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, January 3, 2013

The Vase Submitted, and more Waiting

I've posted that I finished the rewrite of The Vase, and submitted it to the publisher who was interested in it. And, of course, now it's back to waiting. Which I really don't have to do. And that's because I have another offer from another publisher. And Melange isn't even in the picture for this one. Melange, of course, is my publisher for Killer of Killers, which is a great book and it seems to have sold pretty well. And I will submit the sequel, Killer Eyes to Melange. And probably the third book in the Killer series, too.

But The Vase will go to another publisher. I expect The Vase to have a wider appeal because I believe it will attract the Dan Brown crowd. And that crowd is a very big one. And getting 50% royalties is something that I would like to have from the publisher who publishes it. The publisher who has already made an offer gives 40% royalties. That's for print and eBook. But this other one gives 50% for both, which trumps everyone.

So, we'll see. Now if they take too long, maybe I'll just go with the one who gives 40%. I'm used to waiting, but I won't wait too long.

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