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.




Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The Waiting Game

All authors know about the waiting game. Funny thing is I really don't have to play it this time. I have not one, but two publishers ready and willing to publish any books that I write. Even for my second book, I didn't have to play this game. I chose to find a second publisher for The Vase, not because I wasn't satisfied with Melange, but because it's wise to have more than one publisher. Especially when that publisher is a small independent publisher.

I don't want to get into all the reasons why that is so, as I've blogged about it many times before. Just as I've blogged about why I'm seeking a third publisher for John Dunn, Heart of a Zulu. It's been just over a month now since that search has begun. That is relatively a short period of time. The publishing world is a slow world. Just to give you an idea how slow the publishing world is, I would say that a month to a publisher is like a minute to a person during the course of his or her life.

So when do I give up the search and settle for the publishers I have? That's a tough call. Maybe after six months. Why six months? Well, some publishers say it takes them that long. And if I had a decision to make, I'd say I could make a decision within six minutes. Sometimes I can make a decision in fewer minutes than that. Of course it depends on the decision. I suppose there might be some decisions that can take six months. In the meantime, you keep working. You keep improving the story, the prose, the writing, etc. The better your manuscript, the better your chances. But that goes without saying.

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