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, August 12, 2010

Just Keep Writing

WIP: 70,000 words and page 260. I was stuck for so long, I nearly quit. Not really. But I did use every reason to take a break from my WIP. It's not completely fixed, but hey, it's not done. Not even the first draft, so it's OK.

I think I forgot one of my own rules. Get all the pieces down before you try to fit the puzzle together. I mean it makes sense right? I was trying to put all the pieces neatly in place before I had them all on the table. I have to stay the course. I only have one more week before teachers report for duty. Actually, I better get over there and make sure my classrooms are in order before that.

Yes, I said classrooms. I have two classrooms. If you ever taught, or even took Ceramics, then you know why I need a second classroom to teach my cartoon class. IT GETS DIRTY IN THAT CLAY CLASS! Too dusty. Whoa! Thank goodness I have a great administration that ponied up two classrooms.

So...can't complain. Just hope the custodians put all the tables back. Wait a minute, this is a writing blog not a school teacher blog. I was trying to say that I'm not going to worry about making everything perfect until the first draft is done. I'm hitting the first climax now, but I will have a second climax coming up. It's one of my solutions to the split outline I ended up with. Let's see how it all plays out. Right now, Trent Smith, my MC just hurdled a major hump in Minnesota, but he still has to rescue his Japanese friends in New York.

Once I get to that point, I should know if it fits together. So...KEEP WRITING!
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2 comments:

  1. Terry StonecropAugust 12, 2010 at 2:58 PM

    Your teaching jobs sound like fun, too! You're a creative, all right.

    And yes, the idea is to keep writing, but sometimes you need a break:)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mr. DAugust 12, 2010 at 4:38 PM

    You're right. Took one, and now back to work. Next week back to teaching. That's a job I'd say breaks are the most important!

    ReplyDelete

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