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 29, 2021

Volume 14 Music Composed

 As of today I have completed composing ten original songs along with the lyrics that will be Volume 14 of my music catalog. I have yet to name the album. I have two songs with titles that could work in a title. Longshot and Lockdown. As in Rockin' the Longshot, or Rockin' the Lockdown. Seeing as how this country is just emerging from a government mandated "lockdown" I might go with that. But I like the Longshot title too. It could depend on what kind of a cover design those titles can be matched to. That is a very important element, and I have yet to research any possible cover designs, as I have only just now finished with the lyrics. I had meant to make this a third album in a row that is a concept album. Like my last two albums, Volumes 12 and 13, which are both concept albums. And it is. So it could be I'll go with the Longshot. But that is not definite yet. At this point, the song list is as follows:

1 - Born in a Maze
2 - You Were Losin'
3 - Bad Boy
4 - Longshot
5 - Why Can't We
6 - Woman of Straw
7 - Penalty
8 - It's Money
9 - Lockdown
10 - Who's Laughing Now

I don't think you can discern the storyline from the titles. Maybe you can. Whereas Volume 12 was about a man in space, whereas Volume 13 is about the end of life. Volume 14 is about a man who starts from nothing, makes it big, falls back to nothing, makes it big again, and falls again to nothing. So it's not a rags-to-riches story, its more like a rags-to-riches-to-rags-to-riches-to-rags kind of story. And there is a love interest included with the song Woman of Straw. I went back to the love ballad genre for that one. I thought I had a good talent for those kind of songs as my Volume 1 displayed. Anyway, I'm pleased I was able to get the music written, arranged, and recorded during my summer break. I hope I can get the vocals added by next week. And once the vocals are done, I'll send the SD card to San Diego so all ten songs can be made into my fourteenth CD.  

No comments:

Post a Comment