M.K. Turner's Blog: M K Turner, page 2

So much to do. So little time.

Do you ever wonder what on earth you should do next? Not because there's nothing much happening, but because the to do list is so long, you simply don't know which way to jump! And what you really, really want to do is something not on the list.

That's been me over the last few months. A new book in the Meredith & Hodge series, Enough, about to launch. A work in progress, An Ill Wind, the first in the JJ Jenson series, needed a final edit. My new website was under construction. A+ content for Amazon was coming in from the designer needing approval. Audio chapters of Chance Encounters were coming in for proofing. Not forgetting promotions, newsletters, social media, and all life's usual day-to-day requirements. Dog walking, cooking, cleaning, shopping, school runs, the day job, and on and on.

I got there in the end. Some of it was by the skin of my teeth, other things had to wait (mainly the cleaning). Each day I asked my bleary-eyed self: What can't wait? What's most important today? What can do without my attention for a while? And then I did what I could.

Now it's done. This is being written on my new website - we'll see how my first attempt turns out. Enough has been published, An Ill Wind is with the editor, dogs have been walked etc., etc., etc. I might think about picking up a duster tomorrow.

Now I can do what I wanted to do all along. Start the next book! Do you know, I can't find that duster anywhere!

It's a tough life making stuff up for a living. How do you cope when there's too much on that to do list?

Season’s greetings I come bearing news . . .

Good Afternoon,

From a bitterly cold Bristol. Welcome new subscribers.

I’m pleased, not to mention very relieved, to confirm that Enough, #15 in the Meredith & Hodge series is with Sharon, the editor. Hopefully, it will wing its way to proofreader, Jill, early in the New Year and is on Amazon now for pre-order on 30th January 2024. You can order HERE. I would also thank those of you who have pipped me at the post and already ordered. I was quite surprised when I opened my reports this morning. You certainly don’t mess about! I’m guessing you want to know the names. . . I knew it – I was right!

Not only that, but the audio version of The Abduction, is now live. Please shout if you would like a free code to download. Thanks as always to the talented Lee Beddow & Perdita Lawton. You can listen to a sample here.

I am now going back to work with JJ Jenson and An Ill Wind. A serious, kindly, and soon to be private detective. I’m enjoying ‘meeting’ him. The very talented Lindsay has put together some covers for me, and I think we came to an agreement yesterday – more news on that to follow.

As we’re now in the run up to Christmas, and I went to my granddaughter’s nativity yesterday, so am feeling particularly festive, I’m going to be doing a few special offers, so I’ll keep you posted on that. Talking of post, for all of you who requested signed paperbacks as gifts, I would confirm they’ve been loaded on sleigh and should be with you in good time.

That’s it for now. I’ll be back with the first Christmas special offer shortly,

Happy reading (and shopping!)

Zombies, Rescues and Book Clubs

Good Afternoon,

From a dry and sunny moment in Bristol. I hope the sun shines where you are. I think we’ve had enough rain now!

So, why am I here? Because today a review really irritated me. So much so I stopped what I was doing to have a moan. You lovely lot got the short end of the stick, cos hubby is watching the football.

Authors of fiction need three things to make them happy. The first, and most important, are ideas. Without an idea to develop and play with, there is no story. Then, once their story has been told, they want someone to read what they’ve written, however nail bitingly nervous that might make them. But once read, they want feedback. I could list all the questions authors would like answered, but that’s not why I’m here. A simple ‘I loved it’ will lift the spirits, while if I’m honest, ‘I hated it’, would do, but cause a sigh and raise all the questions I haven’t listed in triplicate.

This morning an author friend came up in my social feed, and I realised and not seen any mention of the sequel to one of his crime thrillers I want to read. I went to Amazon to check if it had been published, and was disappointed to find it hadn’t. This particular author is a genre jumper, he writes thrillers, (good ones), humour, and post-apocalyptic horror. (I’m sure they’re good too, but I haven’t read them). Although I like to genre jump when reading, I avoid the latter genre. But I thought I’d take a peep, and I read the sample. It grabbed my interest, but was that enough to make me add to my overwhelming TBR pile? I wasn’t sure, so I scrolled to the reviews. Perhaps they would help. The book had a good average of 4.5 stars. Sometimes, Amazon shows the most popular positive and negative review at the top. They did on this occasion, and here I am.

I don’t write a review if I don’t enjoy a book, but accept that if everyone did that they would be worthless. So it’s fair play to give an honest opinion if you didn’t like it. If an author has used the wrong terminology or language for the story, fair point. Should they end on a cliffhanger and you don’t like it, have a moan. If loose ends aren’t tied up, say so. But if you’ve read a post-apocalyptic zombie horror story, is this one star review fair?

“ Seemed like this might be a good read from reading the premise, but the book was too implausible.”

The main reason I don’t like horror is because I don’t have the imagination for it. Every time a zombie, vampire, or werewolf appears, my brain says don’t be frightened, disgusted, or shocked, they don’t exist. But this review really wound me up. The reviewer had read the bumph and knew what was coming. I wish I knew them, as even without reading the book I’d have to ask which bit was implausible. Was it that a plague released upon the opening of a crypt? Perhaps that the undead stalked the earth looking for human food? Or maybe that humans survived, mainly underground, some of who worshiped the zombies, and ensured they were fed. Because that’s what the book is about. There’s a hero, of course, one who wants to live above ground, etc., etc., etc. All of this was in the bumph. So, knowing that what would have made it plausible? Who knows? They didn’t say.

So I suppose, what I’m trying to say is, there is a fourth thing the author might need, and that’s an explanation. Because, that review is like saying ‘I didn’t like the fact children were involved’, when the book was called The Kindergarten Kidnaps. Or ‘Too old-fashioned’ about a historical drama.

Moan over. That’s what made me cross this week, so I should also tell you what made me happy. One thing was the receipt of a box of chocolates and a bottle of wine, from a lovely young lady whose name I don’t know. The other week, hubby and I were watching the TV, and it was almost our bedtime when dogs were upset by banging outside. Long story short, this lovely young girl had locked herself out of her car with her keys in the ignition and she was trying to break-in. In his favourite, plush Tottenham dressing gown, he went out with a hammer and she gained access. But during the getting in process, she cut her hand. I wasn’t brave enough to venture into the street in my nightie, and came across her coming down the drive, hand held high, telling me, “I don’t do blood, I feel sick.”

I brought her inside, bandaged up her cut finger, badly, and then had to assure her mum, who was waiting for news, she was fine, and she didn’t need to come out. During my inexpert administrations, she told me she was a solicitor, and I told her I thought it was only police officers who looked young. We laughed because she was fine once I had cleaned up the blood. She was due in court first thing in the morning, and doubted she’d get much sleep because she knew her mum would turn up. This week she knocked on the door much earlier in the evening and we were dressed. She’d brought a gift to say thank you. She had a scar on her finger, as the wound had needed stitches, but tells me she could wag her finger in court the following morning. It was totally unnecessary, of course, but most welcome. What a lovely young lady. Restores one’s faith in human nature.

I also joined our local book club, it was fun and interesting in equal measure, more books have been added to my TBR, but as it’s homework they’ve jumped to the top of the list, and as a bonus I met some lovely ladies.

I’ll let you get back to your weekend,

Happy reading,

PS Yes, I have been writing, and I will now return to writing and not moaning!

Credits: Confused woman by Wayhomestudio on Freepik Rating Image by DilokaStudio on Freepik

Distractions, distractions, distractions. But…

Hello from a grey, damp and pretty miserable looking Bristol!

I got distracted! I subscribe to a lot of sites, and much as I want to read all the latest news from each, I tend to let them mount up in a file until I’m bored or I’m looking for something specific. Do you do that with my emails? Anyway, I digress. One of those sites is called Fantastic Fiction. Of course I follow myself, as you do if you’re an indie author. When Chance Encounters came out, they emailed me about the new release, and yesterday, I had a very unusual update on one of my favourite authors, Val McDermid, because she has a new book coming out. It’s called Lady Macbeth, it’s historical fiction, which is a change from her norm, and it doesn’t have a cover! I’m interested. So I click again. But it’s not available until May next year. I’m not sure if I’ll order it that far in advance. So a question for you:

Would you buy a book without a cover? A) Yes, if it’s a favourite author. B) Yes, I never take any notice of covers, or C) No.

Then I clicked over to my author page on Fantastic Fiction, and I liked what I saw. A lot. It is so much nicer and far easier to navigate an author’s work than Goodreads, or even Amazon. The only thing I would question would be the genre list at the end, but I’m guessing that’s what others have looked at who have followed me.

And here’s the thing that caused even more distraction. It’s given me some statistics that I’ve never worked out. Because having left the corporate world of stats and reports far behind me, I avoid stats unless absolutely necessary. Here’s what Fantastic Fiction told me, without having to do anything but scroll.

Misplaced Loyalty was the first book I published in 2012. There are 15 books, including the prequel, The Making of Meredith, in the Meredith and Hodge series. (I knew that, of course)

With Chance Encounters now live, I have published 25 books in 11 years (excluding boxed sets). That’s an average of 2 (and a bit) books a year. But here’s the one that amazed me. So far in 2023 I have written and published FIVE books. I thought it was four. (Yes, honestly.) I’d forgotten Error of Judgement came before The Little Compton Mysteries this year.

There are a couple of downsides to having clicked that link, apart from the distraction away from what I was doing. 1. As I’ve started writing two other novels, I’m now wondering if I can finish another one before the fireworks and bells herald in 2024. My sensible self says, ‘No, get real!’ My silly self says, ‘We’ll see. Why are you writing about stats when you should be writing the next one?’ and, 2. I’ve bought even more books from my favourite authors to add to the TBR pile. I think if I never bought another book and live to my mid-nineties, I might just get through them.

Image-by-yanalya-on-Freepik

To conclude: I went to look for something, got distracted by new books and the dreaded statistics, then ended up writing this to recommend you to subscribe to Fantastic Fiction, so you can easily find everything written by your favourite author. I feel I should add a word of caution. Tread carefully, it might (read will) cost you. Result: Several hours later, and I have to go back to my emails to find what I was looking for.

I’d better dash. My silly self is calling because before all this distraction I was working on the latest M & H Enough … who knows, I might make six!

Happy reading,

Image 1 & 3 by yanalya on Freepik

Image 2 by wayhomestudio on Freepik

And relax – it’s done

Hello, and welcome new subscribers,

It’s that time again, and if I had the energy, I’d do a jig, but I haven’t, so maybe tomorrow. Chance Encounters #14 in the Meredith & Hodge series is live! With the help of my lovely readers, giving me some fabulous characters to work with, this one flowed out onto the page. One of those characters was Grace Slaney, and beta reader, Kathy F, who created her, emailed me and said: “Grace is stirring the pot royally. Know I helped with her, but seriously, I was hoping that Meredith…” SPOILER ALERT – I can’t say more, or I might ruin it for you. When you get to that part, let me know what you think.

The Beta readers have thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope you do too. If you haven’t got your copy yet, you can grab it HERE.

Have a fabulous weekend, I recommend putting your feet up with a good book.

Happy reading,

The Countdown to Chance Encounters

Good Morning, from Sunny Bristol.

Only six days to go until 7th October and Chance Encounters is winging its way to those of you who have pre-ordered.

I’ve had most of the Beta reader reports in, and despite finding a few typos we had missed (thank you!), here’s what some of them said:

“OMG, it was so good. What an ending!!!! My only question is long do I have to wait for the next book? You kept me on the edge of my seat. I laughed & I cried.” Kim B.

“I Know I say this every time, but this one was a cracker. I really, really loved it. Lots of story, lots of pace, lots of content. It really zinged along. Couldn’t put it down. The Wrong Shoes is my personal favourite, but this one is going up there with it.” Angela H.

“I really enjoyed this one, it might be my favorite of the series (besides Meredith’s origin story The Making of Meredith) – Working on a five-star review.” Denise Z [image error]

“OMG Marcia – you did it again. No plot issues & cliffhangers everywhere…I think I’m going to reread it now – it was that good.” Kathy F.

Needless to say, I’m delighted, and I hope the rest of you will be too. You can order your copy by clicking HERE.

In other news: Not much writing has been going on lately. I’ve been dealing with daily chaos! I went on holiday, had a poorly husband…and then the builders arrived to sort out the back garden. It didn’t help that I was stuck on a plot issue in An Ill Wind, first in my new series, and I wanted to bottom it out, before I continued writing. (I usually ignore such issues until I get there.) Then, from nowhere, a new plot came to me for Meredith & Hodge #15. I know how I ended Chance Encounters, but I only had a vague idea of what happened next. That vague idea has gone out of the window, and yesterday I opened the laptop and off I went. I’m about to start chapter four of ENOUGH. I know who the suspects are, and why they did it. What I haven’t decided yet is who it was. So, no change there. I’ll keep you posted on progress. You never know I might work on both at the same time. I might give it a try.

That’s it for now, Sunday lunch to cook, and back to the writing before the builders return in the morning.

Happy reading,

Vicky Phoenix – Victim 2

In Chance Encounters, Meredith & Hodge have numerous cases on the go,here’s another excerpt for you. Louie Trump is heading up the murder of Vicky Phoenix, a visiting officer is asking why he chose it:

Grace walked across to Trump, who smiled and told her to pull up Tom Seaton’s chair to join him. Once settled, she opened her notebook and asked, “So, what case are you working on, and why did you choose it?”

“I chose the case of a murdered singer, Vicky Phoenix. She disappeared after a gig in town at The Bierkeller. There were few sightings of her once she’d left the venue. The case got lots of media coverage, but no joy. Vicky’s body was discovered two days later in Netham Park, a few miles away. Someone had given her a beating before a final and fatal blow to the side of the head killed her. CCTV footage of Vicky was found less than ten minutes after leaving the venue. It was the last sighting of her outside the bus station. Sad case, although aren’t they all? She was due to fly out on holiday with her partner. He had an airtight alibi. There were no suspects, and no obvious motive. It wasn’t a sexual attack.”

“When was this, and why did you choose it?” Grace asked.

“Two thousand and two, and because I heard her sing. She was good. Only the once about six months before she was killed. I wasn’t a fan, you understand, I was a student, it was a gig with cheap beer. But it was a connection of sorts, so I thought, why not?” Trump paused in his commentary. “You look confused, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

“I am. What a ridiculous way to choose a case. Patsy tells me she liked the victim’s face, and he was young, and now you’re telling me you felt a connection because you once heard her sing. Wouldn’t it be better to concentrate on cases that you believe you have a good chance of solving?”

“Oh, if only that were an option. The thing—”

Meredith had walked over to join them. “How many murder cases have you worked, Slaney?”

Grace shrugged. “Half a dozen. Why? What relevance has that got?”

Meredith ignored the question. “How did you choose them?”

“They weren’t cold cases, M…sir, they were fresh to the slab.” Grace smirked. “I’d say live, but not so much.”

“Did you solve them all?”

“No.” Grace shifted in her seat and avoided looking him in the eye. “You can’t win them all.”

“Why not? What did you do wrong?”

One hand on a hip, Grace turned to look at Meredith. “Nothing. There were…Oh, okay. Point made.” Grace felt the heat in her chest and hoped she wasn’t blushing. It was a long time since someone had had to point out the bleeding obvious to her.

I hope you enjoyed that. Only a few weeks until Chance Encounters is live on Amazon. You can get your copy by clicking HERE.

That’s it for today, have a great weekend.

Happy reading

The Murder – Limited Offer

Hello from a very sultry Bristol.

The Murder is on offer from 10th – 16th September only. If you’ve not yet read it, grab yourself a bargain while it’s only 0.99. It’s received some lovely reviews – Thank you!

“Brilliant book, a great read. I can definitely say I know someone who is just like Tom. It had me chuckling along with it. The characters are so like people you know, and I loved how he worked out who was responsible.”

I’ll be back next week with victim number two in Chance Encounters. Poor old Vicky.

Happy reading,

Meredith & Hodge 1 – 3

As promised, here’s the first amazing offer for those of you who have yet to meet Meredith & Hodge. The first boxed set containing: Misplaced Loyalty, Ill Conceived & The Wrong Shoes, is only 0.99 from 6th – 13th September.

Grab your copy now! Already read them? Please tell a friend and share your favourite duo.

That’s it for now, will be back at the end of the week with another offer.

Happy reading,

Harrison Bendle Victim 1

Hello from sunny Bristol,

With Chance Encounters, Meredith & Hodge #14, due to be released in a little over a month, I thought you might like a little teaser. As you know, Meredith and the CCRT work more than one case at a time, and in Chance Encounters, they are up to their ears in victims. Patsy opens her first cold case for review. Here’s an (unedited) extract of her introducing the case to the team:

A handsome youth dressed in a top hat and tails for his sister’s wedding smiled at them. A few blond curls rested on his forehead and his eyes shone with amusement as he laughed for the camera.

“Fifteen-year-old Harrison Bendle. Bright, sporty, no known enemies, wealthy background. His father is co-founder of a successful independent film maker, Star Train, based here in Bristol. On Friday the fifteenth of June nineteen-ninety, Harrison had cricket training at school’s sports ground. Afterwards, having given various excuses to their parents, he and a group of friends decided some Friday night fun was in order. They went to Whiteladies Road, bought some chips and cheap alcohol, and went back to the sports ground. There they ate their chips, drank a couple of bottles of cider, smoked a joint, and messed about as young men do. At around nine o’clock, the heavens opened with a spectacular summer storm, and they all headed for home. Harrison never arrived. His parents didn’t raise the alarm until eleven the next morning. They assumed he’d stayed at a friend’s house the night before because of the storm, which had lasted until midnight. Due to leave to visit the grandparents at ten-thirty, Evie Bendle, his mother, called around the group of friends. One after the other, they told her that Harrison hadn’t stayed with them. By eleven o’clock she was worried and insisted the police were called. At that early stage, it wasn’t taken too seriously, but because the father was a well-known and semi-public figure, they interviewed the friends. They each told the same story. The boys left the sports ground and split up on Redland Grove. The boy’s families confirmed that each of Harrison’s friends had arrived home at the time one would expect, having left the sports ground at nine. Five hours later, a dog walker found Harrison’s body. The walker’s dog had been trying to get underneath the veranda of the pavilion and he assumed it to be a fox. He had a look and saw the body. Someone had strangled Harrison with his own tie.”

A simple murder? Of course not. Life for Meredith & Hodge is never simple, and this case becomes more complicated the deeper they dig.

Chance Encounters: Available for pre-order HERE. I’m putting some books on offer soon, so keep an eye out if you like a bargain.

 

Happy reading