M.K. Turner's Blog: M K Turner, page 3
August 30, 2023
Caption Winners!
A massive thank you to all the entrants, and those who voted. I hope you enjoyed this spot of fun, and so, without further ado, the winners of the £10 Amazon vouchers for the winning entries, are:
With 41% of the vote: Connie Matthews!
“Life is like a flower, you grow, you bloom, then along comes a lawn mower . . . .”
With 46% of the vote: Angela Heron!
Him: “Ello Darling.” Her: “OMG! I hope that’s his truncheon”
With 31% of the vote: Carol Franck!
“This sure doesn’t look like Kansas, Toto!”
Congrats to one and all, I will be in touch shortly with your vouchers.
That’s it for now, I’ve had some lovely emails from you on this series, which have been gratefully received. Thank you, I will be back in Little Compton, but not for a while. I’ve just started working on the first book in a new detective series: An Ill Wind, not sure of the series name yet. I’ll keep you posted. I’ll be back soon with a snippet of the new Meredith & Hodge, Chance Encounters. Due out 7th October, and currently with editor, Sharon, who has been very quiet . . .
Happy reading,
August 27, 2023
Little Compton Captions – You choose :)
Hello,
I’ve been quite overwhelmed by the responses to the caption competition and I’ve spent the last two hours trying to decide the winners – I can’t do it. So I’ve chosen my favourite from each one: The Murder, The Abduction & The Burglar, and I’ve made a quiz so you can choose.
Here’s a reminder of the images:
And here’s the survey, simply select your favourite option for each one and click done. CHOOSE CAPTION
You have until Midnight on Monday to vote – I’ll be back with the winners of the $10 vouchers on Tuesday! Hope they make you smile too!
Before I go, a huge thank you to all those of you who have left reviews for the Little Compton Mysteries, and of course any book you read. It really does make a difference. THANK YOU!
Happy reading,
August 25, 2023
The Burglar is here!
Good Morning,
I’m delighted to confirm that The Burglar is live, and could be in your home as I type!
Tom and Liz find themselves up against it in this one, as past troubles, and new issues, hinder their quest to find out who The Burglar is.
Your copy should be sitting on your e-reader right now, but if you’ve not ordered it yet, simply click HERE. The first review is in, and WOW! This reader certainly enjoyed it, I have a huge smile on my face.
Do let me know what you think. I love hearing from you. My beta readers are telling me I should do at least another one in the series, and who knows, I might venture back to Little Compton in the future. But for now I’m in Frampton Down with JJ Jenson, and as always there’s a murder or two solve. But more about this new detective soon.
One more day to get your captions in. Remember, there’s a $10 Amazon vouchers for the best one, and a signed copy of The Burglar for the overall winner. Some of them have really made me laugh.
That’s it for now, happy reading,
August 23, 2023
Life is full of surprises & chance encounters!
Chance Encounters is with the editor and goes live on 7th October, and it has one of my favourite covers. When I contacted designer Lindsay for a new cover, I gave her some locations mentioned in the book, but we struggled to find what we were looking for. Lindsay took to Facebook. I’m so glad she did, because we had a chance encounter ourselves, with a lovely chap, Adrian Wyatt. Not only did Adrian provide us with the perfect cover for Chance Encounters, he is also a
really interesting man who’s led quite a life.
Today, Adrian is a professional photographer, but Adrian began his career as a police officer, serving for 30 years. For the last 18 years, he was a detective dealing with complex and sensitive cases. After retiring in 2010, Adrian worked in the faith community, both as a minister and a missionary. But five years ago, he found himself in a dark and troubling place and paid for the therapy needed to help him. Diagnosed with Complex PTSD and a chronic lack of self-worth, Adrian was encouraged to use photography and journalling to express what was inside, and photography became a healer. Here is an example of Adrian’s work:
“I see darkness differently.
I respect it but don’t fear it
It has an energy
One that draws me in
It is one that says come learn
It is a place of discovery,
It is a place of growth,
It is not that place of horror
It is a playground of imagination
It is not the place of screams
But laughter and play.
It is never static
But moves and dances
It is all these things
For the one who leaves fear aside
Who respects the entrance
Who steps in to play.”
Having travelled through such dark tunnels, Adrian recognised the benefits of creativity in photography and left his job to become self-employed. Unfortunately, lock down came a few
days later. Undeterred, Adrian used this opportunity to learn, and to run online photography for well-being courses for adults with learning disabilities.
Today, Adrian runs photography courses aimed at well-being, including Mindful Photography, Photographic Journalling, and Photography Walks. He is passionate about keeping prices lower than average as a way of sharing the healing he found behind the lens.
His personal passion is street photography at night, and he continues to explore the nature of darkness and contrast in his images.
If you would like to know more about Adrian, his work, and his classes, you can find him here:
If you fancy trying a photography course get in touch with Adrian!
That’s it for now. I’m off to battle with some advertising.
Happy reading
All photographs on this page are ©xrosspurposes
August 21, 2023
Say what?!
Hello from muggy Bristol!
Here’s the image for caption competition number 3. You don’t have to have read the books to enter, and as these are cozy, they can be as off beat or jocular as you like. I can’t wait to read them. I have really enjoyed reading your efforts on the others, with quite a few giggles, and I’m having a hard time choosing a winner – I might need your help!
The prize is a $10.00 Amazon voucher for each winning caption. In addition, the overall winner will receive a signed copy of The Burglar. Entries in by the 27th August please. To enter simply hit the contact button or comment below.
That’s it for now, only six days to go, until The Burglar is live, but you can preorder Here.
Happy reading
August 19, 2023
Guess what just happened?
Good Afternoon from a stormy Bristol!
It’s done. Chance Encounters #14 of the Meredith & Hodge series went live for preorder on Amazon!
If you want to know what it’s about, and place your order, you may do so HERE.
Look at that cover. This is a night shot of St Nicholas Market, in Bristol – I’m over the moon with it. Talented local photographer Adrian Wyatt (@xrosspurpose) kindly gave us permission to use it. What an interesting man. I’ll tell you more about Adrian soon.
Today I’m going to tell you whose characters got to star in Chance Encounters, in no particular order:
DI Grace Slaney from Kathy Froelich
Terry Jevens & Blair Unsworth from Lee Beddow
Alison Lone – Susana Duarte
Congratulations and thank you! It’s been fun working with your creations. I might have tweaked a few bits to fit the story, but they’re there, mainly messing Meredith & Hodge about! I’ll be contacting you regarding your $10 Amazon voucher, and I have acknowledged your contribution in the book.
Back soon, with the next caption competition, I have to say you have given me some giggles, you naughty lot!
Happy reading
August 17, 2023
I beg your pardon?
Hello from sunny Bristol,
As promised, I’m back. Here’s the second in the caption competition, to celebrate the early release of The Burglar. Don’t forget there’s a $10.00 Amazon voucher for the best entry for each of the competitions, as chosen by me. Although, I have to say I had some crackers on the first one, so I might need help to choose it! The overall winner of the three competitions will also receive a signed copy of The Burglar.
All you need to do to enter is reply to this email with what these characters might be saying – it doesn’t have to relate to the book itself. Entries must be in by 27th August and my decision is final. Remember, your entries can be as serious or jocular as you like.
I’m quite excited by this one as I’ve had some fabulous feedback from the beta team.
That’s it for now. I’ll be back shortly with some exciting news about Meredith & Hodge.
Happy reading
August 11, 2023
What did you say?
Good morning,
I have news! My lovely editors, Sharon & Jill, have put down their red pens and returned The Burglar. It’s now with the beta readers and I have brought forward the publication date to 26th August 2023. All the lovely readers who have pre-ordered will awake to find it waiting on your kindle earlier than expected.
To celebrate, we’re going to have a couple of competitions in the run up to its release, all based on the covers of The Little Compton Mysteries. You don’t have to have read any of the books to take part, and remembering these are cozy mysteries, please feel free to be as serious, amusing or as offbeat as you like.
There are four altogether, so I’ll be sharing a new one every five days or so, ending of course with The Burglar. There will be a £10 Amazon voucher for the winner on each, and the overall winner will also receive a signed copy of The Burglar. All you need to do is reply to this email with the caption number, and what you think the character is saying. I will choose my favourites and reveal all once The Burglar has gone live. Thinking caps on, I’m looking forward to this.
All entries must be received by 27th August 2023 –
The Murder : Caption 1 – What did you say?
That’s it for now. I’d better get back to writing. I’ve promised Sharon the first draft of Chance Encounters, the latest M & H, by the end of the week!
Happy reading,
July 22, 2023
You would tell me, wouldn’t you?
Good Morning,
It’s a typical summer’s day here in England. Grey skies, threats of gales, and lots of rain! My son and his family are camping in Devon, and
despite the weather, we’re getting lots of pictures of them having fun. I thought I’d share a few. Because I have no interest in getting wet, here I sit, writing. Writing what? I hear you cry, or at least I hope I do. This morning I started on chapter ten of the latest Meredith & Hodge – and as always, a line from the narrative gave me the title. #14 will be Chance Encounters. In this one it’s all go for the CCRT with lots happening, and amid all that, 
Meredith goes off poking around in a possible miscarriage of justice. Will he never learn?
In other news, as requested, a boxed set is now available for Meredith & Hodge 10 – 12 you can find that HERE. Sharon is romping on with the edit of The Burglar, (I hope – she’s been very quiet) so we’re still on course for a September launch. Lee and Perdita have finished the audio version of The Murder. I loved listening to it, and hope you do too. Let me know if you would like a code for a free download, it should go live in the next week.
But none of that is why I’m here. I’m here to ask you to shout should you come across a typo or error in one of my books. You would tell me, wouldn’t you?
This week, a lovely reader in Canada wrote to me, to say she was enjoying reading the Meredith & Hodge series, but she’d noticed some typos, which she found distracting. Those of you who have been around since the beginning, know how useless I am at most things technical. Even accepting amendments from the editors, (which couldn’t be simpler). But my trusted Beta readers usually pick up those that slip through. This was a boxed set, which throws up a lot of possibles. I put the boxed sets together,
months or years after publication, so there’s a strong chance that I’ve uploaded the wrong documents. Again. I know everyone makes mistakes. Even my favourite authors. Last night my bedtime reading was a Val McDermid, and in the very first chapter it used the word single instead of signal. But, although my editors, Sharon and Jill, do their best with me, the end product is down to me clicking all the right buttons. So, here I am, asking that you let me know if you spot anything. Correcting the odd typo doesn’t take long. I can amend the documents on Amazon fairly easily (especially now I delete the old ones.) If you notice a typo, please shout and help another reader have a better experience, and make a harassed writer’s life easier.
That’s it for now, I’d better get back to Meredith & Hodge.
Happy reading,
Image from Freepik.com
July 4, 2023
Roll up, roll up – I’m asking again
Hello, and welcome new subscribers,
I’m glad to report that following on from my last newsletter, the plot of The Burglar continued to flow, and reached its conclusion. The question is: Will you will like that conclusion? I will go back to Little Compton next year, and when I do, I’ll ask you to let me know what you think might happen, or if I should leave well alone! The manuscript is now with Sharon, the editor, and I’ve booked, Jill, the proofreader. Who knows, with a fair wind, it might even get published a little earlier. If you want to pre-order you copy, you can do so HERE. Before I leave the subject of Little Compton, I must just say I’ve just listened to the first four chapters of the audio version of The Murder. Some characters surprised me, but I LOVED it! Perdita really brings Liz to life. You audio listeners are in for a treat. I’ll keep you posted about when it will be available.
As I am free to do as I please for a couple of days, I’m catching up on stuff I put off. One of those being to update
the ‘Work in Progress’ section – it was last updated on Valentine’s Day! When I got there, I remembered all about poor old Rosie Webber & the Bearing Witness ladies. Their stories are sitting in a file on the laptop somewhere, but as the update says, a vague outline of Meredith & Hodge‘s next case is shouting the loudest, so that’s my next project. I don’t even have a working title yet, but I’ll beef up the outline a little, write the opening scene, and hopefully I’ll be off and running.
That brings me nicely to the purpose of this newsletter. When I asked for suggestions for characters to be included in The Burglar, I got some crackers. Now Axel Wagner, Michelle Neale, and Geoff O’Brien are now living, breathing, residents of Little Compton. Next time I go back there, I’m sure they will at least make a cameo appearance. BUT now I’m after characters for the next M & H. So, if you’re feeling creative, get your thinking caps on and send in your suggestions. I’d like: Name, age, occupation (if any), personality, any family you want me 
to know about, any secrets they might be hiding. (Can even be you if you like). I can’t promise I won’t have to tweak them a little, but those selected will appear alongside Meredith & Hodge. I will acknowledge your contribution in the book, and a £10 Amazon voucher will be yours as a thank you.
I don’t know how many I’ll use because I’m still at the planning stage, and however nice they seem to be, I can’t promise that it won’t be your character ‘whodunnit’. Email me by hitting the contact button above. Can’t wait to meet some new characters.
That’s it for now, I have to get my own thinking cap on!
Happy Reading,
M K Turner
- M.K. Turner's profile
- 77 followers
