Pressing SEND, The END, Tinternet and Toffee - my writing week

This week I sent off the manuscript (MS) to my publisher for book 2 in the Toffee Factory Girls trilogy - Secrets of The Toffee Factory Girls. It's a big moment, sending off your MS and then you wait some months for the publisher to return it with suggested edits and structural changes. And then the hard work really begins! However it's all worth it as it makes the book and story much stronger.   I'm very proud to be published by Headline with their professional team of editors and PR people. 

Now, I'm allowing myself a rest for a few weeks before beginning research on Scarborough cosy crime number 4 - Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel!

My first Amazon No. 1! The Toffee Factory Girls sitting pretty at the top of Hot New Releases category Friendship. Thank you everyone who has pre-ordered and if you haven't yet but would like to, it's here  http://bit.ly/ToffeeFactoryGirls 

To celebrate turning in my MS to the publisher this week, I treated myself to a vintage toffee tin from the factory which inspire my books.  It's Horner's toffee factory in Chester-le-Street and the brand of toffee is Dainty Dinah. I love this tin with its art-deco look.

And to celebrate the launch of the bardback, ebook/Kindle and audiobook of The Toffee Factory Girls on Thursday February 15, you can enter a competition to win a signed hardback copy and a box of Toffifee.  Enter here and good luck 

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. 

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__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

The Toffee Factory Girls - my first Amazon No. 1

My first Amazon No. 1! The Toffee Factory Girls sitting pretty at the top of Hot New Releases category Friendship. 

Thank you everyone who has pre-ordered and if you haven't yet but would like to, it's at http://bit.ly/ToffeeFactoryGirls 

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

COMPETITION TIME! Enter to win a signed copy of The Toffee Factory Girls and a Toffifee box

Enter to win a signed hardback copy of my new book THE TOFFEE FACTORY GIRLS. I'll also throw in a box of Toffiffee toffee, free bookmarks and postcards for you

Deadline for competition is the hardback book launch date, Thursday 15 February 2024 at 5pm. Winner will be announced on this website.  Good luck, everyone!  UK entrants only.

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Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Reading groups, banners and a major change - writing week

This week I've been working on the third (and final?) draft of my  novel Secrets of The Toffee Factory Girls. It's the second in the trilogy of books which will go off to my publisher in the coming weeks.  I worked in the library at Sunderland University where I read, and re-read my work and edited it in silence, bliss!

Next door to the University library is National Glass Centre. My novels are in the shop, which has been moved upstairs along with the cafe.

Also this week, my novels are being read by the book club at a care home in Sunderland, which makes me really proud. I plan to visit the book club in the coming weeks to chat to them all.

My new banner arrived for the talks I'll be giving about my new book, The Toffee Factory Girls.

On a professional note, I am represented by the Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency. Caroline has changed my life. It is because of Caroline I am now a writer, a novelist, living my life-long dream. After 40 years in the business, Caroline has sold her agency to RCW literary agency who now represent me (with Caroline). and you can read the full story 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 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Toffee, Scarborough bestseller, podcasts and London - my writing week

This week included a very special overnight stay in London to meet my publisher, Headline.  We talked about promotion for my new saga THE TOFFEE FACTORY GIRLS, due out in February in hardback and ebook (May for paperback).  What a wonderful meeting we had and my editor even made a plate of home-made toffee to enjoy! Here are some pictures from the publisher's offices.

Also this week I was honoured to be the guest on this week's Scarborough Spotlight podcast, chatting to Ian about my Scarborough cosy crimes!  Listen to it all at  https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scarboroughspotlight/episodes/Glenda-Young---Seaview-Hotel-Author-Ep02-e2e1ucq

I'm overjoyed that my Scarborough-set cosy crime books are at number 1 and number 2 in the top 10 bestsellers list of books sold at Mrs Lofthouse's Book Emporium in Scarborough. Not only are my cosy crime books at the top spots but I'm also number 5 in the romance and saga books too! Read the full list 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 16 bloggers. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Bestsellers in Scarborough

I'm overjoyed that my Scarborough-set cosy crime books are at number 1 and number 2 in the top 10 bestsellers list of books sold at Mrs Lofthouse's Book Emporium in Scarborough.

Not only are my cosy crime books at the top spots but I'm also number 5 in the romance and saga books too!

Read the full list here.

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Women's Christmas, 99p offer, Sunderland Echo and more - my writing week

This week I've been hard at work making edits to the first draft of Secrets of The Toffee Factory Girls.  It's a long, painstaking process over a couple of months. It's a lot more than correcting spelling and grammar. It's about making sure the story is robust. Even when I think I'm finished editing and send it to the publisher, I'm very lucky to be published by one of the country's biggest publishing companies who then allot me a professional editor. She takes the work and suggests changes were necessary and offers advice to make the work as strong as it can be.

My novel The Sixpenny Orphan is on a special 99p deal for January. Order it here.

Happy New Year to you all.  I kicked off the new year with my January author newsletter which contains a new competition and a 99p offer. Read it online here.

I was featured in The Sunderland Echo with the student who has been awarded the creative writing bursary I set up with Sunderland University. You can read it all here.

Saturday Jan 6 is Nollaig na mBan the Irish tradition of The Women's Christmas, celebrated in my novels The Tuppenny Child & A Mother's Christmas Wish. You can read the books standalone or http://bit.ly/TheTuppennyChild first then http://bit.ly/AMothersChristmasWish 

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. 

Sign up to receive my free, monthly email newsletter with competitions, events and news 

__

Glenda Young

Twitter: @Flaming_Nora

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com