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.




Friday, January 13, 2012

Possible Cover to THE VASE


While I was at it, I decided to go ahead and design a possible cover to THE VASE. I was caught unprepared for a cover to KILLER OF KILLERS. But I like that Melange Books moves fast. Not only did they move fast to offer me a contract, but they moved even faster in asking me if I wanted to provide my own cover. (The same day they offered the contract.) Of course, the author doesn't have to. They have people to do that. But since they do give the author's wishes consideration, I decided to go ahead and see if I might come up with something, and I did. But since everything was moving so fast at this point, I sent a hurried sample to them, which contained a font that I would decide against a day later, and there was a typo, too.

So with the extra day, I improved the design with a better font and all the other things I already talked about.

As for THE VASE, I always liked the photo in my blog header, so I cropped it and put in the text, which I tried to make into an Arabic style. I think it works. As for the image itself, I can't even remember where I got it. So I suppose that whoever publishes it won't use it for that reason unto itself. And if they don't, at least I can show them what I have in mind for a cover. That's all.
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