Heritage, Toffee, Football and Rain - my writing week

This week I've had my head down and have been doing some serious writing. I've locked myself away and done almost nothing but write. I'm almost finished writing the first draft of cosy crime number five, which will be called Music to Die For at the Seaview Hotel.

And in other news...

There's a competition to enter with a deadline of Friday 18 July at 5pm, Enter here.

Received some great news about the Italian and Spanish versions of my Scarborough cosy crimes. They are being used by a Scarborough languages school called Languages for Fun to teach students foreign languages. This makes me very happy indeed.

This was the view from my writing desk for one full day this week, looking out of the library window at Sunderland University as rain hit the river. It was oddly romantic, and put me in the perfect frame of mind for writing my crime novel.

Also this week I'm now the proud (but minor) sponsor of Ryhope Colliery Welfare Football Club. It's a grassroots club that's close to my heart.

In other news this week I am featured in Sunderland's Love Heritage Festival brochure. You can find out the full details online 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

Scarborough, Seaside and Spy - my writing week

This week has been fantastic!  I'm on a writing retreat in Scarborough to write my cosy crime number 5 and work is going really well.  

I've also done a lot of work-related stuff too.

I did two book signings, one of them at the Central Tramway in town, which stars in my books and they sell my books at the top station.

Another book signing (and another picture of a middle-aged, anxious me) took place at Mrs Lofthouse's Book Emporium. It's a Scarborough institution.

I gave a talk at Beeforth's Hive in the South Cliff Gardens, wearing my special cosy crime tshirt. The talk was compered by Scarborough poet Charlotte Oliver. Look how happy I am! Look!

My saga Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls is just 99p this month for Kindle. Download it now at bit.ly/SecretsToffeeGirls

I was given a lovely mention in the wonderful Scarborough Spy magazine too.

And my books were in the window of Scarborough Waterstones, which pleases me no end.

Whilst in Scarborough I learned that I'd been the answer to a question in a pub quiz! Wowzer.

And I gave another talk at Withernsea Library, south of Scarborough, as part of National Crime Readers' Month at the end of June. I loved this session as the audience were members of a book club who were very engaged.

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 

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Football, flowers and Featherbed Books - my writing week

This week my next Scarborough cosy crime, Deadly Dancing at the Seaview Hotel, was included in the Headline publishing highlights catalogue for 2025. This made me happy indeed.

And I was given a lovely mention by Featherbed Books, our region's only indie bookshop, in an interview for The Sunderland Echo.  The bookshop celebrates three years open this month and I was lucky enough to be invited to officially open their extension to the shop when they expanded.

Also this week I gave a talk at Withernsea Library as part of National Crime Writers' Month.

I was given a lovely mention in an article about Chester-le-Street florist Pretty Busy Blooms.  You can read the full article here.

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

ENTER TO WIN Bouquet from Pretty Busy Blooms and signed books from Glenda Young

Enter to win a bouquet of flowers from Pretty Busy Blooms in Chester-le-Street and signed Toffee Factory Girls books from bestselling author Glenda Young.

 
Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Easy reading is hard writing - my writing week

This week I've made excellent progress in writing cosy crime number 5. It's hard work but I love it. When I'm deep into writing like this, I curtail activities, talks and events.  But if you're free tomorrow, do come!

This Saturday, 10-12 I'll be at the Crafty Gift Shop in Saint Cuthbert's Walk shopping centre, Chester-le-Street on the site of the old toffee factory which inspired my books. Come and say hello, have a chat, buy a book and I'll be very happy to sign it for you. 

Enter to win Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls with a box of toffee at http://dlvr.it/TLPWRs

My books have been replenished, they're all signed and I'm still a "beloved local author" in Waterstones Sunderland. What joy!

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: Enter to win Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls with a box of toffee

Would you like to win a signed hardback copy of Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls, plus a box of Toffifee toffee?  Be in with a chance to win by entering the competition below and answering correctly. All correct entries will go into a draw and a winner drawn at random.

UK entries only, please.

Deadline for entries is Friday 18 July 2025 at 5pm. Winner will be announced on this blog.

Good luck, everyone!

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Glenda Young

X: @Flaming_Nora

BlueSky: @Glenda Young

Facebook: GlendaYoungAuthor

Website: GlendaYoungBooks.com

Head down, hard work, getting stuck in - my writing week

This week I've had my head down and have been hard at work writing cosy crime number five. There's been a lot happening in the background, though!

My novel Secrets of the Toffee Factory Girls was featured in this week's The People's Friend magazine and given a sterling review.

My toffee factory girls books were given their own table in Sunderland Waterstones, which cheered me up no end. "Beloved local author" they call me - yup, I'll take it, thank you!

And I love it when readers send me pictures like this. Bought and read the book in Scarborough then took a photo of the cover shot too. Smashing. 

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

BBC, Boyes and Books - my writing week

This week started with a bang! 

Monday morning saw me in the news not once, but twice. I was on the BBC website, read it all here.

And in The Scarborough News. Read it all here.

I did two events this week, a book signing at Featherbed Books indie book shop in Houghton-le-Spring

And at the remarkable Fru Fru and Friends gift shop and cafe in Sunderland.

I also sent out my author newsletter for June, with two competitions in it to win signed books and toffee. Read it online here.

And a book signing at Boyes store in Chester-le-Street which was a lovely and friendly event.

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