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. 

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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.

__

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. 

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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. 

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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 

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Telly, Toffee, Charity and Castles - my Writing Week

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.

And my Scarborough cosy crime, Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel is just 99p this month. Buy it now at bit.ly/FoulPlayAtTheSeaviewHotel

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

60 (more) books for 60 years - my writing week

Last week was my 60th birthday and I donated 60 of my novels to Ryhope community centre. This week I donated 60 more to Ryhope Saint Paul's church charity shop.  

Also this week, the competition is still running to win a signed copy of The Toffee Factory Girls. Enter here.

This week I went on a recce around Ryhope to prepare for my guided walk for Heritage Open Days. All places have been filled and there's a waiting list now.

Also for my 60th birthday last week I received this wonderful original artwork from Scarborough artists Lynne Arnison. If you've read my Scarborough cosy crimes you'll recognise who and where this is!

And this week was a big celebration. It was my 400th episode of my weekly soap opera Riverside in The People's Friend magazine!

And from last week, a picture of me at Ryhope Community Centre when I donated my 60 books.

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

60 books for 60 years - my writing week

This week, in fact today - Friday August 23rd 2024 - is my 60th birthday.  To celebrate, I've donated 60 of my novels to Ryhope community centre. Next week I'll donate 60 more to Ryhope Saint Paul's church charity shop.  

Also this week, there's a competition to win a signed copy of The Toffee Factory Girls. Enter here.

And my Scarborough cosy crime Murder at the Seaview Hotel is gaining rave reviews for the Spanish translated copy!

I've also been working hard on reading the proof copy of the second in my series of The Toffee Factory Girls book which is released in 2025.  You can pre-order your copy now at bit.ly/SecretsToffeeGirls

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