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.




Thursday, June 16, 2011

Covers!

So Cogito told me that they are working on a cover for THE VASE. Now that is exciting. I know that covers are very important. A lot of people buy books based on the cover! I know when I was a kid, I did that. Of course, THE VASE is not a kid's book, but still the importance of a cover cannot be understated.

Here is one of the greatest covers of all time:



And here's another:

















And another:













Of course, these are all Conan covers, and they are painted by, imo, the greatest artist of the 20th Century, Frank Frazetta. And when I was a kid, boy did those covers ever work! How could a boy NOT want to read about the guy on those covers? Unfortunately, Frank Frazetta passed away recently, which was truly a loss to society.

But from what I know of Cogito and Transit, they mostly go with photography for their book covers, and since Frank's not around anymore, that's just as well. I've seen the Cogito/Transit covers, and I think they're all great. So I'm sure they'll come up with something perfect for THE VASE. Can't wait to see it.

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