& Company
Author
Deborah Lynn Hayes
Presented by
Meadow Lake Press
My Real Reason.
The real catalyst behind taking on a novel honestly wasn't about a storyline.
My biggest reason was to capture this magical, mythical place called Maine.
And portray it as honestly and authentically as possible.
From the lived-life way I've seen and loved it.
Undiscovered Places.
Like Texas, where I grew up, there's the mystique.
Then there's just living there.
The same thing applies to my corner of Maine.
And its less discovered pockets.
These places, along with Northern New England,
basically became their own character.
Saddleback
The Chalet & Ski Lodge
If you were charmed by the rustic Saddleback ski lodge and the Magalloway chalet in After The Ditch, here's a look at the real mountain hideaways that inspired those scenes.
And yes, I did take my kiddos skiing there through the years.
And to Sugarloaf.
They skied Sunday River.
We've got great memories tucked away in these mountains.
.jpg)
Pleasant Lake Cabin
If you were charmed by the rustic cabin scenes on Pleasant Lake of Island Falls, here's a look at the real Up North hideaway that inspired those.
The cabins are real but the cozy scandi-influenced interior for the one Charlie stayed in was purely a conjured dream of my own (and AI's) making.
So here, revel in the full-color rustic-lake-camp dream.
Pleasant Lake
.jpg)
Rangeley Inn & Loon Lodge
The quaint town of Rangeley sits on its namesake lake in the valley of Saddleback and the western mountains of Maine.
We're well acquainted with this town, a daughter and niece have worked the slopes or the inn. And I secretly imagine myself living there someday.
Who knows. Another fantasy.
So it's no wonder this lovely lakeside locale
claimed its place in After The Ditch.
Next up, the historic Rangeley downtown,
Rangeley Inn & Loon Lodge.
Rangeley
.jpg)
Green Mountains
I've had a soft spot for Stowe, Vermont since I took a spontaneous solo trip there one spring while still living in New Hampshire.
My pragmatic friends wanted to rake their yards instead.
I propped my camera (no iphones in 1991) on a fencepost and snapped a shot on a hill with apple blossoms behind me, Stowe in the distance.
Later, we discovered the Von Trapp family story written by Maria
which I read aloud a hundred times to my kids.
Spurred on by the fact they ended up in Stowe.
Needless to say, horseback riding in those mountains in late summer found a perfect spot in After The Ditch.
Stowe Cabin
Cinematic Please.
Make it cinematic and immersive, please.
I adore Joe Wright's films and his cinematic attention to details.
Same with Nancy Meyer's films with interiors that created an entire genre,
not to mention became their own characters.
This was what I constantly kept at the forefront while creating Ditchmas.
Maine is its own world. And not just lobsters & lighthouses.
I wanted to spotlight the regions that rarely get it.
Whether it's northern New England, wilderness Maine, or out west Wyoming, these characters are almost inseparable from their surroundings.
The Ditchmas Characters
Tessa's Bedford Cape
If Nancy Meyer's Hamptons had a love child with Bedford Village, New Hampshire, it would have to be Tessa's white clapboard cape.
Or maybe it was single-handedly my baby.
I did actually live there in my late twenties.
So whatever it was, it was fun.
And, for me, total drool-worthy.
That poor Pinterest board doubled five times before I pried myself off.
I thought Pleasant Lake cabin was bad enough.
Then this one popped into being.
My only escape? Aubrey's horse farm.
But Tessa first.
Bedford Cape
Mack Hill Farm.
Aubrey's New Hampshire horse farm emerged almost by divine appointment.
Along with a killer true life backstory.
I was searching for a quaint horse farm in the Bedford to Mont Vernon area and struck gold with one hidden gem on a winding Mack Hill Rd.
I decided to check out its About page and after that, suddenly Aubrey Prescott
and her Aunt Audry appeared before me.
Along with their Mack Hill Farm.
Obviously, her spin off series is in the works.
Mack Hill Farm
Meadow lake Farm.
Ditchmas wouldn't be Ditchmas without Charlie's farm.
And I wouldn't be who I am either.
Nor would my kids.
From our horses to the whole menagerie of animals we've had through the years, this farm helped me rebuild myself & my dreams.
And became the backdrop for Charlotte Harris and her farm.
Hay meadow to the north. Big Indian Lake to the east.
St. Albans village to the south. Devil's Head mountain on the west.
Farmhouse, cow barn & cottage smack in the middle.
Meadow Lake Farm
Ditchmas Series
Presented by
Meadow Lake Press
Welcome.
Welcome to Meadow Lake Press.
And hope you enjoyed this look into the secluded places
that played the supporting roles in the Ditchmas Series.
If you'd like to discover more of what's going on
in our publishing corner of Maine, please check the links below.
And also enter our guest book to keep in touch.