Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Nancy Naigle to HJ!
Hi Nancy and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, To Light The Way Forward!
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
To Light the Way Forward is a heartfelt, feel-good story about love, resilience, and second chances. It’s the second release in my Shell Collector series. Release date: April 29, 2025.
When a hurricane threatens Whelk’s Island, Amanda Whittier evacuates with her children, leaving Paul behind to help shelter those who stay. After the storm, the town faces heartbreaking losses, including Tug’s beloved diner. But as the community comes together to rebuild, a new arrival, Rosemary, finds a shell with a mysterious message that leads her straight to Tug.
Amanda and Paul embrace love, Tug faces an unexpected fresh start, and Rosemary realizes she may have found the place she truly belongs. With a touch of island magic in those precious shells, bucket-list hopes, and the power of following your dreams, you will finish this book with an uplifting feeling, there are no cliffhangers, but I think you’ll be eager to read another one. Psst. Book three is in the works for release in 2026.
Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:
I have a couple of favorite lines, but this one is midpoint of the book.
Amanda and Rosemary, the visitor in town, have become friends as they help the community through the disaster. Amanda is telling her about what brought her to Whelk’s Island initially. As Rosemary listens to Amanda’s story of how she navigated grief to hope and healing, and was reunited with Paul, and old friend, while she was living in a tiny rundown bungalow, Rosemary’s response to Amanda is:
“Home is a feeling and doesn’t have a thing to do with how fancy a place is.”
I love how that line breaks it down into one simple yet powerful line. It’s easy to get caught in the material side of things, even apologize for the humble sides of our journey. But at the very core of our happiness, it’s the relationships, emotions, and memories that resonate in our hearts. That’s the feeling of home. ❤️
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
- TRIVIA: I never planned to write another book set in the fictional town of Whelk’s Island, North Carolina. Book 1 of the series, The Shell Collector, was the book of my heart, born from two important moments in my live. One, my journey navigating the grief of losing my husband of 20 years, and two, a story my cousin told me about a friend of our family who lived in Kitty Hawk, NC, who found a shell with a scripture in it. My cousin lost her battle with cancer just five weeks after Mike lost his. The morning I got that news I remember thinking, “I could use a bucket of those shells right now.”
When I saw the movie version of The Shell Collector on FOX Nation, I realized Tugneeded his own love story. To Light The Way Forward is just as special in a different way. There are a lot of lighter moments in this story, and the community comes together in a beautiful way. I love that town! - TRIVIA: My mom hand-paints 100s of sea shells and decoupages a quote inside them for me to share with my readers. It’s a labor of love.
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
It depends. For this book, it was the hero, Tug. When I was writing The Shell Collector, he started as a minuscule secondary character to help me impart some backstory. However, the more I got to know him, the more I liked him. So much so that I ended up giving him the coolest pet I could imagine. A back-talking African Grey Parrot who would probably outlive him, who became as much an iconic part of Tug’s Diner as Tug himself.
Trivia: The actor who played Tug in the FOX Nation movie adaptation, Jim Ewens, played that character exactly like I had him in my head. It was uncanny! He and I have shared a few emails since then, and if you see him in the movie, you might also recognize him as the actor in a bunch of prescription drug commercials. It turns out older, handsome, healthy guys are in big demand right now lol.
Insider scoop: Am I dreaming of movie for this book too? You better believe it. And I’d love them to bring the old cast back and I already have actors on my vision board to play the new characters. Wanna know who they are? Marilu Henner as Rosemary. Judith Light as Rosemary’s High School friend, Kathleen. Fisher needs to be ruggedly handsome like Christopher Russell (who plays Paul) so I’m thinking maybe someone like Christian Howard. Remember him from Stepping Into Love on GAF recently? A girl can dream, right?
After you read the book, shoot me an email with your dream cast!
Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?
Oh gosh! A few, but one that really cracked me up while I was writing is the scene when Amanda and her two children, Hailey and Jesse, are evacuating Whelk’s Island. Paul has a friend with a limo company drive them in this wild lime green Hummer limo, so they are traveling in style. When they stop to get fuel, they cross paths with Rosemary, who is heading to Whelk’s Island despite the evacuation. It’s not a mandatory evacuation after all. When Amanda walks out of the store, she finds her children carrying on a conversation with a stranger, Rosemary, and talking in fake British accents.
Here’s a peek at this scene:
Amanda stepped outside the convenience store and called out to Hailey and Jesse, but they were too deep in conversation to hear her over the rumbling big rigs at the pumps on this side of the building.
“Excuse me,” Amanda said as she approached.
The woman glanced at Hailey and Jesse and then turned back to Amanda and curtseyed. “My goodness. These two are a delight. I’m afraid I’ve never met an actual princess.” She leaned in. “Your secret is safe with me.”
Amanda shot the kids a look.
“We were just explainin’ our predicament to this fine woman.” Hailey spoke in a heavy and not-so-bad English brogue and stared wide-eyed at her mother as if begging her to play along.
“Yes, Mum,” Jesse chimed in.
“Oh, my goodness.” Amanda shuffled the top of Jesse’s head. “These two belong to me. Sorry, they could bend your ear for a week. I’m no princess.”
Hailey gave an exaggerated wink at the woman.
“Hailey, stop. We’re just a regular family traveling—”
Rosemary’s eyes darted toward the lime green limo. “In the longest limousine I’ve ever laid eyes on. It’s fine. And these two are delightful.”
Hailey placed a loving arm across Jesse’s shoulders, still play-acting and glowing as if she fully expected to win an Emmy. “It’s our secret. It’s been divine meeting you, ma’am.”
Amanda lifted her gaze to the heavens. Oh Jack, they’ve got your flair for drama! “I’m afraid these two are being mischievous and the long ride has just begun. We’re evacuating for the storm. Headed to Ohio to spend some time with my folks.” She leveled a stare with a nod at her little tricksters. “Fess up, you two. In your real voices.”
“Sorry. We were just playing,” Hailey said with a giggle. “You’re really nice, and it was fun. Thanks for talking with us.”
“You two had me completely fooled! I curtseyed, you little boogers.” Rosemary was smiling, though. “What a wonderful accent, although I really like this southern lilt even better. Where in the world did you two learn how to talk like that?”
“Peppa the pig,” Jesse said matter-of-factly.
“And Mary Poppins. We watched it again last night.”
“It is one of their favorites,” Amanda nodded. “You two are a hot mess. Apologize for tricking this nice lady.”
“We’re sorry.”
“I accept your apology, and it was all quite innocent. A welcome distraction, actually. I’ve been driving all day.”
“Oh? Where are you headed?”
The woman’s blue eyes danced beneath her reddish-auburn bangs. “I’m on my way to visit an old high school friend. We haven’t laid eyes on each other since junior high. Why that’s…I haven’t even done the math.”
“That had to be a really long time ago,” Jesse said.
“Yes. For sure, but we reconnected on the internet. We’ve talked on the phone a few times the past few months and we decided to get together. I’m excited to see the Atlantic Ocean again. It’s been decades.”
“Where are you headed?”
Rosemary said, “To Whelk’s Island.”
“That’s where we live!” Hailey bounced with excitement.
“Really? Well, isn’t this a small world?”
Amanda raised a hand. “It is. Only you know there’s a hurricane coming up the eastern coast, right?”
“I know. My daughter was having a fit about me traveling because of it.”
“Well, there’s still some uncertainty. If you’re going to ride out the storm with your friend, go straight there because when the evacuation becomes mandatory, they will divert all roads to be westbound only.”
“Oh dear. That could be a problem.”
The driver called out. “Ready to roll when you are.”
“We’re on our way.” Amanda pressed the bag of treats into Hailey’s arms. “Here, you two walk, don’t run, over to the car and get in.”
“That’s no car, Mum.” Then took off toward the truck.
Amanda looked at the woman. “They are pretty good at that. I had no idea.”
“My name is Rosemary,” the woman said. “This has honestly been the highlight of my day.”
“I’m Amanda, and I’m glad they weren’t a bother.”
“Are you kidding? I think most kids have forgotten how to use their imagination to entertain themselves. I’d say you’re doing something right with Hailey and Jesse.”
“Well, thank you. You don’t know how much that means, because they’ve had a tough haul of it the last few years. They are my world.”
“I have to ask,” Rosemary said. “Is the prince, Paul, made up too?”
“Paul? He’s not a prince, but he is…he is my knight in shining armor. No, that’s too flashy of a description. You know he’s more like that perfect conch shell you find on the beach, intricately patterned and perfect despite being tossed in the surf for decades. Something you want to keep forever.”
Readers should read this book….
now! Gather all your girlfriends and do a beach week where y’all read To Light The Way Forward AND work on your bucket lists.
Read it, love it, and discuss it. There’s a reader’s guide right in the back of the book.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?
I’m hard at work on the third Shell Collector novel now. It’ll be out late Spring/early Summer 2026. It has been so much fun to be back in Whelk’s Island, and I hope readers will be excited to see all the previous characters and a handful of very special new ones. I haven’t nailed down the title yet, I have a few competing in my head for it though.
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: A copy of To Light The Way Forward. U.S only
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: I love that Rosemary who is now in her 70s still holds dear some of her high school friends she hasn’t seen in years. It’s funny how we don’t expect them to have changed at all, like life should stand still while we were all off growing up!
Share with me something about one of your school buddies who you would either
a> Love to see again, or
b> Stay connected with
Book Info:
A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector.
“Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club
Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug.
But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild.
As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?
Meet the Author:
Nancy Naigle is a USA Today bestselling author whose many contemporary romance novels include The Shell Collector and the Adams Grove, Antler Creek, and Christmas in Evergreen series. Several of her novels have been adapted to the television screen, including The Shell Collector, Christmas Joy, and The Secret Ingredient. Nancy makes her home in Virginia.
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