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, July 10, 2025

Volume 13 - Rockin' the Afterlife

I talked about re-singing songs on my Volume 13, and now I am glad to say that I have completed re-singing every song on there. That's ten total songs. And I must say, all of those songs are great. They always have been. It's just that my singing wasn't so great. It's still not, but I can say that it's a lot better. It's what happens when you dont give up. You don't quit. You keep trying. You kep practicing. And now every song on Volume 13, Rockin the Afterlife is a hundred times better than before. It's almost like I can't believe I wrote those songs, they're so great. But I did. And I wrote the lyrics. They're great too. Check it out. On the margin to the right, but you will need to scroll down a bit.