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, May 22, 2014

Dreamed of a New Story for a New Book

Sometimes I have dreams that will actually result in new artistic endeavors. When I was in my music writing phase, I had a dream with a new song playing. I woke up and went to my "music room" and wrote it down before I forgot the tune. It turned out to be one of my favorite songs.

Well, I'm in my book writing phase now, and a couple days ago, I had a dream of a new story. Not about Trent Smith, and it had nothing to do with The Vase. Nor did it have anything to do with John Dunn, or anything to do with the MG/YA story I've had on the back burner for a while.

It was a completely different story, a completely different genre, and a story that otherwise I might not have ever even considered writing. It was a FOOTBALL story. I've never really been big on football stories, even though I am a big football fan. I've loved playing football throughout my younger years, and I love that my son is a football player. I've even dabbled a bit in coaching some football.

But when it comes to football stories, I've never read one. I did see Brian's Song, and The Longest Yard. I saw that movie with Al Pacino, and the one with Nick Nolte. None of them were very interesting to me, however. And I've never seen the TV show Friday Night Lights. Nope. Didn't appeal to me. I do watch some of those NFL talk shows on the NFL network, and on ESPN. I do follow pro football, and I have an interest in which college players are excelling.

But again, when it comes to football stories in books or movies, I'm not interested. Until now. I dreamed of a story, and the story unfolded in my dream just like it would in a movie. No, it didn't have me in it. I don't even know who the main character was. But it could have been me, I suppose. Twenty years younger, though. I don't want to divulge any of the story details right now, but it does have a plot. And I've already started writing an outline. So far, it looks like it's a good concept, one that's never been done. At least not in the shows I've mentioned. It seems to be an intriguing concept, and I'm kind of motivated to see how it pans out if I pursue it.

And if I do, it just might happen this summer. I wrote my four prior books during summer vacations. I used last summer and the summer before to prepare KOK and The Vase respectively for publication, so I'm actually a couple summers behind on that note. I was planning on using this summer for prepping Killer Eyes, and getting the John Dunn revisions underway.

But maybe I'll use this coming up summer vacation to write my football story. If I stay intrigued by it, that is. If I stay motivated, it will happen. That's what it depends on. We'll see. I'll keep you posted. That's what this blog is for, after all. To chronicle my writing experiences and log my journey to publication. For all of my books.

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