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I'm delighted that my crime novel Footsteps on the Shore has been nominated by my publisher, Severn House, for the eDUNNIT AWARD at CrimeFest 2012. Crimefest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. First organised in June 2008, CrimeFest is now one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar. The annual convention draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in an informal atmosphere. It follows the format of US conventions of interviews, panels, a Gala Dinner, and one or two surprises. CrimeFest will be presenting the eDunnit Award for the best crime ebook of 2011 at the gala dinner on 26 May 2012. The event takes place at the Royal Marriot Hotel, Bristol from 24 - 27 May 2012. I have appeared at Crimefest  in 2010 and 2011 and will again be appearing on a panel in 2012. Pauline Rowson, cen...

It's that time of the year again when crime has descended on the otherwise respectable spa town of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. Not a crime wave as in the criminal sense, although that could always happen, but an invasion of crime fiction writers and crime fiction fans. Yes, the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Festival  , or the Harrogate International Festival as it is now called, has kicked off and runs until 24 July 2011 at the Swan Hotel, Harrogate. There are some great crime authors there including Lee Childs, Linwood Barclay, and Lisa Gardner plus many of my crime writing buddies from the Crime Writers' Association. Unfortunately I can't make it but keep threatening to.  Maybe next year. Meanwhile, I will certainly be at Crimefest 2012 , from 24-27 May at the Royal Marriot Hotel, Bristol. Crimefest 2012 will be celebrating its fifth anniversary and already has lined up Lee Childs and Jeffrey Deaver.  So I'll be in splendid...

It's not everyday I get invited to a publisher's party and when it happened to be my publisher, Severn House,  how could I possibly refuse! Drinks with my publisher followed  the announcement of the shortlist for the CWA Dagger Awards at Crimefest on Friday 20 May.  Had a fantastic time and while there with my fellow crime writer and panelist, Linda Regan and her lovely husband, the accomplished actor Brian Murphy (Linda is also a fantastic actress) we met up with Paul Barber who had just finished filming for Casualty . He's also been in Coronation Street and many of you will remember and love him as Denzil in the all time great Only Fools and Horses and in The Full Monty. Paul had a very tough upbringing raised in foster homes , not unlike my fictional character, DI Andy Horton, so it was uncanny really meeting him.  He's also written a very moving book about his experiences, Foster Kid. Paul Barber, Linda Regan Brian Murphy and Pauline Rows...

After my panel event and the day spent at Crimefest 2011 on Friday 20 May, Crimefest held a drinks reception in the Royal Marriott Hotel, Bristol (where the convention was held) for the CWA ( Crime Writers' Association) to announce the shortlist for the Daggers Awards . It was a lively event and great to meet up with so many of  my fellow crime writers from the CWA and to mingle with Crimefest delegates. Here are some photographs from the event - hope I don't look too drunk I'd only had half a glass of white wine - honest. Congratulations to all those who reached the shortlist, a fantastic achievement. You can see who they are and read more on the CWA web site.  Adrian Muller, organiser of Crimefest, introducing CWA chair, crime author Peter James  Looking a little the worse for wear but we're both sober! After the shortlist was announced. Peter James and Pauline Rowson  Pauline Rowson with fellow crime writer, Martin Edwards Crime author ...

Crimefest 2011 kicked off yesterday and I'm delighted to be appearing there today on a panel and meeting meeting crime fiction fans from all over the World and some of my fellow crime writers at this very popular annual crime convention. CRIMEFEST is being held at the Bristol Royal Marriott Hotel until 22 May 2011. It is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. There are interviews panels, a gala dinner, and one or two surprises. Today I am on the following panel at Crimefest: Friday, 20 May  9.00 - 9.50  Operation Petticoat: Jobs For The Girls? With crime authors: Linda Regan Pauline Rowson Leigh Russell Aline Templeton Participating moderator: Ruth Dudley Edwards You can see the full programme on the Crimefest web site , and I hope to have a few photographs from the event to post here next week.

On Saturday 30 April I was delighted to announce the winner of the Young Crime Writers' Competition 2011 for the southern area at  an awards ceremony at Portsmouth Central Library, and present certificates to the shortlisted entrants from across the south. George Neame, (16) from Bognor Regis, West Sussex was awarded first prize for his entry The Photograph and will now go forward for the National finals in June. George Neame, winner of the Southern Region Young Crime Writers Competition 2011 Ewan Murphy (10) from Winchester was Highly Commended for his entry Schoolhouse Murder. I shortlisted fifteen young writers aged between eleven and seventeen from a total number of entries of one hundred and twenty one that came from across the region including, Southampton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex. The competition was organised by the Crime Writers’ Association (CWA) of which I am a member and writers aged up to 18 were invited to submit ...

I'm delighted to be returning to Crimefest in May 2011 at the Bristol Royal Marriott Hotel and will be on a panel discussion on Friday 20 May at 9am.   Crimefest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. It is now one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar and draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world. It follows the format of US conventions and includes interviews, panels, a gala dinner, and one or two surprises. On Friday, 20 May between 9.00am and 9.50am I will be discussing Operation Petticoat: Jobs For The Girls? with fellow crime writers, Linda Regan, Leigh Russell, Aline Templeton and Ruth Dudley Edwards.  We'll be talking about the role of women in crime novels and as crime authors, and no doubt lots of other things 'criminal' in between. All my marine mystery crime novels and thrillers are written from the male ...

I'm delighted to be returning to Crimefest in 2011 and I'm looking forward to meeting crime fiction fans from all over the World and some of my fellow crime writers at this very popular annual crime convention.  CRIMEFEST will be held at the Bristol Royal Marriott Hotel from 19 - 22 May 2011.  It is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. First organised in June 2008, CRIMEFEST is now one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar. The annual convention draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in an informal atmosphere. It follows the format of US conventions and includes interviews, panels, a gala dinner, and one or two surprises. I'm not sure which panel I will be on yet, when and with whom but will certainly post the details here and they'll be on my official web site as soon as...

Three more appearances and talks to come before the year draws to a close. On 27 November I will be at Waterstones in Portsmouth between 12 noon and 2pm signing copies of my crime novels or just chatting to readers and anyone else who happens to pass by and is foolish enough to give me eye contact! Then on 15 December I will be travelling to Broad Chalke in Salisbury to give a talk to the Women’s Institute, which is followed by a trip across the water to the Isle of Wight on 21 December to give a short talk and present the prizes to the adult winners of The Wight Fair Writers Circle, A Winter Short Story Writing Competition. Two of my crime novels are set on the Isle of Wight: Blood on the Sand , an Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery police procedural and In For The Kill , a stand alone thriller. If you’d like further information about the competition you can contact Carol Bridgestock, herself an accomplished crime writer at carolbridgestock@hotmail.com Then it’s looking ahead to...

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 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 was also thrilled to meet the very accomplished actor, Brian Murphy. He's appeared many times on British television, including in the comedy series, George and Mildred and The Last of the Summer Wine . And I particularly liked him in Booze Crew with Martin Clunes, Neil Pearson and Ben Whishaw. What's more he was born at one of my favourite places, the Isle of Wight, and lived in Portsmouth, both of which are where my crime novels are set. I met my fellow crime writers (from left to right) Linda Regan, Lindsey Davis, J.D. Goodhind, (me) and Neil White in the Green Room, a rather dark basem...

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 is an International convention attracting crime fiction fans, crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the World. It is supported by The Times and Blackwells. CrimeFest runs from 20-23 May 2010 and takes place at the Royal Marriott Hotel, Bristol. Click here for the full programme.

Avid crime fiction readers and crime writers in particular will welcome the news that The Times has linked with CrimeFest for 2010 to provide media coverage for this exciting convention. The Times will also be covering the Crime Writers Association (CWA) Dagger awards, which includes the CWA Dagger in the Library.  I was long listed for the Dagger in the Library Award in 2008, a fact I discovered by accident from the Internet.  However, unbeknown to me, I was not meant to tell anyone, don't ask me why, but it's some kind of big secret until the shortlist is announced.  I got slapped knuckles for broadcasting my joy at being put forward by librarians in the UK, and I still detect an icy wind blowing in my direction from certain quarters of the CWA.  Still they didn't expel me so that's something I suppose. Anyway to get back to CrimeFest .  For those of you who haven't heard of it it was first organised in June 2008 and has become one of ...

I’ve just returned from giving two talks in Cornwall where the sun was shining, the sea was blue and the crowds were flocking to St Ives, which was my first port of call on Tuesday morning at 11am. I met some delightful people as always and my heartfelt thanks to them for listening to me talking about how I write and for buying my books. After a quick sandwich lunch sitting in the cemetery overlooking the bay it was about an hour’s drive to St Austell Library where, once again, I met some lovely people, answered questions about my marine mystery crime novels and signed books before setting homewards. Not a bad trip back to the Solent area except that the drive belt (I think that’s what it’s called) on my Ford Scorpio decided it had had enough travelling for one week and snapped. No power steering (how on earth did we manage before) no air conditioning and a battery light that stayed ominously on making me wonder if we stopped whether we would ever get going again. But we arrived ho...

I'm lubricating my throat and polishing off my speeches in anticipation of my forthcoming talks, which start with my Pink Ladies Lunch at The Intercontinental Hotel, Park Lane, London (pink champagne will be served whilst raising money for breast cancer awareness) on Friday 8 May, followed by a visit to St Ives Library and St Austell Library in Cornwall on 12 May and finishing with an appearance at Crimefest in Bristol on Friday 15 May. It's always interesting to meet new people and to answer their questions about writing and to discuss with them my crime and thriller novels. I'll be posting some photographs from these events to this blog and to my Facebook page as well as to the other social networks to which I belong including Goodreads, Redroom and Crimespace. If anyone reading this blog is attending any of the above events then I look forward to meeting you. Hythe Library is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its move to the current building in May. I was delighted to...

I've just had it confirmed that I will be a guest author on one of the panels at the international crime convention, CRIMEFEST at the Bristol Royal Marriott Hotel on 15 May. CrimeFest is a convention for people who like to read an occasional crime novel as well as for die-hard fanatics. Following the hugely successful one-off visit to Bristol in 2006 of the American convention Left Coast Crime, the hosts were encouraged to continue with a similar annual event and created CRIMEFEST.First organised in June 2008, CRIMEFEST is quickly becoming one of the most popular dates in the crime fiction calendar. The annual convention draws top crime novelists, readers, editors, publishers and reviewers from around the world and gives delegates the opportunity to celebrate the genre in an informal atmosphere. CRIMEFEST follows the format of US conventions and includes interviews, panels, a gala dinner, and one or two surprises. The programme is made up out of panels, interviews, reading groups, ...