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, January 10, 2012

Melange Books, LLC

So this publisher, Melange Books, reminds me of Virtual Tales in some ways. The website has a rolling feature of their latest publications and they have invited me to join an authors forum, just like at VT. So I did, and introduced myself, after which a bevy of welcome aboards resulted.

And one more thing. The top person emailed me directly to welcome me aboard. VTs top person had no qualms with communicating, either. But at Cogito, not once did their top person email me. Not to welcome me aboard, nor ever did he reply to any of my emails when I was inquiring as to the status of THE VASE when I learned his top employees were bailing on him. And that's the main reason I terminated that contract.

A telling thing is what these top people call their position. At VT, the top person was the Chairman, and at Cogito the top guy was the President. At Melange the top person is the Publisher. Kind of interesting, I think. OK.
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