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, November 16, 2010

Holiday Season

Well, with holidays coming up, publishing slows down. So I've been told, so I've read. Holiday Season used to be some of my favorite times. Can't say that anymore. Not when I'm seeking publication for not just one but two of my books. Even my agent, Terrie Wolf, during our discussion the other day, mentioned that. So I'll probably have to wait until January or later before I hear any further word on the submissions I've made. But I'll still keep going. It's probably going to be a good time to catch up on those revisions to KILLER EYES. Or continue that YA I began.

I haven't made a lot of progress on either one of those WIPs. I have really put KILLER EYES on hold for the last couple months, polishing up both KILLER OF KILLERS and THE VASE. Not a lot, as both are pretty much finalized, with not much more I could do to either one. But yesterday, once again, I did find a couple places in THE VASE that I revised. Just a couple added words in the first chapter, and I changed the lyrics to a song that was in there.

I had used the words to a real song, thinking it would be possible to get permission from the artist. But just in case, I had an alternate song ready to go, which I used in the copy I sent to the LOC. One of the editors to whom I submitted advised I use the alternate lyrics because getting permission was going to be too much of a hassle. And since I already had the alternate song ready, it would be just as well to use it. So I did. It's just as good with it, so why make more work? Got enough of that already, being a teacher and a father and a husband. It's all good.
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2 comments:

  1. Terry StonecropNovember 16, 2010 at 11:16 AM

    It seems everything slows down for the holidays so it gives people a bit of a respite, except from, well, the holidays:)

    Best of luck with your submissions!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mr. DNovember 16, 2010 at 11:29 AM

    Thanks, Terry. Fingers crossed.

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