{"product_id":"the-shell-collector-isbn-9780593193594","title":"The Shell Collector","description":"\u003cb\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector \u003c\/i\u003eis a beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances.”—#1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author Debbie Macomber\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author Nancy Naigle, \u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector \u003c\/i\u003eis a touching novel of a friendship that crosses generations, and learning how even the smallest gifts can change a life for good.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTwo years after her husband’s death, Amanda Whittier has two children to raise alone, an abandoned dream of starting a business, and a fixer-upper cottage by the sea. She has no room in her life for anything else and little interest in moving on after losing the man she loved. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePaul Grant is a relative newcomer to the area, and his work with former military dogs needing rehabilitation has been good for the town. Though he loved once before, he’s convinced he’s not suited for romance and is determined to find meaning—alone—through his work and role in the community. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWidowed Maeve Lindsay was born and raised on Whelk’s Island. Spirited, kind, and a little mischievous, she pours her life into the town. But she carries a secret that shapes her every move. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTogether, these three souls find encouragement in the most mysterious places and discover a love that’s bigger than their pain, healing their wounded hearts in ways none of them could have hoped for or expected.“This is a beautiful story full of love, loss, and second chances. A collection of vivid characters, an inspiring setting, and heart-held hope for a better tomorrow.”\u003cb\u003e—Debbie Macomber, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“As an avid shell seeker, I enjoyed this tale of surprises deposited among the tides, with its underlying message of finding just the shells we are meant to discover. A tender story of faith, love, and friendship that will warm the hearts of beachgoers and lovers of the sea.”\u003cb\u003e—Lisa Wingate, #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBefore We Were Yours\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Book of Lost Friends\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A touching story of hope and renewal—proof that you can find more at the beach than shells.”\u003cb\u003e—Sheila Roberts, \u003ci\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“An amazing emotional story of putting one foot in front of the other, of overcoming heartache, and of learning to live—and love—again. You’ll cry—and smile—and you’ll close the book with a very full heart.”\u003cb\u003e—Lori Foster, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nancy Naigle is at the top of her game with \u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector.\u003c\/i\u003e A compelling cast of characters tackles the issues of loss and grief with wit and grace. An uplifting, hopeful page-turner that shouldn’t be missed!”\u003cb\u003e—Barbara Hinske, author of the Rosemont series and \u003ci\u003eGuiding Emily\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A touching story about love, loss, and healing, \u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector\u003c\/i\u003e gives you all the feels. I enjoyed spending time at the beach collecting seashells—and pondering the encouraging messages inside them—right along with the characters. Don’t miss this uplifting, faith-affirming read!”\u003cb\u003e—Brenda Novak, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector\u003c\/i\u003e is a beautiful, emotional story about the glorious sunrise that can come after a dark night, about surviving loss and finding hope and joy again. Amanda, Maeve, and the entire cast will break your heart and then heal it all over again.”\u003cb\u003e—RaeAnne Thayne, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“In \u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector,\u003c\/i\u003e Naigle takes readers on a hopeful journey of healing after unimaginable loss. A tragic past, lovable characters, and a charming small-town setting align for a meaningful beach read. Don’t miss this tender tale full of wisdom and insight!”\u003cb\u003e—Denise Hunter, bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBookshop by the Sea\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector \u003c\/i\u003eis utterly charming. Naigle’s story of restoration, love, and hope is a perfect read any time of the year. The characters are fun if not a bit quirky, and the setting evokes so much peace. Well done.”\u003cb\u003e—Rachel Hauck,\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector \u003c\/i\u003eis an unforgettable story of love, hope, and healing. This inspiring novel has found a place in my heart.”\u003cb\u003e—Jane Porter, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eThe Shell Collector\u003c\/i\u003e gives voice to the profound truth of grieving and learning to come alive again. Nancy Naigle beautifully shows how love can come in so many different forms, as long as you’re open to the unexpected miracles life has to offer.”\u003cb\u003e—Erin Cahill, actress\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eNancy Naigle \u003c\/b\u003eis a \u003ci\u003eUSA Today \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author whose many contemporary romance novels include the Adams Grove, Boot Creek, and Christmas in Evergreen series. Several of her novels have been adapted to the television screen, airing on the Hallmark Channel and on Hallmark Movies \u0026amp; Mysteries, including the popular \u003ci\u003eChristmas Joy \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eHope at Christmas. \u003c\/i\u003eNancy makes her home in North Carolina.\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was her nerves, not the December chill in the air this morning, that made her shiver as they sat on the tailgate of his pickup truck. She pushed her palm beneath Jack’s warm hand. He’d be leaving shortly. She readjusted her position, hoping he hadn’t noticed the fear racing through her right now. The last thing she wanted was Jack distracted by worry about her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe scooched closer, wrapping his arm around her. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe nestled against his chest. A safe place.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBehind them, squeals of excitement from an overzealous game of ring-around-the-rosy filled the air as Hailey and Jesse climbed up on Jack’s seabag. One following the other, they leaped as if they were ten feet off the ground. Round and round in the truck’s bed, their eight-week-old English bulldog, Denali, chased them, nipping at their heels before tumbling unsteadily over his own paws.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey’d celebrated Christmas early since Jack had to ship out. She’d been dreading this day. While she’d been worrying, her husband was obviously shopping for the ultimate gift: the puppy. Since Jack was a Marine to his core, the breed shouldn’t have surprised her. She had to admit that at this age, the bulldog was absolutely adorable. That droopy face and those wobbling folds of skin made them laugh, and that was what they needed.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDenali jumped on, chased, and chewed on everything in his path. At the moment, that happened to be the dangling orange grosgrain ribbon hanging from Hailey’s left braid.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Denali! No.” Not even four years old yet, Hailey had already mastered that command, and they’d only had the puppy for six days.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe black-and-white pup cocked his head but hesitated only a beat before leaping into the air again.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No!” Hailey pulled her hands onto her hips.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“That poor dog will think his name is No,” Amanda whispered to Jack.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“At least they’re letting him walk today. They carried him around so much those first two days that I was afraid the passive pooch would forget he had legs and could run.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I know, right?” It would be like having another toddler in the house. Put the puppy down. Don’t pull his tail. No, don’t feed Denali your lunch. Denali, don’t bite. Don’t chew. Don’t. Trying to conceal her sigh, she said, “It’ll be interesting.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat puppy was going to be a handful, and if he grew into all those wrinkles, he’d be one big dog. At least Jack would return well before then.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBut all those worries, and the stress of the pup on top of it, fell away when she turned and saw how the lines at the sides of Jack’s eyes crinkled as he watched their children play. His smile still made her insides tumble. She reached for his hand and squeezed it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe tugged her closer. “Livin’ the dream,” he said with a playful bump of their shoulders.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe nodded in agreement, but an icy lump in the pit of her stomach settled right on top of that warm, loving feeling. This wasn’t the first time she’d seen him off, but it was different now that it wasn’t just her. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe kids’ cheeks and noses were red from the cold, despite the fact she’d bundled them in so many layers they could barely raise their arms. The crazy frigid temperature wasn’t normal for this part of North Carolina. Jack had suggested they say their goodbyes at home, but she didn’t want to miss one second with him before he had to leave.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVapor from Amanda’s breath hung in the air like smoke as she watched the other Marines starting to move out.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJack slid down from the tailgate and stood in front of her. As if he’d read her mind--her worries--he placed his hands on her shoulders and then pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I love you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe couldn’t help but smile. “Forehead kisses mean the most.” He didn’t have to say it out loud now; he’d told her that the day he’d asked her to marry him. She’d never forget it or that feeling. Safe. Loved. Protected. Everything will be okay.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe rested her cheek against his shoulder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You’ve got this,” he whispered softly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I know. I know.” But she didn’t, really. She was trying so hard to be strong for him. She looked up into his deep-blue eyes. His dark hair and lashes stood out even more against the blasé tan, brown, and gray camouflage uniform he wore today. Both Jesse and Hailey had his eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe looked anything but afraid. In fact, excitement twitched in his smile. Alive with the anticipation of what was to come. Proud to be a Marine.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHer heart raced. She already missed him.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“And we’ve been talking to Jesse and Hailey about it. They’ll be fine,” he said.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe knew better. “Hailey asked me this morning if we could have you make pizza tonight.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe sighed. “Okay, I guess you were right. Maybe she’s too young to really understand.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe shrugged. “She’s your baby girl. She adores you. She misses you every day even when you’re here.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I adore all three of you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe kissed him on the cheek. “Goes both ways.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmanda tugged her coat tighter, dipping her chin into the warmth of her white infinity scarf. Six months. They’d been lucky it hadn’t been a twelve-month deployment. Be thankful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThey sat quietly until Jack lifted her chin and brushed a strand of her hair back from her face. His eyes held her gaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“My beautiful wife. I love you.” He leaned in close. “Don’t worry. Time will fly. I promise.” He rubbed his freshly shaven cheek against hers, then nuzzled her. “I’ll be home before you know it.” Then he made an animated growling noise against her neck. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe curled into herself, laughing as his breath tickled her skin. In the middle of that laughter, they both knew it would feel like forever. “Hurry.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Enjoy it, because when I get back, we’ll have a lot of time to make up for.” He raised an eyebrow. “I will miss you like crazy.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe looked away, trying to ignore the swelling loneliness. Across the parking lot, other Marines moved toward the buses.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHe inched over, blocking her view.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe lifted her gaze.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe calm in his voice soothed her, if only for a moment. “It’ll be summer. We’ll take the kids to the zoo, Carowinds, and the water park. And it’ll be beach weather. You know how I love chasing you through the waves.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“No fair.” She swatted at him playfully. “You always catch me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“You love it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I do. You’re right.” He’d proposed to her at the beach not all that far from here, and they’d gotten married in that very same spot the following summer. A private ceremony with her best friend, Ginny, and his best friend, Paul, to witness their vows to each other. Her parents still hadn’t forgiven her for not doing the big church thing. Instead, they’d had the minister from the chapel on base perform the private ceremony. It was small and perfect. A meaningful promise rather than a party. She’d never apologize for that.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJack leaned against her and made that stupid growly noise again that always made her laugh. And she did. Laugh, that is, because the truth was, it was every silly, stupid, playful, romantic thing this guy did that made her love him like no tomorrow.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eShe squeezed his hands, wishing she could blink and spring forward six months.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStanding tall, he repositioned his hat. It was time to leave.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmanda followed Jack’s line of sight as he turned and looked at the four buses nose to tail at the end of the parking lot. In red script, “Holiday Tours” covered the side of the white buses as if all these folks were going on a fun excursion. But this wasn’t a holiday. And it was definitely a different kind of tour. A tour of duty. The irony wasn’t lost on her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA loud “Oohrah!” carried across the parking lot. All that the guys seemed to notice was they’d have a plush-seated ride down to Florida to start this endeavor. She couldn’t blame them for their excitement about that. It sure beat the rough ride of a convoy, and for that she was thankful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarines huddled with their loved ones, working in those last instructions, promises, and kisses. Saying goodbye was never easy.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Come here, Hailey-bug.” Jack held his hands out, and their daughter ran into his arms. “I’ve got to go. I need you to be a good girl for Mommy, okay?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I’m always good.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Yes, you are. I’ll be back soon.” He touched his finger to her nose. “Boop.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHailey giggled, but then her lower lip protruded and her chin quivered. “No, Daddy.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“I have to go,” Jack said. “Remember, we talked about it. You’ll have Denali to keep you company while I’m away. Teach him lots of tricks. I can’t wait to see how smart he is. You’ll be such an excellent teacher.” \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Stay, Daddy.” Tears welled in her blue eyes. She looked so much like Jack. “I need you.”\u003c\/p\u003eUSA Today bestselling author","brand":"WaterBrook","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46301504471269,"sku":"NP9780593193594","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780593193594.jpg?v=1767741497","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-shell-collector-isbn-9780593193594","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}