Pauline Rowson's Blog, page 88
March 25, 2009
New Video Interview Uploaded
I've just uploaded a new video to my broadcast channel at You Tube where you can watch all my videos and subscribe to receive updates as new videos are posted. Or you can see all my video interviews on my web site
The latest video is an interview with Rob Richardson of Express FM where I am talking about my marine mysteries and we are discussing writing point of view.
The latest video is an interview with Rob Richardson of Express FM where I am talking about my marine mysteries and we are discussing writing point of view.
March 23, 2009
I've started and can't wait to finish
I've just started working on the new Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery; the sixth in the series. At first it all seems rather messy, lots of ideas and threads and none of them joined up enough to make a worthwhile plot, until yesterday that was.
I do all my plot outlines and characters in pencil before starting the creative process but this time something was urging me to start typing on to screen and get on with the creative process right away. Perhaps it was because I'd left Andy in the last novel in a turmoil and I needed to continue with his thinking. Or perhaps it was because one germ of an idea I had would take hold on screen during the creative writing process and flourish into a full blown infection. Anyway it worked (I think) I have now begun Andy Horton number six.
What I have written so far (two thousand words) might never see the final light of day because it will be changed many times before I am happy with it, but it's a start. Only another ninety eight thousand words to go before the first draft is complete. So I'd better sign off now and get on with it.
I do all my plot outlines and characters in pencil before starting the creative process but this time something was urging me to start typing on to screen and get on with the creative process right away. Perhaps it was because I'd left Andy in the last novel in a turmoil and I needed to continue with his thinking. Or perhaps it was because one germ of an idea I had would take hold on screen during the creative writing process and flourish into a full blown infection. Anyway it worked (I think) I have now begun Andy Horton number six.
What I have written so far (two thousand words) might never see the final light of day because it will be changed many times before I am happy with it, but it's a start. Only another ninety eight thousand words to go before the first draft is complete. So I'd better sign off now and get on with it.
March 20, 2009
My Marine Mystery to be published as unabridged audio book
I'm delighted to announce that my third marine mystery featuring the flawed and rugged Inspector Horton, The Suffocating Sea, is to be published by Isis Publishing, the World’s leading publisher of unabridged audio books, as an audio book and digital download. You can read more information on my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk
The Suffocating Sea will be released in CD and cassette form in August 2009. It will be read by Gordon Griffin, an actor with over forty years experience who has appeared in a number of plays and television performances, and who also reads audio books by James Patterson and Patrick O’Brian. The Suffocating Sea will be on sale in CD and Cassette form around the World and available from Audible as a download.
The Suffocating Sea is the third in the marine mystery series of crime novels featuring Inspector Andy Horton and set in Portsmouth and the Solent. It has recently been chosen as the Best of British Crime Fiction by The Book Depository. It was released in paperback in January.
Audio books are the only means for some people to have access to books because of sight problems so that is excellent news and now with more people listening to music on the go having the novel in a format that can be downloaded will also attract new readers.
The Suffocating Sea will be released in CD and cassette form in August 2009. It will be read by Gordon Griffin, an actor with over forty years experience who has appeared in a number of plays and television performances, and who also reads audio books by James Patterson and Patrick O’Brian. The Suffocating Sea will be on sale in CD and Cassette form around the World and available from Audible as a download.
The Suffocating Sea is the third in the marine mystery series of crime novels featuring Inspector Andy Horton and set in Portsmouth and the Solent. It has recently been chosen as the Best of British Crime Fiction by The Book Depository. It was released in paperback in January.
Audio books are the only means for some people to have access to books because of sight problems so that is excellent news and now with more people listening to music on the go having the novel in a format that can be downloaded will also attract new readers.
March 18, 2009
Thanks all round
Thank you to Mike Powell of BBC Radio Solent for inviting me to be his guest on his Sunday afternoon programme (15 March 2009) to talk about the unsolved murder of my great aunt, Martha Giles, who was brutally killed on 12 February 1959. I was also talking to Mike about my marine mystery crime and thriller novels.
Thanks also to those of you who were kind enough to e mail and text him to say how much you enjoy my novels, and to offer your support in trying to get this tragic case re-examined by the police.
In addition, I would like to thank the Red Room for choosing my video on character development to feature on the Home page last week, and everyone who listened to it and clicked through to my author page, and my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk More videos to follow soon.
Finally, I would like to thank those who visited my web site during Read an E Book Week 8-14 March 2009, and downloaded a copy of Tide of Death. I hope you enjoy reading it and come back for more.
Thanks also to those of you who were kind enough to e mail and text him to say how much you enjoy my novels, and to offer your support in trying to get this tragic case re-examined by the police.
In addition, I would like to thank the Red Room for choosing my video on character development to feature on the Home page last week, and everyone who listened to it and clicked through to my author page, and my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk More videos to follow soon.
Finally, I would like to thank those who visited my web site during Read an E Book Week 8-14 March 2009, and downloaded a copy of Tide of Death. I hope you enjoy reading it and come back for more.
March 15, 2009
Talks, E Books and Radio Interviews
I had a great night on Wednesday night at Hayling Island's Women's Institute meeting where I gave a talk on my marine mystery crime novels. About forty ladies were present and made me very welcome indeed. They also allowed my husband, Bob, into the meeting as my official photographer and bouncer. Not that I needed a bouncer on this occasion. All were very friendly and bought lots of books, for which I thank them. I already had some readers in the audience so that was nice, and it was good to have their feedback. And in case you're getting the wrong idea about me I don't actually need a bouncer, I'm not getting mobbed by the masses, yet...!
Though perhaps if the success of Read An E Book Week continues, and the new readers of my marine mysteries enjoy their free copy of Tide of Death (until 14 March) so much so that they rush out and buy the rest of the series, either in e book format or printed format, then who knows. Read An E Book Week has now finished and my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk saw a 392.8% increase in traffic. You can read about my books and my crime and thriller novels including Tide of Death there.
I'm on the radio this afternoon so must dash soon and prepare for it. I shall be on the Mike Powell show on BBC Radio Solent some time around 16.15 I think, talking about my attempts to get the unsolved murder of my great aunt re-examined by the police.
Finally a sad piece of news. I would like to pay tribute to Hilary Waugh - the pioneer of the police procedural novel.
"Although he did not invent the police-procedural novel, Hillary Waugh, who has died aged 88, defined this sub-genre of the detective story, in which the puzzle of the criminal's identity is sublimated to the unfolding police work. Waugh's 1952 novel Last Seen Wearing is generally considered the finest early example of the police procedural; the British critic Julian Symons included it in his list of the 100 greatest crime novels, on Raymond Chandler's recommendation..."
Click on the link below to read the full obituary on the Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/...
Though perhaps if the success of Read An E Book Week continues, and the new readers of my marine mysteries enjoy their free copy of Tide of Death (until 14 March) so much so that they rush out and buy the rest of the series, either in e book format or printed format, then who knows. Read An E Book Week has now finished and my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk saw a 392.8% increase in traffic. You can read about my books and my crime and thriller novels including Tide of Death there.
I'm on the radio this afternoon so must dash soon and prepare for it. I shall be on the Mike Powell show on BBC Radio Solent some time around 16.15 I think, talking about my attempts to get the unsolved murder of my great aunt re-examined by the police.
Finally a sad piece of news. I would like to pay tribute to Hilary Waugh - the pioneer of the police procedural novel.
"Although he did not invent the police-procedural novel, Hillary Waugh, who has died aged 88, defined this sub-genre of the detective story, in which the puzzle of the criminal's identity is sublimated to the unfolding police work. Waugh's 1952 novel Last Seen Wearing is generally considered the finest early example of the police procedural; the British critic Julian Symons included it in his list of the 100 greatest crime novels, on Raymond Chandler's recommendation..."
Click on the link below to read the full obituary on the Guardian.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/...
March 9, 2009
Free Download of Inspector Horton Marine Mystery for Read an E Book Week
To mark Read an E-Book week, (March 8-14) my e book publisher (Summersdale) through my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk/ is offering a free download of my first Inspector Horton marine mystery crime novel Tide of Death Pauline Rowson
Tide of Death also published in paperback, was chosen by Amazon as one of the best crime fiction reads of 2006. Since then In Cold Daylight, was shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize 2008 and my third Inspector Horton Marine Mystery, The Suffocating Sea, was selected by The Book Depository as the Best of British Crime Fiction last month.
Read an E-Book Week was first recognised in 2004. It is a not-for-profit week set aside to inform the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide join in the promotional week to promote electronic reading.
My books have been available in digital format for some time. I don’t mind how people prefer to read books whether that is in paper format, e book or audio book format, just as long as they enjoy reading.
Readers will be able to download a copy of Tide of Death for free from Sunday 8 March to Saturday 14 March from my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk/
Tide of Death also published in paperback, was chosen by Amazon as one of the best crime fiction reads of 2006. Since then In Cold Daylight, was shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize 2008 and my third Inspector Horton Marine Mystery, The Suffocating Sea, was selected by The Book Depository as the Best of British Crime Fiction last month.
Read an E-Book Week was first recognised in 2004. It is a not-for-profit week set aside to inform the public about the pleasures and advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media and readers world-wide join in the promotional week to promote electronic reading.
My books have been available in digital format for some time. I don’t mind how people prefer to read books whether that is in paper format, e book or audio book format, just as long as they enjoy reading.
Readers will be able to download a copy of Tide of Death for free from Sunday 8 March to Saturday 14 March from my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk/
March 5, 2009
Choosing Titles For Books
One of the questions that I often get asked is how do you choose titles for your novels?
Titles either come to me instantly, as in my new Marine Mystery crime novel Dead Man's Wharf due out on 29 April, or I struggle for ages. The first title in the series was simple, Tide of Death but I had to change the title of the second in the series from Deadly Harbour to Deadly Waters because it was being published in the USA and the publisher didn't want the English spelling of harbour on the cover. I struggled with the title of the new Inspector Horton Marine Mystery I'm writing, but I have now called it Blood Upon the Sand though that could change before publication.
In Cold Daylight began as The Cold Light of Day before I found another book of the same title in the same genre, a thriller, so I changed it - just to be on the safe side - to In Cold Daylight. And In For The Kill came instantly to me and explains just what that thriller is about - Alex Albury on his quest for revenge is in for the kill after his identity was stolen and he was wrongly convicted for fraud and embezzlement.
There is no copyright on a title but if you choose a title that is the same as another in the same genre you could find the publisher of the original book objecting and in danger of having your book pulled.
Titles, just like book covers, have to fit the type of novel or genre, and in my case, because my novels are Marine Mysteries they also have to have a 'sea' element in the title and cover image. Both are very important in attracting the new reader although once readers discover your novels and enjoy them they will then specifically look out for the new one.
Many people rarely remember the titles after they've read a book (unless the book becomes film). People might not even remember the author's name but what they often remember is the main character and they'll look for the next Inspector Horton, or the next Marine Mystery.
I did once, however, meet a reader who told me that she only ever bought crime books with murder or death in the title!
What do you think? How important are book titles to you and what influences you when you buy a book?
http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Titles either come to me instantly, as in my new Marine Mystery crime novel Dead Man's Wharf due out on 29 April, or I struggle for ages. The first title in the series was simple, Tide of Death but I had to change the title of the second in the series from Deadly Harbour to Deadly Waters because it was being published in the USA and the publisher didn't want the English spelling of harbour on the cover. I struggled with the title of the new Inspector Horton Marine Mystery I'm writing, but I have now called it Blood Upon the Sand though that could change before publication.
In Cold Daylight began as The Cold Light of Day before I found another book of the same title in the same genre, a thriller, so I changed it - just to be on the safe side - to In Cold Daylight. And In For The Kill came instantly to me and explains just what that thriller is about - Alex Albury on his quest for revenge is in for the kill after his identity was stolen and he was wrongly convicted for fraud and embezzlement.
There is no copyright on a title but if you choose a title that is the same as another in the same genre you could find the publisher of the original book objecting and in danger of having your book pulled.
Titles, just like book covers, have to fit the type of novel or genre, and in my case, because my novels are Marine Mysteries they also have to have a 'sea' element in the title and cover image. Both are very important in attracting the new reader although once readers discover your novels and enjoy them they will then specifically look out for the new one.
Many people rarely remember the titles after they've read a book (unless the book becomes film). People might not even remember the author's name but what they often remember is the main character and they'll look for the next Inspector Horton, or the next Marine Mystery.
I did once, however, meet a reader who told me that she only ever bought crime books with murder or death in the title!
What do you think? How important are book titles to you and what influences you when you buy a book?
http://www.rowmark.co.uk
March 2, 2009
Why do you write from the male point of view?
When I first started writing fiction I wrote from the female character's point of view but often I found myself wanting to switch main characters from the female to the male in the novel. It wasn't until I started writing crime novels and Tide of Death and introduced Inspector Andy Horton that I found my 'voice' as they call it in writing parlance. Once I started writing from the male point of view everything began to fall into place.
I also prefer single person point of view which means that you follow the story through the eyes of Andy Horton in my marine mystery crime novels and through Adam Greene in my thriller, In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill.
When people ask me why I write from the male character's point of view I often joke that maybe it's because I am a closet man. But I don't really know. Perhaps it's because I have worked in male dominated environments for most of my life, or perhaps it's because of my personality. Whatever it is, though, I don't think it matters, it's just the way I write and if people enjoy it - great!
You can listen to an interview I did with Rob Richardson on Express FM about how I write my marine mysteries at http://www.rowmark.co.uk/marine_myste...
I also prefer single person point of view which means that you follow the story through the eyes of Andy Horton in my marine mystery crime novels and through Adam Greene in my thriller, In Cold Daylight and Alex Albury in In For The Kill.
When people ask me why I write from the male character's point of view I often joke that maybe it's because I am a closet man. But I don't really know. Perhaps it's because I have worked in male dominated environments for most of my life, or perhaps it's because of my personality. Whatever it is, though, I don't think it matters, it's just the way I write and if people enjoy it - great!
You can listen to an interview I did with Rob Richardson on Express FM about how I write my marine mysteries at http://www.rowmark.co.uk/marine_myste...
February 26, 2009
Who do you see playing Inspector Horton?
I’m often asked this question. Who would play Inspector Andy Horton if there was a film or television series made of my Marine Mysteries. It’s quite a tricky question to answer in a way because my view of the actor to play Andy Horton might not fit with yours.
Andy Horton has had a tough upbringing. Illegitimate and brought up on the streets of Portsmouth, his mother abandoned him as a child. He has no idea where she is or even if she is alive. Horton has been raised in children’s homes and with a succession of foster parents which makes him a loner, but with a desperate desire to belong. He finds this sense of belonging through joining the police service.
He’s fearless where others are concerned, an action man rather than a thinker with a strong sense of justice. He’s tall and fit with short cropped fair hair. He rides a Harley Davidson and lives on a boat. The rest I leave to you.
He first appears in Tide of Death then Deadly Waters, The Suffocating Sea and soon, Dead Man’s Wharf. How do you see Andy Horton? Let me know if you have any thoughts on this. You can read more about Horton and my news on my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk
Andy Horton has had a tough upbringing. Illegitimate and brought up on the streets of Portsmouth, his mother abandoned him as a child. He has no idea where she is or even if she is alive. Horton has been raised in children’s homes and with a succession of foster parents which makes him a loner, but with a desperate desire to belong. He finds this sense of belonging through joining the police service.
He’s fearless where others are concerned, an action man rather than a thinker with a strong sense of justice. He’s tall and fit with short cropped fair hair. He rides a Harley Davidson and lives on a boat. The rest I leave to you.
He first appears in Tide of Death then Deadly Waters, The Suffocating Sea and soon, Dead Man’s Wharf. How do you see Andy Horton? Let me know if you have any thoughts on this. You can read more about Horton and my news on my official web site http://www.rowmark.co.uk
