Flaming Nora: Beacon, Cookson, The Bookseller and a walk around Ryhope

Friday, July 01, 2022

Beacon, Cookson, The Bookseller and a walk around Ryhope - my writing week

This week I've carried on writing third cosy crime novel set in Scarborough - Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel. It's a lot of fun!

I've been shortlisted for Dead Good Books award in category of New Kid on the Block for my cosy crime novels. Up against Richard Osman and Val McDermid! To win, I need your vote, please, at https://www.deadgoodbooks.co.uk/dead-good-reader-awards-2022 - thank you very much indeed.

I went on a walk around Ryhope village, where my historical novels are set. With me was TikTokker and social media influencer Kathrine Taylor - see https://www.tiktok.com/@northeastnostalgic and we had a really good time!

Kathrine the Tik-Toker was mentioned in a news article this week and it included a quote from me too. Read it all here.

My Christmas saga out later this year, and my second cosy crime out in August, were featured in this week's The Bookseller magazine's Northern Powerhouse edition.

I offered one of my books as a prize in a competition to win this week.

And I delivered the second, and final part of my writing for magazines workshop at The Word (National Centre for the Written Word) at South Shields. It's been a huge learning experience for me, putting thoughts and ideas down onto paper and in notes and a presentation. I've had excellent feedback and feel very proud of myself for doing this. I really hope it helps some of those who attended. It's always an honour to work in this room named after Catherine Cookson.

I gave a talk to the Coals to Goals project at the Beacon of Light, part of SAFC's charity partner, the Foundation of Light. It made me very proud to be speaking there, of all places. The talk went well and it's my last event until my book launch in August. All of my upcoming events are listed 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.