Corrie weekly update - February 29 2020

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

And if you'd like to support the Coronation Street weekly updates to keep them going (please), you can donate here

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Pearl of Pit Lane in New Writing North newsletter

With thanks to New Writing North for including details of the paperback publication of my third gritty, family saga novel Pearl of Pit Lane in their new newsletter.

I'm in the section under People about half-way through if you'd like to read it.

Just a couple of things I'd like to gently point out as the newsletter suggests that Pearl is one of a series of books and also that I'm "publishing my novel."

My gritty saga novels are all stand-alone books (not a series) and are published by Headline.


If you'd like to read the newsletter, it's here.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Prostitutes, proggy mats and five-star reviews

Excitement builds as publication date looms for my third gritty saga novel set in Ryhope in 1919. The book is called Pearl of Pit Lane and is about a young girl called Pearl who tries to escape a life working the streets. But will she be able to do it?  You'll have to read on to find out.

The book features prostitutes, proggy mats and has already garnered many five-star reviews. You can read the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.

The book launch will be at Sunderland Waterstones on Saturday 7 March from 11-1 and then at National Glass Centre Sunderland from 2-3. All welcome, please come and say hello.
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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Book launch, cake and anxiety

The excitement builds as it's now just over a week away to paperback publication of my third novel Pearl of Pit Lane.

When my first novel Belle of the Back Streets was released in paperback I had a book launch in The Albion Inn in Ryhope, the pub which is central to the story of the book. There was a buffet, cakes, drinks, and lots and lots of people. My actress friend Corinne Kilvington and I read from the book and then Corinne interviewed me. The night was a huge success. It was standing room only in the pub.

There are some amazing pictures of the night here.

But I'm not going to do it again.

Why not?

Because it caused me endless anxiety afterwards, I'm no good with that sort of thing. And so when my second novel The Tuppenny Child was released in paperback, it was muted kind of affair. It'll be the same for Pearl of Pit Lane although I am having a launch at Waterstones Sunderland on Saturday 7 March and again at National Glass Centre later that same day.

Pearl of Pit Lane will be available from Waterstones, WHSmiths, Asda. In Sunderland it's also available as signed copies from Fulwell Post Office on Sea Road, Seaburn and from the National Glass Centre gift shop.

Have a look at my events page on my website for launches, book signings and talks.
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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Back in Time at the Corner Shop - and me

This week on BBC2 a new TV show began called Back in Time at the Corner Shop.  The Back in Time... series has been wonderful to watch and this time it's all about changing fortunes and food in a local corner shop.  Watching the first episode of the show last night made me almost jump out of my seat and run around the living room shouting for joy. And no, I don't normally do that. Well, not on a Tuesday night.

The reason I was so overjoyed to see Back in Time at the Corner Shop is that my new novel Pearl of Pit Lane (out in paperback March 5) features not one, but two local shops set in 1919.   Watching the TV last night was like watching all of those weeks of research come to life right in front of my eyes.  All of the museums I'd visited, all of the archive material I waded through, the price lists from the Co-op stores at the time - it was all there, on TV. And I'd got it right. I can't tell you what that felt like.

I don't want to spoil any of the story for any reader who might like the book but you can expect plenty of this...

Photo from Preston Park museum

 And this...

Photo from Preston Park museum

 And this...

Photo from Preston Park museum

Not to mention this...

Sound just like your cup of tea? Then you'll love Pearl of Pit Lane. Treat yourself, go on. It's here.
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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update - February 22 2020

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

And if you'd like to support the Coronation Street weekly updates to keep them going (please), you can donate here

__

Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Media tart! My writing week

It's been a bit of a week.

This was the week when editing began in earnest of book number five, to be called The Paper Mill Girl. It's been fascinating to write, based around one of Sunderland's old paper mills. The research has been intense and fun.

I was invited in to BBC Radio Newcastle to talk about book number three, Pearl of Pit Lane, which comes out in paperback on March 5, World Book Day.  If you'd like to listen to my interview it's all here.

Then as if the week wasn't exciting enough, I was featured in The Guardian in an article on soap super fans.  If you'd like to read it, it's here.

Paid two visits to Waterstones in Sunderland this week where I spotted this little beauty advertising my forthcoming book launch for Pearl of Pit Lane. It's Saturday 7 March from 11am to 1pm. Please come and say hello.

Today I visited National Glass Centre in Sunderland and spoke to the lovely lady who manages the gift shop. I'm going into the National Glass Centre on Saturday 7 March from 2pm to 3pm to do book signings. Please come and say hello.

And as the week draws to a close, soaps presenter Sharon Marshall from ITV's This Morning sent me this glorious tweet.

"Amazing novels" indeed! I shall dine out on this for a while.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

ITV This Morning's Sharon Marshall - "Amazing Novels"

Earlier this week I was featured in The Guardian in an article the paper did about soap fans. You can read all about it here.

My head was a in a spin all day, it really was something to be included in the paper.  I blogged about it here.

And then later that day, something else happened that knocked my socks off. 

Sharon Marshall, the soaps queen from ITV's This Morning programme (she's also a scriptwriter for Emmerdale), tweeted this.

Lovely piece about a very talented lady. Check out her amazing novels.

Well, what can I say? If you would like to check out my novels, they're here.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Gritty northeast novels - my interview on BBC Newcastle

This morning I was interviewed live on BBC Newcastle. 

I'd been invited in to talk about my gritty northeast novels set in 1919.

The third of the novels Pearl of Pit Lane is out in paperback on March 5, which is World Book Day.

Now then, I love doing radio interviews and could talk all day about my love of writing too.

But I still get absolutely terrified!

I think I managed to fool everyone I knew what I was talking about, though.

If you'd like to listen to the interview, the link is here.

My introduction is at 08.58 where they call me "The Ultimate Guest"

The first part of my interview is at 19.23. 

Second part is at 37.30. 

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

The Guardian and me: "Corrie changed my life!"

The Guardian today have a feature about soap super fans and I'm delighted to be included.

You can read the Guardian article here.

Put simply, without Coronation Street, I'd never have had the courage to write as much as I do.

I've been writing Coronation Street weekly updates since 1993. Want to sign up to the weekly Corrie newsletter? It's here.

I also set up the Coronation Street Blog in 2007 and edit a team of 16.

Also, writing about Corrie helped land me my six book deal with Headline as well as write my own weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine, the longest-running women's magazine in the world.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Full page feature in The Journal

Absolutely over the moon about this.

There's a full page feature about my books in The Journal's Culture section.

It's not online, but the PDF is available to read on my website.
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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update - February 15 2020

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

And if you'd like to support the Coronation Street weekly updates to keep them going (please), you can donate here

__

Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline 
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Pearl of Pit Lane - out in paperback on March 5, World Book Day

Ignore the dodgy camera work, shaking hands and self-concious twaddle and feast your eyes on a very short video about this little beauty. 

It's the paperback copy of my third gritty saga set in the northeast in 1919. Meet Pearl of Pit Lane, out in paperback on Thursday March 5 which is World Book Day. She'll be on sale in Waterstones, WHSmiths and Asda supermarkets up and down the country.

And here's a little video where I remove the ribbon and you can see it in all its glory.

When the post lady brings the best post. Thank you to my amazing editor @eternal_kateb and all at @HeadlineFiction @headlinepg for this little beauty received today. In the shops March 5 🌼#Sunderland #Ryhope pic.twitter.com/TMAF1bnJeA

— Glenda Young (@flaming_nora) February 11, 2020

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

The Northern Echo feature: Tough Times, Strong Women

I'm honoured to have been featured in The Northern Echo in an article entitled Tough Times, Strong Women.

Sadly, it's not online but you can read it if you'd like to at my website where the PDF is available to read.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie Weekly Update - celebrating Corrie's 10,000th episode

Corrie weekly update - February 2 2020

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

And if you'd like to support the Coronation Street weekly updates to keep them going (please), you can donate here

__

Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Short Story, Date Night

I've a fun short story in March's edition of Take a Break Fiction Feast magazine, which is in the shops today.

The story is called Date Night and it's about a couple who attempt to have a romantic night together, away from their family and domestic chores, but events do go as planned.

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Review: The Variety Girls by Tracy Baines

I've been lucky enough to receive an advance copy of the debut novel by Tracy Baines. It's called The Variety Girls and is published in paperback by Penguin on February 20, 2020.

The book is a lovely read, cosy, heartwarming and set around WW2. The heroine Jessie dreams of getting the break of a lifetime to escape living with her overbearing (and horrible) aunty. I love horrible aunts in fiction and this one lives up to the mark!

Jessie is cast as one of the Variety Girls in a new theatre show and she hopes it's the new beginning she's been longing for. But not everything goes to plan and so Jessie's adventure begins.

For me, reading this book was a pleasure from start to finish. The very first page gripped me which is always a good sign because I have no patience with books that don't. It begins with the words: The house was a pressure cooker. Aunt Iris the lid, pushing down on them all. It's wonderful stuff and there are some glorious turns of phrase which Tracy uses to bring her characters to life.

However, it is when Jessie takes to the stage that the book - and Tracy's writing - really shines. This, I believe, comes from Tracy writing from the heart about a subject she's passionate about. From the age of 16, Tracy worked summer seasons, pantos and everything else in between at her local end of the pier show. She met her husband when he was appearing with the Nolan Sisters and she was Assistant Stage Manager. Her background shows in the book and her knowledge of the world of theatre helps bring Jessie's tale alive.

I really enjoyed this book and wish Tracy all the best with her next book which is out for Christmas and called Christmas with the Variety Girls.

Visit Tracy's website and follow her on Twitter

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Short Story, Never Meet Your Idol

I've a short story in The People's Friend magazine today.

It's called Never Meet Your Idol and it's about a woman who wins a competition to meet her TV heroine - but things don't go as planned!

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Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Corrie weekly update - February 2 2020

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

And if you'd like to support the Coronation Street weekly updates to keep them going (please), you can donate here
__

Glenda Young
Author of historical novels with Headline 
Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor