A life of Crime-writing

When Pauline Rowson studied for a Marketing diploma at the University (the then Southampton Institute) she had no idea she would move into maritime murder mysteries. But now she has an international readership spanning Asia, South Africa and the USA and has been shortlisted for the World Book Day Prize 2008. 

Pauline, 52, started writing as a child, and credits Enid Blyton for inspiring her to pick up her pen. But her first career as a marketing and public relations manager gave her the extra skills to kick-start her writing career more than 20 years ago. She said:  

"I was juggling my full-time work with weekend writing. It was a slow process but my background in public relations helped me to be disciplined and organised. I'm still using those skills now – and they've helped me to keep on track and publish five books in the last two years."

She added: "I started writing historical sagas, but I couldn't get them published. It was when I turned my attention to crime fiction that I became successful. I was living by the Solent and I was inspired by the marine industry. I wrote about wealthy yacht owners and fishermen and I set my scenes around the sea."

Pauline's five watery-themed bestsellers - which have given rise to a newly identified genre, 'marine mysteries' – regularly feature in best read promotions, while In Cold Daylight was short listed for the World Book Day Prize 2008.