Flaming Nora: Banners, bookmarks, sewing and Scarborough

Friday, July 09, 2021

Banners, bookmarks, sewing and Scarborough - my writing week

This week I went on holiday to my favourite place of Scarborough in Yorkshire. Now, regular readers will know that Scarborough is where my series of cosy crimes are set. And so it was a real treat to visit the town before I continue editing my second cosy crime Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel.

When I returned from holiday, I was over the moon to find my new banner...

... and bookmarks waiting for me.

I'll use the promo banner for zoom calls and online talks I'm giving later this year. For details of all talks, please follow me on Facebook and take a look at my events.

And here's the reverse of the bookmarks, showcasing the two very different genres I now write in.

Murder at the Seaview Hotel was included in The Bookseller magazine this week as one of 11 titles to watch in this year's online London Book Fair.

Leaving cosy crimes for a moment, and returning to my sagas set in the mining village of Ryhope, this week I donated another batch of 40 books to Ryhope Community Centre. They distribute the books around the village along with afternoon teas, to those most in need.

I had two short stories published this week. The first one, Paws for Thought, is about a couple who volunteer with the police force puppy development programme, and end up with more than they bargained for. This story is in The People's Friend magazine

And then Crazy for You is a fun, romance story set in one of my favourite places - a crazy golf course! It's in The People's Friend Summer Special magazine.

Heading back to my holidays in Scarborough, I visited Waterstones in the town to sign my sagas for them. They are hugely supportive and I can't thank them enough.

Elsewhere this week, Murder at the Seaview Hotel was given a sterling advance review by The Recs and just about made me cry. You can read all of the advance reviews on Netgalley here.

And while I was on holiday in Scarborough this week, I couldn't resist taking a photograph of the cover image of my debut cosy crime - it's The Grand Hotel, the largest hotel in Europe when it was built. But the Seaview Hotel in my book isn't the Grand, it's somewhere quite different! I also bought a tiny, plastic, dancing Elvis (as there's one in the book!) to giveaway in a special competition with a signed copy of the book when I have them in the next few weeks. Stay tuned.

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.