Pauline Rowson's Blog, page 81
October 24, 2010
I was made very welcome at the Southern region of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists
On 22 October I gave a talk on how I write, research and market my marine mystery crime novels and thrillers to the Southern Region of the Society of Women Writers and Journalists and have posted some photographs on my profile page from the event.
They were a lovely group of people and I was delighted to see popular saga author Dee Williams, whom I've appeared with at a few signings in the audience, along with crime writer, Peter Lovesey, a prolific writer with a string of awards including the Cartier Diamond Dagger for his career in crime writing. I'm appearing with Peter Lovesey at Crime & the City, CSI Portsmouth event on 6 November as part of Portsmouth Bookfest and I'm very much looking forward to it.
It was a fun event and I hope the audience found it interesting and informative, they certainly seemed to have done from their comments after the talk.
My next speaking engagement is at a charity lunch on behalf of the NSPCC at Wallington Hall, Fareham on 31 October 2010.
They were a lovely group of people and I was delighted to see popular saga author Dee Williams, whom I've appeared with at a few signings in the audience, along with crime writer, Peter Lovesey, a prolific writer with a string of awards including the Cartier Diamond Dagger for his career in crime writing. I'm appearing with Peter Lovesey at Crime & the City, CSI Portsmouth event on 6 November as part of Portsmouth Bookfest and I'm very much looking forward to it.
It was a fun event and I hope the audience found it interesting and informative, they certainly seemed to have done from their comments after the talk.
My next speaking engagement is at a charity lunch on behalf of the NSPCC at Wallington Hall, Fareham on 31 October 2010.
October 18, 2010
New video uploaded, Pauline Rowson interview with Angel Radio - talking about Crime and the City, CSI Portsmouth - 6 November 2010
In this video British crime writer, Pauline Rowson talks to Tony Smith of Angel Radio about a unique event where she and four of her fellow international crime authors: Simon Brett, Graham Hurley, Peter Lovesey and June Hampson join police, CSI, forensic and fingerprinting experts in Crime and the City, CSI Portsmouth on Saturday 6 November at the John Pounds Centre, Portsmouth.
Fiction meets fact at this lively, entertaining event; come for the morning session, the afternoon session or both. Tickets on sale from 023 9268 8037 or visit Pauline Rowson's official web site for more details.
This event is part of Portsmouth Bookfest. organised by the Hayling Island Bookshop and Portsmouth City Council.
Fiction meets fact at this lively, entertaining event; come for the morning session, the afternoon session or both. Tickets on sale from 023 9268 8037 or visit Pauline Rowson's official web site for more details.
This event is part of Portsmouth Bookfest. organised by the Hayling Island Bookshop and Portsmouth City Council.
October 12, 2010
Speed networking with students who want to know about the life of a crime writer
I'm participating in a speed networking event with pupils from Springfield School in Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK this morning. It’s looking at the use of language in the workplace and is organised by the Education Business Partnership in Portsmouth who have recruited a number of business people from the area who use language in their profession.
The speed networking is taking place between 11.25 am and 12.25 pm with lunch afterwards. I, and other professionals, each sit at a table and spend around 10 minutes with the group of students who ask us about our careers, then a whistle is blown and the next lot of students arrive. This happens 6 times within the hour.
I think I might be hoarse and very weary by the end of it if it’s similar to the last time I did this event, answering questions about my marine mystery police procedural crime novels and how I write! Still, it's very rewarding and enjoyable, for me, at least, not sure what the students think of it! And I’ll have time to recover my voice before my next speaking engagement on 22 October, which is to the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
The speed networking is taking place between 11.25 am and 12.25 pm with lunch afterwards. I, and other professionals, each sit at a table and spend around 10 minutes with the group of students who ask us about our careers, then a whistle is blown and the next lot of students arrive. This happens 6 times within the hour.
I think I might be hoarse and very weary by the end of it if it’s similar to the last time I did this event, answering questions about my marine mystery police procedural crime novels and how I write! Still, it's very rewarding and enjoyable, for me, at least, not sure what the students think of it! And I’ll have time to recover my voice before my next speaking engagement on 22 October, which is to the Society of Women Writers and Journalists.
October 4, 2010
National Crime Writing Week 2011
The Crime Writers' Association of Great Britain (CWA) of which I am a member has announced that it will again run two highly successful initiatives next year, which were first introduced this year.
National Crime Writing Week, formerly National Crime Fiction Week, will run between June 13 and 19, 2011. The name change is designed to encompass both non-fiction and fiction and the nationwide celebration of crime writing will see the culmination of the CWA Young Crime Writers' Competition, which was run by libraries and the CWA this year and attracted 600 entries nationwide.
I was the CWA representative and judge for entries on the South Coast of England this year and I am happy to say that I will be next year. I very much look forward to being involved and once again reading the entries from young writers.
In addition, during National Crime Writing Week, members of the CWA, including yours truly, will take part in readings, discussions, readers' group events and workshops.
The Young Crime Writers' Competition will run from January 10 - 18 Feb. 2011 - more information on this later when I have it, but budding crime writers should get cracking with their ideas and stories now.
There will also be more details posted on my official web site and my personal blog
National Crime Writing Week, formerly National Crime Fiction Week, will run between June 13 and 19, 2011. The name change is designed to encompass both non-fiction and fiction and the nationwide celebration of crime writing will see the culmination of the CWA Young Crime Writers' Competition, which was run by libraries and the CWA this year and attracted 600 entries nationwide.
I was the CWA representative and judge for entries on the South Coast of England this year and I am happy to say that I will be next year. I very much look forward to being involved and once again reading the entries from young writers.
In addition, during National Crime Writing Week, members of the CWA, including yours truly, will take part in readings, discussions, readers' group events and workshops.
The Young Crime Writers' Competition will run from January 10 - 18 Feb. 2011 - more information on this later when I have it, but budding crime writers should get cracking with their ideas and stories now.
There will also be more details posted on my official web site and my personal blog
September 29, 2010
A life-long lover of Marmite and a visit to two libraries in the West Midlands
I'm back from the West Midlands where I met some very interesting people and had a good chat with them about how I write my marine mystery detective crime novels and thrillers, but I have to tell you that I committed a great sin while there. No, I didn’t run amok naked and wailing through the centre of Burton-Upon-Trent or Perry Common in Birmingham – though that might have been interesting or sad, depending on your point of view, and it might well have got me in the newspaper headlines, although I did make it into the Staffordshire and local press – but I failed to visit the Marmite factory, or even sniff the very air where it is made!
Yes, I know, how, as a life-long lover of Marmite, could I have possibly missed out on such a wonderful opportunity? (I need to have my fix every day on toast otherwise I suffer withdrawal symptoms). So, while I was in the actual town where the wonder product is produced you’d have thought I would have spared some time to worship its hallowed ground. But no, and neither did I get to visit the three breweries in the town and sample the beer, because I was in the Reading Café in the Library explaining how I write my marine mystery crime novels, answering questions about my novels, supping coffee and signing books with some lovely local people.
And I also have to confess to another sin while in Burton-upon-Trent, I said no to the lady in the library café who offered me Branston pickle on my cheese baguette. Sorry, sorry, I forgot that Burton-upon-Trent also contains a suburb by the name of Branston, known for inventing Branston Pickle. If I am ever invited back I promise I will sup ale and eat Branston pickle until I am well and truly sozzled and most probably sick. And I will bow down and give thanks for Marmite at its very door because all those lovely vitamins are so perfect for stimulating the little grey cells of this crime author. Keep up the good work, Marmite! I will be back.
Deadly Waters
Yes, I know, how, as a life-long lover of Marmite, could I have possibly missed out on such a wonderful opportunity? (I need to have my fix every day on toast otherwise I suffer withdrawal symptoms). So, while I was in the actual town where the wonder product is produced you’d have thought I would have spared some time to worship its hallowed ground. But no, and neither did I get to visit the three breweries in the town and sample the beer, because I was in the Reading Café in the Library explaining how I write my marine mystery crime novels, answering questions about my novels, supping coffee and signing books with some lovely local people.
And I also have to confess to another sin while in Burton-upon-Trent, I said no to the lady in the library café who offered me Branston pickle on my cheese baguette. Sorry, sorry, I forgot that Burton-upon-Trent also contains a suburb by the name of Branston, known for inventing Branston Pickle. If I am ever invited back I promise I will sup ale and eat Branston pickle until I am well and truly sozzled and most probably sick. And I will bow down and give thanks for Marmite at its very door because all those lovely vitamins are so perfect for stimulating the little grey cells of this crime author. Keep up the good work, Marmite! I will be back.
Deadly Waters
September 23, 2010
Yesterday I gave a talk to a great crowd in Hampshire, next week I'm off to speak in the West Midlands
Yesterday I gave a talk to a packed audience of the U3A group in Waterloovile, Hampshire about how I write my police procedural marine mystery crime novels featuring Inspector Andy Horton and my thrillers. They were a great crowd and I was delighted to answer their questions and sign so many books.
Next week I'm off to the West Midlands and will be speaking at Perry Common Library in Birmingham and Burton-upon-Trent Library. I'm really looking forward to it. There is more information about these events, including contact details, and my forthcoming appearances and speaking engagements on my official web site at http://www.rowmark.co.uk . You can also read more on my personal blog at http://www.paulinerowson.com
I have been giving talks and speaking in public for many years. It's an aspect of being a novelist I particularly enjoy, entertaining others and helping budding writers. If anyone reading this would like to book me to speak at an event you can contact me through my official web site at http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Tide of Death
Next week I'm off to the West Midlands and will be speaking at Perry Common Library in Birmingham and Burton-upon-Trent Library. I'm really looking forward to it. There is more information about these events, including contact details, and my forthcoming appearances and speaking engagements on my official web site at http://www.rowmark.co.uk . You can also read more on my personal blog at http://www.paulinerowson.com
I have been giving talks and speaking in public for many years. It's an aspect of being a novelist I particularly enjoy, entertaining others and helping budding writers. If anyone reading this would like to book me to speak at an event you can contact me through my official web site at http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Tide of Death
September 21, 2010
A new video has been uploaded - Pauline Rowson talks about DI Andy Horton
A new video has been uploaded to my official web site, my You Tube Channel and here. In this latest video, I'm talking to Rob Richardson about the creation of my detective, Inspector Andy Horton who features in my marine mystery police procedural crime novels set in the Solent area on the South Coast of England. Rob is doing his hardest to make me laugh, and succeeding during the interview which was recorded for the radio and internet station Express FM.
You can listen to the video here, or on my web site or on You Tube along with many other of my videos where I discuss developing characters, research, my crime novels and how I write. There are also two interviews with Raychel Harvey Jones. Hope you enjoy watching and listening to them.
Hailed in the US as 'exemplary procedurals,' there are five novels in the Andy Horton series with the sixth, Footsteps on the Shore to be published early 2011. I'm currently working on the seventh in the series.
You can listen to the video here, or on my web site or on You Tube along with many other of my videos where I discuss developing characters, research, my crime novels and how I write. There are also two interviews with Raychel Harvey Jones. Hope you enjoy watching and listening to them.
Hailed in the US as 'exemplary procedurals,' there are five novels in the Andy Horton series with the sixth, Footsteps on the Shore to be published early 2011. I'm currently working on the seventh in the series.
September 13, 2010
Top crime authors join crime experts in unique CSI Portsmouth Event at Portsmouth Bookfest
Five Internationally acclaimed crime writers, Simon Brett, June Hampson, Graham Hurley, Peter Lovesey and Pauline Rowson will join experts from the Crime Scene Investigation team and Fingerprinting Bureau of Hampshire Constabulary and experts from the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology to discuss crime fiction and fact in a unique event, Crime and the City, Portsmouth CSI being held on 6 November at the John Pounds Community Centre, Queen Street Portsmouth, as part of Portsmouth Bookfest.
Portsmouth Bookfest is a new Festival of popular literature organised by The Hayling Island Bookshop and Portsmouth City Council, which will run from October 26th to November 13th. Its aim is to promote reading for pleasure and enthusiasm for literature in the city of Portsmouth. There will be opportunities to hear and meet popular authors at events across the city and in schools with ticket offers to attract new members to city Libraries and stimulate book ownership.
On 6 November between 10 a.m. and 12 noon delegates can meet Simon Brett, June Hampson and Pauline Rowson, and between 1 p.m. and 3p.m Peter Lovesey and Graham Hurley who will again be joined by Pauline Rowson. All authors have a connection with the local area.
Pauline Rowson’s marine mystery crime novels featuring Inspector Horton are set in the Portsmouth and Solent area as is Graham Hurley’s Joe Faraday series. June Hampson’s Daisy Lane novels are set in Gosport and Peter Lovesey, a prolific writer with a string of awards including the Cartier Diamond Dagger for his career in crime writing and whose novels have been dramatised on television lives in Chichester, and Simon Brett responsible for the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter and Fethering series of crime novels, as well as radio and television series such as No Commitments and After Henry lives in Arundel.
On the expert side will be DS Martin Chudley, in charge of the Crime Scene Investigation team for Hampshire Constabulary and Jane Aston and her team from the Fingerprinting Bureau. With them will be Dr Claire Nee, Director of the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology at Portsmouth University, an expert in forensic psychology and Paul Smith, an expert in Crime Scenes. To keep us all in check will be panel moderator Cheryl Buggy, Station Director at Express FM, as she stimulates a lively discussion and takes questions from the audience.
There will be a chance for delegates to see how the fingerprinting bureau works and have their fingerprints taken, as well as talk to the crime authors to find out how they come up with their intricate plots and research their novels.
A mobile bookshop, provided by the Hayling Island Bookshop will be selling signed copies of the authors’ books.
Tickets are available from the Box Office on 023 9268 8037, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (library membership discount will not apply to telephone bookings) or in person at any Portsmouth library during normal library opening hours (show your Portsmouth library card to obtain a £1 discount off the price of the ticket or take the opportunity to join the Library Service) or from the Portsmouth Visitor Information Centre at the Hard, Monday to Sunday or the Hayling Island Bookshop, Monday to Saturday
Tickets can be purchased with cash, cheque, made payable to ‘Portsmouth City Council’, or by credit/debit card at ticket points and credit/debit card at the box office. They can be collected from any ticket point or posted to an address (there will be a booking fee of 50p charged for tickets posted).
Fulldetails and programme.
Blood on the Sand
Portsmouth Bookfest is a new Festival of popular literature organised by The Hayling Island Bookshop and Portsmouth City Council, which will run from October 26th to November 13th. Its aim is to promote reading for pleasure and enthusiasm for literature in the city of Portsmouth. There will be opportunities to hear and meet popular authors at events across the city and in schools with ticket offers to attract new members to city Libraries and stimulate book ownership.
On 6 November between 10 a.m. and 12 noon delegates can meet Simon Brett, June Hampson and Pauline Rowson, and between 1 p.m. and 3p.m Peter Lovesey and Graham Hurley who will again be joined by Pauline Rowson. All authors have a connection with the local area.
Pauline Rowson’s marine mystery crime novels featuring Inspector Horton are set in the Portsmouth and Solent area as is Graham Hurley’s Joe Faraday series. June Hampson’s Daisy Lane novels are set in Gosport and Peter Lovesey, a prolific writer with a string of awards including the Cartier Diamond Dagger for his career in crime writing and whose novels have been dramatised on television lives in Chichester, and Simon Brett responsible for the Charles Paris, Mrs Pargeter and Fethering series of crime novels, as well as radio and television series such as No Commitments and After Henry lives in Arundel.
On the expert side will be DS Martin Chudley, in charge of the Crime Scene Investigation team for Hampshire Constabulary and Jane Aston and her team from the Fingerprinting Bureau. With them will be Dr Claire Nee, Director of the International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology at Portsmouth University, an expert in forensic psychology and Paul Smith, an expert in Crime Scenes. To keep us all in check will be panel moderator Cheryl Buggy, Station Director at Express FM, as she stimulates a lively discussion and takes questions from the audience.
There will be a chance for delegates to see how the fingerprinting bureau works and have their fingerprints taken, as well as talk to the crime authors to find out how they come up with their intricate plots and research their novels.
A mobile bookshop, provided by the Hayling Island Bookshop will be selling signed copies of the authors’ books.
Tickets are available from the Box Office on 023 9268 8037, Monday to Friday 9am-5pm (library membership discount will not apply to telephone bookings) or in person at any Portsmouth library during normal library opening hours (show your Portsmouth library card to obtain a £1 discount off the price of the ticket or take the opportunity to join the Library Service) or from the Portsmouth Visitor Information Centre at the Hard, Monday to Sunday or the Hayling Island Bookshop, Monday to Saturday
Tickets can be purchased with cash, cheque, made payable to ‘Portsmouth City Council’, or by credit/debit card at ticket points and credit/debit card at the box office. They can be collected from any ticket point or posted to an address (there will be a booking fee of 50p charged for tickets posted).
Fulldetails and programme.
Blood on the Sand
September 9, 2010
Setting deadlines for writing
I'm now well over half way through writing the first draft of the next Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel, the seventh in the series, as yet untitled. But that certainly doesn't mean I'll have finished the novel by Christmas, although Christmas is my deadline for completing the first draft. Why a deadline? Is this imposed by my publisher? The answer is 'no.' However, being a 'commercial' writer i.e. I write a popular genre (crime) I am, like other popular writers, encouraged to write at least one book a year because that is what readers of the genre expect, like and look forward to. Some 'popular' writers are expected to produce two books a year, which is quite intensive going unless you employ a 'factory' of writers, aka Clive Cussler and James Patterson to name a couple.
I find it helps to concentrate my mind if I have deadlines, and that's probably because of my background in marketing and PR working for many clients ranging from charities to the professional and education sector and those in business to business, where deadlines for brochures, advertising campaigns and media must be met otherwise sales and opportunities would be lost.
Some writers set themselves targets to write so many words per day, others to write for a certain number of hours per day or week. I've never counted the number of words I write per day, but I like to write for at least two hours every day and many days I will write for several hours a day, it all depends on what stage of the novel I'm at.
Generally though here is my timescale and deadlines:
Start a new novel - July/August
Complete the first draft - by December
Revise and edit - by April
Submit to Publisher - in May/June
Start new novel - July/August
And so on. Of course in between there has to be copy edits and proofs, talks, book signings, conferences and appearances. Involvement in the Crime Writers' Association initiatives, such as the Young Crime Writers' Competition. Marketing and social networking, media appearances and interviews.
In addition, I have a couple of other writing projects on the go: play writing and writing a screenplay, along with, from now until May 2011 (another deadline), writing two non-fiction books (details of which I'll announce later.)
All in all lots of projects to keep me busy, but then that's the way I like it. So, better crack on otherwise I won't meet my deadlines.
Suffocating Sea, TheSuffocating Sea
I find it helps to concentrate my mind if I have deadlines, and that's probably because of my background in marketing and PR working for many clients ranging from charities to the professional and education sector and those in business to business, where deadlines for brochures, advertising campaigns and media must be met otherwise sales and opportunities would be lost.
Some writers set themselves targets to write so many words per day, others to write for a certain number of hours per day or week. I've never counted the number of words I write per day, but I like to write for at least two hours every day and many days I will write for several hours a day, it all depends on what stage of the novel I'm at.
Generally though here is my timescale and deadlines:
Start a new novel - July/August
Complete the first draft - by December
Revise and edit - by April
Submit to Publisher - in May/June
Start new novel - July/August
And so on. Of course in between there has to be copy edits and proofs, talks, book signings, conferences and appearances. Involvement in the Crime Writers' Association initiatives, such as the Young Crime Writers' Competition. Marketing and social networking, media appearances and interviews.
In addition, I have a couple of other writing projects on the go: play writing and writing a screenplay, along with, from now until May 2011 (another deadline), writing two non-fiction books (details of which I'll announce later.)
All in all lots of projects to keep me busy, but then that's the way I like it. So, better crack on otherwise I won't meet my deadlines.
Suffocating Sea, TheSuffocating Sea
September 3, 2010
Unabridged audio book rights sold to my fourth marine mystery crime novel Dead Man's Wharf
Isis Publishing, the World’s leading publisher of unabridged audio books, has bought the rights to the fourth in the marine mystery crime series featuring Inspector Andy Horton called Dead Man’s Wharf.
Dead Man’s Wharf will be released in CD, cassette and as a download early 2011. It follows the earlier release of Deadly Waters and The Suffocating Sea as unabridged audio books.
Dead Man’s Wharf was given a star rated review by American reviewer Kirkus and hailed as an ‘exemplary procedural.’ It is set in Portsmouth and the Solent area of the UK and is published by Severn House.
Audio books are often the only means for visually impaired people to have access to books. In addition, more people are now listening to books ‘on the go’ so having it as a download will be great.
Dead Man's Wharf
Deadly Waters
Suffocating Sea
Dead Man’s Wharf will be released in CD, cassette and as a download early 2011. It follows the earlier release of Deadly Waters and The Suffocating Sea as unabridged audio books.
Dead Man’s Wharf was given a star rated review by American reviewer Kirkus and hailed as an ‘exemplary procedural.’ It is set in Portsmouth and the Solent area of the UK and is published by Severn House.
Audio books are often the only means for visually impaired people to have access to books. In addition, more people are now listening to books ‘on the go’ so having it as a download will be great.
Dead Man's WharfDeadly Waters
Suffocating Sea
