Have a say in who gets published

Nine contestants, including two high school students, a world-renowned power engineer, a songwriter and veteran entertainer, a former Charlotte County School District Teacher of the Year, an Arcadia storyteller, a retired UL inspector, a one-time hermit and a civil servant comprise the semifinalists in the “So You Think You Can Write” competition.

And readers have a say in who gets published.

The contestants’ work is posted on www.mybookbroker.com. Readers can go to the site, click on the contest icon, and read the entries.

Votes for a favorite author will then be collected at soyouthinkyoucanwrite@ live.com. The winner of the “So You Think You Can Write” competition will be announced at the Holiday Book Festival on Thursday, Dec. 17. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at which time attendees get a final chance to vote. Samples of the contestants’ work and ballots will be available. The festival will feature live music, dancing, interactive writing games and workshops on storytelling, poetry crafting, mystery writing, publishing and memoir writing. Local authors will also be available for book discussions and autographs.

The Holiday Book Festival is sponsored by the Cultural Center of Charlotte County and Book-broker Publishers of Florida LLC, who organized the contest.

For more information, call Donna Barrett at 625-4175, ext. 253 or James Abraham at 740-3071. ¦