To mark the May release of Cécile Puissant's fourth book, Ainsi va la vie, Yves Lesigne was at the Centre François Baclesse on May 16, 2023 for a book signing. All proceeds from sales will be donated to the Centre Baclesse for cancer research.
Yves Lesigne 's writing project began in 2008, a year after the loss of his wife to cancer. He began to write a story in his head for the pleasure of watching it unfold before his eyes. Every evening, he wrote a few chapters, until he completed his first novel. And it was thanks to a cousin, who one day asked to read it, that Yves Lesigne gained his first reader. And much more, as she begged him to publish, won over by the gripping, accessible story. It didn't seem feasible at first, but it was worth a try.
Yves Lesigne's wish was to donate the proceeds of sales to the fight against cancer, so he didn't turn to a publishing house, preferring to self-publish and sell his books himself. He then went to find his local printer in Créances, Aubert Graphic, to help him with this project. His first book, Rapt sans vergogne, was published in 2009.
Usually, a month before the release of a book, he drops a subscription coupon in mailboxes in Créances, so that those who want to can pre-order at a reduced price. He now has 200 loyal readers in his village, where he was already well known as a town councillor. He also goes to fairs and book signings to meet his readers.
He continued to publish regularly in several different genres: crime fiction, romance and even a few poems. And in 2013, he met Cécile Puissant. Initially an anonymous fan, she soon became a close friend of the author. And when she sent him her first piece of writing, an idea immediately crossed Yves Lesigne's mind. He offered to publish her story, with 50% of the profits going to the Centre Baclesse and 50% to himself. She categorically refused. She preferred to donate her story in its entirety to cancer research. It's been ten years, and they continue to invent stories for this cause, helping each other with their texts, which they send to each other.
Today, Yves Lesigne comes to the Center every year to sign their books, and donate the proceeds of sales to cancer research. His tenth and latest book, Tempête des Cœurs et des Dieux , published in 2021, was an unhoped-for success. Still under contract to the same publisher for the past 14 years, Yves Lesigne's close friend Hélène Stark poetically illustrates each of their books.
Together with Cécile Puissant, they have already donated a total of over 38,200 euros to the Centre François Baclesse, and have set themselves a target of 40,000 before the end of the year. Ainsi va la vie has already raised 2,500 euros, and Yves Lesigne is already working on his eleventh novel. All the more reason to continue advancing cancer research.
