Once upon a time I wrote a little book during a crazy month, known to many as NaNoWriMo. It was 2015, and I was knee-deep in the holiday season at Holliday Card Shoppe, but I was determined not to let the store take over all my dreams, so I pushed myself to do hard things. One Week in November was the product of two weeks of living on energy drinks and writing in every spare minute I had after being away at the shop for 11 hours a day.

It's a short book, made shorter still after my fresh round of edits, but it has heart, and that's why I wanted to make it available to people again. When I published it the first time, I had no idea what I was doing. Not that I really know now, but I have learned a few things in the past eight years (like not to go through a small printer and to get a cover that better represents the feeling of the book), so I'm hoping I will be able to get this story in the hands of people outside of my immediate circle.

A couple of things you might find interesting, while this story is not true by any stretch of the imagination, it was inspired by a man I frequently drove past on my way home from my store in Portland, Oregon. He stood near the freeway holding a sign that said, "Laid off, now homeless. Anything helps. God Bless." There was always something about him that didn't seem to fit, and I wondered about his story. After publishing the book in 2016, I stopped one day and bought a couple of burgers at Carl's Jr. and walked through the rain, across the intersection, carrying the burger bag and a copy of my book to the man. It was dark and cold and the intersection was really busy, but I handed him my little offering and told him he had inspired me to write this story. I still know nothing about his life, but I told him I believed there was more for him than his present circumstances, and that I didn't believe he belonged there. He looked near tears, but he politely thanked me for my words and let me take a selfie with him. I won't publish it, but I still hold it dear. Like a promise that even when life gets hard, it's still possible to bring hope and joy to others.

It's been years now since I've seen him, but I still think of him from time to time and hope he found a way to a better life.

One Week in November is releasing on Friday, and I'm so excited that it will be available again. While the main character is a teenage girl, most of my readers the first time around were adults from my card and gift shop. After reading it, many of them returned to tell me how much the story had touched them. They shared stories of their own experiences with homeless people, and one woman was so inspired that she started volunteering her time at a local shelter. It was amazing to see my little story was able to open people up to those in need in the community, and I hope it will have the opportunity to reach more people in the years to come.

Wishing you all a great holiday season,

Sarah