Commuter Crush

I've a short story called Commuter Crush which is in The People's Friend magazine out today.

Also in the magazine is another instalment of my weekly soap opera Riverside, which is my writing highlight of each week.

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Sun FM radio interview

I have the perfect face for radio.

I was interviewed last week on Sunderland's commercial radio station Sun FM 103.4.

The interview was all about me and my writing, which was great fun to chat about. There are three very short and sweet snippets from the interview which you can listen to here if you'd like to.

The first snippet makes me chuckle every time I listen to it. "I'm ecstatic!"

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Corrie weekly update - tissues and issues

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week in Corrie, dramatic tension loses its appeal.

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Desert Island Disco

Yesterday I had a bit of a day.

First stop was BBC Radio Newcastle who invited me in for a chat after they'd spotted I was giving a talk at this year's Sunderland Creative Writing Festival. My talk is all about how to write and sell short stories to women's magazines. There might be some tickets left (it's free) if you'd like to come.

Anyway, so off I went to Newcastle on a packed and sweaty Metro, having to stand all the way there for the full thirty minutes of the journey. It's days like those that I am grateful, more than ever, for my five second commute to work along the hallway from my bedroom to the study.

I arrived at the BBC for what was my third radio interview there in the past few years. I was invited in the first time to talk about the ITV official Coronation Street TV tie-in book Deirdre: A Life on Coronation Street.

And the second time I was invited in was to chat about an unofficial TV tie-in book all about Carla Connor.

And now, this time, I was chatting about all things, well, me. I was quizzed about my three book deal, which has just been announced by the publisher.

I also spoke about the Coronation Street Blog, which I edit, being a finalist for another UK Blog Award and I also spoke about the Creative Writing Festival and my talk on women's magazines too. I was also allowed to pick five records in a Desert Island Discs kind of a way.

The whole interview was recorded and as soon as I know when it's going live, which will be spread over five days of a week (dates to be confirmed) I'll be sure to let you know.

I really love doing radio, me.


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Corrie weekly update - Weatherfield WhamBam

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week in Corrie, Sean became a domestic goddess.

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Glenda Young: Saga Writer, Giddy Kipper

I've gone a bit giddy kipper. Finally I'm able to announce my news. 

When all I've ever... ever wanted to do since I was a child was write, you'll understand why I'm so happy.

Headline has acquired a new saga author, Glenda Young

Senior commissioning editor Kate Byrne acquired world English rights in three books from Caroline Sheldon at the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. 

In the first novel, Belle of the Back Streets, 15-year-old Meg finds herself taking on the rag and bone business in Ryhope to protect her family from an unscrupulous rent collector. Headline will publish in paperback in March 2019.

Sheldon said "several publishers" shared her enthusiasm for the book after she plucked it from an "overflowing" pile of submissions, but she and Young chose Headline for its "clear publishing vision and obvious passion for the writing".

Byrne at Headline said: "I knew Belle of the Back Streets was something very special right away. Glenda has a gift for portraying a fantastic sense of period with vivid historical detail and creating engaging, nuanced characters – Meg is a wonderfully strong and resourceful heroine and I know readers will be rooting for her amidst the drama, tragedy and romance of her page-turning story."

Young's background is in soaps. She was commissioned to write the first ever soap opera "Riverside" for weekly The People's Friend. Since 2007 she has run two "Coronation Street" fan websites and she also authored a number of books based on the soap.

She commented: "I am indebted to my agent Caroline Sheldon and my editor Kate Byrne at Headline for their belief in my work – and in me. Ever since I was a girl all I have ever wanted to do was write and tell my own stories. I am extremely grateful to Headline for finally making that dream come true and I am very excited to be working with them."

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Valentine's Day short story

I've a short story in My Weekly magazine this week. It's a Valentine's Day story and I was commissioned to write this one, which was a lovely thing to have been asked to do. 

The story is called The Perfect Valentine and it's about the top five favourite Valentine's cards that one woman has received throughout her lifetime. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Sunderland Creative Writing Festival 2018

I'll be giving a talk at Sunderland Creative Writing Festival on Weds March 28th on writing fiction for women's magazines. All details here. 

And you can find out more about me here.

Also, there is a full programme of really excellent writing events taking place during the festival. Do check out the full list.

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Corrie weekly update - Funeral, Phelan and a Fly Swatter

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1995 and this week's Coronation Street update has just gone live here.

This week in Corrie, the vultures are circling Pat Phelan.

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Farewell to the Ryhope Electric Grand Cinema

To Ryhope today, to the village I grew up in and spent most of my adult life. It's where many of my family still live too.  In the village itself is the Ryhope Electric Grand cinema.  I've only ever known it as a bingo hall as it stopped its working life as a cinema in the early 1960s. But I remember mam and dad saying they used to go to the Grand in their courting days.   Since it closed as a bingo hall it's stood empty, boarded up.

The Grand was built in 1912 and had its heyday in the 1950s.  That's why Beamish Museum are now offering tours of the building before they dismantle it brick by brick and move it to their new 1950s village.  It'll take 2-3 years before it's demolished and rebuilt a Beamish.  Let's hope they can keep as much of the original decoration as possible too.

At Beamish it'll be a working cinema, with films and advertising shown from the 1950s.

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Two stories in Take a Break's Fiction Feast

I've two short stories in Take a Break's Fiction Feast, in the shops today. "Jenny Two-Phones" is a comic story inspired by a woman I met at a training day who was using two phones. I wondered what would happen if she sent the wrong message to the wrong phone...

... and "The Female Fab Four" is a story of an all-female Beatles tribute band. One of the most poignant short stories I've ever written.

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I'm on twitter @flaming_nora