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Guest Post with Robin P. Nolet, author of The Shell Keeper & Giveaway

December 16, 2011 by Darlene

I am so pleased to have Robin P. Nolet, author of The Shell Keeper, to Peeking Between the Pages.  I reviewed her novel yesterday (my review) and it’s a beautiful novel of the friendship of women and we all know how much I love books like that.  I really enjoyed it and hope others will too!  Robin joins us today to talk about her inspiration for writing The Shell Keeper…

 

I’m certain every author can relate an incident where their friends or family have attributed the feelings or actions surrounding their fictional creations to the author’s own life events. While my life inspires my writing, I don’t write about my life. I take those inspirations, stir them with the amply available ingredients I find in the world at large, and after hours at the keyboard, and many more procrastinated hours spent doing laundry/vacuuming/general puttering, my tale is born. It’s as simple as that!

Okay, maybe not so simple, or for that matter, maybe not so detached from my own reality. None of the three women whose stories I tell in The Shell Keeper are me, but parts of them may inhabit my soul. Unlike the sweet and naive Del, I have not hidden out in the back yard on my kids’ swing set smoking Camels in a blizzard, contemplated the vast and colorful array of available condoms for purchase or even struggled to find my comfort zone sitting at a bar for the first time. But like Del, I have been a newly divorced mother of young children. Del is, perhaps, every insecurity I may have felt-times a hundred!

I don’t own a bakery, like Gwen, or worry about a loss of income if my husband’s union goes on strike. But I am a big believer in baking therapy, as my family can attest. Nothing hits the spot like late night brownies! Like Claire, I have been a Realtor. Her stress-filled life, with its endless paperwork, and clients that run the gamut from thoughtful to life threatening is most definitely inspired by reality, though not always my own. I definitely don’t have Claire’s style, unfortunately. She knows how to ‘work’ a wardrobe.

Clearly, I am not my characters, but my life is tucked in between the lines. The idea of The Shell Keeper evolved over time, but it got its start many years ago when a friend recommended a slim book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh: Gift from the Sea. Ms. Lindbergh wrote the book during an escape from her own reality for a long visit to the peaceful beaches off Captiva Island, Florida. While there, she considered the amazing variety of shells washed up on the shore and compared them with the phases of a woman’s life.

My copy of the book has been well read. Its pages are ambered with age, corners bent, multiple ink shades coloring the margins and underlining sentences from years of highlights and notes. Her words were, and are still an inspiration for all women. You might ask how a book written in 1955 could still speak to generations of women who weathered the feminist revolution and all its consequences. But it does, and the reason is the woman who wrote it.

Anne was no ordinary gal! She started life in a quiet and privileged home. Her father was an ambassador and a senator and along the way, in 1927, she met one of the most famous men in the world at that time, Charles Lindbergh. They fell in love, married and Anne soon shared his passion for flight. She was setting flight records alone, as well as with her husband.

Her first child, at 20 months, was kidnapped from their home in March of 1932, his body later found in the nearby woods. The search for the killer and the ensuing trial created a media storm probably beyond even contemporary standards. The heart rending tale even inspired Agatha Christie’s classic Hercule Poirot novel Murder on the Orient Express.

You’d think after that, that Anne would seek quiet and seclusion, and for a while she did, moving to Europe with her husband. But World War II brought them back home and they eventually settled on the island of Maui in Hawaii. After her husband’s death, she moved to Connecticut to be near family, and in 2001 she died at the age of 94. Life’s heartaches had not bowed her. She’d been a decorated aviatrix, multiple published author, and mother to 5 more children, after the tragic loss of her first born.

In my opinion, a woman with this sort of grit had something worthwhile to say to other women in any age. Gift from the Sea still speaks clearly all these years later. It inspired me to take the ups and downs of my life and create a story of three women struggling to overcome the challenges thrown their way. I like to think they did it with humor, grace and some of the occasionally minor insanity of life.

In Anne’s words, I decided to throw Del, Gwen and Claire ‘together on this island of living’ where they found unexpected friendship and support. Life’s a funny thing, the way we sometimes come upon our friendships in surprising ways.

If you have a special friendship you found unexpectedly, I’d love to hear about it!

__________

What a great guest post Robin!  Thank you!  I am lucky to have a few special friendships.  One is a best friend that I’ve had for over 25 years.  We’ve had our ups and downs but still come back to the comfort of our friendship and for that I’m always grateful.  A few other very special friends have come about unexpectedly and that was via book blogging.  When I started I never would have imagined that I would have come away with two new best friends years later but I’m sure glad and grateful I did!

__________

 

About The Shell Keeper by Robin P. Nolet

The hood of Del’s van is littered with the remains of a lovely autumn display of orange pansies. She’s about to become a divorced, unemployed, single mother and, like the flowerpot she’s just demolished, her life is a wreck. But this ditzy, flustered Pollyanna is tougher than her first impression belies.

Gwen is empty-nesting, her bakery’s bottom-line won’t rise, and her husband is working overtime and out-of-town to save up for an impending strike. But she’s a caretaker and she’s confident she can do it all–that is until she meets her biggest challenge and comes front and center with the meaning of her life.

Claire’s past is her own friggin’ business, but this tough real estate agent will gladly suck-up to assholes to get a deal done. Still, when Del crashes into her life, bringing the three women together, Claire finds herself rethinking her attitude toward friendship. Toss in a charmingly persistent guy named Bob, and she’s rethinking men, too.

The Shell Keeper is a humorous and touching story that will appeal to the generations of women who have survived their first job, their first child and maybe even their first husband. The only person they know who wears a size two is a two-year-old, and rather than learning the ropes, they’re more likely teaching them.

Buy The Shell Keeper on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca
Buy The Shell Keeper at 99 cents for your Kindle or Nook

 

About Robin P. Nolet

 
Robin and Maddie

My writer’s resume includes awards for unpublished fiction (Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers/Colorado Gold, Pikes Peak/Paul Gillette, Denver Women’s Press Club), as well as hundreds of humor/commentary columns for local newspapers, and a regularly published blog/column for the Denver Post HUB section. In addition, I occasionally write website content, and for many years, helped with the intake and judging of manuscripts for the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Colorado Gold contest.

To pay the bills, I am, like Claire, a Realtor. However, like Gwen, I am a wife and mom. As for Del…I’d hate to admit what we have in common!

Robin’s website
Find Robin on Twitter

 

GIVEAWAY DETAILS

I have one copy of The Shell Keeper by Robin P. Nolet to share with my readers.  To enter…

  • For 1 entry simply leave me a comment entering the giveaway.
  • For 2 entries, follow my blog.  If you already do, thank you, and please let me know so I can pass the extra entry on to you as well.
  • For 3 entries, blog or tweet this giveaway and spread the word.

This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only (no PO boxes) and I will draw for the winner on Saturday, January 7/12.  Good luck to you all!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa Garrett says

    December 16, 2011 at 4:38 am

    I love novels about friendship. Thank you for the giveaway.

  2. Lisa Garrett says

    December 16, 2011 at 4:39 am

    I follow via email and GFC.

  3. Lisa Garrett says

    December 16, 2011 at 4:39 am

    Tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/lag32583/status/147641589177647105

  4. TheBookGirl says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:06 am

    This author sounds like a woman I think I would like to know — that picture of her with her dog helps too 🙂

    I think it’s so great that you have someone with whom you’ve had a lasting friendship for more than 20 years. I think that’s pretty rare, and very special!

  5. Linda B says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:09 am

    Lovely post. A true friend is indeed a blessing. I’d love to win this book. Thanks for the giveaway.

  6. Anne says

    December 16, 2011 at 7:35 am

    Enjoyable post and wonderful book. Many thanks.

  7. Anne says

    December 16, 2011 at 7:35 am

    I am an e-mail subscriber.

  8. Ellie says

    December 16, 2011 at 7:43 am

    I am captivated with this book and special post. Thanks for this giveaway.

  9. Ellie says

    December 16, 2011 at 8:12 am

    I am an e-mail subscriber.

  10. zibilee says

    December 16, 2011 at 9:25 am

    It sounds like Robin uses a really great blend of real life and fiction to populate her books, and I loved reading this guest post and discovering more about her and the book! Thanks Dar, for the great post and for the giveaway! I would love to join in!

    zibilee(at)figearo(dot)net

  11. Karen B says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:12 am

    What a wonderful guest post! This sounds like a wonderful read.
    kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com

  12. Karen B says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Email subscriber and GFC follower.
    kpbarnett1941[at[aol.com

  13. Margie says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:19 am

    Sounds like a great book. Thank you for the giveaway.

  14. Margie says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:19 am

    I follow your blog via email and GFC.

  15. Maureen says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:42 am

    I do enjoy stories of friendship.
    I follow on GFC

  16. Patricia N says

    December 16, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    This sounds like a great book I’d love to read! Thanks for another wonderful giveaway –
    PMNSL95 at triad dot rr dot com

  17. Patricia N says

    December 16, 2011 at 12:45 pm

    I’m a current follower of your blog via GFC as Patricia N
    PMNSL95 at triad dot rr dot com

  18. Patricia N says

    December 16, 2011 at 12:46 pm

    Tweet
    http://twitter.com/#!/pmernick1/status/147764529625968640
    PMNSL95 at triad dot rr dot com

  19. Rachel W. says

    December 16, 2011 at 12:57 pm

    Thanks for the giveaway!

    Rachelhwallen@gmail.com

  20. Carol Wong says

    December 16, 2011 at 1:01 pm

    Friendship and humor can make a wonderful read. I would love to read this book.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  21. Carol Wong says

    December 16, 2011 at 1:03 pm

    I am an e-mail subscriber of your blog.
    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  22. Carol Wong says

    December 16, 2011 at 1:05 pm

    I tweeted:

    http://t.co/V0Zt89nn

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  23. Margaret says

    December 16, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    Sounds like a really nice story! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

  24. Margaret says

    December 16, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    I’m a follower.

    Margaret
    singitm(at)hotmail(dot)com

  25. mamabunny13 says

    December 16, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    I loved your guest post, the book sounds like a good one.
    mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

  26. mamabunny13 says

    December 16, 2011 at 3:59 pm

    I follow you via gfc – mamabunny13
    mamabunny13 at gmail dot com

  27. ANN* says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    I enjoy reading stories about friendships . They truly are a wonderful thing to have in your live.

  28. ANN* says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:33 pm

    i am a email subscriber

  29. ANN* says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    GFC follower – amhengst

  30. ANN* says

    December 16, 2011 at 6:34 pm

    I like Peeking between the pages on FB – amhengst

  31. Linda Kish says

    December 16, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    I would love to win a copy of this book.

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

  32. Linda Kish says

    December 16, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    I am a GFC follower

    lkish77123 at gmail dot com

  33. deanna_boocock says

    December 16, 2011 at 8:41 pm

    Please enter me. I also follow of GFC.

  34. Patricia Kemp Blackmon says

    December 16, 2011 at 9:17 pm

    I don’t have any close friends that near me anymore. The ones I had I really miss them. I talk to them sometime on the computer or we call each other but it just isn’t the same we could hang out with each other.

    Thanks for the giveaway and the opportunity to win your book. It sound right up my tree.

    mamaw1050[at]att[dot]net

  35. Patricia Kemp Blackmon says

    December 16, 2011 at 9:21 pm

    I follow on GFC and subscribe by email.

  36. Patricia Kemp Blackmon says

    December 16, 2011 at 9:59 pm

    I Tweeted about the post/giveaway
    https://twitter.com/#!/ItsTimeMamaw/status/147893911485022208

    I shared post on Facebook.

    mamaw1050[at]att[dot]com

  37. Robin Nolet says

    December 16, 2011 at 10:09 pm

    Thanks to all who are participating in Darlene’s give-away and sharing your comments and stories! I am inspired by the thoughts and feelings my story has inspired all of YOU to share!

  38. Terrie B. says

    December 17, 2011 at 12:35 pm

    Robin is not only a great writer but an incredible friend! I am blessed to have known her for over 10 years. She is so special in so many ways. Thank you, Robin, for being YOU!

    PS: Pepper says “HI” to Maddie!

  39. Patricia Boyle says

    December 17, 2011 at 2:25 pm

    Love the picture of Robin and Maddie.

    pboylecharley(at)hotmail(dot)com

  40. bookworm says

    December 17, 2011 at 3:03 pm

    Great guest post and I enjoyed your review Dar. This book sounds very good.

  41. Janet Courtley says

    December 17, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    Robin is one my best friends, she is truly
    a gift and from above.

  42. AmandaSue says

    December 17, 2011 at 4:46 pm

    I’d love a chance to read this!

    unforgetable_dreamer_always (at) hotmail (dot) com

  43. AmandaSue says

    December 17, 2011 at 4:47 pm

    I’m a follower thanks!

    unforgetable_dreamer_always (at) hotmail (dot) com

  44. jennygirl says

    December 17, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    Not an entry.

    Loved this guest post! I never knew any of that info about Mrs. Lindbergh, and I can see how we can all relate a little bit to the women we find in books.

  45. Sheila K. says

    December 18, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    Sounds like a good read—please enter me to win!

  46. Sheila K. says

    December 18, 2011 at 12:03 pm

    I’m a GFC follower (skkorman)!

  47. Sheila K. says

    December 18, 2011 at 12:04 pm

    I shared this giveaway on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=161901377243939&id=1263039920

  48. Carol M says

    December 26, 2011 at 1:59 pm

    This sounds like a book I would enjoy. I know my mom would love it, too! Thank you for the giveaway!
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

  49. Carol M says

    December 26, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    I follow on GFC.
    mittens0831 at aol dot com

  50. Carol M says

    December 26, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    http://twitter.com/#!/CarolAnnM/status/151407139544514560

  51. Susan says

    December 26, 2011 at 11:23 pm

    Darlene, thank you for hosting this giveaway! I’m a follower, and I’ve posted this in my blog’s sidebar.

    suko95(at)gmail(dot)com

  52. Susan S. says

    December 27, 2011 at 10:35 am

    I love to read about women’s friendships – this sounds like a great book!

    I am a GFC follower.

    suzebomb(at)gmail.com

  53. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:24 pm

    This sounds like a book I would enjoy! Thanks for the chance.

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

  54. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:25 pm

    GFC Follower

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
    #1

  55. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:26 pm

    GFC Follower

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
    #2

  56. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:36 pm

    I Tweeted!
    @NancyeDavis

    https://twitter.com/#!/NancyeDavis/status/155482595939983360

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
    #1

  57. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:36 pm

    I Tweeted!
    @NancyeDavis

    https://twitter.com/#!/NancyeDavis/status/155482595939983360

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
    #2

  58. Nancye Davis says

    January 6, 2012 at 8:37 pm

    I Tweeted!
    @NancyeDavis

    https://twitter.com/#!/NancyeDavis/status/155482595939983360

    nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
    #3

  59. bn100 says

    January 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm

    Thanks for the giveaway! I would like to enter the giveaway. I follow your blog via email.

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