I write warm, witty, feel-good contemporary fiction full of English humour, inspired by life in the Cotswold village which has been my home for over 30 years. My novels are published by Boldwood Books, Saga Egmont, and DP Verlag (in German translation), and I also self-publish my short fiction and non-fiction.

NOVELS

I write two series of novels set in the Cotswolds, and I add at least one new book to each series each year.

My Sophie Sayers Village Mystery series begins with "Best Murder in Show". The first seven books run the course of a calendar year in the life of the idyllic English Cotswold village of Wendlebury Barrow, with the occasional outing to other places such as a Greek island in "Murder at the Mill" and the Scottish Highlands in "Murder in the Highlands". The ninth in the series, "Driven to Murder", will be published on 26th January and is already available to pre-order.

My Gemma Lamb Cozy Mystery series is a mashup of romantic comedy, gentle mystery and nostalgia for classic children's school stories. begins with "Dastardly Deeds at St Bride's" (previously published as "Secrets at St Bride's"), and is followed by "Sinister Secrets at St Bride's" (formerly "Secrets at St Bride's"), Wicked Whispers at St Bride's", and "Artful Antics at St Bride's". Two further books will follow to complete the series of six, running the course of the academic year at St Bride's Boarding School for Girls.

All of my novels are now available in ebook, paperback, hardback, and audio in English, and German language editions of the first five Sophie Sayers adventures are available in ebook and audio.

SHORT FICTION

My series of comedy mystery novelettes, Tales from Wendlebury Barrow, is set in the same world as the Sophie Sayers Cozy Mysteries. The first, "The Pride of Peacocks", is available exclusively to members of my Readers' Club (visit my author website to claim your copy). "The Natter of Knitters" and "The Clutch of Eggs" are available in ebook and paperback, and a Christmas special, "Christmas with Sophie Sayers", was launched for Christmas 2023. (The ebook is already available to pre-order.) More stories will follow. Two Sophie Sayers short stories also appeared in the charity anthologies, "Everyday Kindness" and "The Little Shop of Murders".

My standalone novella, "Mrs Morris Changes Lanes", is a second-chance mid-life romantic comedy with a touch of magical realism, set in the Cotswolds in spring, I plan to write more books in this vein, likely to be of novel length.

Earlier in my career, I published three themed collections of short stories, "Stocking Fillers", "Marry in Haste", and "Quick Change".

AWARDS

The first St Bride's novel was shortlisted for the 2020 Selfies Award given for the best independently-published fiction in the UK. The sixth Sophie Sayers novel was shortlisted for the same award in 2021.

FREE EBOOK

Receive a free ebook of my comedy novelette "The Pride of Peacocks" when you join my Readers' Club via my author website (just search for Author Debbie Young to find it). I'll also send you a monthly enewsletter to keep you up to date with news of my books and events and insights into my writing life. There is a free prize draw in every issue.

PUBLISHER'S NEWSLETTER

You are also warmly invited to join Boldwood Books' newsletter about my books and special offers - you'll find a joining link in the sidebar of my website.

HELPING OTHER WRITERS

When I'm not writing fiction, I'm helping other authors. I'm UK Ambassador for the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), a course tutor for Jericho Writers, and I've written several guidebooks for authors. I frequently speak at events for readers and writers, and I judge of writing competitions. I also write features for magazines such as Mslexia and Romance Matters and for various websites.

MEMBERSHIPS & AGENT REPRESENTATION

I'm a member of three organisations for professional authors: the Society of Authors, the Romantic Novelists' Association, and the Alliance of Independent Authors. I'm represented by Ethan Ellenberg at the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency in New York.

PUBLIC EVENTS

Back in 2015, I founded the Hawkesbury Upton Literature Festival in my home village in the Cotswolds. The Festival now takes the form of a year-round series of talks on different themes and genres, each featuring at least three guest authors, with me in the chair. See festival website for more details. I am a frequent speaker at other litfests - if you'd like me to speak at your event, please don't hesitate to send a request via the contact form on my author website.

I may be busy, but I am never too tired to curl up with a good book.