Welcome to the Blog Tour for Home No Matter Where by Nancy Naigle, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Home No Matter Where
Series: A Shell Collector Novel #3
Author: Nancy Naigle
Publisher: WaterBrook Press (Penguin Random House)
Release Date: May 5, 2026
Genre: Contemporary Sweet Romance/Women's Fiction
Three generations of women confront their pasts and discover it's never too late for new beginnings in this heartwarming novel of second chances and unconditional love—from the bestselling author of The Shell Collector.
“In Home No Matter Where we travel to beautiful Whelk’s Island, where a close-knit community puts us right at home. Along the way we meet compelling characters caught in realistic storms and learn faith-filled lessons about weathering them.” —Denise Hunter, bestselling author of More Than Friends
Nina is at her wit’s end with her teenage daughter, Kendra. Still dealing with her own wounds of divorce, Nina hopes a change of scenery will help. She and Kendra head to the serene coastal town of Whelk’s Island to spend a restorative summer with Nina’s mother, Rosemary—bringing three generations under one roof for the first time in years. Amid the island’s charm, old wounds begin to heal, and as new friendships bloom—especially with the steady and enigmatic Fisher—light begins to break through the cracks of Nina’s tightly controlled life.
Kendra’s reckless behavior continues but Fisher’s intervention during a critical moment for Kendra sparks a sense of hope in Nina that she thought was lost. Still, change is never easy.
As the women navigate the tides of forgiveness, growing up, and letting go, healing begins and new love brings surprises. While Whelk’s Island may not hold all the answers, it has a way of reminding people that moving forward doesn’t follow a set path—it requires the bravery to start anew.
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Penguin Random House | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook | Bookshop | BookBub
Book Excerpt
Finally, the highway signs listed Whelk’s Island among the beach destinations. The road narrowed as they approached the three-mile Wright Memorial Bridge, the only road into Whelk’s Island from the north. The waters of the sound shifted between blue and gray, catching the sunlight in a dance of fleeting glimmers.
The salt air drifted in through her open window, mingling with the faint scent of coconut from the hand lotion Kendra had spilled in the console weeks ago.
Her daughter slouched, earbuds in, eyes fixed on the endless scroll of her phone. Nina’s heart ached, the weight of these past three years pressing hard against her chest. The drawn-out divorce and the loss of Nina’s father had really taken a toll on both of them.
“You okay over there?” Nina asked softly, hoping for something more than a shrug.
Kendra didn’t look up. “Fine.”
That word had become Kendra’s shield. Nina reached over, squeezing her hand. “We’re almost there, sweetheart.”
Whelk’s Island felt like a promise. In Nina’s mind, this bridge was the path passing from one world into another, leaving the chaos behind.
She slowed the car as they crossed onto Whelk’s Island. The narrow road wound past a bait shop with a carved-wood pelican out front, an ice cream stand already gearing up for the summer rush, and expanses of scrubby dunes that felt more foreign than familiar. There was no nostalgia here—just a quiet hope that maybe this place, her mother’s new home, could offer the fresh start they both so desperately needed.
“Look at that big old oak,” Nina said, nodding toward a gnarled tree with branches stretched wide. “Your grandma was telling me that it’s one of the oldest trees on the island.”
Kendra barely glanced at the tree. “Its branches are all twisted up funny, like a dancer’s arms.” She lifted her own arms, striking a wobbly ballerina pose, tongue stuck out like some kind of wild little creature. “Looks kinda creepy, if you ask me.”
Nina bit back a sigh, searching past the attitude to find the sweet girl she knew was still in there somewhere. She gave her daughter an encouraging grin, holding tight to hope. “Looks like it’s trying to give the whole road a big ol’ hug to me.”
“If you say so,” she mumbled, her voice as flat as a pancake.
But Nina wasn’t ready to give up—not on the mood, not on this trip, not on her daughter. “I do. And I’m hoping that’s how we’re going to feel this summer. Like we’re right where we’re meant to be.”
More in This Series
Download a free short story about Tug & Rosemary's Valentine date here!
About the Author
ECPA and USA Today bestselling author Nancy Naigle crafts small-town love stories full of heart. She began her contemporary romance series, Adams Grove, while juggling a successful career in finance and life on a seventy-six-acre goat farm. Now happily retired, she devotes her time to writing, antiquing, cooking, and the occasional spa day with friends. Several of Nancy’s novels have been adapted to the television screen, airing on Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Her novel The Shell Collector was adapted into the first Fox Nation original movie. A native of Virginia Beach, Nancy now calls Franklin, Virginia, home.
Connect with Nancy by visiting nancynaigle.com to follow her on social media and subscribe to email updates. While you're there, spin the wheel and see what your special shell message is!Author Interview
Q: What inspired you to write Home No Matter Where?
Nancy: When I wrote The Shell Collector, I honestly never imagined it becoming a series. That story was so centered on grief, healing, and finding hope again, and in many ways it felt complete on its own.
But sometimes characters have more to say.
Readers really connected with Tug, and I found myself wondering what his own second chance at love might look like. That story led me to Rosemary, and through her, a whole new layer of family, history, and heart opened up.
By the time I reached Home No Matter Where, it just felt right to tell Nina’s story and explore what happens when three generations of women, each carrying their own hurts, hopes, and life experiences, find themselves under one roof on Whelk’s Island.
What I love about this series is that while each book stands on its own, together they show how lives intersect, how healing can ripple through families and communities, and how sometimes one story naturally leads to another in ways you never planned.
That’s really what inspired Home No Matter Where, the realization that there were still stories waiting to be told, and this one, with all of its family dynamics, forgiveness, love, and second chances, felt like exactly the right next chapter.
Q: How long did it take to write this book?
Nancy: People are often surprised to learn that while a book may take a few months to write, the story is usually living in my heart and imagination much longer than that.
With Home No Matter Where, the roots of the story were growing with each book even though it wasn’t intentional. So, by the time I sat down to write Nina’s journey, I knew there was a beautiful family story waiting to be told. Then came the writing, revising, editing, and polishing that turn an idea into a finished book.
A book may begin with one story, but it takes many layers to bring it all the way to life.
Nancy: One fun surprise was falling down a research rabbit hole on driftwood sculpture.
Fisher has an artistic side in the book, and while it’s only a small part of the story, I ended up learning far more than ever made it onto the page. I gathered oodles of information no reader will ever see, but that’s part of the fun of writing. I’ve always loved arts and crafts, so I probably should have expected that one.
What surprised me even more, though, was something I discovered while writing, not researching.
I assumed the grandmother would naturally be the wise, comforting anchor for Kendra as she struggled through all the changes in her life. But Tug and Fisher, these strong, steady male characters, ended up carrying a lot of that emotional support in ways I didn’t fully expect.
It was such a delight to watch those softer, nurturing sides come out and see how these men showed up for an angsty teenager who was hurting and trying to find her footing.
Sometimes as a writer, my characters surprise me too.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote from Home No Matter Where?
Nancy: This one!
Q: When did you first know you wanted to be an author?
Nancy: Honestly, I didn’t.
I never grew up dreaming of becoming an author or thinking that would be my path. I just had one story on my heart and a simple thought: What if I could write one book for one person to help them through one hard day?
I sat down to tell that story, and by 2014 I had a few books already published when I lost my husband and my lift shifted, I realized I wasn’t just writing books, I’d found my calling. It was then that I took an early retirement and began writing full time.
Q: Would you share something about yourself that most readers wouldn’t know?
Nancy: Sure. Something that surprises people is that I once juggled writing books while working full-time in corporate America and living on a seventy-six-acre goat farm, which sounds like a story all by itself.
Q: What are you currently reading?
Nancy: The advanced reader copy of Denise Hunter’s Falling Into Us. Y’all! It’s fabulous. She’s an auto-buy for me anyway, but I was so excited to be asked to blurb this one.
Q: What is your favorite genre to read?
Nancy: Women’s fiction.
Q: What is your favorite hobby?
Nancy: Antiquing! I like imagining the stories behind the things that grab my attention.
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
Nancy: I love them all, and I think that’s the beauty of living in a place where you get to enjoy all four.
Spring feels hopeful, summer brings beach days and sunshine, fall is all about cozy sweaters and football weather, and Christmas… well, that one probably has a little extra sparkle for me.
I guess if I had to choose, my favorite season is whichever one I’m in, because each one brings something special.
Thank you so much for inviting me to join your readers.
With gratitude,
Nancy
Thank you, Nancy, for taking time to join us on the blog!
Tour Giveaway
(1) grand prize winner will receive a Shell Collector Summer Escape Box which includes a Nancy Naigle book tote bag, a shell set + message, coastal candle, beachy bookmark set, lighthouse charm, signed bookplate and a little surprise swag plus copies of Sand Dollar Cove and Dear Santa!
(3) other winners will each receive a Shell Gift Set of a handprinted shell with a message, beautifully printed message card, small drawstring bag, signed bookplate and a bookmark!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight May 26, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on June 2, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
