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This is a question that I often get asked by journalists, readers and people who attend my talks.  So I thought I'd give you a shortened version of my answer, below. I loved adventure and mystery novels when I was young, and this has continued throughout my adulthood with crime fiction. I adore heroes and I think most women do and most men want to be one. I like tough but caring men, which is probably why I married a man who was first an RAF police officer and then a fire fighter. My DI Andy Horton is modelled on a combination of many firemen I have met: strong, fit, cool, resourceful, fearless. Think of fires, 9/11, tube disasters and train crashes. It's the firemen who go in when everyone else is running away. They don't think twice at risking their lives. DI Horton is like this, he goes charging in risking his life, often when he shouldn't or when procedure tells him differently. He’s very much an action man and that’s another reason why he appeals to both men ...

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 crime novels set in the Solent area on the South Coast of England.  And Rob is doing his utmost to make me laugh! 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, more on that in future posts. I'm currently working on the seventh in the series.

I've just read on the Isle of Wight County Press web site that SPITBANK Fort in the Solent - yes Inspector Andy Horton's patch - could be transformed into a conference centre and luxury retreat.The new owner is bedding tycoon Mike Clare, who plans to spend £1.5 million refurbishing the fort into a luxury retreat with en suite bedrooms, and a function room for business and corporate use. What a great location for a murder mystery novel and I can just see Andy Horton and Superintendent Uckfield on board with Sergeant Cantelli solving a murder. I quote from the article in the County Press: "Mike Clare is founder of bed retailer Dreams, says ACAS, the body which brings warring sides together in industrial disputes, is interested in holding conferences there.The previous owners, a trio of investors, had been trying to turn it into a casino, clubbing venue, and hotel at the time it was sold to Mr Clare’s company, Clarenco. Those plans are now dead in the water."  My Go...

Last night, just as dusk had fallen, I peered into the garden to see at least two bats flying around. They were flitting about everywhere, making little calling noises, feeding on the insects in mid-air and fascinating to watch.  I wondered where they had come from, the garage, the house, the summer house?  Or perhaps a couple of barns in the fields nearby. It was lovely to see them and I certainly hope they come again. Perhaps they are living in my house, it's a possibility according to the  Bat Conservation website , which is well worth a visit. I've featured a bat in one of my Inspector Andy Horton crime novels .  I won't say which one, why or how because I don't want to give the plot away. This is Andy Horton country and the home of my marine mystery police procedurals. Above is a photograph of Langstone Harbour, about 200 yards from my house, looking across to Havant. Langstone Harbour features in a couple of Horton novels and in the forthcoming one Foo...

My fictional detective, Inspector Andy Horton's home patch of Portsmouth, England has reached the finals of the bid for the UK's City of Culture 2013. The neighbouring cities of Chichester and Southampton are also on the list of 14 final hopefuls, which is great news because the heroes in my stand alone crime thriller novels, In Cold Daylight and In For the Kill also visit those cities.  My novels are set on the South Coast of England. Portsmouth is my home town.  It is where I was raised and the primary setting for my contemporary marine mystery crime novels so I'm obviously going to be biased in rooting for it.  I am often asked why set my crime novels here?  Why not?  There is a belief in some publishing circles that only novels set in London are acceptable or will sell worldwide, but that is nonsense as many crime fiction fans know. Many are set in Yorkshire, Scotland, the Cotswolds and the West Country along with crime novels ...

I've just returned from a delightful visit to  Quarr Abbey , near Ryde, on the Isle of Wight as part of a specially-organised Christmas tour led by Father Luke Bell, who has written a book about the monks' daily routine, A Deep and Subtle Joy: Life at Quarr Abbey .  Along with me and my husband were approximately thirty people including a feature writer from the Daily Telegraph, who like us had crossed from the mainland.  She'd also travelled from London that morning while we only had a short drive to the Hovercraft before traversing the calm waters of the Solent.  There was also a photographer present from the Isle of Wight County Press. Quarr Abbey plays a small part in my forthcoming marine mystery crime novel, Blood on the Sand featuring my fictional detective, Inspector Andy Horton, which will be published in the UK in February 2010 and in America in April 2010. I won't say what part because I don't want to spoil the plot!  The tour as well as...

At this time of the year I like to look back over the year's major writing achievements and activities (before looking forward to the coming year) so I thought I'd do a quick round up of all that has happened regarding my writing in 2009.  Hope it doesn't bore you, but if it does you can always click off. February 2009 The Suffocating Sea , the third Inspector Andy Horton marine mystery crime novel, was published in trade paperback in February 2009. It was chosen as one of the Top Ten BEST OF BRITISH CRIME FICTION by The Book Depository, the fastest growing book distributor in Europe. I was on Angel Radio, Havant.  I was also on Wolf Radio, Wolverhampton talking about my crime novels and the unsolved murder of my Great Aunt Martha Giles who was killed fifty years ago, and my thwarted efforts to get the case re-opened. March 2009 The mass market paperback edition of Deadly Waters was published in March 2009. The second in the marine mystery seri...