I’ve finished the sixth Inspector Horton marine mystery crime novel which has now been sent to my publisher. At this stage of writing I have been through it so many times I could practically recite it by heart, so a fresh pair of eyes is very welcome.

And as to the title? Well here it is and the blurb. Let me know if you have any views on either or both.

Footsteps on the Shore by…

A boiling hot day in England (the first of the year) and being closeted inside a stuffy Marriott Hotel in Bristol was not the best place to be. But Crimefest, an international convention of crime writers and crime fiction fans, beckoned on 21 May 2010 and I was delighted to be asked to appear on a panel with other crime writers to talk about my crime novels and answer questions from the delegates.



I met my fellow crime writers; J.D. Goodhind, Neil White, Linda Regan…

I've just finished the ?nth revision of the new Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel - the sixth in the series to feature my flawed and rugged detective whose patch is the Solent area on the South Coast of England. My office looks like a bomb's hit it with notes and paper strewn all over the place, and I have e mails piling up in my in box needing answers, and…

I'm looking forward to my appearance at CrimeFest on Friday 21 May where I am on a panel with fellow crime writers, J. G. Goodhind, Linda Regan, Neil White and Lindsey Davis. We'll be discussing No More Heroes: Today's Sleuths & Crime Solvers between 10.10 - 11.00, so do come and join us if you're there.

CrimeFest…

I’m back from a very subdued London Book Fair caused by the lack of overseas visitors because of the volcanic ash crisis and Europe wide flight ban and one that I doubt anyone who was exhibiting or intending to exhibit will forget. Empty stands and empty aisles were very much in evidence and the International Rights Centre was like a ghost town.…

Getting the right name for characters in a novel can be a tricky business. Sometimes they come to me completely out of the blue as I am creating a character, other times I will struggle to find the name that best suits the character.



I have always had this thing that people should look like their names. When someone is introduced to me I will think yes, you are a Jacqueline or a Malcolm. Other times I will think, oh no, you're definitely a Karen or a Wayne. And so it…

I’m back from a highly successful whirlwind mini tour of the north east of England, my second in six months and I’m delighted to say I was met once again with very friendly people and some avid fans of my marine mystery crime novels.

The first stop was Washington Town Centre Library, yes, home of George Washington the first President of the United States of America, 1789 to 1797, whose ancestors settled in Washington, England, then called…

Aside from putting the finishing touches to the Inspector Andy Horton novel I’m writing there are a clutch of events happening in March.

Firstly, my crime thriller novel In For The Kill is being featured in Read an E…

The strange world of PR is always looking for angles, because it's the strongest angle that will grab the headline, or at least get some coverage in the media. And authors need PR as much as actors, artists, and anyone else in the creative industries.



Press, or rather I should say media coverage is a hugely cost effective way of spreading a message, and now with the multitude of Internet media it is even more powerful. But there is a vast difference between pumping…

With great difficulty or considerable ease is the answer. Some titles can come instantly, almost the moment the novel hits the page (or rather the computer screen) Dead Man's Wharf was one such case. Others are like pregnancy, taking months to develop and even when the novel is finished I might still have no idea for a suitable title. A bit like the Horton novel I'm currently working…