Wandering Wednesday: Wandering in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia with Janet Sketchley

By Janet Sketchley @JanetSketchley

The South Shore of Nova Scotia anchors my childhood roots, thanks to vacations and weekends that often took us “down home”. My grandparents, and the cabin retreat Dad built, were inland from the ocean shore, but I grew up absorbing the region’s rural atmosphere and appreciating its beauty.

It seemed the perfect place to set my new Green Dory Inn mystery series. 

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, is a real town—a UNESCO World Heritage site with thousands of visitors each year. A prime location for my inn, which is actually a bed and breakfast. And (she rubs her hands gleefully) somewhere ripe for a mystery writer to wreak havoc on locals and tourists alike.

The Green Dory Inn lies outside of town, on a winding coastal road, and so far I’ve only seen the spot on Google Maps (I got lost when I tried to find it in person).

Although I needed to adjust the landscape around the inn to suit the story—it’s a fictional building, after all—I’ve enjoyed wandering Old Town Lunenburg itself to cultivate a sense of the place.

A walk along the harbourfront on a summer day meets a sharp hint of tar from the wide, sun-baked boards of the pier. Whale watching and harbour tour boats offer excursions, and depending on the day, Nova Scotia’s signature schooner, the Bluenose II, may be in port.

Who says research can’t be fun? This is an oversized version of a traditional lobster trap

The bright red Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic at the end of the boardwalk provides a look back in time at the lives of fishermen and their families, privateers, and rum-runners.

At the street edge of the harbour walk, horse-drawn open carriages stand waiting for fares. I assume it’s a short ride, since much of the town is uphill—steeply uphill—from the water.

Inns and restaurants line the street across from the boardwalk. Up from there (my legs protested the climb) are more streets paralleling the harbour, crammed with a delightful array of gift shops, inns, and more places to eat. Seafood is a popular choice, and many of the inns and restaurants bear nautical names.

Dressed stone is reserved for old, elegant churches and at least one bank. Most buildings are wooden, in vibrant blues, yellows, and reds, often bearing a variation of the extended dormer window known locally as a “Lunenburg bump.”

Intriguing window displays line the sidewalks, and it’s worth raising your eyes to see the metal cut-outs of fish attached to the utility poles.

Something I didn’t know until my most recent trip was that during WWII there were Norwegian soldiers training in the town after the invasion of their homeland. Hmm… how will this work into my present-day stories?

I’d like to finagle one more trip to Lunenburg, because I’m told that the Knot Pub makes a fantastic peanut butter pie. Since none of the real-life businesses are used in the Green Dory Inn series, I can’t exactly call that research—although it would give me another chance to listen to local residents and steep in the atmosphere.

Writers, if you set your stories in a real location, do you include a favourite café or other spot, or do you invent establishments for your imaginary friends to visit?

Readers, which do you prefer?

About Janet Sketchley

Janet Sketchley is an Atlantic Canadian writer who likes her fiction with a splash of mystery or adventure and a dash of Christianity. Why leave faith out of our stories if it’s part of our lives? Her Green Dory Inn series is set near the picturesque town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Janet’s other books include the Redemption’s Edge Christian suspense series and the devotional collection, A Year of Tenacity.

You can find her online at janetsketchley.cahttps://janetsketchley.ca/.

Unknown Enemy page (includes purchase links): https://janetsketchley.ca/books/unknown-enemy-a-green-dory-inn-mystery/

Facebook: fb.me/JanetSketchley.author
Goodreads: goodreads.com/janetsketchley
Twitter: www.twitter.com/JanetSketchley
Amazon Author Central: https://www.amazon.com/author/janetsketchley
Newsletter signup: bit.ly/JanetSketchleyNews

About Unknown Enemy

Landon Smith vowed never to return to Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. Despite her faith, the memories might undo her.

But a shadowy figure has been skulking around the Green Dory Inn—seen only by her friend Anna.

Loyalty demands she stand by this woman who’s been a second mother to her. No matter the cost.

With the police unable to find solid clues, and the incidents escalating, Landon must help Anna discover the truth about the prowler and stop him. Before he turns violent.

You can read the introduction to Unknown Enemy below:

Heaven's Prey Blog Chase

Heaven's Prey is a novel of suspense and redemption, so let's have some fun with a "blog chase." Follow the trail between Oct. 31 and Nov. 7, 2013 for a chance to win a print copy of Heaven's Prey.

You're at the first stop in the chase. Welcome! At the end of this post you'll find a link to the next stop. You'll need to visit each stop so you'll know the answers for the quiz at the end ... that's how you enter the prize draw.

Let's peek into the story world:

A chill wind moaned around the corner of Ruth and Tony Warner's suburban bungalow, etching frost ferns on the window. In the kitchen, Ruth stirred chocolate sauce at the stove.

Bubbles multiplied, tumbling over one another until the whole mass seethed up the sides of the pan. Like Ruth's fears for her missing niece—they'd grown until she thought they'd swallow her whole. She cut back the heat and kept stirring.

Susan had been gone for a month now, with no clue, no contact. Could Ruth trust this new hope that lit her spirit? She glanced at her husband's broad back as he washed the cherries and strawberries. His shoulders drooped these days. "Tony, I have something to tell you, and I don't want you to laugh."

"You're going to get a rosebud tattoo. Somewhere personal." His sandy eyebrows wiggled.

Ruth flipped a pot holder at him. "No, I mean it."

Tony leaned against the counter. The overhead light showed lines that hadn't creased his face a month ago. New strands of grey glistened in his beard.

Ruth pushed the fringe of hair off her forehead. "I had this dream last night. About Susan."

His smile fled. "Why didn't you wake me?"

"No, it was a good dream. I saw her—Susan—in a beautiful garden. In a long, white gown. She looked so happy. Maybe—maybe it's God saying she's okay."

The lines deepened around Tony's eyes. "It's time to face reality. She's not coming back. When a young woman disappears, especially in a big city like Toronto ..." He clamped his lips together.

Stepping out of the story ...

This is a glimpse of Ruth and Tony's lives before the novel opens. I hope you'll follow along and learn a bit more.

Since Ruth and Tony live in Nova Scotia, on Canada's east coast, each of our blog chase posts will include a piece of Nova Scotia trivia.

Did you know? Nova Scotia is the Latin name for "New Scotland."



Heaven's Prey releases November 1, 2013. Visit Choose NOW Publishing to read a sample chapter ... just don't forget to come back to the chase! Preorder links are on the Choose NOW site as well.

Next stop on the blog chase