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, July 25, 2013

Two Samantha Jones

Sometimes I wish I thought of another name for my female lead in Killer of Killers, because the name Samantha Jones was already used in that romantic comedy sitcom Sex and the City. But I never watched it. And I wasn't aware that it contained a character named Samantha Jones. And she's a blond woman, too. From what I understand, she's a nutty character, played by Kim Cattrall. And she's a good actress, too. And maybe even pretty enough to be my Samantha Jones--if the movie was made 15 years ago, that is. She's way too old for the part now. And I understand that there's a spin off of Sex and the City, and they just cast the part of a younger Samantha Jones in that spin off. And that's why the name Samantha Jones was in the news yesterday.

But it's too late to change the name now. I suppose it's all right. After all, both Samantha and Jones are common names. And I wanted a common name for the female lead because the male lead had the common name of Smith. So Smith and Jones, I thought at the time I first wrote the book, was just right for them. As far as Samantha? I just pulled that out of a hat. At the time, the only Samantha in the movies or TV that I had heard of was Samantha from the show Bewitched. You know, the part played by the late Elizabeth Montgomery. And she was a blond, too. So if nothing else, the name Samantha must convey the image of a woman who is blond because of both TV show characters. And my Samantha is blond, too. So I guess that's consistent, if nothing else. Oh well.

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