At school, were you good at English?
No, very average. I loved the reading element, and the composition (despite the red pen comments when it was returned), but didn’t much like analysing the classics, probably because I was trying to work out what I should say, rather than what I thought. I’m rubbish at writing reviews too!
Where do your ideas come from?
Mainly real life, which is then exaggerated, twisted, and enhanced. My storylines have come from news articles, overheard conversations, someone I’ve met who was just waiting to be a murderer or worse, a victim. I observe what’s happening and ask myself, What if? Why? How? Then it’s – ooh, that might work – and away I go.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?
Absolutely a pantster, I’ve tried so hard to plot a book. It starts well, then the characters take me where they will and the original plan goes out of the window. With my series, I always know the why, but rarely know the who. The books I most enjoy always have me jumping from one suspect to another. I’m always let down when it’s obvious too early in the story. So I try to dish up several suspects, and then I decide in the final chapters who it was. I work on the basis, if I didn’t know, then the reader might not either.
For your own reading, do you prefer e-books or paper books?
I love paper books; I enjoy seeing rows of them on shelves, and browsing through them – but I’m now firmly in the ebook camp, mainly because of the weight, as I read in bed. They are also easier to cart around, and I can at last take more books than I can ever read on holiday. I also rarely read a book twice. There are so many books out there to be read, and there are just not enough years available.
Do you think the cover plays an important part of the buying process?
Everyone tells me yes, but I’m torn. I’ve seen some horrible covers (mainly homemade) and wondered what on earth the author was thinking, and moved on. So, yes. And I know certain genres require a ‘look’, but personally I get fed up with covers that look just like all the others in that genre. I have never ever bought a book because of the cover. So, no. It’s either a recommendation, a clever ad which made me click and read the bumph, or a favourite author that makes me part with money.
What are your views on social media?
For authors, a necessary evil. I waste hours on FB sometimes. I pop on to do a quick post and several hours later emerge very cross with myself, and usually having bought even more books. Before publishing, I never used it. I believed life was far too short to worry about what someone ate for dinner, or to read ill informed posts on the latest political/news/celeb story. I have learned to scroll past these now. In theory, I it should be a good thing, especially for lonely or isolated people. In practice, I think it’s a dangerous place to be for the innocent, or the easily led. I also think more people should learn how to scroll past articles if they only have something nasty to say. Constructive criticism is one thing, if it’s requested. Believing you’re always right is quite another. The world is in a mess. Life can be stressful and tough. So be nice, give someone a helping hand, not a slap, or move on.
How long do you spend on research before starting your books?
Very little, if any. If the storyline is key to something I know little about, I will research it as much as is necessary to make sure I can make the story work. If I know enough to start writing without worrying about it, I write. Then when I get to that section, I do the research so it’s fresh in my mind. (I’m rubbish at taking notes that make sense.) This can be time consuming if it’s an interesting subject. I can get a little lost down rabbit holes and learn things that will never appear in the story because I’m interested in the subject.
What is the first book to make you cry?
A Kind of Loving by Stan Barstow. In our school library, we had books marked with a red dot if you needed to be in the 6th form to borrow them. This was one of them, but I borrowed it without the librarian noticing the red dot. (Naughty, I know). I was thirteen, and it was the first book I’d read that didn’t have a happy, or at least satisfactory, ending. I felt so horrified for the couple, and I couldn’t accept the interference from the mother. Now I realise this was simply real life in the sixties, and understand why the school put an age limit on it, of course.
Are your books standalones or in a series?
Mainly series, the most popular of which is the Meredith & Hodge series, I’m currently working on book 15. I leave it for a while, but always go back when I’ve got an idea for something new out of my system. I loved writing the Bearing Witness series, as it was still a murder/mystery, but with a difference. There will definitely be more from the Bearing ladies. I also had fun with the more cozy Little Compton Mysteries, decided it would be a three books and done series. This was the closest I’ve come to plotting. But I’m now getting emails asking when the next one is due, so I suppose I should never say never. I’m just looking for those illusive extra hours in the day! I’ve written a few standalone stories, too.
How can readers discover more about you and your work?
I have all the usual social media accounts, but I’m not good at posting regularly. It tends to go in fits and starts. So I would say my website, which I try to get to at least once a month. https://mkturnerbooks.co.uk