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.




Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Working on THE VASE

It's becoming strange to me that KILLER OF KILLERS will be released in less than three weeks, but this past week I've been hard at work on THE VASE. And THE VASE doesn't even have a publisher yet. It did twice before, and two others are waiting for me to sign a contract, but I'm waiting on a few other publishers to decide if they want it first.

And while I'm waiting, I'm back to revising it. Ah yes, the eternal job of revising, of which, even THE VASE is not exempt. And all the better, because, like revisions can do, it's getting better, and ever better.

So why am I surprised? I'm not. It's what happened to KILLER OF KILLERS, and even that one still has room to improve. But I'm relegated to waiting on the ARC for that. Again, I was too quick on the send button. I've given the advice in the past to not be so quick on the send button. And I thought I wasn't. I rechecked it, and re-revised it even past the point where my editor said it was ready.

And after sending it, still I found something I want to change. But at least it's a minor thing. With THE VASE, I'm making some major revisions. Not in the story line, but in the prose. And not just a word here and there. I'm changing sentences and entire paragraphs to make it read better. Some parts are improved to the point that they make better sense, too.

It's like maybe it's better that those two publishers didn't get it published after all. Because now when it happens, it will be ready more than ever. So until that happens, I'll just keep making it better. That's all.

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