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.




Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer

Since I've been reviewing movies lately, I thought I'd say a word or two about this one. I liked it. The concept unto itself was intriguing, like Cloud Atlas, but unlike Cloud Atlas, it didn't suck. Abe was played well by the actor whose name I forget, and Mary Todd was played well by an actress whose name I forget, but aside from my bad memory, what I didn't forget was that the storyline was terrific.

I didn't like much the idea that vampires had an empire in the southern states, and seemed to be using blacks as a source for their blood supply, but they were taken down by good ol' Abe and his black friend, and even Mary Todd. Oh yeah, there was a good vampire in there, too.

Now one of my pet peeves about vampires movies is when they make vampires able to walk about in the daytime. This movie did that, too, but these vampires didn't sparkle. They were able to go about their business in daylight because of some kind of sunscreen lotion, so at least, the basic trait of sunlight being harmful to them was not changed. They just got around it, is all. And I like that better than the daylight just making them sparkle, which was just plain ridiculous.

But the movie was exciting, well written, and well acted. It was a great production, and it had a great ending. We all know what happened to Abraham Lincoln at the movie theater, and the movie left it at that. Except for one thing...the good vampire. They showed him in the end, but was it really the end? That's the question. Overall a thumbs up for Abe Lincoln, Vampire Slayer.

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