Francene Gillis has been a writer her whole life, starting at the age of five with a writing contest created by her teacher at Port Hood Consolidated, Mother St. Magdalene. Fifty years later, she is still writing in multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction for a variety of audiences. She devoured books in the school library and putting words to paper became therapeutic when life’s tragedies hit. She discovered that her writing could speak for those in pain. Experiencing the devastating loss of loved ones, much of her first writings involved themes of inspiration, loss, overcoming adversity, and sharing her feelings with others so they would not feel alone. She started writing poetry as a teen and giving it to grieving friends, or as tributes to community members. She majored in English at St. Francis Xavier University, continued with a BEd, and obtained a master's in education in Multiculturalism, Administration & Leadership. A community activist, she writes advocacy pieces, such as those gathered in her book, A Rose in November and in her regular column for the Inverness Oran. Her latest book, Where Did i Go? A Memoir Plus, will launch June 2025, partner published by OC Publishing. It was written after her career as a high school English teacher came to an unexpected, painful end in 2016 due to a slip and fall on black ice on her way to work that caused mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Except for educational purposes, Francene has always lived in Port Hood on the coast of Cape Breton, NS with the ocean at her backdoor. She and her husband Sandy raised two girls, Alisha and Kim who are married with children of their own. Francene cherishes her family and the cuddles from grandchildren Aden, Jack, and Maeve.