One thing about writing a series (Inspector Andy Horton crime novels) is that some of the character names are already set, i.e. Inspector Horton, Sergeant Cantelli, Superintendent Uckfield. Then there is DI Dennings, DCI Lorraine Bliss and others, so no need to think up new names for them. But every novel has a new crime and a new set of characters and coming up with names for them can often be quite tricky as can be…

I've posted a new video here, on my You Tube channel and my official web site. It's an extract from my radio interview with Rob Richardson of Write-Invite, on Express FM, in which I read from my latest Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel, Blood on the Sand…

Authors differ on their approach to writing first drafts, some love it, some hate it and many are somewhere in between. Me? Well, I find writing first drafts exciting, tense and very often frustrating. Exciting because it is fresh unchartered waters and although I have a basic plot outline and character sketches I'm still not sure where the tide will take me and which shore my novel will wash up on. Tense because I am in a hurry to write it as fast as I can while my head is…

I had to re-record my interview with Rob Richardson of Express FM last week because a technical hitch unfortunately meant the original interview could not be transmitted. I didn't mind though. It's always good fun talking to Rob Richardson who also runs a very lively writing group and web site called Write Invite, which has some very exciting and rather unusual short story writing…

I've written an entry on my personal blog www.paulinerowson.com but thought UK writers might not have read the latest news on the government cuts that affect authors.

With the passing of the Digital Economy Bill before Parliament closed for the general election Public Lending Rights (PLR) was to be extended to e books and audio books. Unfortunately, the…

I'm pleased to announce that translation rights have been sold to China for two of my crime novels, Tide of Death, the first in the Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery series and In Cold Daylight, a crime thriller novel about the cover up of the mysterious deaths of firefighters killed in the line of duty.…

Does that mean you should dash out and buy a crime novel from an independent bookshop? Why not if you enjoy reading a good crime novel, you might help to save this rare breed from extinction (independent booksellers that is, not crime writers). And that is what these dedicated days and weeks are for really - a marketing ploy to help stimulate business and raise awareness.

And it seems there are a growing number of them: World Smile…

On 8 June at 7pm you can listen to my interview with Rob Richardson at Express FM talking about my crime novels. It is broadcast on 93.7 or you can listen live via the Express FM web site. The interview was recorded last Wednesday and I can't recall exactly what I said now but I do remember the music I chose, which might put you off, or not as the case might be.



For those who won't be listening to the interview or who are reading this after it has been broadcast I…

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 received an e mail from my editor to say that my latest marine mystery crime novel featuring Detective Inspector Andy Horton, Blood on the Sand, has been given a great review in the USA by Booklist. It's always nice to have good reviews and every writer cherishes them. It gives you a boost and spurs you on. Reviews come in three varieties: the good, the bad and the plain ugly. I'd rather…

Congratulations to The Book Depository which has been awarded the 2010 Queen's Award for International Trade, with 60% of its revenue last year coming from overseas. I'm probably biased because this on line retailer has been and still is a great supporter of my crime novels and has featured them prominently on their crime…

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of presenting certificates to the shortlisted entrants of the Southern Area Young Crime Writers' Competition organised by the Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain and supported by the Library Service. It was so lovely to meet so many young people who enjoy writing and reading and it was an incredibly difficult task choosing a winner. In the end I was forced to choose between two stunning entries.…

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.…

It seems that the unprecedented closure of airspace across Britain and large parts of Northern Europe is set to continue into the weekend, after the volcanic eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland has sent a massive plume of ash into the atmosphere. So overseas visitors to the London Book Fair might be rather thin on the ground this year. My agents in Singapore and in Turkey have both had to cancel appointments with me because they can't get here. It's a great…

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’ve finished reading the entries for the Young Crime Writers’ Competition organised by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) of Great Britain, (of which I am a member).

I am one of the judges for the Southern Area Awards to find the South’s best young crime writer who will go forward for a national prize to be announced during National Crime Fiction Week, June 14-20.

The competition was aimed at writers aged up to 18 and stories were submitted via participating…