celebrations as well as arguments that any town would confront. I began to see how living in an intimate town could resemble a family and how we could learn to live with everyone’s shortcomings.  I began to envision how, despite the arguments in the town hall, we could all come together to celebrate in the community center.

I taped my map on the wall in front of my writing desk and used it as my inspiration. It oriented me and somehow it brought the city to life.

Creating the map of Kyoto was different since it is a real city, but I had become addicted to the heady feeling of a cartographer, so I found myself adding my own locations on the map as I needed them. Capturing Kyoto in words is almost impossible, but having the map before me kept the city front and center as I worked to impart the essence of the city onto the written page. I hope the map will help guide and orient the readers as they embark on this Kyoto adventure with Bianca.

I am blessed to have worked with two very talented artists on my covers and maps. Winter Witness and Dead Man’s Leap were done by Sachi Mulkey and Autumn Embers by Elisa Tanaka. Both artists are based in Japan and have artistic styles that capture the aesthetic I was seeking. The black and white maps are exactly what I had in mind, but the color renditions are swoon-worthy!

Many of my readers tell me they originally picked up my books because of the maps! What is this spell that maps have over us?

DEBS: I'm fascinated by the way the maps themselves have influenced your writing process, Tina. And that is a terrific question. I can't wait to see what our readers have to say about it!

Tina deBellegarde writes the Agatha-nominated Batavia-on-Hudson series. She co-chairs the Murderous March Conference and is a founding member of sleuthsandsidekicks.com. She enjoys reviewing Japanese fiction for BooksOnAsia.net and is a member of Writers in Kyoto. Tina lives in Catskill, NY and travels to Japan frequently to do research and visit her son and daughter-in-law. She is currently working on a collection of interconnected short stories set in Japan. Visit Tina at her website, on Instagram and on Facebook.

 

Here's more about Autumn Embers

Bianca St. Denis travels to Kyoto to return a priceless artifact recovered in Batavia-on-Hudson during last summer’s flood. It’s late October, and the city of 2,000 shrines is in full autumn splendor. While she’s in Japan’s ancient capital, Bianca visits with her son, a student at Kyoto University. Ian shows her the sights and introduces her to his circle of friends—his chosen family. On the night of her welcome party, Bianca thinks she witnesses a struggle in the garden, perhaps even a murder. When the police investigate and find no body, she is stumped, yet alarm bells won’t stop ringing. She knows she’s witnessed something.

When a dead body surfaces and suspicion falls on her son, Bianca’s maternal instincts spring to action to protect Ian and clear his name. Meanwhile, things in Batavia-on-Hudson are tense. Sheriff Mike Riley is losing his re-election while tackling devastating news about his dead partner and wavering about his troubled marriage.

Autumn Embers explores the malleable nature of our identities and reminds us that chosen families can be stronger than we think, and that true friendship can bridge any distance.