Pauline Rowson's Blog, page 64
September 24, 2013
On a mini book tour in South Wales on 2 and 3 October
On 2 and 3 October I will be visiting four libraries in South Wales to talk about crime writing, my crime novels and the inspiration behind the DI Andy Horton mystery series set in the Solent on the South Coast of England. The programme of talks with links to the libraries for tickets is on my website
I hope some of you will be able to join me.
Death Surge, the tenth in the DI Andy Horton series, in now published in the UK and Commonwealth. It will be published in the USA on 1 January 2014.
Death Surge
I hope some of you will be able to join me.
Death Surge, the tenth in the DI Andy Horton series, in now published in the UK and Commonwealth. It will be published in the USA on 1 January 2014.
Death Surge
September 16, 2013
DI Andy Horton novels on New York Subway
Commuters and visitors travelling on the New York Subway are being entertained by the exploits of the rugged and flawed British detective DI Andy Horton as four in the current series of ten circle the New York Subway.
Tide of Death, the first in the DI Horton series, Deadly Waters, the second DI Horton crime novel and The Suffocating Sea, the third in the DI Andy Horton series, are circling the New York Subway for commuters to while away their journey.
The DI Andy Horton series is set in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight against the back drop of the Solent on the South Coast of England.
Tide of Death was chosen by Amazon as the 'Best of Crime Fiction 2006.
Kirkus reviews say of Deadly Waters, the second in the series, "Rowson adds an appealing hero to the British Police Procedural ranks." Kirkus Reviews (USA)
The Suffocating Sea was selected as the "Best of British Crime Fiction" by The Book Depository and hailed in the USA by reviewer, Booklist, as a 'gripping, suspense-filled murder case...an entertaining read in an engaging series...' Booklist (USA)
Joining the DI Horton novels on the subway is one of my stand alone thrillers, In Cold Daylight, about one man's quest to discover the truth behind the deaths of fire fighters. In Cold Daylight was voted the third most popular novel in an online poll for World Book Day 2008
My crime novels are also circling the London Underground network. Once a reader has finished reading the book he or she leaves it on the underground for someone else to read.
Published by Severn House my crime novels are available in printed format and as ebooks and are also available for loan in UK and USA libraries.
Undercurrent
Tide of Death, the first in the DI Horton series, Deadly Waters, the second DI Horton crime novel and The Suffocating Sea, the third in the DI Andy Horton series, are circling the New York Subway for commuters to while away their journey.
The DI Andy Horton series is set in Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight against the back drop of the Solent on the South Coast of England.
Tide of Death was chosen by Amazon as the 'Best of Crime Fiction 2006.
Kirkus reviews say of Deadly Waters, the second in the series, "Rowson adds an appealing hero to the British Police Procedural ranks." Kirkus Reviews (USA)
The Suffocating Sea was selected as the "Best of British Crime Fiction" by The Book Depository and hailed in the USA by reviewer, Booklist, as a 'gripping, suspense-filled murder case...an entertaining read in an engaging series...' Booklist (USA)
Joining the DI Horton novels on the subway is one of my stand alone thrillers, In Cold Daylight, about one man's quest to discover the truth behind the deaths of fire fighters. In Cold Daylight was voted the third most popular novel in an online poll for World Book Day 2008
My crime novels are also circling the London Underground network. Once a reader has finished reading the book he or she leaves it on the underground for someone else to read.
Published by Severn House my crime novels are available in printed format and as ebooks and are also available for loan in UK and USA libraries.
Undercurrent
September 13, 2013
New Video posted on writing a crime novel, first drafts and revisions
I have posted a new video here on Goodreads, on my official website and on My You Tube Channel. This short video was shot at a talk I gave in June 2013 to members of the Emsworth U3A. In it I am talking about how long it takes me to write a crime novel, first drafts and revisions.
I hope you enjoy watching it.
I hope you enjoy watching it.
September 4, 2013
Death Surge, the tenth in the DI Horton series, published September
Death Surge, the tenth in the mystery crime series, featuring the flawed and rugged DI Andy Horton, is published by Severn House in the UK and Commonwealth. It will be published in the USA on 1 January 2014 when it will also be released as an e book and available on all devices including Kindle, Kobo and Nook.
The DI Andy Horton series has received good reviews both in the UK and the USA where they have been hailed as 'multilayered, twisted and complex,' and likened to the novels of Peter Robinson, John Harvey and Ed McBain.
They're set against the atmospheric backdrop of the ever changing sea in the Solent area on the South Coast of England.
Death Surge
A telephone call from a frantic Sergeant Cantelli to say that his nephew, Johnnie Oslow, is missing cuts short Detective Inspector Horton’s sailing trip to France. Summoned back to the Isle of Wight, Horton learns that Johnnie has not shown up for racing during Cowes Week, as previously arranged. The investigation is ranked low priority by Horton’s boss, Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Bliss, who like others believes Johnnie has probably gone off with a woman.But events take a very different turn when the charred remains of a body are discovered in one of the disused tunnels at the Hilsea Lines in Portsmouth. With the arrival of Detective Chief Superintendent Sawyer of the Intelligence Directorate and Agent Harriet Eames of Europol, what began as the hunt for a missing man becomes the search for a ruthless killer . . .
Death Surge and the others in the DI Andy Horton series are available to buy on line, from bookshops and are also available for loan from UK and USA Libraries.
There is more information about all my crime novels on my website http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Death Surge
The DI Andy Horton series has received good reviews both in the UK and the USA where they have been hailed as 'multilayered, twisted and complex,' and likened to the novels of Peter Robinson, John Harvey and Ed McBain.
They're set against the atmospheric backdrop of the ever changing sea in the Solent area on the South Coast of England.
Death Surge
A telephone call from a frantic Sergeant Cantelli to say that his nephew, Johnnie Oslow, is missing cuts short Detective Inspector Horton’s sailing trip to France. Summoned back to the Isle of Wight, Horton learns that Johnnie has not shown up for racing during Cowes Week, as previously arranged. The investigation is ranked low priority by Horton’s boss, Detective Chief Inspector Lorraine Bliss, who like others believes Johnnie has probably gone off with a woman.But events take a very different turn when the charred remains of a body are discovered in one of the disused tunnels at the Hilsea Lines in Portsmouth. With the arrival of Detective Chief Superintendent Sawyer of the Intelligence Directorate and Agent Harriet Eames of Europol, what began as the hunt for a missing man becomes the search for a ruthless killer . . .
Death Surge and the others in the DI Andy Horton series are available to buy on line, from bookshops and are also available for loan from UK and USA Libraries.
There is more information about all my crime novels on my website http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Death Surge
August 27, 2013
How to write a crime series and keep each novel fresh
Writing a crime series and keeping each novel fresh is always a challenge for crime writers. There are now nine in the DI Andy Horton series and number ten, Death Surge, is being published by Severn House in the UK and Commonwealth on 30 September 2013 and in the USA on 1 January 2014. So DI Horton has come a long way since first appearing in Tide of Death in 2006.
So how does a writer keep the series fresh and the central character of interest to readers?
Readers buy my books because they enjoy the style, the setting and reading about the same characters, but the challenge is how to keep faithful to my readers and make each novel fresh and different?
For me creating a central character with a back story, which can be progressed with each new novel, is one way of introducing a fresh element. DI Andy Horton has the continuing mission, along with all the accompanying internal strife, of trying to discover why his mother (Jennifer) abandoned him at the age of ten, where she went and what subsequently happened to her.
It is suspected that she was involved with a master criminal code named Zeus, who the Intelligence Directorate, Europol and Interpol are keen to get their hands on and who are eager to enlist Horton’s help in finding, but as the series progresses it is clear that there is more to her disappearance than Horton has been led to believe. (I won't reveal what and spoil it for new readers).
Then there is the question of Horton’s father. Who is he? Where is he? Is he still alive? Along with this there is Horton’s continuing struggle to gain regular access to his daughter, Emma, from an antagonistic former wife.
While these elements must not be allowed to dominate the novel (and not all of them are in every novel) they keep the reader wondering what might happen and allow the development of subplots and other sides of Horton’s character to be revealed.
The main character’s personal life does, to some extent, have an impact on the plots, but each novel contains a new murder mystery to be solved and that mystery is resolved at the end of each book.
In addition, DI Horton is based in CID with an abrasive female boss, DCI Lorraine Bliss, who is introduced in novel three - The Suffocating Sea - but it is the Major Crime Unit which deals with the homicide cases so there has to be a new way of getting Horton drawn in to each investigation, which makes it challenging and interesting.
I also introduce officers seconded from other units, which in turn alters the chemistry between the characters and the ensuing dialogue.
Setting is another key element in the Horton series. In the Solent there is plenty of contrast and action, both on and off the water, and this helps to create variety, conflict and keep the stories fresh. Added to this is the fact that Horton lives on board his yacht, so he can always up sticks and travel – on holiday, or for a day out sailing… and who knows what might happen? (Blood on the Sand)
I enjoy writing a series and seeing the characters' lives unfold, and publishers like a series because more sales can be generated as the readership grows with each new novel. I'm currently writing the eleventh DI Andy Horton and also working on a new series featuring a new hero. So a lot more to come yet.
Undercurrent
So how does a writer keep the series fresh and the central character of interest to readers?
Readers buy my books because they enjoy the style, the setting and reading about the same characters, but the challenge is how to keep faithful to my readers and make each novel fresh and different?
For me creating a central character with a back story, which can be progressed with each new novel, is one way of introducing a fresh element. DI Andy Horton has the continuing mission, along with all the accompanying internal strife, of trying to discover why his mother (Jennifer) abandoned him at the age of ten, where she went and what subsequently happened to her.
It is suspected that she was involved with a master criminal code named Zeus, who the Intelligence Directorate, Europol and Interpol are keen to get their hands on and who are eager to enlist Horton’s help in finding, but as the series progresses it is clear that there is more to her disappearance than Horton has been led to believe. (I won't reveal what and spoil it for new readers).
Then there is the question of Horton’s father. Who is he? Where is he? Is he still alive? Along with this there is Horton’s continuing struggle to gain regular access to his daughter, Emma, from an antagonistic former wife.
While these elements must not be allowed to dominate the novel (and not all of them are in every novel) they keep the reader wondering what might happen and allow the development of subplots and other sides of Horton’s character to be revealed.
The main character’s personal life does, to some extent, have an impact on the plots, but each novel contains a new murder mystery to be solved and that mystery is resolved at the end of each book.
In addition, DI Horton is based in CID with an abrasive female boss, DCI Lorraine Bliss, who is introduced in novel three - The Suffocating Sea - but it is the Major Crime Unit which deals with the homicide cases so there has to be a new way of getting Horton drawn in to each investigation, which makes it challenging and interesting.
I also introduce officers seconded from other units, which in turn alters the chemistry between the characters and the ensuing dialogue.
Setting is another key element in the Horton series. In the Solent there is plenty of contrast and action, both on and off the water, and this helps to create variety, conflict and keep the stories fresh. Added to this is the fact that Horton lives on board his yacht, so he can always up sticks and travel – on holiday, or for a day out sailing… and who knows what might happen? (Blood on the Sand)
I enjoy writing a series and seeing the characters' lives unfold, and publishers like a series because more sales can be generated as the readership grows with each new novel. I'm currently writing the eleventh DI Andy Horton and also working on a new series featuring a new hero. So a lot more to come yet.
Undercurrent
August 19, 2013
New Video posted on writing a crime novel, first drafts and revisions
I've posted a new video on my You Tube Channel and here on my Goodreads Profile.
This short video was shot at a talk I gave in June 2013 to members of the Emsworth U3A. In it I am talking about how long it takes me to write a crime novel, first drafts and revisions.
There are currently thirty videos posted here. Some are interviews, others are readings and trailers and in others I discuss various aspects of crime writing.
I hope you enjoy watching them.
This short video was shot at a talk I gave in June 2013 to members of the Emsworth U3A. In it I am talking about how long it takes me to write a crime novel, first drafts and revisions.
There are currently thirty videos posted here. Some are interviews, others are readings and trailers and in others I discuss various aspects of crime writing.
I hope you enjoy watching them.
August 7, 2013
Writing routines - transforming a simple idea into a fully formed novel
I'm often asked if I have a writing routine. There are writers who write the same time every day come what may; others who will write a certain number of words every day and when they've done their quota, they'll knock off. Me? I have no real set routine but I do like to write every day, speaking engagements permitting.
Some days when the words flow or I am at a critical stage of writing - usually at the end of the first draft of a novel - I am keen to crack on and write as much as I can. This can result in me spending up to seven hours, maybe more, sitting at my computer.
Other days I will struggle to find the correct words and the creative flow will trickle to a halt. If the latter happens I usually pick up my knitting, do some sewing or go for a walk while my mind works away at the snag with the plot or with a character.
But writing isn't only about pounding away at a keyboard, writers also spend a great deal of time staring into space - thinking! (That's where the knitting comes in handy, I can knit and think at the same time). Writing a novel also involves research and because my crime novels are set in the area in which I live I do a lot of research on location walking DI Andy Horton's patch which is Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. (Alright so I can't walk on water but I can traverse the Solent by boat.)
Whether I am walking, knitting sewing, sun bathing, sailing.... my mind is constantly working, thinking through the plots or sub plots and developing characters. Time will also be spent mapping out the plot lines and developing and researching the background of my characters, their personalities and motivations.
And when I'm not doing all the above there are copy edits to be checked and proofs to be read.
I'm currently writing DI Andy Horton number eleven, as yet untitled. I aim to finish this by the end of September when Death Surge, (DI Horton ten) will be published by Severn House, so it's back to work and on with the writing.
Undercurrent
Some days when the words flow or I am at a critical stage of writing - usually at the end of the first draft of a novel - I am keen to crack on and write as much as I can. This can result in me spending up to seven hours, maybe more, sitting at my computer.
Other days I will struggle to find the correct words and the creative flow will trickle to a halt. If the latter happens I usually pick up my knitting, do some sewing or go for a walk while my mind works away at the snag with the plot or with a character.
But writing isn't only about pounding away at a keyboard, writers also spend a great deal of time staring into space - thinking! (That's where the knitting comes in handy, I can knit and think at the same time). Writing a novel also involves research and because my crime novels are set in the area in which I live I do a lot of research on location walking DI Andy Horton's patch which is Portsmouth, the Solent and the Isle of Wight. (Alright so I can't walk on water but I can traverse the Solent by boat.)
Whether I am walking, knitting sewing, sun bathing, sailing.... my mind is constantly working, thinking through the plots or sub plots and developing characters. Time will also be spent mapping out the plot lines and developing and researching the background of my characters, their personalities and motivations.
And when I'm not doing all the above there are copy edits to be checked and proofs to be read.
I'm currently writing DI Andy Horton number eleven, as yet untitled. I aim to finish this by the end of September when Death Surge, (DI Horton ten) will be published by Severn House, so it's back to work and on with the writing.
Undercurrent
August 2, 2013
DI Andy Horton goes underground in August
August is traditionally a quieter month for me in terms of speaking engagements so it is a chance to get down to some hard graft on the writing front. I'm running a little behind with the next DI Andy Horton, which will be number eleven in the series, but I am confident that I will make up time in August.
I also have two speaking engagements in August and am delighted to be giving a talk to the Southampton Probus group on 14 August and to Andover U3A on 20 August.
August also sees the first and the sixth in the DI Andy Horton series travelling on the London Underground.
Tide of Death and Footsteps on the Shore are circling the London Underground thanks to Books on the Underground. You read the book then leave it on the underground for someone else to read. I hope commuters, visitors and travellers on the London Underground enjoy reading Tide of Death and Footsteps on the Shore and after that wish to read more novels in the Horton series.
All my crime novels are available to buy online and from bookshops and are also available as e books on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Some are available in Large Print and as unabridged audio books and they can be loaned from a library in the UK, Commonwealth and the USA.
Now it's on with the writing.
Tide of Death
Footsteps on the Shore
I also have two speaking engagements in August and am delighted to be giving a talk to the Southampton Probus group on 14 August and to Andover U3A on 20 August.
August also sees the first and the sixth in the DI Andy Horton series travelling on the London Underground.
Tide of Death and Footsteps on the Shore are circling the London Underground thanks to Books on the Underground. You read the book then leave it on the underground for someone else to read. I hope commuters, visitors and travellers on the London Underground enjoy reading Tide of Death and Footsteps on the Shore and after that wish to read more novels in the Horton series.
All my crime novels are available to buy online and from bookshops and are also available as e books on Kindle, Kobo and Nook. Some are available in Large Print and as unabridged audio books and they can be loaned from a library in the UK, Commonwealth and the USA.
Now it's on with the writing.
Tide of Death
Footsteps on the Shore
July 23, 2013
Who else writes like? Choosing crime novels
It is sometimes difficult to find a new author and one whose novels you think you might enjoy but libraries are a great place for dipping your toe in the water, or rather for letting your fingers do the choosing and there is also a handy little book that can help with that. I came across this when I was appearing at Chichester Library recently with fellow crime authors Peter Lovesey and Simon Brett and it's called Who Else Writes Like?
I opened the book (which was available on the counter for library visitors to check out) and found my entry right under J. K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, who it has been revealed recently is also a crime author under the name Robert Galbraith. What a good place to appear!
Reviewers have compared the DI Horton novels to American writers, Ed McBain and Joseph Wambaugh and their British counterparts John Harvey and Peter Robinson both of the latter mentioned in the directory Who Else Writes Like?
My crime novels are also compared to those written by Colin Dexter, Ann Cleeves, Robert Barnard, Graham Hurley, Dorothy Simpson and Neil White.
There is also a good website called Fantastic Fiction where it is suggested that if you like Peter James and Stephen Booth, amongst other crime authors, you might like the DI Horton series.
So if you're looking for crime novels to try I hope this helps.
Undercurrent
I opened the book (which was available on the counter for library visitors to check out) and found my entry right under J. K Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, who it has been revealed recently is also a crime author under the name Robert Galbraith. What a good place to appear!
Reviewers have compared the DI Horton novels to American writers, Ed McBain and Joseph Wambaugh and their British counterparts John Harvey and Peter Robinson both of the latter mentioned in the directory Who Else Writes Like?
My crime novels are also compared to those written by Colin Dexter, Ann Cleeves, Robert Barnard, Graham Hurley, Dorothy Simpson and Neil White.
There is also a good website called Fantastic Fiction where it is suggested that if you like Peter James and Stephen Booth, amongst other crime authors, you might like the DI Horton series.
So if you're looking for crime novels to try I hope this helps.
Undercurrent
July 18, 2013
Footsteps on the Shore - DI Horton 6 - now released as an audio book
Footsteps on the Shore the sixth in the DI Andy Horton series has now been released as an unabridged audio book. It is published by Isis Publishing and read by Gordon Griffin who has also read the others in the DI Horton series.
Footsteps on the Shore is already available in Large Print and as an e book, on Kindle, Kobo and Nook and in paperback and hardcover published by Severn House.
Published in the UK, Commonwealth and America, Footsteps on the Shore has been highly acclaimed both in the UK and abroad. American reviewer Booklist says, ' It deserves mention in the same breath as works in the upper echelon of American procedurals (those by Ed McBain or Joseph Wambaugh for example) and their British counterparts, including the work of Peter Robinson and John Harvey. Procedural fans who haven’t already read Rowson should be encouraged to do so in the strongest possible terms.’
Dead Man's Wharf, the fourth in the DI Horton series also received a glowing review from Audio File Magazine in the USA.
"Narrator Gordon Griffin speaks with an educated British accent, differentiating each character in this mystery through a slight alteration in pitch and cadence. His pace is measured, and his tone is grave. This is not to criticize, however. One must not forget that the topic is murder.
Gordon Griffin's delivery also enhances the story's setting, the Solent area of the south coast of England, with its atmosphere of mist and the scent of the sea. As gruff Inspector Andy Horton uncovers fact after fact concerning the mysterious deaths at a nursing home, the scope of the crimes only seems to grow. Griffin makes us feel the pain and terror of hidden violence. It's a moving portrayal."
D.R.W. AudioFile Magazine 2013, Portland, Maine
The latest in the DI Horton series, Undercurrent, was published in hardcover in the UK, Commonwealth and USA this year.
A Killing Coast and Death Lies Beneath. will also be released as unabridged audio books later this year. They are already available in hardcover and as ebooks.
Footsteps on the Shore
Footsteps on the Shore is already available in Large Print and as an e book, on Kindle, Kobo and Nook and in paperback and hardcover published by Severn House.
Published in the UK, Commonwealth and America, Footsteps on the Shore has been highly acclaimed both in the UK and abroad. American reviewer Booklist says, ' It deserves mention in the same breath as works in the upper echelon of American procedurals (those by Ed McBain or Joseph Wambaugh for example) and their British counterparts, including the work of Peter Robinson and John Harvey. Procedural fans who haven’t already read Rowson should be encouraged to do so in the strongest possible terms.’
Dead Man's Wharf, the fourth in the DI Horton series also received a glowing review from Audio File Magazine in the USA.
"Narrator Gordon Griffin speaks with an educated British accent, differentiating each character in this mystery through a slight alteration in pitch and cadence. His pace is measured, and his tone is grave. This is not to criticize, however. One must not forget that the topic is murder.
Gordon Griffin's delivery also enhances the story's setting, the Solent area of the south coast of England, with its atmosphere of mist and the scent of the sea. As gruff Inspector Andy Horton uncovers fact after fact concerning the mysterious deaths at a nursing home, the scope of the crimes only seems to grow. Griffin makes us feel the pain and terror of hidden violence. It's a moving portrayal."
D.R.W. AudioFile Magazine 2013, Portland, Maine
The latest in the DI Horton series, Undercurrent, was published in hardcover in the UK, Commonwealth and USA this year.
A Killing Coast and Death Lies Beneath. will also be released as unabridged audio books later this year. They are already available in hardcover and as ebooks.
Footsteps on the Shore
