This week I was delighted to see my novel
The Tuppenny Child on BBC TV. It was a news item on Breakfast News about libraries and their importance in our communities, something I'm passionate about. Thank you to Bedale Library for their support - whether by accident or design!
Also this week I gave a talk at The Old Rectory in Houghton-le-Spring as part of Heritage Open Days. If you're reading this very early on Friday morning, 6th September, the talk starts at 10am so hurry along, it's free!
The talk at The Old Rectory was given some great publicity in The Crack northeast listing magazine, who are always supportive.
I popped into the Saint Paul's church charity shop in Ryhope, which used to be the TSB Bank when I was a kid and I had my first bank account there! The shop now has 60 of my novels to celebrate my 60th birthday a couple of weeks ago and I was interviewed for their Parish magazine. Here I am with Rev. David Chadwick, vicar of Saint Paul's. I'm in the pink and white checked blouse.
I also called into Boyes store in Chester-le-Street to sign a mountain of my books, including
The Toffee Factory Girls which is set in the town.
I was in Chester-le-Street for a guided tour of Lumley Castle, as research tentatively begins into the third of my Toffee Factory Girls trilogy. The castle plays an important role in this book and I was given a tour behind-the-scenes.
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.