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, March 8, 2013

The Vase, Better Than Ever!

It's true. The entire manuscript has been edited by professional editors who work for real publishers, and now even I have gone over the latest and most extensive edits three times. Last night, I polished up that one scene, which had been rewritten, but needed more work.

The problem was when you write a narrative, the words you use in a narrative, are not necessarily the same words that a character would use in dialogue. That was the main thing, really, that needed fixing. And it's fixed.

But you know what? I'm going to go over that manuscript one more time. What? I thought I was going to send it today, after the third time. Heck, I thought I was going to send it Wednesday, after the second time. But I keep making it better, and the contract gives me until next Friday, so I might as well. I'm always glad I did. So tonight will be the fourth time, and then I'll send it back.

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