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, April 15, 2015

John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu or John Dunn and the Zulu War?

I've been thinking about changing the title to my John Dunn book. I have three possible titles in mind. First, just keep the original title. John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu. I was thinking, however of changing it to John Dunn and the Zulu War. (Or John Dunn and the Anglo-Zulu War.) Or a final possibility would be just Heart of a Zulu.

I will probably wait until I find a publisher. And confer with them. For my first three books, my publishers have not asked me to change the titles. Nor have they asked me to make any significant plot or story changes. Penumbra did want me to change the flashback in The Vase to Hiram Weiss relaying what happened to him. It wasn't changing the story though. At one point after the climactic scene, I had Weiss begin to tell what happened to him after he ran off, (not giving away spoilers here,) and then I went into a flashback mode. But the editor wanted me to keep it at him just telling Captain Mathias what happened. It worked either way.

But that's it. Killer Eyes has not undergone edits with the publisher yet. It's due to be released this summer, so I expect that to happen any time now.

As for John Dunn, I may make some changes on my own. I have a scene in there with Dunn and twenty-five of his wives that I may cut out. I'm thinking I'm delving too far into sensationalism with that part, and I'm 99% sure I'll delete that short scene today. It'll take a rippling effect, though. You have to keep in mind that any changes will have to be followed up throughout the story line to keep it consistent. I'm sure it will be an improvement. Don't want to sensationalize the Dunn story. The true parts are sensational enough. Truth can be stranger than fiction. Or more sensational. And in the Dunn story, it's a great story on its own true legs

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