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.




Friday, July 4, 2014

Revisions-Don't Forget Time Continuity

While doing my revisions to Killer Eyes, I discovered what might have been considered a major flaw. Specifically, I'm referring to a time inconsistency. One chapter ended at near midnight, and when I got back to that scene in another chapter, it was to take place at midnight. But I had another chapter in between those chapters. And the sandwiched chapter took place during the daytime. You see the time inconsistency there.

Well, I might have shuffled the chapters or the scenes, and forgot about that continuity, and then proceeded without checking it. But in my revisions, I saw that it was near midnight, and then it was daytime, and then it's near midnight again.

I would think that my Beta reader or my editor would have caught that, but I caught it. And it only goes to show that editing and revisions are absolutely necessary. But I already knew that. It was an easy fix, really. I just made that in between chapter a night time scene as well. No more problem.

A lot of continuity errors needed fixing, and I'm glad to say that they have been fixed. I'm even finding myself thinking that Killer Eyes is more intense and more involved than its predecessor, Killer of Killers. It could be true. I'll suffice it to say that they are both exciting and intense stories. As for the readers? I'll let them decide

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