Going up! No. 3 in Heatseekers chart with The Paper Mill Girl

Last week my novel The Paper Mill Girl entered at No. 11 in the Bookseller Heatseekers Chart! This week it's up to No. 3. I'm over the moon!

The Heatseekers Chart is for those bubbling under the top 50 bestsellers by authors who haven't been in the best selling chart before. 

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Writing historic fiction set in old Ryhope - an online talk by Glenda Young

As I haven't been able to get out and about over the last year to give talks on my books, I've created an online talk instead.

It's packed full of fantastic pictures of old Ryhope, the village where my sagas are set, in 1919. 

It's also the village where I was born and bred and it's  a joy and a privilege to bring the village to life and explain how it inspires each of my books.

The talk is narrated by me and lasts for 20 minutes. You can watch it below or on YouTube.

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Wonky fringe, heatseeking and launch - my writing week

It's been a lovely, calm week writing-wise - which is exactly what I'd been aiming for. 

I decided some months ago that I was going to take the whole of March "off" writing. While I haven't been writing, apart from my weekly soap opera Riverside for The People's Friend magazine, there has been lots of admin and self-employed faff to catch up on. 

This week, the fourth of five weeks I've allowed myself to rest in-between books, things have finally started to calm down.  I've read a lot of books, cycled and walked on the beach...

... and done all of this too!

There was the book launch for my novel novel The Paper Mill Girl. Hosted by The Word (National Centre for the Written Word) & South Tyneside Libraries. The event was recorded on Zoom. It's now available to watch here.  Try not to laugh at my wonky, home-cut fringe. 

The Paper Mill Girl entered the Bookseller's Heatseekers chart at number 11.  I am very happy with this! The Heatseekers Chart is for those bubbling under the top 50 bestsellers chart by authors who haven't been in the best selling chart before. 

I designed and ordered a new banner with all six of my novels so far published. It's an ideal Zoom background and perfect for when / if I ever get back out giving talks in the real world. The block of white space at the bottom of the banner is deliberate, in case you are wondering!

I received the page proofs of my debut cosy crime, Murder at the Seaview Hotel which is published in August this year. What does an author do with proofs? Well, by the time I receive the page proofs, my novel has already been edited thoroughly between the editor at the publisher Headline, and me. After it's been edited, it then gets proof-read by a professional proof-reader who corrects grammar and sentence structure, if needed. So by the time I receive the page proofs, all I need to do is a final read-through before it goes to print. It's my job, and the publisher's and the proof-reader's, to read it one final time to spot any commas in the wrong place, that kind of thing.  I read it in one sitting, couldn't put it down and laughed all the way through. It's absolutely fantastic!

Every time one of my books is published in paperback, a local reader gets in touch. I sign a book for his sister, who is a big fan of my books and I was happy to do the same again this time with a copy of The Paper Mill Girl. We met outside a cafe on the beach, I signed the book, he said thank you and we agreed to do it all again in six months when the next book - The Miner's Lass is released in paperback.

I also took a stock of all of my books to my local post office - Fulwell Post office on Sea Road in Sunderland - as they are hugely supportive in selling my books. They stock books and artwork from all kinds of local authors and craftspeople, and my heartfelt thanks go to them for their support.

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. 

See you next week!

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Heatseekers chart position for The Paper Mill Girl

Absolutely over the moon that my novel The Paper Mill Girl has entered at No. 11 in this week's Bookseller Heatseekers Chart! 

The Heatseekers Chart is for those bubbling under the top 50 bestsellers by authors who haven't been in the best selling chart before. 

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

An Audience with Glenda Young, The Paper Mill Girl book launch

If you missed the online book launch for my new novel The Paper Mill Girl you can now watch it online. It was hosted by The Word (national centre for the written word) and South Tyneside Libraries.

It's available to watch on YouTube here.

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Book launch, supermarkets and a few tears - my writing week

This was the week when the official launch of my new novel The Paper Mill Girl took place. It was hosted by The Word (national centre for the written word) at South Shields and took the form of an 'Audience with...' style Q&A which was wonderful. 

I was very nervous but it seemed to go well. If you came, thank you!  I didn't have my glasses on and couldn't see many of the names on my screen. I wasn't ignoring you, honest.

This week I set up a mailing list for readers to receive updates on my books and details of books launches, competitions and giveaways. You can sign up here if you'd like to.

The Paper Mill Girl  was reviewed by Karen Byrom at Karen's Book Blog website. Karen had already reviewed the book for The People's Friend magazine last week - you can read that review here. 

Karen this week said that she enjoyed the book so much she reviewed it twice. Quite an accolade! Read her review here.

The Paper Mill Girl  also found her way into Inside Soap magazine this week where she starred in this week's Hotlist. Thank you, Inside Soap!

And she went on sale in supermarkets Asda and Morrisons. You can even add her to your Asda basket if you do your shopping online - click here!  The book will also go on sale in Tesco on April 1st.

Elsewhere this week, I received this message from the son of a woman who is enjoying my books, and it made me cry. It's messages like these that make everything, every word, all worthwhile. Thank you.

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 bloggers. 

See you next week!

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

In the saga genre, Glenda Young is a relative newcomer, but she has certainly made her mark - review by Karen's Book Blog

Another wonderful review just in from Freelance book reviewer, Karen Byrom, at Karen's Book Blog.

She says this about my new novel The Paper Mill Girl:

"There are plenty top names in the saga genre, and Glenda Young is a relative newcomer, but she has certainly made her mark with her series of stand-alone stories set in the mining village of Ryhope in the North East of England.

This story has all the ingredients any saga lover could wish for – poverty, hardship, illness, danger, and a baby who must be cared for at all costs. It’s action packed as Ruth careens from one challenge to the next. But there’s friendship, too, and romance of course

While there’s plenty conflict to be resolved, it’s the characters that make this story truly thrilling. Not just trustworthy, responsible, loyal Ruth but her family, friends, employers and enemies are all fleshed into life. ... From Bea to Mick to Sarah, daughter of the factory owner –  they’re all convincing, empathetic characters with their own strengths and flaws, and their own stories to tell.

Put them together in the atmospheric soup of Ryhope and its surrounding area where mines jostle with factories, the poor and the rich live separate, but occasionally intertwining lives, and everyone is striving for a better life for their families and you have a compelling story of life, love and ultimately hope for our strong and likeable heroine, Ruth."

You can read the full review here.

Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

The Paper Mill Girl in Inside Soap magazine

Really happy to say that my new novel The Paper Mill Girl is featured in Inside Soap magazine this week. It's made its way to the Hot List at the back of the magazine. 

Thankyou, Inside Soap!

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Book launch for The Paper Mill Girl - Sunderland Echo

With thanks to my local newspaper, The Sunderland Echo, for helping to promote the official book launch for my new novel The Paper Mill Girl.

You can read the full article here.

And if you'd like to join me, by zoom, for the book launch on Thursday 18 March at 2pm, please do. It's hosted by The Word at South Shields (national centre for the written word) and it's free.  

All details and how to sign up are here.

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Glenda Young has once again blown pre-conceived assumptions out of our minds like a gale swirling around the pier of Hendon Beach - review of The Paper Mill Girl

This week, my new novel The Paper Mill Girl is on a "blog tour" where book bloggers receive the book from Headline in exchange for honest reviews on their own blogs.  

Day 6 - the final day - of the blog tour was at Clyde's Corner where she leaves an amazing, detailed review about the book. 

I particularly love the way this blogger knows where I'm coming from with sagas in that I never follow prescribed rules for the genre, but invent my own as I go along. 

She says this about the book: "... as with its equally exciting predecessors, Glenda Young has once again blown all of those pre-conceived assumptions out of our minds like a gale swirling around the pier of Hendon Beach with her latest novel ‘The Paper Mill Girl’, and its fiercely independent heroine Ruth Hardy.

You can read it all here.

Read more blog tour reviews of The Paper Mill Girl from Ginger Book Geek and The Book Magnet and Bookish Jottings and Bookie Tracey
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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Subscribe to my new mailing list

Very happy to say that I've now set up my author mailing list. 

I'll be emailing quarterly, so that's just four times a year.

The mailing list will be a mixture of book news and reviews, competitions and giveaways and invitations to my book launches. Please join me!

If you'd like to subscribe it's here.

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Characters that are so well developed. The book is superbly written - reviews for The Paper Mill Girl

This week, my new novel The Paper Mill Girl is on a "blog tour" where book bloggers receive the book from Headline in exchange for honest reviews on their own blogs.  

Day 4 of the blog tour was from Bookie Tracey on Instagram where she has written a wonderful review which includes: 

"... once again it was a great book. I loved the main character in this book. The author always writes characters that are so well developed. The book is superbly written. I love the setting as it’s close to where I grew up. This book is emotional and so easy to read."

Read the full review here.

Read more blog tour reviews from Ginger Book Geek and The Book Magnet and Bookish Jottings

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Gritty, compelling and full of heart - reviews for The Paper Mill Girl

This week, my new novel The Paper Mill Girl is on a "blog tour" where book bloggers receive the book from Headline in exchange for honest reviews on their own blogs.  

Day 5 of the blog tour was at Julie's blog Bookish Jottings where she has written a wonderful review which includes: 

"Gritty, compelling and full of heart, The Paper Mill Girl is an exceptional saga about resilience, survival and love that tells the story of a brave, steadfast and compassionate young woman willing to do whatever it takes to protect the ones she loves. Ruth is a wonderful heroine whose strength, sensibility and capacity for forgiveness will bring readers to tears on many an occasion.

When readers pick up a Glenda Young saga, they know that they are in very safe hands and that is certainly the case for her latest first-class tale, The Paper Mill Girl.

Read the full review here.

Read more blog tour reviews from Ginger Book Geek and The Book Magnet

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Book Launch, Women's Day, Community Zoom - my writing week

This week my novel The Paper Mill Girl was released in  paperback and it was International Women's Day so I had a lot going on.  

Cataloguing my writing week in a blog post like this has been an eye-opener for me. It makes me realise just how much work there is to do as a writer outside of, well, writing. Fortunately I'm taking the whole of March "off" as a rest to concentrate on my book launch.  And here goes with what I've been up to this week.

First off, I gave an online talk to the History of Consett Steelworks as they celebrated: A Woman’s Place: a celebration for International Women’s Day 2021. My online talk was called  Tough Women in Tough Times: writing about the north east’s women at the end of World War I.  You can watch it here.

I also gave an online talk about my new novel The Paper Mill Girl to Sunderland Libraries.
You can watch that here.

Also, for International Women's Day I donated a signed book to Sunderland's 17Nineteen project and you can find out more here.

I gave an online talk about The Paper Mill Girl  for My Weekly magazine and you can watch it here.

The Paper Mill Girl  received a sterling five star review in The People's Friend magazine this week and you can read it here.

My novels were highlighted in an article on The North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC) website. You can read all about it here.

And I was featured in North East Connected about the new book too. You can read that here.

And I was featured in Writing magazine too! It's been a busy week. Read it all here.

I ran a competition to win 2 copies of the new book along with some artisan paper kindly donated by Frogmore Mill, where I researched the book. Enter to win at the pinned post on my Facebook page here.

My new novel The Paper Mill Girl  went on a tour of book blogs where book bloggers are given a  book by Headline, the publisher, in return for an honest review.  I've been posting the daily reviews to this blog so if you've missed any of them and would like to read them, they're here.

I was invited to give an online talk about my books to Southwick REACH (Research Education Arts and Culture Home).  All details here.

I was interviewed on BBC Newcastle by DJ Anna Foster about my new novel The Paper Mill Girl.  You can listen to my interview 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 bloggers. 

See you next week!

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Glenda Young
Author of Sagas & Cosy Crime novels, published by Headline


Twitter: @Flaming_Nora
Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor