Living my Childhood Dream - My Writing Week

This week I visited Waterstones, Durham. My northeast novel The Toffee Factory Girls was on display between the two Queens of Saga, Catherine Cookson and Dilly Court. Have to admit... I had a bit of a moment. 

"One of the best author talks we've had".  Feedback from Barnsley Library Services  after my talk at the weekend to Barnsley Lightbox library. 

Thank you to everyone who came, it was a magical day.

A whopping 50 tickets have already been sold for my ballroom dancing cosy crime book launch, grab yours before they all go!  Cake and cocktail event. May contain glitter balls. Thankyou to The Scarborough News for covering the event and the amazing quote from Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton du Beke.

Enter to win a Copy of Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel with  Living North magazine at https://livingnorth.com/win-offer/win-copy-deadly-dancing-seaview-hotel 

Enter to win a Luxury Toffee Selection and Toffee Factory Girls Books at http://dlvr.it/TNy4Nr 

Winners were announced in Jackie Magazine - Best of the 70s competition. Did you win? Find out at http://dlvr.it/TNxfMW 

There was a fantastic turn out for the Ryhope heritage society photo exhibition and film show this week at Ryhope Community Centre where I'm a member and attended all day speaking to people.

Here I am with Brian, the Chair of Ryhope Heritage Society.

And if you're reading this on Friday October 31, there's still time to buy Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel for just 99p at http://dlvr.it/TNvVKy 

I crafted another episode of my weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine. I've been writing Riverside weekly since 2016 and you can find out all about it here.

I also kept the Coronation Street Blog ticking over with news and editing the team of 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Enter to WIN - Luxury Toffee Selection and Toffee Factory Girls Books

Enter to win a luxury Toffee Selection from Walkers Non-Such Toffee with two signed books from me. The Toffee Factory Girls and Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls are the first two books in the trilogy. Book 3 will be released next year.

To be in with a chance to win a copy, answer the following question correctly before the deadline of Wednesday November 26, 2025 at 5pm

One winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries received. Winner will be announced after the closing date. Good luck, everyone!  UK entries only.

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Winners announced in Jackie Magazine - Best of the 70s competition

Congratulations to five lucky winners who have each won a copy of the brand new Jackie magazine - Best of the 70s magazine, in my most recent competition.

Copies are winging their way soon to Dawn Etchells, Mollie Anderson, Andrew Taylor, Julie Boundy and Elizabeth Carrington.

Thank you everyone who entered.

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Barnsley, Scarborough, Ryhope - Spreading the word one town at a time

As I continue my writing break, I'm making the most of every spare moment before I dive back into the world of fiction after the New Year.

I'll be at Ryhope Community Centre on Tuesday 28 October from 10am to 3pm, as part of Ryhope Heritage Society. There's a free exhibition and film show about Ryhope's past. All welcome, do come if you can. More information here.

On Saturday 25 October at 1pm I'll be at Barnsley Lightbox Library giving a talk on my writing life. It's free, all welcome, do come if you can.  All information here.

I was featured in The Scarborough News this week where there was a lovely half-page article about my new ballroom dancing cosy crime Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel along with details of the book launch in town.  Read the full article here.

There's still time to enter to win 1 of 5 copes if Jackie magazine - The Best of the 70s.  Enter here.

Elsewhere this week I spent a day in Houghton-le-Spring and visited indie bookshop Featherbed Books who are gearing up for Christmas.  Do support your local bookshops!

And while in Houghton-le-Spring, I visited the gorgeous revamped library to do some work.  As a nice coincidence, on the day I visited, there was free tea and coffee and biscuits too. Result!

I crafted another episode of my weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine. I've been writing Riverside weekly since 2016 and you can find out all about it here.

I also kept the Coronation Street Blog ticking over with news and editing the team of 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Waterstones Promo, Community Book Club and Future Plans - my Writing Week

This week has been fairly relaxing during my break from novel-writing which will last until the end of this year.  It's a time to think about what I've done already and to plan ahead. And I will have some very exciting news for you soon on my future plans.

Talking about exciting, the quote from Strictly Come Dancing judge Anton du Beke about my novel Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel has my head in a spin!  I created this video to stay thank you to Anton and you can watch it here.

My next saga Celebrations at the Toffee Factory comes out next year, but you can get a whopping 25% off the price of the hardback if you pre-order. I'm delighted that my book has been chosen by Waterstones for this amazing offer.  It's valid until the end of Friday 17 October. Order here.

There are so many wonderful community centres and groups in our region and I'm teaming up with Easington Lane Community Access Point (ELCAP).  They're starting a new book club on Monday November 3rd and have chosen my novel The Miner's Lass as their first book to read. What a treat!  I'll be at the very first session to talk to book club members about the inspiration behind the book.  Find out more and join the book club here.

Also this week I visited the wonderful Sunderland Women's Centre to discuss an exciting collaboration.  I'll bring more on this in the coming weeks.  Stay tuned. Visit their website here.

I crafted another episode of my weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine. I've been writing Riverside weekly since 2016 and you can find out all about it here.

I also kept the Coronation Street Blog ticking over with news and editing the team of 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Strictly Come Dancing, Anton du Beke, BBC, U3A and Ole!

Back from a wonderful holiday in northern Spain, made extra special by spotting the Spanish version of Murder at the Seaview Hotel on sale in El Corte Ingles department store in the city of Girona! 

This week, one of the best things happened! Strictly Come Dancing judge & ballroom legend Anton du Beke said this about my ballroom dancing cosy crime Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel: “I loved Glenda's book and her characters - perfect for all fans of  dance, mystery and cosy escapism. Absolutely smashing!” 

The news about Anton du Beke and my cosy crime Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel made its way into The Sunderland Echo. You can read the story here.

I was interviewed about Anton du Beke's quote and the news on BBC York, BBC Lincoln, BBC Sheffield and BBC Leeds. DJ Bek Homer spoke to me and you can listen to the interview  at 15 mins in here https://bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002k0jt?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile 

I gave a talk to Seaham U3A, such an enthusiastic group and I enjoyed the event very much. Would you like to invite me to speak to your local group, book club or community event, etc? Please get in touch here.

In collaboration with Walkers Non-Such Toffee there's a competition for you to win books and toffees at Walkers Non-Such Facebook page here.

And in collaboration with DC Thomson there's a competition to win 1 of 5 copies of the new Jackie - Best of the 70s magazine.  Enter here and good luck!

My author newsletter for October went out to thousands of email subscribers who have signed up to receive it each month. You can read it online here.

My ballroom dancing cosy crime Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel was included in The Bookseller magazine's paperback previews for December.  Always a joy to see my books previewed in the industry magazine!

The playwright's highly strung, the lead actress a diva, there's tension in the cast of a new play... then one of them ends up dead. My #Scarborough #cosycrime Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel is just 99p this month at http://bit.ly/CurtainCallAtTheSeaviewHotel 

Thank you to New Writing North  for including Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel  in their Northern Bookshelf newsletter. Read it all at https://newwritingnorth.cmail19.com/t/j-e-wurhhkd-yduiudwtl-it/ 

And finally, a date for your diary. Friday 5 December at 2.30pm in Scarborough for my book launch. All welcome and book your ticket here. See you there!

I crafted another episode of my weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine. I've been writing Riverside weekly since 2016 and you can find out all about it here.

I also kept the Coronation Street Blog ticking over with news and editing the team of 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com