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, September 2, 2010

How Many Blogs are Enough?

All teachers at my school were attending an inservice yesterday, and we were given a lesson on a new computer program, or whatever, which accesses student scores and can do a bunch of other things, too, at the click of the mouse. It also includes a bunch of features that were very much like Facebook, emails, chatrooms, and even a blog.

After a few fun online "chats" with other teachers, I zeroed in on the blog feature. Being a relatively new blogger, I started to write my first post on a new blog site. I wrote about 800 words, mostly about teaching, and then hovered over the publish button, but then I decided, "Naah..." and deleted the entire thing.

Why? Well, I've already got a blog. I've been writing this blog everyday since last May, except weekends, and although I focus mostly on my writing journey to publication, I do touch on other things now and then, like right now. I have browsed other blogs, and I have noticed many people do write more than one blog. But I also noticed that many people are very inconsistent with them. Some have forsaken one for another. Some are consistent in regular posts, and some aren't.

I am a very busy person. With a family, a full-time teaching job, writing, music, and art, I hardly have time for everything I want to do. I decided not to commit to a second blog. This one will do fine, thanks.

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