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.




Friday, July 15, 2011

Character Driven Novels

I am smoothly proceeding with John Dunn, and it's because I am totally into the setting and characters right now. It's like the story is writing itself. And that's the way it was for KILLER OF KILLERS and THE VASE.

In KILLER OF KILLERS, Trent Smith was the world's greatest martial artist, and everything fell into place as the story progressed.

In THE VASE, Muhsin Muhabi was a simple Palestinian merchant. And he just happened to be in the middle of the conflict that overtook his entire family. As I wrote it, everything fell into place for that one, too.

That seems to be what happens when you're writing character-driven stories. Sure both stories have strong plots, too, but you follow the characters right through to the end. I love both stories. I would love for KILLER OF KILLERS to be my next published novel. But I won't get ahead of myself here. I'll let THE VASE make it to print first, and then I'll worry about KOK.
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