Will iconic images recorded in the grooves of an ancient vase unite the Holy Land or rip it further apart?

THE VASE

A novel by Mark M. DeRobertis

Muhsin Muhabi is a Palestinian potter, descended from a long line of potters. His business is run from the same shop owned by his ancestors since the day his forebears moved to Nazareth. The region's conflict saw the death of his oldest son, and rogue terrorists are in the process of recruiting his youngest in their plot to assassinate the Pope and Israeli prime minister.

Professor Hiram Weiss is an art historian at Nazareth’s Bethel University. He is also a Shin Bet operative on special assignment. With the help of fellow agent, Captain Benny Mathias, he plans to destroy the gang responsible for the death of his wife and only child. He puts a bomb in the ancient vase he takes on loan from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.

Mary Levin, the charming assistant to the director of Shin Bet, has lost a husband and most of her extended family to recurring wars and never-ending terrorism. She dedicates her life to the preservation of Israel, but to whom will she dedicate her heart? The brilliant professor from Bethel University? Or the gallant captain who now leads Kidon?

Harvey Holmes, the Sherlock of Haunted Houses, is a Hollywood TV host whose reality show just flopped. When a Lebanese restaurant owner requests his ghost-hunting services, he believes the opportunity will resurrect his career. All he has to do is exorcise the ghosts that are haunting the restaurant. It happens to be located right across the street from Muhsin’s Pottery Shop.




Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Keep it Interesting

I talked about outlines yesterday, and I am glad I am following one for Killer Eyes, but as I write, I find myself bringing in so much more than what is on that outline.

For instance, my MC, Trent Smith, was trained in Japan by a man I revealed in my first book, Killer of Killers, to be a World War II veteran. Yes, he is very old now, pushing ninety, but still healthy and active, and although his appearances in KOK were in flashbacks, he has an active part in Killer Eyes.

What I didn't know until just now, however, was that he was at Nanking those many years ago. Yes, a Chinese Kung Fu expert, a woman, and one of the antagonists in Killer Eyes, (actually it is she from whom the title is derived,) has just infiltrated the Tokyo Dojo and attacked him, revealing, in her dialogue, that he was there, at Nanking, and she is not happy about it.

And all this time, I thought Shoji was a real nice guy with a sterling past. Goes to show what even an author may not know about his own characters until the sequel is written. Hoo boy.

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