Writing Week - Wearside Echoes, WHSmith, Wired for Story and Christmas

This week I was featured on the Wearside Echoes podcast in the Sunderland Echo talking about growing up in the village where I now set my bestselling novels. You can read it all here.

The SAGA genre of novels, which I write, is being invested heavily in by WHSmith who now have new SAGA bays in their bigger shops.  This is the SAGA bay in WHSmith Newcastle city centre where my books were included.  This is fantastic news for SAGA readers and writers.

Tomorrow (Sat 2 Nov) I'll be at Saint Paul's Christmas Fayre in Ryhope. I'll be selling and signing my books and will be happy to chat about them. Come and say hello!

Also this week I spent the final day reading, planning and plotting my next novel, ready to start writing very soon. This novel will be the final, third book in the Toffee Factory Girls trilogy, to be published by Headline in 2026.

Also this week my novel A Mother's Christmas Wish is just 99p for Kindle during November. Download it now at bit.ly/AMothersChristmasWish

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. 

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

A Mother's Christmas Wish - yours for just 99p

It's my favourite of all of my books. A Mother's Christmas Wish is yours for just 99p in November at bit.ly/AMothersChristmasWish

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Writing Week: Plotting and planning, getting ready to write

This week I carried out the last day of research for the last book in the trilogy of The Toffee Factory Girls. I researched with two local heritage groups and had a wonderful day. Next, I planned out my chapters over a few days and then read, as I always do before writing, the book Wired for Story. This helps cement the story in my mind before I write and is a great resource, which I highly recommend.

Also this week my novel Murder at the Seaview Hotel was reviewed on Australian radio!

I created a competition for you to win any of my books, signed. You can enter here and good luck!

And I gave a talk to Cleadon and Boldon community library, all about my novel The Toffee Factory Girls. 

And I received a lovely mention in The People's Friend magazine on their letters page about my books being sold at all Alfa Travel hotels in the UK, with £1.50 from each book going to Alfa's chosen charity, Re-engage.  This made my day.

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. 

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Competition! Win a signed book from Glenda Young

Enter to win any of my books and I'll sign it for you!  

Competition closes on Thusrday 28 November 2024 at 5pm. 

Good luck.  

UK Entries only.

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Award shortlist and getting ready to jump - my writing week

This week I was interviewed on BBC Radio Newcastle by DJ Anna Foster  about my Scarborough cosy crime Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel. It's been nominated for an award with Listening Books. I start speaking at 1:19:44 here. 

The award nomination also made news in The Sunderland Echo and you can read it here.

The award nomination also made news in The Scarborough News and you can read it here.

I've also been researching for months for the last book in the Toffee Factory Girls trilogy and I'm just about ready to start plotting and planning, before writing begins in a couple of weeks time.  It's a scary time, but exciting too. It's like standing on the end of a high diving board, getting ready to jump.

My books now on sale in the amazing FruFru&Friends gift emporium in Grangetown, Sunderland. The most incredible place, run by Jean, a powerhouse of a woman!

And one of my books, The Sixpenny Orphan was spotted in Bishop Auckland library as a book which had been enjoyed a lot by a member of staff!

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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Winner announced in Signed Book & Toffee competition

Congratulations to Betty Marshall who has been drawn at random as the winner in our latest competition to win a signed copy of The Toffee Factory Girls and a box of toffee. Well done, Betty! Thank you to everyone who entered.

If you would like to buy The Toffee Factory Girls, it's here.

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

My books on TV - My Writing Fortnight

I've been away on holiday so there are two writing weeks to catch up on this time.

First off, I was part of a saga panel at East Riding Festival of Words at Bridlington North library with saga legend Val Wood and bestselling saga author Mollie Walton. It was a wonderful, friendly event.

My Coronation Street fan books are now ALL for sale in the shop on the Coronation Street tour and I'm over the moon!

Also, my Scarborough cosy crimes were on TV!  They were on the travel show with Matt Baker and his parents when they visited Scarborough and took a trip to the Central Tramway funicular, which features in Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel.  Here are my books for sale in the funicular station as shown on TV.

Advance notice for your diary if you'd like to come! A talk at Boldon and Cleadon community library on Monday 21 October 2024.

And last but by no means least, my Scarborough cosy crime Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel has been shortlisted in the Listening Books audiobooks member's choice awards 2024.

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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

It's not a smile, it's a lid on a scream - My Writing Week

This week I'm reminded of a line from classic Coronation Street, from the lips of barmaid Bet Lynch. 

"That's not a smile, it's a lid on a scream."  

It's been a heartbreaking week for reasons I won't publish here.

Elswhere...

The Toffee Factory Girls books are now on sale in the gorgeous shop at The Word (National Centre for The Written Word) in South Shields. It's one of my favourite places in the Northeast! 

Also this week my Scarborough cosy crime about obsessive crazy golfers, is still on sale for 99p ebook.  Download it 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 

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Walk, talk and toffee in York - my Writing Week

This week I travelled to York to visit the Borthwick Archives at the University of York. This was to carry out research for the last in my trilogy of Toffee Factory Girls books and I was particularly interested in toffee factory production at the end of WW1. It was a remarkable visit and I came away with so many ideas for my story.  The research trip was financed by the Strachey Trust via The Society of Authors and my utmost grateful thanks go to them.  Thank you so much.

My Scarborough cosy crime Murder at the Seaview Hotel was once again in the top 10 audio downloads for August at Listening Books. Woohoo!

While in York this week I popped into Waterstones in the city and signed copies of my Scarborough cosy crimes which were featured on their suspense table. Nice!

Also in York, inside each national WHSmith shop there are new SAGA bays. For too long sagas have been mixed in with general fiction or romance, when they have their own identity. I'm over the moon to see these new SAGA bays and proud to be part of them. With my surname being Young, you'll find me, as ever, right at the bottom on the end!

Last Friday I gave a talk to a lovely audience at The Old Rectory in Houghton-le-Spring as part of Heritage Open Days. It was a great event and thank you to everyone who came.

Also for Heritage Open Days I led a guided walk around Ryhope village showing locations from my novels. 25 people came along although I could have easily doubled that number and had to disappoint a lot of fans, I'm very sorry. Leading a guided walk is really hard and I had to cap the numbers. Maybe next year I'll do two separate walks... watch this space!

I was included in an article in The Scarborough News about this year's East Riding Festival of Words.  Join me on October 11 at Bridlington library for a saga special with bestselling authors Val Wood and Mollie Walton.  Read the news here.

And tickets are now on sale for the Festival of Words 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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com