Thursday, July 28, 2016

A Good Human Drama

Elizabeth Zguta is a talented author, who considers herself a life learner not only because of the courses she audits, but also things learned with hands-on life experiences. She gains satisfaction reading something new and connecting with others on a topic. Here is her lovely review for the audio edition of Rise to Power:



Overall
Performance
Story

"A Good Human Drama"

Would you listen to Rise to Power again? Why?
Rise To Power reminds me of the book The Red Tent, and brings life into the old biblical tale of David.

Who was the most memorable character of Rise to Power and why?
The author's words flesh out the character of David, endowing him with human frailty, pride and desires. The bigger than life hero from the Bible, who faced the giant Goliath, is spread out before the reader in full light, with real life drama that faces all men. The norms for the time were respected, as well as his need for fame.

A Love Story

Gifted author D. G. Kaye lives in Toronto, Canada and writes about her life experiences, matters of the heart, and women's issues. She also has a wonderful blog, be sure to visit it here. I am truly honored to find her review of The Music of Us:


on July 28, 2016
This was a beautifully written story by Poznansky who has a gift of bringing her readers into the story. The story begins in the 70s when Lenny, a former marine in WWII invites us into his life with his beloved wife Natasha, a concert pianist. As Natasha is progressing with an early onset of dementia, Lenny's love and hope for her to stay in the present, takes us into the story, told in reflection by Lenny. As we learn about their first meeting, and Lenny's adoration for the young girl Natasha, we follow their relationship through the obstacles they endured through wartime, and missed opportunities amongst themselves, including Natasha's over-bearing mother who tried to keep them apart. But we learn, love has no boundaries. A most beautiful read.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

A rosy sunset light played upon her neck, her ears, her cheeks

There she was, bathing. 
How vividly I recall her outline, the way it took shape out of the mist that was whirling, twisting, rising, whiff by swirly whiff, from the surface of the water. I close my eyes, the better to imagine how she looked. A rosy sunset light played upon her neck, her ears, her cheeks, revealing a hot blush that was tempered with sweet air. 
Until that moment I had thought there was no such thing as burning with desire, except perhaps in literary exaggerations, in poetry. Oh how wrong had I been!
With this woman presenting herself to my imagination in such an alluring way, I began worrying that I would surely go down in history as a sinner. Truly I wished to stay honest with the public—but knew I would find it difficult to do so. Being absolutely frank about the naughty thoughts in my head would surely prevent me from looking good in their eyes. 


This story is more than a historical romance, it brings to the fore the conflict, which is present in leaders of our time as well as in each one of us, between hidden passions and the need to keep appearances, between temptation and a yearning for redemption.

★ Love historical fiction? Treat yourself to a gift 
Historical Fiction with a Modern Twist...
The complete series:

Volume II: 

A Peek at Bathsheba

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"The miracle of Uvi Poznansky's writing is her uncanny ability to return to old stories 
and make them brilliantly fresh"
-Grady Harp, Hall of Fame reviewer

Sunday, July 24, 2016

You must now hold on to me

Now here, close to the Santa Monica Pier, is our spot. I spread open the woolen blanket for us. Sitting down, Natasha pulls the transistor radio out of my pocket and plays with the knob, turning it this way and that. Meanwhile I kneel down next to her and squint to watch the sunset.  
All the while I see her in my mind, not the way she is now, but the way she was back then, riding the beast, coming towards me out of a cloud of smoke, debris swirling all around her. I remember her hand as she pulled me up to my feet, saving my life.
Whatever happens to Natasha, that’s the way I’ll bring her back, always.
“Oh! I found it, I found it!” she cries, gleefully now. “Music!”
I take the instrument from her hand and adjust the volume, so it may play for us alone.

You must now hold on to me
I must save the memory
Of our past, so we’ll be there
We’ll be there...

I’ll always believe in you
Cling to me, we’ll be strong anew
In days to come, we’ll be there
We’ll be there...

The song is hopeful and yet, so sad. It stirs something deep inside me, bringing to the surface so many thoughts, so many unanswered questions.

Lenny in Dancing with Air

At this moment in the story, the year is 1970, as reflected in the lyrics, which I composed to bring back the feel of the era. Lenny and Natasha have been married since the end of WWII, and it is in the face of a serious health challenge that he is reflecting back on the past. Most of the story, though, happens in 1944, and I have gone through meticulous research not only of the historical events in London of that time but also of hair styles, hat fashion, appliances, and of course--songs.


★ Love romantic suspense? Treat yourself to a thrill ★
The complete series:

Thursday, July 21, 2016

Is she is a killer, too?

“I’m dying here!” I growl, “Food! Something to eat!” 
And for added emphasis I arch my back. She may take that as a threat, but I assure you, for me it is nothing more than a sudden urge to stretch. 
Somehow the sight of my sharp claws brings her to her senses, and so she removes the blankets in a big hurry. She has—or rather, used to have—a pretty figure, I conclude, now that I see it. The fabric is swishing softly as she ties the belt around her waist, showing off that which was once slender, but now is merely fragile. 
I trot behind her to the kitchen, and watch in amazement as she fumbles about, opening and closing cabinet doors in utter confusion. By now, I am deeply in despair. Something fizzles in my throat, but I do my best to hold back, to subdue it from becoming a full-throated hiss. 
“What’s the fuss?” I ask. “Did I ask you to catch mice? Look here, for crying out loud, look inside already!”
And with that, I thread my long, flexible tail directly into the handle of the pantry door. It gives way, it opens with the usual creak, and there, on the lowest shelf, is that thing I learned to crave: A can with a lovely whiskered face on it.
She picks it up. I wait. I do not meow.
Now she embarks on shuffling stuff in the drawer. The hunger grows in me as the clink and the clank rise higher and higher, as spiky and prickly as rage. Finally she digs out a shiny tool and then, snap! She sticks it into the thing, right there between those whiskers. 
And with that one blow, the aroma! Ah, tinged with blood, it spreads instantly, all over the place. Is she a killer, I ask myself. Is she is a killer, too?


★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill 

Twisted 

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Written for a smart and perceptive reader, who is not afraid to let her imagination fly.
-Oleg Medvedkov, Top 500 reviewer

Monday, July 18, 2016

A Touch of Passion summer trailer

Introducing the wonderful video trailer, created by Suzanne Jenkins (one of the authors in our team) especially for those of us who love reading on the beach. 
Here is our boxed set, A Touch of Passion:


Lose yourself in a touch of passion. Whether it’s the beauty in a song or the magic of a kiss, the agony of heartbreak or the hunger of yearning, explore ecstasy and desire in these captivating full-length, award winning novels. Written by bestselling, USA Today and NY Times authors, this boxed set has it all: Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance, New Adult Romance, Victorian Romance, Western Romance, Romantic Suspense, Wounded Warrior Romance, Military Romance, and Literary Fiction. These sensual tales of love with a strong female lead will leave you with a smile on your lips and music in your heart. 

Thanks to the readers who love the romance novels in this anthology, A Touch of Passion has just become the 2016 WINNER of The Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Awards. 

The Music of Us by Uvi Poznansky (Bestselling Author) 
Lenny goes as far back as the moment he met Natasha during WWII, when he was a soldier and she—a star. Natasha was a riddle to him then, and with all the changes she has gone through, she still is.  

Love Me Tender by Mimi Barbour (NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author) 
How could Anne return to Texas knowing that her son would be meeting a father who didn't know he existed? And how could she go back to face the only man she'd ever truly loved? 

That Unforgettable Kiss by Tamara Ferguson (Top-10 Bestselling Author, Romance Reviews Readers' Choice Award Winner-New Adult) 
Since Kate Callahan will be running the family construction business someday, she doesn’t have time for love. Until fate steps in by way of an unforgettable kiss from architectural intern Michael Murphy. 

Perfect for Him by Suzanne Jenkins (Bestselling Author) 
As they danced, Jason whispered words of love to Harley, while her oncologist’s terrifying diagnosis kept ricocheting in her skull. To ensure he’d be okay after she was gone, Harley would take matters of love into her own hands. 

Nellie by Cynthia Woolf (Bestselling Author) 
Saloon owner Blake Malone is a bachelor and likes it that way. Nellie Wallace, a widow, needs a husband but never expected a man like him. Can Nellie and Blake make a marriage out of mutual need, without love being involved? 

Ambrosia by the Sea by Traci Hall (USA Today Bestselling Author) 
After a bitter betrayal by her late husband, self-taught chef Celia Langdon moved to the sea, where dive shop owner Dax Smith dared her to heal from the heart. 

The Single Daddy Club: Derrick by Donna Fasano (USA Today Bestselling Author) 
Ex-military man Derrick is solitary and satisfied—until Timmy’s dropped into his lap and Derrick must become a daddy. Fate has denied Anna a family of her own, but she has plenty of love to give, if only someone would notice.



Love Romance? Get this amazing collection
No longer available

A hearty thank you to our wonderful readers
who not only nominated A Touch of Passion for the 
Romance Reviews Reader Choice Awards 
but also took us all the way to first place:

Sunday, July 17, 2016

Let the breath of summer take you: The Music of Us

I never tell him about myself at his age, because it may open his eyes to see me, see who I am becoming. To him I must remain a mother. To my husband I must remain a woman. I keep the truth from both of them. No one in my family should guess that having lost my way, I am becoming a child.
This is the memory I withhold from them: at the end of my first day in school, I stood outside by the gate. I waited. I waited there a long time. No one came to pick me up. So I told myself that perhaps I could find the way by myself. I stepped out onto the street. It looked unfamiliar. By high noon, gone were the long tree shadows that used to point the direction back home. Hours later, after a frantic search, my father found me at the other end of town, wandering aimlessly along the Santa Monica beach. 

Perhaps he expected to see an odd, bewildered look on my face. But no, I fixed my eyes at the sea melding into the sky. The only way to tell them apart was to note that it was creased, as if someone pulled a cloth across it. I took my shoes off, felt the wet sand, and listened to the yawn of the waves. I was happy.


★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a gift ★

Saturday, July 16, 2016

We found ourselves steeped in this strange, magical feeling. Happiness.

Despite the fact that it was wartime, we could not help the temptation to swim in the English Channel, because we were young and bold, or else because we were foolish. 
We managed, somehow, to find an opening in the coils of wire, which were meant to keep people away from the beaches, for fear that the Germans would invade or send spies by boat.
I was told, by a fellow soldier who crossed our path along the shoreline, that the water here was too cold for sharks. With that in mind we took a dip, only to spot a jellyfish swirling in the water some distance off. I splashed a big wave at it, which made it recede and disappear into the fluid sparkle. Swimming just ahead of Natasha I watched the beautiful, smooth motion of her arms and legs, and noticed her looking at me, as I matched my stroke to hers.
At last we turned ashore. From time to time I pushed off a plank of wood, covered in a bit of seaweed, which came floating our way. That, for me, was just part of the adventure. Crossing the line of spray, where the breakers came to meet the shore, I felt sorry that it was almost over, that it was time to say goodbye to this place, where we found ourselves steeped in this strange, magical feeling. 
Happiness.

On our way up, Natasha asked, “What gave you the idea to come here?” 
And I said, “A song.”
“A song?”
“Yes,” I said. “I heard it just one time, on the radio, but the feel of it stuck with me.”
Over my humming it, she said, “Oh! I think I know it!”
She pressed her hands to her temples, perhaps trying to recall the words, and when they would not come, she improvised, coming up with words of her own, which truly amazed me:

There’ll be seagulls over
The White Cliffs of Dover
When war’s just a memory of the past

I stopped her right there, simply to suggest the right word. “Bluebirds,” I said, holding out my hand for Natasha, because the climb was becoming hard.
Refusing my hand, she said, “What?”
“Bluebirds,” I said. “Not seagulls.”
“I like seagulls better,” she said, a bit stubbornly. “So please, don’t correct me.”


★ Love romantic suspense? Treat yourself to a thrill ★
The complete series:


Sunday, July 10, 2016

Reading this book was like listening to a symphony

Chris Birdy is the writer of an award-winning mystery trilogy has just won the FALL 2015 PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.Just found a lovely review, written by Chris  for The Music of Us on Goodreads.


Chris Birdy
May 30, 2016Chris Birdy rated it it was amazing
Reading this book was like listening to a symphony. There were exciting passages, sweet moments, tension, beautiful times and heartbreak. The story moves back to WWII when Lenny, a young Marine, hears the sixteen year old Natasha perform at his base. They are then separated by time and war as they struggle with death and fear all around them. Each time it seems they will come together , life happens. After they are finally together, they will eventually be separated forever by Alzheimer's. This well-written story is one that everyone should read.


Saturday, July 9, 2016

The HBS Author's Spotlight is showcasing A Touch of Passion

Today the HBS Author's Spotlight is showcasing an author set: A Touch of Passion boxed set includes 8 great Romance novels. These are some of the BEST DEALS from outstanding Authors for the Kindle at Amazon.

For more click here: HBS Author's Spotlight

Cover reveal: Dancing with Air

Ta-dah! Here is the cover for my upcoming novel, volume IV in the Still Life with Memories series, titled Dancing with Air:


To make sure that the character displayed for this cover is the same as for the cover of the previous novel in the series--The Music of Us--I cropped her face, shed light on it so it is no longer in the shadows, and tilted it into position to fit the pose. Then I made sure to change the hair style, as if Natasha herself has let her hair down:


In designing the cover, I was inspired by this passage in the story, told by Lenny:

A month ago she had given me a page of her diary, and to the sound of it rustling in my hand I imagined her imagining me: 

He will be running his fingers down, all the way down to the small of my back, touching his lips to my ear, breathing his name, breathing mine. 
Here I am, dancing with air. 
Around and around we go.

With these words Natasha stepped into my mind, lighting up the gloom. I pictured her dancing with her back to me as if, between the two of us, I was the one who was not even there. 
The ripples of her hair spread open, glinting in all shades of red. Wave by wave they cascaded down, first between her shoulder blades, then over them. Fingers stretched out, just like a ballerina, she raised her arm up high, swirling, twirling air, turning it into glow. The translucent fabric fastened around her waist flapped over her legs, folds radiating, fluttering, flaring with every sinuous movement, as she formed loops, slow, continuous infinity loops with her hips.
I turned the radio on, and a song came on:

You’re the one I live for
 To you I’ll soon surrender
I’ll love you through the worst of war
In the name of all that’s tender

Till this sadness disappears
Come to me, I’ll hold you dear
Through times of joy and time of tears
No more loneliness, no more fear

The last vibration faded away, and so did the apparition I created of Natasha.

★ Love romantic suspense? Treat yourself to a thrill ★
The complete series:


Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Beach reading: give us an opportunity to meet, even if her Mama would object

The Bell phone operator came on. I could hear her fumbling about at the switchboard, which I imagined as a high back panel, consisting of rows of front and back keys, front and back lamps, and cords all about, extending every which way, connecting the entire mess into circuits.
At the other end, “Hello,” said Natasha. Her voice sounded intermittent. 
“She said, Hello,” said the operator.
“Oh, hi,” said I.
“He said, Hi,” said the operator.
We laughed. I could barely hear what I thought were giggles, as they were breaking off, coming back on. After a while the connection got better, but at the risk of it deteriorating again, we found ourselves talking rather fast. 
I asked Natasha if she got my photograph, the one I had sent earlier that month. It showed me amongst others in a group of Marines, all of us dressed in uniforms, looking exactly alike. 
She said yes, and was I the Marine second from the left, squatting, and in return I should expect a photograph of hers, which I’d better treat with extreme care, not the way I had treated her first envelope, which meant placing it in a dry, safe place, preferably close to my heart, because this is the earliest picture she had with her papa, so it was dear to her, and she’s giving it to me as a special gift, and on an entirely different note, what would I say if she told me that this summer she plans to take some time off from performances, which would give us an opportunity to meet, and even if her Mama would object to this idea, because she protects her only daughter from dates with men, and with soldiers in particular, because in her opinion they’re good-for-nothing low-lives who sleep who-knows-where with God-knows-who, she, Natasha, would love to see me if—and that’s a big if—I could arrange a visit. 

Excerpt from The Music of Us by Uvi Poznansky. 
The novel is included in A Touch of Passion



Love Romance? Get this amazing collection
No longer available


A hearty thank you to our wonderful readers
who not only nominated A Touch of Passion for the 
Romance Reviews Reader Choice Awards 
but also took us all the way to first place: