Red Light, Green Light: WE LOVE LIBRARIES free-tique contest

ALL RLGL ROUNDS ARE NOW OFFICIALLY CLOSED. Thanks for playing, everyone!

If you miss any round, YOU CAN ENTER THE RACE AT ANY TIME. You never know how this will turn out. Also, the results of each round are posted anonymously and your work will not be shared with anyone besides Cynthea and Snoop.

Snoop will also be giving feedback on entries submitted after the race is over, regardless of the entrant’s standing in the race.

Authors on the Verge: Meet Mark Fink, young adult novelist

Mark Fink, author of STEPPING UP

This week, we’re celebrating the fabuloso Mark Fink. Mark wrote and produced for television, doing shows for every major network, including Full House, Saved By The Bell, Growing Pains and many others.

Snoop says, “KEWL!”

Mark also created and produced the NBC teen comedy Hang Time, about a high school basketball team in Indiana. This show allowed him to enjoy two of his passions: comedy and basketball.

Authors on the Verge: Meet J.C. Phillipps, picture book author-illustrator

J.C. Phillipps

This week, we have the phenomenal J. C. Phillipps, who goes by Julie in regular non-author life. Julie has degrees in theater and art. She never took courses in writing or illustration, but realized her playwriting experience and art background might mesh well into picture books. Because she was twenty-five at the time and the thought of writing picture books seemed like something an older person might do – she bought a leather jacket instead.

Q: What does high-concept fiction mean?

A: When I think of high-concept fiction, I think of blockbuster-movie-kind-of-fiction. If you’ve got a “coming of age” story, where everyone is a regular human being that goes to a normal school, the girl breaks up with a bad boyfriend, but then realizes she was worthy without him, then that’s probably not high-concept.

First Great “Haul of China” winner announced, are you next?

Heads up, everybody. The First Great Haul of China winner was announced at http://www.cynthealiu.com. One lucky contestant gets to take home a genuine Terra Cotta warrior souvenir straight from Xi’an, an autographed copy of THE GREAT CALL of China … AND… a gift certificate to Amazon.com. ARE YOU NEXT?! If you have not entered, you have until tomorrow, March 1st, 11:59PM CST. http://www.cynthealiu.com.  P.S. EVERYONE TAKES HOME A SWEET PARTY FAVOR.