The Northern Echo, Spark FM and more - my writing week

I was interviewed by Sunderland University MA students Grace Stewart-Piercy & Kaitlyn Ashby for their 'In Her Element' radio show on award-winning station Spark FM and you can listen to it from 7mins, 30secs at https://lnkd.in/eK6MfSz5 

More books delivered today to the wonderful FruFru & Friends gift shop and tea room in Grangetown, Sunderland

My books were loaned from libraries a whopping 42,933 times between July 2023 - June 2024. If you can guess which was the most popular with library users during that time, you can win a signed book of your choice. Enter now at https://flamingnora.blogspot.com/2025/01/competition-win-one-of-glendas-books.html 

I'm honoured to be part of the Festival of Local Authors at County Durham Libraries next month. 

Much of this week has been taken up editing my novel, the last in The Toffee Factory Girls trilogy. I worked in the quiet and peaceful library at Sunderland University with this view of Wearmouth bridge.

And I'm featured in The Northern Echo. You can read the interview by Grace Stewart-Piercy 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. 

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Winner announced in Glenda's signed book competition

Congratulations go to Jerry Streeter who has been drawn at random from all correct entries received in my January competition.  Jerry wins a signed book of his choice and it will soon be on its way to him.  Thank you to everyone who entered.

It's not too late to enter another competition where you can guess which of my books was the most loaned from libraries during 2022-23.  Have a guess and enter here.

__

Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

BBC Radio, Durham Libraries and Editing - my writing week

This week I began the editing process on my final novel in the Toffee Factory Girls trilogy. It'll take a few weeks before it's ready to send to my publisher.

Also this week I was interviewed on BBC Radio Newcastle by DJ Anna Foster. You can listen to my interview at 2hrs 20mins in at https://bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0kh3s76

 

I celebrated the end of my writing retreat in Scarborough with dinner at my favourite cafe - Eat me cafe - in the Stephen Joseph Theatre. The prints you see below are made by artist Lynne Arnison and the bottom picture is Lynne's tribute to Helen and Suki in my Seaview Hotel novels.

Also this week, I received my statement from the Public Lending Rights, with details of which of my books had been most loaned from libraries during the 2022-23 year. If you guess which book was loaned most, you can win a free prize and you can enter the competition to win here.

I was proud and honoured to be included in the festival of local authors organised by Durham County Libraries. My talk will be in February, it's free and all are welcome.

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

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Competition: WIN one of Glenda's books signed and dedicated to you

Can you guess which of my books was most popular with library users between July 1 2023 to June 30 2024?  If you guess correctly, I'll send you a signed book of your choice, and dedicate it to you.  Good luck, everyone.

Deadline for entries is 5pm on Friday 14 February 2025.  UK entries only please.

__

Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

The End, Scarborough Spy and the WI - my writing week

This week I am in my happy place of Scarborough, where my cosy crime murder mysteries are set. However, I'm not on holiday as I am here to write. I write this blog post, I'm still here!  I've been writing each day, sometimes twice or even three times, and made excellent progress on the first draft of my final book in The Toffee Factory Girls trilogy.   Here is my desk in my writing room at the seaview apartment I've hired this week.

And here's the sort of thing I get up to between bouts of writing and creativity. Sitting on the seafront in the sunshine with a frothy coffee. My idea of heaven.

By far the best thing to happen on my writing retreat was writing the sweetest two words an author can type ... Yes, that's the first draft of my final book in The Toffee Factory Girls trilogy done. There's still a lot of work, and time, before it's ready to send to the publisher. Lots of editing ahead!

Also this week I was featured in The Sunderland Echo as my books have helped raise more than £10,000 for the charity Re-engage who work to reduce loneliness in older people.  The book sales are organised through each Alfa Travel hotel in the UK.  You can read the full story here.

While in Scarborough, I was interviewed by the editor of Scarborough Spy magazine. My interview will be in the magazine during 2025. The magazine is free and can be picked up all over town.

And I was stunned to learn that my Scarborough cosy crime Foul Play at the Seaview Hotel was the best selling book of 2024 in Scarborough bookshop (and national treasure of a shop) Mrs Lofthouse's Book Emporium. I outsold LJ Ross. You name them... I outsold them all!

It's been a very busy week but I wouldn't have changed a thing!  I also gave a talk to the North Yorkshire East WI Federation. The talk was held at Kirbymoorside Golf Club and went down a treat with lots of books sold after my talk.  

While in Yorkshire, I spotted my books on a shelf in The Helmsley Bookshop, a lovely little place. If you're ever in Helmsley, do visit.

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

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Slow and steady wins the race - my writing week

This week I made excellent progress in the first draft of the final Toffee Factory Girls book. It's almost reaching its end and it's hard not to rush with excitement to the finishing line. Slow and steady wins the race each time.

Elsewhere this week, huge thanks to Alfa Travel for including me in their new travel brochure! My books are sold in every Alfa hotel in the UK to raise funds for Re-engage charity who are working to reduce loneliness in older people.

Also this week I started another competition to win any of my books signed and you can enter the competition here.

January kicked off with a 99p offer on The Toffee Factory Girls. Download it 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

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Here's to the future now, it's only just begun - my writing week

Happy New Year!   

I'm delighted to say I'm two thirds of the way through writing the first draft of the third, and final Toffee Factory Girls novel.

January kicked off with a 99p offer on The Toffee Factory Girls. Download it here.

And my author newsletter for January went out to all my subscribers. Read it online here.

My books were spotted in a community library in a park in Filey, Yorkshire - what a joy!

And I'm looking forward to two books coming out this year with Headline. My saga - Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls - and my cosy crime - Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel. Pre-order both of them now at: bit.ly/SecretsToffeeGirls and bit.ly/DeadlyDancing

Also this week I started another competition to win any of my books signed and you can enter the competition 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

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com