Par
Aurélien Burban
Published on
Jan 5, 2025 at 7:00 a.m.
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“It is not because we are in DO that we cannot succeed in life! » This is the message that Cyndra O’Haraauthor of novel, delivered to twelve young people from the IME (Medico-educational Institute) of Pontivy, gathered at the Blavet high school for the occasion.
Like these young people, she went through an IME and experienced a real obstacle course.
Her goal: to become a secretary
Cyndra O'Hara was educated at the IME of Kerpont, in Caudan, near Lorient, not far from Quimperlé where she is from. “I found myself there at 13 because I was bullied at school when I was young. I felt better there because in this structure, no one made fun of me,” says the writer.
I am a pugnacious person. I didn't give up on anything to achieve my goals.
His goal: to work in secretarial work. However, this is not the path she initially takes. “I went into sales with a CAP. Then, I wanted to have the Bac level. So, I completed six months of professional sales baccalaureate training. However, I still wanted to become a secretary…” At that moment, she realizes that she is being judged.
People didn't believe in my abilities. I was even lied to. For example, I was told about the profession of cashier, assuring me that it was possible to climb the ladder. I inquired, and I was told otherwise. That to be a secretary, you needed a diploma…
It is in the Paris region that Cyndra completed a BTS in management assistant via a professionalization contract. To the young people at the Pontivy IME, she confided: “There are different paths, different means of obtaining a Bac + 2 level. However, it was difficult, particularly with English and accounting because maths was not not my strong point. So I caught up on French and other subjects. »
Duty accomplished, she retains a certain pride in it. Especially since she doesn't know “anyone from an IME who has managed to reach the Bac + 2 level. I am not over 40 and I am qualified to be a secretary. »
She worked as a secretary in a CFA (Apprentice Training Center). “The experience was inconclusive: I wanted to resign because my ears were ringing. People were talking behind my back… However, I would like to find a similar job because I like being in contact with young people who are training in order to guide them, to give them advice. »
Poisonous, his first novel
It was at the age of 13, in middle school, that Cyndra immersed herself in reading. “I have always loved reading. My father wrote children's stories. Besides, Harry Potter rocked my adolescence. »
Although she wrote bits of stories during her youth, it was only at the age of 25 that she had the spark. “I wanted to put an end to a story! » She takes her time, drawing inspiration from series, books, her daily life, her profession…
Summary of his first volume
Ethan grew up in the heart of the slums of Camden, in the deepest poverty. Oppressed by the rage that roars within him, he drowns in violence. Determined to take control of his life, he moves to Wilnoh, but poverty is endemic and the wealth gap continues to widen.
Isabelle is a young girl from a high social background, with a clear future, who nevertheless suffocates in the midst of a debauchery of pomp and hypocrisy. Prisoner of this shackles, she has only one idea in mind: to free herself from it.
Their meeting will seal their destiny… Although everything opposes them, an irresistible attraction captivates them.
Haunted by his own demons, Ethan begins a fierce struggle against his feelings. Isabelle is sad for him. Like a moth, she flutters above her flame, defying all the codes of her existence.
When darkness and light intertwine, what hope is left? By playing with fire, don't they risk burning their wings?
This is how the first volume of a trilogy was born: Poisonous. It tells the story of two characters from different social backgrounds, adopting a distinct writing style. “When it’s poetic, it’s Isabelle who speaks. When it’s more down to earth, sometimes with vulgarity, we know that it’s Ethan who’s speaking,” reveals Cyndra. Illustrations illuminate the characters of the two characters.
I wrote the second volume in a year and a half. It will be released in 2025. I will soon realize the plan for the third one.
Cyndra ends her story by emphasizing something essential to her: “No matter your background, you can succeed in life. Solutions exist. Just to become a writer, sometimes it's an innate talent, sometimes it can be learned. Tips are available on Youtube, for example. »
Poisonousvolume 1, released March 29. published by Elixyria, €19.90.
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