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, February 9, 2012

What About THE VASE?

Now that I have a publisher again, I have stopped submitting THE VASE, because I will probably bring it to the attention of Melange. After all, they know me now. They have a fair contract, which is more than I can say for some contracts that have been offered to me.

But if some of those other publishers happen to get back to me, I will listen. There are at least two or three publishers who have the full right now. But, as usual, they are taking three or four months to get to it. Which is about a normal time period. Melange was the exception. I still can't believe that they offered me a contract for KILLER OF KILLERS just one day after requesting the full. That is just so amazing to me. And I am totally impressed with their art department person, as I've been talking about lately. I love that cover they designed.

It's not the first time I had a book cover presented to me. After I had signed that contract with Cogito for THE VASE, (and before they flaked,) they sent me samples of book covers for that book. Four, actually, but I didn't really like any of them. I told them that of the four, there was only one that might be appropriate, but even that one wasn't really all that good. It was just a photo of a bunch of vases lying on the ground. It would have been OK, but it wasn't the kind of cover, say, like the one Melange came up with for KILLER OF KILLERS yesterday. That one, I must say again, is just an amazing cover.

But for THE VASE, it's nice to know I have options. I have two publishers who are willing to publish it right now. And it's nice to know that. But I have chosen to wait it out, and see what all my options are. The good thing about publishers is that they don't seem to be in a hurry. They can wait. Sometimes that could be a frustrating thing. But other times, like now, it's a good thing.

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