#drift & dagger

[zhugeliangs]

[...] every sailor knows you can dress up the ocean in pretty colors and soft smiles but it will always be hard and dangerous and cold.

Kendall Kulper, Drift & Dagger, p.249

[zhugeliangs]

'There's nothing you can do about it anymore,' I say, and I say it over and over until it finally feels true.

Kendall Kulper, Drift & Dagger, p.251

[zhugeliangs]

[...] and I almost expect to feel her hand slip into mine again, those fingers small and warm and squeezing tight. I can feel it. I feel my skin tingling, feel my hand reaching out to her, even though in time and distance and every other way of measuring anything she is so far away.

Kendall Kulper, Drift & Dagger, p.257

[zhugeliangs]

We were born into the wrong lives[...]

Kendall Kulper, Drift & Dagger, p.217

[thenovl]

Salt & Storm: Mapping It Out

by Kendall Kulper

Maps are one of my favorite research tools—they’re gorgeous, intricate little works of art—and by the time I finished writing Salt & Storm, Drift & Dagger, and Saltwater Heart, I’d amassed a huge collection.

As I wrote these stories, I created my own images for specific places in the novels, and they turned out to be incredibly helpful guides. I can see these places so clearly in my head, thanks in large part to my hastily-sketched-out drawings.

But I always wanted an excuse to try some real cartography, so I’m thrilled NOVL asked me to share this special look into the world of my stories! Here they are: the maps of Salt & Storm!

1. Salt & Storm

An early version of this map is one of the first things I ever created for the book that would become Salt & Storm. Long before I plotted out any of the novel, I sat down with an atlas and some graph paper and sketched out the shape of Prince Island.

I modeled it off of Nantucket and Chappaquiddick Island, and its geography would form an important aspect of the story. The Roe cottage, where main character Avery is born, sits far out away from everything else, practically its own island, while New Bishop, the town in which Avery lives and is trapped, nestles on a northern harbor.

New Bishop, which is modeled off historic whaling towns like New Bedford and Edgartown, also has its own map, as much of the story takes place within its borders. I needed to know where Avery lived, what shops she’d visit, and how she’d get down to the docks, her favorite place in town.

2. Drift & Dagger

This next map comes from the world of Drift & Dagger, where main character Mal makes a living tracking down and selling magical artifacts. In order to find new jobs and offload goods, he has to travel to a hunters’ market, and the biggest and best in the world is the Fleet Street Hunters’ Market in London.

I designed this map as though Mal had written it himself, with notes of warning (like that the house special at Miss Lucy’s saloon will have you breathing fire) and advice (the Wedge Pub always has good gossip).

At the bottom of the map are the two buildings Mal mentions in the novel: the covered markets. Inside the East Covered Market are rows and rows of stalls belonging to smaller traders, like their friend and former hunter, Ruth. The West Covered Market has a slightly shadier reputation; it’s where hunters bring their most dangerous magical objects, as well as where some traffic in buying and selling magical people.

Designing this map was a lot of fun. I loved imagining a real magical community within the confines of London, and I took a look at a lot of fantasy city maps for inspiration (including the most famous magical alley in the world, Diagon Alley).

3. Saltwater Heart

The final map is modeled off real historic whaling charts and maps the route taken by the Agenor, the ship that young whaleman James sails in Saltwater Heart. These whaling charts proved extremely useful when writing my stories since they gave me an idea of where typical whaling ships would travel and what they’d encounter.

This map has are some purposeful errors; modern nautical charts more accurately show things like where sperm whale live and travel and the location of the Gulf Stream, but I took my inspiration from historic (and not-quite-correct) sources.

And because this is a world of magic, I included some fun magical creatures sailors would have to be on the watch for, from beautiful sirens to ferocious dragons to the terrifying, mysterious kraken.

I hope you enjoyed this special look into the world of my books! I loved taking the opportunity to create these beautiful maps, and I’m so thrilled with how they turned out that I’d like to share them with you! I’m giving away signed posters of the Salt & Storm map to five lucky readers! Check out my website for more information on how you can win one, and don’t forget to check out Drift & Dagger, Saltwater Heart, and Salt & Storm!

--

How gorgeous are those maps?! 

We already had a crush on Kendall because of her beautiful writing and the gorgeous stories she gives us... and that crush has now reached a whole new level. THESE. MAPS. We’re obsessed! Kendall, thanks so much for sharing your beautiful artwork, and giving us insight to the world of Salt & Storm. We love it. 

If you haven’t read Salt & Storm yet, right now is an excellent chance to start. The eBook is on sale for just $2.99. Time to dive in! 

+ learn more about Kendall’s books here. + check out The Old Whaling Island tumblr here.

[btafest]

That’s two awesome BTAF authors who are archers! Watch out, Katniss. ;) 

Stay tuned for more fun facts about your favorite YA authors, and don’t forget to check out the full Boston Teen Author Festival schedule! 

[thenovl]

Bon Voyage! 

If you loved SALT & STORM, it's time to continue your journey out at sea... because today, you get to dive into not one, but two new stories at sea! Happy book birthday to Kendall Kulper’s Drift & Dagger and Saltwater Heart ⚓️ 

[the-old-whaling-island]