November, and among writers, NaNoWriMo has come to an end.

For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is a challenge to write the entire first draft of your novel in the 30 days of November.

I didn’t participate this year, but NaNoWriMo has always held a very, very special place in my heart. It was in NaNoWriMo 2016 that I pushed myself to write the first draft of my debut novel, Honey Butter, which was published nine months later in August 2017.

Pictured is a 13-year-old me holding my official NaNo certificate. I was crying just before this, and anyone who has read the ending of Honey Butter will know why. That story was a tearjerker from the beginning.

I’ve come a long way since this photo was taken, and I have a long way to go still in my career and life in general, but I don’t ever want to forget my beginnings. I don’t ever want to forget that early morning on November 30th, whipping tears away as I typed the words THE END and thinking: “This is the best story I have ever written… I’m going to research publishing, tomorrow.”

If you would like to read Honey Butter yourself, you’re in luck! You can have the Ebook and audiobook free when you signup for my email Newsletter and paperback copies are available for purchase on all major online retailers.

It would make a great gift for that young writer or reader in your life, or anyone who would enjoy a sweet summer story about life’s everyday joys.

docendo disco, scribendo cogito,
– Millie Florence