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.




Friday, August 6, 2021

Volume 14 completed

Volume 14 of my original music is now completed. That means the songs have been written, arranged, and recorded, including the lyrics and the singing that goes with it. Yes, I did the singing. No, I am not a singer. But at least I sing in key and I hit the right notes.

I am no Neil Diamond. No Elton John. No Cat Stevens, or whoever else is out there who writes and sings his own music. But I do write and sing my own music. No one else will. So I do. And you know what? I like it. That doesn't mean I think I'm as good as the aforementioned guys. No. But I don't have a label seeking to sign me. Nor do I ever have any intention to audition for Simon Cowell.

But it's something I do, and I'm glad I can do it. I even have the new album design completed, as you can see below:


And as you can see I decided on the title Rockin' the Establishment. I reached that decision based on the concept of the album. Like when I titled volumes 12 and 13 after the concepts of those albums. Volume 14's concept being an outsider working his way into the elite, to the chagrin of the "establishment." 

So as soon as the CD arrives from the guy in San Diego (the guy who puts my music onto CDs and also converts the music into mp3s,) I will post it on SoundCloud. I think that could be as soon as late next week. Stay tuned.

No comments:

Post a Comment