Category: Setting Development
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The Minas Basin Ecology
The Minas Basin, setting for the Tide Harbor Suspense series, is a body of water located on the northwestern side of Nova Scotia. It is one of the richest areas of marine life in the world. The basin serves as the breeding ground for numerous species. An offshoot of the Bay…
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Lobstering
Lobster fishing is a dangerous, but lucrative, source of livelihood in Nova Scotia. Based on a true story, Book 3 Adrift on the Tide will focus on solving the theft of a million dollars worth of lobsters. So why are lobsters so expensive? Partially because catching them is so difficult.…
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Tides in the Minas Basin
The Tide Harbor series is set on the north shore of the Minas Basin. This body of water, a part of the Bay of Fundy, is known for having some of the highest tides in the world. The fictional town of Tide Harbor is located between Economy and Parrsboro. Tide…
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Whirligigs
For a writer, visiting the places a novel is set can add that special detail that makes a story seem real. In Lost Beneath the Tide a key scene is set at a whirligig festival. This is based on an actual festival I attended in the town of Shelburne ,…
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Unique Nova Scotia Words
Writing dialect is always a challenge for a writer. The Nova Scotia accent shares a lot with that of New England. R’s are often dropped, turning words like father into fatha. The a is nasal. But an author cannot write the entire dialogue that way. If you try to write…
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The Bluenose
The Bluenose is the sailing ship depicted on the Canadian dime and on the Nova Scotia license plate. It is the most famous Canadian ship and was the fastest sailed vessel in the world, holding the record of 14.15 knots. It was designed to be both a fishing boat and…
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Making Hypothermia Real
When writing a challenging character experience that I have not had directly, I always start with my personal experience, then I consult the facts, and last, I try to talk to someone who has experienced it. Being Cold I have never had hypothermia, thank heavens, but I have been very…
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How to Farm a Salmon
Book 2 in the Tide Harbor Suspense series, Lost Beneath the Tide, focuses on fish farming, also called aquaculture, in Nova Scotia. Currently the provinces aquaculture industry produces ninety million dollars in production and exports to eighty countries. Farming salmon involves several stages. First salmon eggs are fertilized and the…
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Nova Scotia’s Lobster Trap Christmas Trees
Lobsters play an important economic role in the coastal villages of Nova Scotia. Fifty thousand tons of lobster are harvested each year. While traditional lobster traps were made of bent wood and slats, contemporary lobster traps are rectangular-shaped metal cages that come in a variety of colors. Inside, netting funnels the…
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Tide Harbor Map
I find it impossible to write a story without having a map at hand. A story-related map allows me to trace the movements of my characters, determine distance and time to various locations and to add authenticity to my setting descriptions. In some cases, I use actual maps of real…
Tide Harbor Suspense by Zara West 