My crime novels shortlisted for prestigious award - please vote!

I'm delighted to say that my cosy crimes set in Scarborough have been shortlisted in the prestigious Dead Good Books Readers awards 2022.  I'm in the category of New Kid on the Block Award for Best New Series. This award is for a first-class series with no more than three instalments on the shelves.

I'm up against bestsllers Richard Osman and Val McDermid and so I need every single vote you can give, please.

VOTE HERE

Thank you!

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Competition time! Enter to win any of my books with chocolate and bookmarks

It's competition time and you can win one of my books, any that you choose, along with a bar of dark chocolate orange and free bookmarks too.

Good luck!  Here's the competition below. Deadline for entries is Friday 1 July 2022 at 5pm. UK entries only please.

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Summer fayre, libraries and the Belly Telly - my writing week

This week I've been continuing to write my third cosy crime novel set in Scarborough - Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel. I'm over half way through writing my first draft, although there's still a way to go.

Bedale Community Library in Yorkshire sent me this picture of my novels on their shelves - how wonderful is that!

Also this week, Saint Paul's church fayre took place in Ryhope. I always donate a box of books to the fayre, but this time the vicar asked if I would attend to sign books and meet people too. I was happy to oblige and had a wonderful day, with all profits going to the church. The vicar, Rev. Chadwick, has always been helpful with my research for my Ryhope novels.

I was given a wonderful mention in this article on cosy crimes in the Belfast Telegrah by author E D Thompson, as part of National Crime Reading Month 

While in Sunderland city centre this week, I called into Waterstones (in The Bridges shopping centre) and signed all of my cosy crimes and sagas they had on display. Also stuck "signed by author" stickers on them!

I gave a talk to Whitburn community library about my cosy crimes and sagas. It was well attended and the library volunteers are so helpful and friendly. I loved it!

I recorded a short video about my upcoming saga, A Mother's Christmas Wish. You can watch it here.

My cosy crime Murder at the Seaview Hotel was given a lovely review on Instagram from Maddies Reads, which mad my day.

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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

The Sixpenny Orphan, my new Ryhope saga coming 2023

Well, this is exciting! 

I can finally reveal the title of my next Ryhope saga, coming 2023 and published by Headline. 

The Sixpenny Orphan: A dramatically heartwrenching saga of two sisters, torn apart by tragic events. 

Pre-order now.

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Catherine Cookson, Tinder, Libraries and more - my writing week

Always an honour to work in the Catherine Cookson room at The Word (National Centre for the Written Word) in South Shields. I was invited to present a session on writing short stories for magazines. Although I was very nervous about my first "teaching session", I prepared a lot in advance, it went really well and I received excellent feedback. Phew!

Christmas came early to our house this week. My new banner arrived, for talks about my next Ryhope saga set in 1923. It's out in ebook, hardback, audiobook in August, paperback in November. It's my favourite book of them all. Pre-order now at bit.ly/AMothersChristmasWish

This week I also gave a talk about my books to Ryhope Heritage Society at Ryhope community centre. An amazing afternoon. Quote of the day! "My wife loves your books. She's read them all on Tinder."

Join me on Monday 20th June at 7pm in Sunderland for a talk on my cosy crimes set in Scarborough! Part of National Crime Reading Month and all details are here. 

Received this wonderful review this week too!  Just going to sit and look at this all day. By all day, I mean forever. 

The Globe Community Library in Stokesley, Yorkshire, sent me this wonderful picture of my books on display there. And they've got invitations to my book launch in Scarborough too! Would YOU like to come? All details here.

If you're visiting Beamish Museum this summer, look out for my historical novel Pearl of Pit Lane being left for you find and take home, courtesy of Book Fairies North East.

If you're looking for Father's Day gifts, you can't go wrong with a saga novel and here's why! https://flamingnora.blogspot.com/2019/10/will-men-enjoy-reading-my-novels-clue.html 

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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Will men enjoy reading my novels? Clue: Yes

At one of my recent author talks, many in the group had read my books and some  hadn't. The group was made up of mainly ladies and there were two men... and both men asked me the same question. 

"I'm a man, will I enjoy your books?"

The answer is of course, yes.

While the books are in the saga genre, traditionally marketed to women, there's no reason at all why the stories I write can't appeal to both men and women. They're strong stories, dramatic, with fantastic characters - men and women - who leap off the page to stake their claim in your thoughts, your heart.

Here are some snippets from Amazon reviews which have been posted by men, which I hope you might enjoy reading.  

Martin the Manc. 5 stars: "As a middle-aged man, I am possibly not the typical reader either the author or the publishers had in mind for this saga of life in a Sunderland village around a century ago. But Glenda Young's debut novel is so well-written and her characters so sharply drawn that within a few pages I was easily drawn into the tale of Meg, who inherits her father's rag and bone business after his untimely death. The story is pure Catherine Cookson - which should be read as a compliment - and immaculately researched. But the plot is never weighed down with too much detail and the tale rattles along faster than an old-style tram. All told, this is a tremendously assured debut and already seems to proving popular both locally and further afield."

Ryan Oxley. 5 stars. "Strong in character, narrative, and a wonderful saga telling the story of Meg, a young girl growing up in gritty Ryhope circa the 1920s. I've never been to Ryhope (only once to Sunderland), yet the descriptive prose gives the reader real imagery and its easy to envisage what life was like in the village then and now. A likeable array of characters are entwined in Meg's story, tinged with sadness and the struggle of the working classes in the industrial north, its also sharp, tough, and a great 'ending'. I look forward to reading the next chapter. A fantastic debut!!"

J.P. Green. 5 stars. "Glenda Young's first novel is a real literary treat and an unexpected delight on a personal level too. This was my first foray into the realm of historical drama/romance (a far cry from my usual taste in fiction - horror, SF, etc) and if I'm honest I'd built a wall of resistance against this genre and had preconceived notions of what to expect from it. Thankfully I soon left all prejudices behind as Young drew me into a well drawn, evocatively realised world of Sunderland in the early part of the twentieth century. Her ability to create a very real world is only matched by her skill at creating characters you genuinely feel for in such a short time. My earlier mentioned (hardened) defences against 'this sort of book' were quickly broken down and I genuinely felt for our hero and her journey. I read the bulk of the book over one evening and one early morning, eager as I was to find out how things would turn out. It's a book of high drama and multiple incidents, but is not without it's humour and indeed heart. The characters are well drawn and most importantly Young provides an emotional bond through her writing - whether it's sharing their tragedies, celebrating their victories or just hoping the villains get their comeuppance, you are drawn into their world and their lives completely. In Meg we have a fully realised and strong character, not simply a damsel in distress who is at the mercy of bad men. She is an intelligent, resourceful and resilient figure (not without here flaws) and one you can't help rooting for. By the end of the novel I genuinely hoped that the follow-up novel would continue her story (and those around her). Perhaps she'll crop up (Ryhope isn't that large a village). Highly recommended - even to someone who's usual literary fair revolves around vampires and supernatural menace!"

Martyn & Stephen. 5 stars (Belle of the Back Streets). Not often a story touches you with such gentle but firm hands . Draws you into the past with such clarity. After reading I had to buy the audio book read so beautifully. If this is the authors first novel I can’t wait to see what she does next .. I smell a tv series approaching fast , and I for one can’t wait ..

Martyn & Stephen. 5 stars. (The Tuppenny Child). 5 stars: This is NOT the sort of book I would normally read !! Late forty’s gay married, Uber foodie used to live in Shoreditch when it was really cool .. after reading Glenda's first novel and blummin loved it ! Who knew ! I preordered this little beauty and boom into my kindle it flew on release day ! And there it sat !! Until today and cut to a few hours later ... I couldn’t stop reading .. the chapters passed and the characters grew and became flesh in my head .. what a gripping writer, pure passion for her world on every page !! Thank you for the words Glenda Young .. I look forward to hearing it on audible...

Steven Murphy. 5 stars. "This is a wonderful read, full of rich characters, evocative description and a touch of romance, all against the tough background of a mining village. I read it over one weekend, and was engrossed from beginning to end. A wonderful debut and I can't ait to read Glenda's next novel."

Dave Dutton. 5 stars. "I come from a similar former mining community such as the one in which this story has its setting and can identify with a lot of the background. The way that Glenda skilfully weaves dialogue and plot is very cinematic inasmuch as you can virtually see it all being performed in front of your eyes. There’s lots of goodies and baddies to cheer and hiss and you’ll want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. You will feel like you know everybody in the small mining community once you have finished the book."

David Part. 5 stars. "...can't wait for the next book"

Alan Charlton. 5 stars. "Could not put it down once I started reading "

Peter Hardy. 5 stars. "...started to really enjoy the book and will read others from the same author"

Edward Keogh: 5 stars. "Great story" and "1st class writer, looking forward to more books of hers"

Dennis: 5 stars. "First time I have read from this Author, but it is a book that holds you"

Anthony Crane. 5 stars. "Nice story"

Trevor Wade. 5 stars..: "Just enjoyed reading it"

Mr A Bradford. 5 stars. "You can't put this book down it's so good she keeps you interested all the way through the book"

So there we have it.

"I'm a man, will I enjoy your books?"

Yes. Oh yes, yes, yes.  You can order direct from me and I'll sign them, or order online from Amazon, etc and the books are available in Waterstones, WHSmiths etc.

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Glenda Young

Author of historical novels with Headline

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Pauline's Picks, London, The Journal and more - my writing week

This week I've been working hard on writing my third cosy crime novel Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel and am now a third of the way through writing the first draft. There's still a long way to go but hopefully I should have the first draft complete in August before I start cutting and editing.   

I also spent a lot of this week finalising my notes and presentation for the writing session I've been invited to give at The Word in South Shields this Saturday and on Saturday 25 June. All details here.

My sagas, cosy crimes and weekly soap opera Riverside were featured in The Journal newspaper this week, what a joy!

I also had a meeting in London this week. Popped into the bookshop where I spent many lunchtimes browsing the shelves while working in London for 10 years. - Waterstones on Gower Street in Bloomsbury. I was delighted to see my northern, gritty sagas on the shelves and the bookseller even asked me to sign them! 

South Tyneside Libraries recommended my cosy crime novel Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel as one of this week's  Pauline's Picks. What a joy. You can watch Pauline read from the book here.

Well, it's one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready now go, cat, go (to Scarborough) but don't you steal the blue suede shoes. Join 12 Elvis impersonators (Twelvis!) in my #cosycrime Murder at the Seaview Hotel, it's a lot of fun at bit.ly/MurderAtTheSeaviewHotel

There's an award up for grabs for the best new crime series with no more than three books. If anyone would like to nominate Murder at the Seaview Hotel I’d be very grateful. And you can win £100 worth of books. It’s the New Kid On The Block award and entries close on the 13th June. Vote now at https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/dead-good-reader-awards-2022/

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!

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Crime reading Month, audio teaser, wonderful Waterstones & 99p offer - my writing week

June is National Crime Reading Month and I'm delighted to be a part of it with a talk on my cosy crimes on June 20th. You can find out more here.

Waterstones in Scarborough and in Sunderland have excelled themselves this week, I'm in awe at how much they support my books. Here's Waterstones Scarborough with both my paperback cosy crime and the new one in hardback, along with an invitation to the book launch on August 6.

And my book is proving one of the bestsellers in Waterstones Scarborough too!

And here is Sunderland Waterstones, where Murder at the Seaview Hotel was book of the month for May 2022 and wrapped in a gorgeous ribbon.

And here's the stunning display of my two cosy crimes in Sunderland Waterstones too. Honestly, it made me cry.

Here is an audio teaser of Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel, read by Colleen Prendergast.

This is us, starting your week off right, with an audio teaser of @flaming_nora's Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel, read by Colleen Prendergast.

The second in the gripping cosy crime series, a whodunnit perfect for fans of Richard Osman and Helen Cox.https://t.co/eB7PjNxUen pic.twitter.com/hudeaXHU4c

— Ulverscroft Ltd (@UlverscroftLtd) May 30, 2022

The book also received a 5* review from crime readers' website The Mystery People. You can read it all here.

There's an open invitation to the book launch, being held in Scarborough on August 6th. I've written a blog post for the South Cliff Gardens in Scarborough, which you can read here.

My Scarborough-set cosy crime, Curtain Call at the Seaview Hotel, is featured in Bookshop.org's top list of Cosy Crimes for Summer. Woohoo!  See the list at https://uk.bookshop.org/lists/top-cosy-crime-for-summer

My wonderful saga The Girl with the Scarlet Ribbon is only 99p on Kindle during June. Download it now at  https://bit.ly/GirlWithTheScarletRibbon

Also this week, I gave a talk to Chester-le-Street heritage society on writing historical fiction set in old Ryhope. Asked the group if anyone knew Ryhope. Two hands shot up in the air... they'd visited Ryhope on a self-guided tour after reading my books. I'm hearing this more often and it's just the most incredible thing to know my books inspire people in these ways. I'm just me, sitting at home making things up for a living and it's changing people's lives in tiny little ways and now I'm probably going to cry (again).

And finally, my monthly newsletter was sent to all those on my email list. You can read it online here. Would you like to join the list too? Sign up here, for free!

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

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com