Mark Fine

THE AUTHOR, Mark Fine was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has made the United States his home since 1979, living in New York, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. For well over a decade he headed an award-winning record label that he founded, called Hammer & Lace, that united non-profit organizations with world-class celebrity and music talent to create benefit albums and entertainment events to raise awareness and funds in aid of breast cancer research, at-risk children, the blind, freedom of speech, and wildlife conservation. For these philanthropic initiatives Mark was voted by Variety magazine as the “Music Executive with 20/20 Vision.” He has also contributed articles to entertainment industry publications, and conducted public speaking engagements at media and charity events. The oncology community has honored Mark for his innovative, entertainment-based approach to health education. But he is especially proud of his "Paws of Fame" award he received from The Wildlife Waystation for support and commitment of animals worldwide. As such, animals always make an appearance in Mark Fine's writings. Now he resides in the South Bay, where he lives with his two sons, and a neighborhood dog that drops in from time to time. There he wrote the historic romance novel, The Zebra Affaire. Set in apartheid South Africa, Mark brings an insider's perspective to the gripping account of a bi-racial couple's forbidden love. When asked to compare his career in the music industry to his new endeavor as an author, Mark Fine replied, "This is a wonderful new adventure for me. I've always been an integral part of the creative process, and had the privilege of working hand-in-hand with remarkably talented individuals. But my role was to enable, nurture and provide support to others, and it had plenty of rewards. However in writing this novel, for the first time I was the sole creator and it's given me a true appreciation of the solitary challenges of the creative process--and I've found it to be immensely satisfying." A story worth telling is the inspiration for his work, usually based on moments in history that both entertain and inform the reader, such as the gritty period of apartheid South Africa and elsewhere in sub-Sahara Africa. As a storyteller, Mark enjoys the notion of using fictional characters to lead the reader through periods of our past that are interesting, challenging, and instructive.