YOU, ME & FRANCE
Nancy & PJ: The Manuscript
“I can’t resist being jump-started by a plot powered with characters at once extraordinary and believable. Let the Ironman and the Woman of Steel in You, Me & France take you by the hands and lead you on a journey towards love at its strangest. On the way, be prepared for your companions to morph into Wuss and Puss, into the Broken People, into something near insanity.”
Nick Kent , former MD/CEO, Peter Owen Publishers
How many times have you chalked up the end of a relationship to bad timing? For Nancy and PJ, the answer is plenty. It took living separately in Canada, the US and France, two divorces and twenty years for timing to work out. And when it finally did, in the South of France, the star-crossed twosome discovered they had very different versions of their love story. In writing. In passionate, powerful and yes, sometimes pathetic, black-and-white.
The twin journals that make up You Me & France document an off-the-scale love story of tension, trauma and travel. Their fated journey is told in a fast-paced – and engagingly quirky – dual narrative.
As one publishing insider commented: “Like most idle readers, I can’t resist being jump-started by a plot powered with characters at once extraordinary and believable. Let the Ironman and the Woman of Steel take you by the hands and lead you on a journey towards love at its strangest. On the way, be prepared for your companions to morph into Wuss and Puss, into the Broken People, into something near insanity.”
You Me & France kicks off when 21-year-old Nancy and PJ, 25, first set eyes on each other on a French immersion program in Canada in 1990. Cracks soon appear in their young relationship and the book depicts the drama of PJ’s first marriage proposal, their frequent break-ups and rollicking reunions across their twenties and thirties. While restless Nancy hopscotches across Canada and France, PJ moves to New York and then Los Angeles to pursue acting and comedy.
After ten years of a boomerang relationship, Nancy tells PJ she is getting married, hoping he will sweep her off her feet, romcom style. Instead, he weds another three months later in Las Vegas. Both now uneasily married, the couple continue to carry a torch for each other until…
Feature image by Ed Wright Images.
Save the Date!
We’re beyond excited to share that our new book, YOU, ME & FRANCE, written by us, Nancy and PJ, will be released this September 2025! Get ready for a heartfelt adventure that we can’t wait for you to experience!
International Praise From Other People About This Book
“Like most idle readers, I can’t resist being jump-started by a plot powered with characters at once extraordinary and believable. Let the Ironman and the Woman of Steel take you by the hands and lead you on a journey towards love at its strangest. On the way, be prepared for your companions to morph into Wuss and Puss, into the Broken People, into something near insanity. This is a vivid and unforgettable tale, and I hope you will conclude as I did that when it comes to creating a brilliant narrative, two hearts are better than one, like The Boss says.”
Nick Kent , MD/CEO, Peter Owen Publishers, Saxmundham, UK
“You, Me & France is an enlightening tale of how two people meant to be together can work their hardest “not to be together” but can’t stop the inevitable magnetism they have. It’s tough, hard and sad. But it also shows you how love happens when life gets in the way.”
Noah Segal, Co-President, Elevation Films, Toronto, Canada
“You, Me & France shines a light on the unique, complex ways in which “we humans” navigate relationships and serves as a reminder that hope, love and honesty are vital. The candid thoughts and truths shared by both Nancy & PJ in their respective versions of their love story are refreshing and authentic. The back and forth, he said-she said storytelling method is captivating and works wonderfully. I laughed, I cried, and fell in love with their love story as I followed their rocky journey to finally choosing one another.”
Lacey Tu, Documentary Film Producer and IEFTA Board President, Monaco
“An engaging and punchy love story of crossed paths and crossed lines, of missed chances and miscommunication.”
Sian Jones, English Language Consultant, Nice, France
“How long would you wait for the love of your life? A thoroughly modern love story. First love, lost love, forever love. The messes we make and the possibilities that open when we learn to finally love ourselves.”
Rebecca McVeigh, Producer, Writer, Nice, France
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
NANCY: Without my brother Dave and sister-in-law Nancy, my adventures in France and this story would simply not be. They unconditionally opened their home in Valbonne to me when life shattered in Canada. Matt, Diana and Brady welcomed me like a big sister and filled my lonely heart with a different kind of love
Thanks to Mike Meade at the Riviera Reporter who took a chance on me when I arrived in France some twenty years ago and gave me my first byline; to Amanda Sadlowski at Fodor’s Travel for the opportunity to develop as travel writer; to ÖTILLÖ’s Michael Lemmel for teaching me how to live outside my comfort zone and paving the way to sports writing; to Luiz F Costa Macambira of Forbes Monaco for having faith in me; and to Saïd, the ultimate storyteller.
A round of applause to our gifted editor Wendy Yorke for transforming me from a news writer to an author, my sincerest gratitude for this journey together.
To my family – a thousand splendid thank yous to my mom, whom I absolutely adore, for her love and for encouraging me every day to write this, and to Lynn and Chris. Sian Jones, Susan Feaster and Lacey Tu: your friendships outshine all the bling in Monaco.
I am appreciative for each moment and each person mentioned in this book for it all led me – enfin – to PJ. Everyone should have a PJ in their corner; I count my blessings that he wanted to learn French.
PJ: I would like to thank my family who were my first audience but were also supportive in any creative endeavour I undertook. In particular, I want to thank my sister Lisa. She was there on that pivotal weekend in England to run her first marathon when I decided that my entire life had to change. She supported me in that decision and months later drove with me from Los Angeles to Florida after my separation providing lots of laughs on the way as opposed to lots of tears.
I also want to thank my friend Noah, who in addition to being one of the best human beings I know, has also supported me in my creative endeavors by laughing at my dumb jokes and hiring me for one of my first writing jobs. Karen, my first manager; who took me on as a client and convinced me that I was funny enough and good enough as a comic to move to New York and to this day, still asks if she can submit me for something she sees “you’d be perfect for”. Also to Wendy whose editing and enthusiasm for this book was infectious.
Most of all – Nancy. In addition to being the love of my life, her drive and discipline are inspiring. She pushes me to swim that extra kilometer, run that little bit faster, write just one more page, punch up another funny line. Without her, this wouldn’t be a book, it’d just be stories we tell one another.
BECOME A SPONSOR
We’re looking to collaborate with like-minded partners who are passionate about relationships, communication, and emotional well-being. If that sounds like you and you’re ready to reach our international audience in Monaco, France, Canada, the UK, US and 134 other countries, let’s connect. Contact us at: nancy@nancyheslin.com
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