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.




Monday, September 29, 2014

Books/Story Inspirations

I'm still revising Killer Eyes, and it's my second martial arts book. Yes, I trained in martial arts, albeit a while ago, but my two sons also trained in martial arts, and that has inspired me to write my martial arts books, Killer of Killers and its sequel Killer Eyes.

I was inspired to write The Vase because I am a ceramic sculptor and teacher, and I had always wanted to write a story about a vase that contains recorded images in its grooves.

I wanted to write the story of John Dunn, because I was intrigued by the Zulus and their history, which I first became aware of in the old Michael Caine movie, Zulu, and then the miniseries Shaka Zulu and several documentaries about the Zulu Wars since then. While watching one of them, I learned about John Dunn, and after some research, decided to write a historical novel about him. That will proceed after the finishing of Killer Eyes.

And being around football so much, plus having some experience of my own with football, I have decided to write a football novel. It helped that I had that dream about it, too. It's the story from the dream I had that is the plot of Second Chance.

So inspiration is the key to writing a book. And staying inspired is the key to finishing that book. As long as something inspires you, no matter what it is really, you'll want to get it done. Thus, my books. And we'll see how long that lasts.


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