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, May 30, 2013

Sociopaths? No Thanks

I just read an article about sociopaths, and thought about how many villains in books or movies are sociopaths. You know, villains who know what they are doing is wrong, but just don't care. Stories are littered  with them. But none of my books are. Sure, I've got antagonists in every book I wrote. Villains, to be sure, but none are sociopaths. No serial killers, no psychotic weirdos, and no one who could claim insanity as a defense.

I have more than one antagonist in each book. And the most interesting might be Abraham Soriah in Killer of Killers. He's the billionaire recluse who funds the research for the drug, Eternity. He's an old guy, about 88 years old. But is he really a bad guy? You have to read the book to find out. Killer of Killers has other antagonists, too. There's Karl Manoukian and Josh Jones, who may or may not be considered antagonists to the hero, Trent Smith. The reader will have to decide for him/herself.

Tomorrow, I'll talk about Killer Eyes. It's not published yet, but it really is the conclusion to the Killer of Killers story. Until then.

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