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.




Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Ten Per Cent Response Rate

Well, I would guess I emailed about twenty reviewers, offering a free book, requesting an honest review, and only one responded, and it was a negative. I emailed about a dozen radio stations, offering a free book for a shout out to their listeners, (if they liked the book,) and two responded, one positive, one negative.

So, yeah, that's about a ten per cent response rate, but I would think it sounds about right. I remember emailing agents and publishers, and it was about the same. Sometimes, not even as high as that. But maybe the one positive response will get the ball rolling, so to speak. Only time will tell.

The review requests were for both of my books, Killer of Killers and The Vase, but the radio stations were just for The Vase. That's because of the nature of the book. For Killer of Killers, I should be contacting martial arts studios. I don't think there's any shortage of those. Got to get on it.
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