Guest Post: What Makes a Great Book with Nicki J Markus

Today, we have a great author with us by the name of Nicki J. Markus! I want to thank her for agreeing to write up this great guest post, but before we get to that, lets meet Nicki shall we? 

Nicki J Markus – Biography

Nicki J Markus was born in England in 1982, but she now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages. She has completed a BA (hons) English with French from the University of Greenwich, London and a PGDip in Translation from the University of the West of England, Bristol. She is currently studying for diplomas in Editing and Publishing.

 

Nicki J Markus launched her writing career in 2010 and her fiction work has been accepted for e-book publication by both Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing. She has also done editing work for both these publishers.

In her spare time, Nicki J Markus also enjoys many other creative pursuits including music, theatre, photography, sketching and web-design. She also has a keen interest in history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling and travel.

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Alright, lets see what Nicki J. Markus thinks makes a great book.  

What Makes A Great Book?

When Ali asked me to write on this topic, I put my thinking cap on and tried to decide what it is about a book that makes me want to read it again and again?

Of course, it is easy to get bogged down in technicalities during a review, wondering if the book was well structured and paced. Was the dialogue stilted? Were the characters well-rounded? Was it original or a take-off of another work? Did the POV remain clear?

But perhaps we can reach a better understanding of what makes a good book if we forget the technical aspects and concentrate on our emotional response.

Now, I am not suggested a book is only great if it moves us to tears or makes us cry out loud. Rather, I think a book could be considered great if it is one that stays with us in some way. Perhaps it did provoke a deep emotional response—there are books that have had me sobbing away, making my husband ask me what’s wrong—and it is that emotional memory that haunts us when we think of the book.

Some people may experience this response because the book resonates with them on a personal level, due to some real-life experience. Or else, like me, some people are just highly empathetic and the sadness or happiness of others will set them off.

Or, the book may simply cause us to think about something we have never considered before. If a book introduces you to a concept that you’ve not come across in the past but which appeals to you on some level, then it is a book that you will always remember and consider ‘great.’

There are plenty of books out there (I won’t name any for fear of offending fans) that are poorly masked copies of other stories or that are badly written; and yet they have gained huge fan bases and have become beloved volumes that now frequently make their way into lists of ‘books to read before you die’ etc.

These books are not considered to be great for their technical merit and none are going to win any major literary awards, but they have touched people, sparking recommendations to friends and, through that, more sales. Series such have Harry Potter have generated new readers at a time many feared that young people were no longer reading as much, doing great service both to the readers and the publishing community.

It is easy to judge what is great by using a set of rules for ideal writing, but at the end of the day perhaps greatness should be measured by the emotion a book brings out in us. The books that touch our hearts are the ones we will remember for the rest of our lives.

 

Day-Walker Blurb

When Darci spots a mysterious stranger at her latest concert, she is instantly smitten. Will is the perfect gentleman and seems to be everything she has been waiting for. But Will has a terrifying secret and soon Darci finds herself in grave peril. Will her love for him give her the strength she’ll need to prevail against overwhelming odds?

Will is drawn to Darci Madison from the moment she steps out onto the stage. He knows he shouldn’t approach her, knows his secret could put her in danger if he gets too close. But he also realizes that he cannot live without her. When his enemies learn of Darci’s existence and emerge from the shadows, Will must fight to save the woman he loves ... even though it may require the ultimate sacrifice.

For deep in the night, creatures are stirring in the darkness; creatures that long to infiltrate the light.

Thanks again Nicki for joining us today and for being my first guest post of the year! Make sure you all watch for my review of her novela Day-Walker very soon on the blog!