Visit my website at www.rowmark.co.uk for details of all my crime novels

The Bookseller magazine has opened entries for its 2011 Independent Bookseller of the Year award . The winner will be revealed at The Bookseller Industry Awards, which will take place on the 16th May at the Hilton Park Lane. The best independent will receive a £5,000 cash prize from wholesaler and distributor Gardners Books. The prize recognises the devotion, hard work and innovation that go into running a local bookshop, and it is tough. My local independent bookshop works extremely hard and I was delighted to work with them last year on our unique Crime and the City, CSI Portsmouth event. Colin and Marie Telford owners of the Hayling Island Bookshop Bookshops have to put themselves forward for this award, so I am hoping that the Hayling Island Bookshop go for it.  Last year's winner was One Tree Books of Petersfield, Hampshire, again another great independent bookshop in my area. I've also worked with other excellent independent bookshops across the UK in Richmond ...

There was an article in the Telegraph on line recently about Britain's best independent bookshops and how they were surviving and thriving. What was also interesting were the comments left by readers keen to nominate their favourite independent bookshop and not to be outdone I added my local: The Hayling Island Bookshop.  It might be the smallest bookshop in the UK but it has a big heart to make up for what it lacks in floor space.  It's run by enthusiastic husband and wife team, Colin and Marie Telford who are also very active in organising a number of author events and book festivals.  They have been very supportive of me and my marine mystery crime fiction novels, for which I am very grateful, and I've done a number of book signings in their little shop, as well as having had the pleasure of participating in book events around the area. I've also done book signings and worked with other indie bookshops at book festivals in Romsey, Lee-on-th...