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.




Monday, June 18, 2012

Finally Editing KILLER OF KILLERS

So my edits are in. They came in late Friday, and I got busy right away. Spent a good part of the weekend at it, too. Only took a break for a Father's Day celebration with my family. Never forget your family. That's for sure. I know of people who have sacrificed their family, not deliberately, of course, but nonetheless, for their obsession for success, or just to get published.

But this post is not about Father's Day. It is about my edits. I had already found out that Nancy, the publisher, was my editor, but Sherry Derr-Wille is also my editor. I guess I get two editors, how about that? And it's a blast going over their edits.

Mostly what I'm learning is POV. Strangely, my prior editors at Virtual Tales and Cogito never made an issue of POV when they edited THE VASE. I suppose one of two things is at play here. Either I didn't make any POV mistakes on THE VASE, or Melange Books editors are much pickier about it.

But that, really, is the only issue they seem to have with it. So I'm learning how to deal with that. And I should be done with it some time this week. And then I'll send it back. I'll probably get it back again before I go to Disneyland. I hope I'll be able to get it back to them before I go. We'll see.

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