The Shell Keeper

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 (appx. 86,000 words) 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. Also by Robin P. Nolet: Framed (coming July 2012)