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, May 11, 2012

eBooks, Not For Me - Yet

I'm seeing more and more people reading eBooks when I'm out and about. Still print books dominate, but time is changing, and I have been notoriously slow to change with it.

It took me several years, for example, to buy myself a cell phone. I finally did, and then wondered how I got along without one. But eBooks? As was the case with cell phones, I'm not quick to get one. At least, not yet.

I admit eBooks are the future. I was even introduced to digital reading back in 1999. That's when parents of a student gave me a gift at the end of the school year. It was a gift that I didn't understand at first, because it was digital copies of three books. H. G. Wells was one of my favorite authors and I had required my class to read the book, The War of the Worlds.

So I received as an end-of-the-year gift digital copies of The War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man and The Time Machine. It was certainly new to me. I remember downloading them onto my work computer, too. But I don't work there anymore, and I think I left the CD-Rom in that computer.

I did read part of one of the books there, but never got around to finishing it. Of course, there weren't any Nooks, or eReaders out yet. I wonder if they were compatible with the eReaders of today.

Not that it matters, I don't have an eReader, but sooner or later I will have to come aboard. Since my own books are soon-to-be released, and will be available as eBooks, it would behoove me to get one. Just don't know exactly when. One of the problems is that these things keep evolving. If you buy one now, then the next thing you know a cheaper and better one comes out.

It's what happens with just about everything electronic. And right now I'm in the market for a new TV. And TVs are another example of ever-improving technology. Sheesh, they're selling 3-D TVs now. Do you think I'll be buying one of those? Um, no. Like I said. I'm notoriously slow to jump on bandwagons. As for eBooks? Well, let's see what happens. TV first, eBook later.

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