Meet Canadian author Francene Gillis in This Author Takeover

A revived segment of my blog is The Author Takeover, where an invited guest is asked to contribute a blog to my site. This allows my readers to connect with more authors and celebrate the world of literary in a different way. Today, welcome Canadian author Francene Gillis as she talks about her love of reading, recovering after a fall, and finding a rose blooming in November. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter for a special monthly question and answer with her, too!

Wipe Away the Tears

Francene Gillis, author, Where Did I Go? a Memoir Plus

For as long as I can remember, I loved writing probably because I was a precocious child and voracious reader. I turned to the printed word to help me deal with a world that I did not understand or like. As a child, I suffered loss, struggle, trauma, and sickness. My safe place was in a book; my sanctuary, the hill below my house overlooking the Atlantic Ocean kissed nightly by the most brilliant sunsets. That became my writer paradise. Over the years, I pondered the deep questions, planted sprouting seeds, wrote, edited, and revised, then stuck manuscripts into bureau drawers, too busy raising a family and trying to get back into the career I loved. Early 1990’s, after doing contract work for years in literacy and adult education, I created my own business doing educational consulting and a wee amount of publishing. I self-published a book called A Rose in November, a collection of stories gathered after interviewing strangers to help people struggling with adversity and pain. I wanted them to know they were not alone; other people dealt with similar storms and were able to rise above. That was my one and only goal, and it stuck even after a 25-year career in teaching high school English literature and language arts. I worked on various provincial committees, developing my passion for learning. To me, the purpose of learning is to share with others. I wanted to wipe away the tears and offer a wholesome hug.

In 2016, I slipped on black ice going into the school where I taught and sustained a concussion and whiplash. I expected to be back in the classroom within a week. I suffered brain fog, brain farts—where you lose your thoughts, which still happens—extreme fatigue, hypersensitivity, vestibular and vision issues, and on top of that, pain from fibromyalgia, annoyance in dealing with tinnitus and loss of hearing in my left ear.

I only could do a fraction of what I could do before without getting fatigued, irritated, frustrated, upset; it was impossible to keep up with flooding multiple senses, and the pressure created in my forehead. My occupational therapist suggested keeping a journal. I did not realize at the time how valuable it would become in helping me discover what help was available, and what I could do to enhance my chances of recovery. I found myself looking back at what I had written and living by the lessons on the bad days when getting out of bed was a task, people talked too fast, too loud, and there was nothing I could do to stop the flood of over-stimulation except go into a dark room and cry. Where did i go? I was lost, scared, and desperate to go back to who I was.

As I recovered, I wrote fresh columns rather than reworking old for the local, weekly newspaper called The Inverness Oran, with them for over thirty years. Writing was my saving grace. I did everything in my power to get back to my classroom and the students I love, but things did not go as planned. An emotional roller coaster, and isolated time, I discovered if my journal was helping me, I should share it with anybody who might find themselves in the same boat. The teacher in me stepped forward to educate and make people more aware of the insidious invisible injury called concussion. I started resurrecting prior manuscripts and working on them, as well as attending writers retreats to find a like-minded group to give me support in my writing endeavours. I was inspired by those writers gathered who were trying to discover their own voice through their writing.

I met Anne O’Connell from OC Publishing, director of the Paradise retreats, and she agreed to publish my book on concussion and the difficulties experienced. Self-conscious of a book just about me, the journalist came out and I interviewed seven people in reference to unexpected injuries suffered. I wanted people to realize how valuable and precious life is, that one minute you could be talking to someone you love, and the next, that person could be gone, as it happened with me too many times. Those stories echo and resonate, valuable to people beyond the reading; it is informative, evidence-based, timely, and universal in its appeal. I feel both proud and extremely vulnerable; my bittersweet book

is necessary in a time when people are misunderstood, mental illness is rampant, and a sense of identity and purpose a must to move forward.

Please be sure to sign up for my newsletter for the special Q&A with Phyllis Entis!

Thank you, Francene Gillis, and thank YOU reader, for joining us today. If you’re an author who wants to be featured, please reach out and we’ll schedule your Author Takeover soon!

Happy reading!
Sarah Butland