Tuesday, March 31, 2015

April Fool: In a minute I'll be gone

No clown am I
And not an April's fool
So don't ask me why
I stand here looking cool

In a minute I'll be gone
This book I want to see
Stay behind and yawn
Or get it now, before me


Four amazing novels in one boxed set
Open it at your own risk:

At Odds with Destiny
★ Kindle  Nook ★ Apple 
★ Kobo ★ Smashwords ★ 

The variety here is phenomenal, from intrigue and mystery, to gut wrenching, to fantasy, one thing is consistent, the quality
-Dennis Waller, Top 500 Reviewer

A tale so beautifully written

Bill Cronin is a multi-genre novelist. The Song of the Mockingbird and Ruby’s Story are the first and second installment in his Jack McNamara Chronicles. I am honored that he posted this review for my novel, The Edge of Revolt:
on March 31, 2015
Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
This is a story of one of my favorite biblical characters, King David, with all his flaws. Uvi Poznansky captures David's character and writes empathetically about a man living with the consequences of his own flaws of character. Her writing is exquisite. The tale she tells is masterfully crafted and, as she fills in the details of the biblical account, she does so with insight and understanding of the human condition. I loved this book! I can't wait to order the others in the "David" series.

Thanks, Uvi, for such a wonderful story.

Monday, March 30, 2015

In the spirit of spring: she talked about her plans for a spring garden

She wore her hair in the usual thick ponytail. I sat contentedly across from her, thinking how absolutely lovely she looked in her red wool shirt. The feelings that I felt for Camille continued to be far deeper than friendship, and for the thousandth time, I reined in my desires and tried to smother them with small talk about gardens and springtime.

She blew on her spoon and took a careful bite. “I planted six dozen white tulips along the driveway and some more narcissuses by the front steps. Can you believe they’re already starting to come up?”

She brushed loose breadcrumbs from her hands. Her mood brightened when she talked about her plans for a spring garden. We’d found a common interest and had shared seed catalogues over the past few weeks, circling our favorite varieties of flowers and vegetables.

Excerpt from Aaron Paul Lazar's novel included in At Odds with Destiny 


Ten amazing novels in one boxed set
Open it at your own risk:

At Odds with Destiny
★ Kindle  Nook ★ Apple 
★ Kobo ★ Smashwords ★ 

Saturday, March 28, 2015

In the spirit of spring: you’re the first girl I’ve ever given flowers to


As the bus approached the stop closest to her apartment, he found that in addition to being excited to see her again, he also felt as though he was being drawn to her by some unseen force. It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
When she opened the door, he presented her with the flowers, and she seemed genuinely touched by the somewhat archaic gesture. She reached up to place a kiss tenderly on his cheek, and the warmth of her touch was still lingering as he followed her hesitantly into the apartment.
“Did you know that no one has ever brought me flowers before?” she commented as she rummaged under the kitchen sink in search of a suitable vase for the carnations.
“I find that hard to believe,” he replied. “But for what it’s worth, you’re the first girl I’ve ever given flowers to.”

Excerpt from Amalie Jahn's novel included in At Odds with Destiny 



Ten amazing novels in one boxed set
Open it at your own risk:

At Odds with Destiny
★ Kindle  Nook ★ Apple 
★ Kobo ★ Smashwords ★ 

Friday, March 27, 2015

Biblical history, beautifully told, and set in a very real world

I am thrilled to find a five-star review for my trilogy, The David Chronicles, written by top Amazon reviewer and author Sheila Deeth. In addition to her novel, Divide by Zero, she has written The Five Minute Bible Story Series, and other books. With a Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England, she is a a top reviewer for Amazon, Goodreads, Gather and other reading sites. This is what she says:

Format: Kindle Edition
The David Chronicles is a collection of three wonderful novels by Uvi Poznansky. Together they tell a tale of madmen and kings, love and betrayal, youth and old age, prison cells and freedom’s ring. Drawn from Biblical history, they vividly recreate character and place, inviting readers to see the world of King David as his contemporaries might have seen it, from the giant Goliath to the rebellious son, wounded daughter, and fickle wives.

The David of these novels is no saint, but rather a wise and careful man, brought down as he struggles to balance love and duty against nation and family. The world around him is dangerous, rife with plots and wars. And a wise king, singing songs, will do well to take care how history will see him.

I love this series for its convincing depiction of real people in ancient times, for its unflinching honesty, and for its vividly real characters. This David is no cardboard cutout to be filled in with bright crayoned colors. His Bathsheba is no plaything. And his women will take their place on the stage of history, will have their voice, and will cry out for love and hate and hope.

Echoing with phrases from the psalms, singing with a lonely king’s “hope for redemption... when prayers go unanswered,” and filled with real characters who have “learn[ed] their lessons—not from ... psalms, but from ... deeds,” this sequence of novels brings the Bible to life, takes readers deep into David’s mind, and leaves us knowing the characters of the past, or even of the Bible, weren’t so different from people today after all. It's highly recommended!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

A well-presented, detailed, and thought provoking interpretation of biblical history

C. B. Blaha is an up and coming author with books such as Dominoes and The Trip. I am touched that she posted this review for my novel, The Edge of Revolt:


  Thought ProvokingMarch 25, 2015
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Edge of Revolt (The David Chronicles Book 3) (Kindle Edition)
Just as Shakespeare revealed the very imperfect and timeless human aspects of prominent people in his portrayals, Uvi Poznansky has given us a King David with whom we can truly relate. Torn by his past and confronted by his present, David searches for truth and resolve. Haunted by his inaction after the rape of his daughter, Tamar, and murder of her rapist (his son Amnon) by his half-brother, Absalom, David is driven from his throne only to confront his demons before returning.

Ms. Poznansky’s character development is brilliant to say the least. I was captivated by her rendering of this biblical story and the raw emotion it evoked, and although this is the last book of her David Chronicles trilogy, it stands alone.

I highly recommend this novel to historical fiction buffs as well as anybody who enjoys a well-presented, detailed, and thought provoking interpretation of biblical history.

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

What is At Odds with Destiny about?

At Odds with Destiny is about characters from all walks of life, characters who don't take their fate for granted. With great intensity they fight to overcome obstacles, all the while reflecting on the internal changes they experience as the adventure unfolds. 
We invite you to check out this boxed set:

Four amazing novels in one boxed set
Open it at your own risk:

At Odds with Destiny
★ Kindle  Nook ★ Apple 
★ Kobo ★ Smashwords ★ 
★ Page Foundry  Scribd  



Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Masterful story telling

Dan Strawn is the author of Isaac's GunBody of Work, and Breakfast at Blair'sLame Bird's Legacy, and Black Wolf's ReturnI am truly honored that having read the entire David Chronicles he posted this thoughtful review for the last volume, The Edge of Revolt:

5A fitting end to David's story, March 23, 2015
By 
This review is from: The Edge of Revolt (The David Chronicles Book 3) (Kindle Edition)
In Book three of the David Chronicles, Uvi Poznansky continues to deliver first class character development with her first-person story telling. “The Edge of Revolt” follows King David into his old age. Uvi puts us there. We discover the cracks in the king's character, apparent to those in his court, yet denied by his regal vanity until at last the King sees the truth in the shattered lives of his progeny—his murderous and dishonorable sons, and Tamar, his ravished and dishonored daughter—all victims in David's eyes of his shortcomings.

As in the first two books in the trilogy, Uvi performs masterful story telling by mining between the lines of the biblical renditions. There she finds nuggets of what-if revelation about who this David of yore really was. Again, she puts us there, this time by sprinkling the narrative and dialogue with characterizations and idioms right out of the Twenty-First Century:

“Dad,” she has Solomon ask David, “are you cold?”

And from her narraative—“. . . I am a king, and a king I shall remain till my last breath.

“Out with the old, in with the new?”

Not to be outdone by the biblical poet, Uvi has her own ways of evoking emotion and eloquence:

“Back in the palace, where we used to walk on the softest of rugs, our soles have softened. Spoiled by luxury, so have our souls. To survive this winter in the wilderness, body and spirit must harden.

Can we do it? God knows.”

Or

“... everyone knows that when Joav comes too close, as if to hug you or whisper a dirty joke in your ear, the next thing you know is a stab under the fifth rib.”

Or

“To remind him of the words uttered by Abner, the general he stabbed to death years ago, I ask, 'should the sword devour forever?'”

How like David; how like Uvi in portraying him.

Enough. If you haven't read the first two books in the trilogy, put them by your nightstand. When you are finished with them, you won't be satisfied until you've turned the last page of “The Edge of Revolt.”

This day is an omen for the rest of our journey

This time I chose a spring theme, just because...

“My heart will be just fine, and so will these berries for our midday meal.”
They found more blackberries growing in abundance in the sun. Mali ran back to the group to tell them. Several joined her with deer hides to store the berries. Soon afterwards, they were on the water and moving south against the river, which moved in a northwardly manner to where it emptied into the sea. Thankfully, the winds were calm and the current offered little resistance to the paddlers. By the late afternoon, the river was still wide with flat banks. They decided to pull over for the night in time for the men to hunt for dinner. The women started the fire and stretched bear hides between trees as shelters where they would sleep on woven palm frond mats. They began building small fires around the perimeter of the camp to keep away the hungry mosquitoes, already in abundance with the advent of early spring rains.
They sat around the fire after eating the meat of a turkey one of the men caught. The hoot owl began his song and soon the mockingbird attempted its weak imitation. Then the song of the whippoorwills began and the night foragers of the woods scuttled through the fallen leaves and pine needles behind the river camp. The moon, full and bright, rose above their heads.
They rested and listened to the songs of the woods.
“Today we began our journey as the sun rose and now the moon lights our night,” Locka said to the group of travelers sitting near the fire.
His words lulled them as the children put their heads in their mother’s laps. Soon each family would go off to their shelter to rest for the night.
“We found plentiful food to sustain us, and we rest here in peace,” Locka continued. “This day is an omen for the rest of our journey. We will survive.”

Excerpt from Native Lands, a novel by P.C. Zick included in At Odds with Destiny


 Ten amazing novels in one boxed set 
Open it at your own risk:

At Odds with Destiny
★ Kindle  Nook ★ Apple 
★ Kobo ★ Smashwords ★ 
★ Page Foundry  Scribd 

The variety here is phenomenal, from intrigue and mystery, to gut wrenching, to fantasy, one thing is consistent, the quality  
-Dennis Waller, Top 500 Reviewer

Monday, March 23, 2015

Guilty pleasures are the only ones worth having

That night I hear, for the first time, a new noise. The noise of a crowd. People shuffling their feet, coughing, saying things they do not really mean.
“You’re so talented! Such an inspiration,” says a shrill voice just outside the studio.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” says the Creator, as if overcome, all of a sudden, by a sense of humility. “Lucky to walk and talk,” she says, “just like the rest of us.”
“Walk? Talk? Lucky you,” grumbles a deep, melancholy voice from below. 
Astonished, I turn my gaze to Adam. It could not have been him—now, could it? He seems so paralyzed, so restrained and so utterly focused on kneeling down in his particular shackled position as to have said absolutely nothing at all.
Meanwhile, she opens the door for the first guest. He offers numerous praises; which she accepts with a mix of visible pleasure and concealed distrust. I can tell she believes none of it—but all the same, praise, to her, is intoxicating. She can never get enough of it, which she will never admit, and which makes her angry with herself as well. 
Now if you ask me, the guests are here for no other purpose than to pay tribute to me, as I rise over their heads in the flesh. Being in the nude, modesty has never been my strongest suit. Is it vanity, I ask you, to let them lay eyes on me, to delight in their cheers with such an open, shameless joy, and with no inhibitions whatsoever? Why should I refrain from basking in my own glory? 
If you ask me, guilty pleasures are the only ones worth having.

A clay sculpture in Twisted



★ Love Horror? Treat yourself to a thrill 

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

Sunday, March 22, 2015

A surprisingly enjoyable story

I am thrilled to find a lovely, eloquent review by Top 1000 reviewer Book Crazy for my novel Rise to Power. Check it out:
TOP 1000 REVIEWERon March 20, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition)
I read "Rise to Power" as part of the At Odds with Destiny Boxed set. You can see my verified review there as well.

First, I have to commend the author for taking on such a feat as to write a story such at this. A story well known to many, but from a different POV. The idea that history may not be what we believe--after all, there are countless sides to any story. While historical titles generally bore me, alternate history has the opposite effect; I find myself fascinated.

In Rise to Power, King David (you remember the story of David and Goliath, I'm sure, even if you are an Athiest as I am) knowing his life will soon end, recounts the "true" history of his life. Something he had, before then, tried to keep hidden. You really get his whole life here, as though it were an autobiography, though of course, it's really fiction based on fact. The way Poznansky takes popular bible stories and retells them in a way that is relatable to modern times is both entertaining and fascinating.

The writing is beautiful. I would love to see what Poznansky could accomplish with non-religious material, should she ever take that route. Her ability to capture character and emotion is nothing short of literary excellence, and the modern flair really only adds to that, allowing for a more engaging voice and style.

Well done. I look forward to reading more from this collection as well.

Saturday, March 21, 2015

I am no longer split between my parts

“I am afraid that the future of this family, its survival in this harsh, treacherous land, cannot be entrusted into the hands of someone who, until now, has never been out and about. Never explored a new path. Never been tested by the elements.”
I hate him for what he has just said, because I know, deep in my heart, that there is truth in it. 
“In all things,” he goes on, “Yankle follows his mother. So you tell me: how can a follower become a leader?”
I have to swallow that, too—but feel it is unfair. Whatever. Why should I even bother with his stupid riddles? My character, I figure, is entirely the old man’s fault! He was the one to name me Yankle, which in Hebrew means ‘a follower,’ for no better reason than the fact I was born second, a split second after my twin brother. How can you blame me for that? 
Whatever! I hate that name. Hate my identity. I hate me. Hate my father for naming me—naming me for my weakness, right there at birth. 
Now, all of a sudden, he wants me to change? A little too late for that! 
“May God help me,” he whispers. “May He help us all, if I choose wrong!”
Oh, God again! I hate him for his faith, hate him for his doubts, too. 
I note the slightly labored breath with which he utters his words. “I have come to the conclusion,” he says, “based on many, many years of experience, that I can expect with perfect certainty, that my advice will be utterly and immediately ignored.”
Amen to that, I say to myself. But at the same time, I can sense that my fury is waning, that it has left me already. And listening to him, listening to how he inhales and exhales with such difficulty, I start to feel sorry for him.
Despite his weakness, his voice rises, for a moment, to a boom. “I am the son of Abraham. It was for a life of sacrifice that I was chosen. You can take it from me: beware, my son! Being the favorite son is as much of a curse as being the one rejected.”
From then on I find myself leaning closer and closer, just so I can hear him. My Esav arm hangs on my Yankle frame just as heavily as before—but somehow I am no longer split between my parts. A great sense of loss comes over me, body and soul, entire. 

Without even looking at the entrance to the tent, without even touching the cold surface of the hourglass, I know: it is nearly empty. The sand is running out. For us, there is no more time. He will never realize who it was standing there by his bedside, overcome and awash with tears.


★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift 

"She opens the old story to be instead a lively psychological study of family and of greed and longing for paternal love and more. It works spectacularly well." 
-Grady Harp, Hall of Fame Reviewer

I am music

My new novel gives voice to Natasha, the pianist stricken with early-onset Alzheimer's in my novel Apart From Love  Here is an early glimpse into this book:

Once I find my way back, my confusion will dissipate, somehow. I  will sit down in front of my instrument, raise my hand, and let it hover, touching-not-touching the black and white keys. In turn they will start their dance, rising and sinking under my fingers. Music will come back, as it always does, flowing through my flesh, making my skin tingle. It will reverberate not only through my body but also through the air, glancing off every surface, making walls vanish, allowing my mind to soar.
Then I will stop asking myself, “Where am I,” because the answer will present itself at once. This is home. This, my bench. The dent in its leather cushion has my shape. Here I am, at times turbulent, at times serene. I am ready to play. I am music.
But until then I am frightened, frightened to the point of panic. Even in my daze I sense the eyes of strangers. Their glances follow me down the street. Stumbling aimlessly from one place to another in the darkening city, turning around this street corner and that, I am amazed to realize that every building looks like an exact replica of the previous one. It baffles me, but I tell myself, with an increasingly shaky tone, that I am not lost. I cannot allow myself to think that I am. I will find my way, right after taking a deep breath to regain my calm. Then I will try to separate familiar lines out of this urban chaos. 
Perhaps this intersection is not that far away from home. I am trying to map it in my mind, but the street signs are of no help, of course. Reading them has become such a chore lately, forcing me to traverse one garbled letter after another and connect them without forgetting the beginning of the word. I would like to believe that if street signs were written in notes I could play them in my mind. I could make some sense of them, because that is the language I understand. I am music.
The streetlamp next to the curb seems familiar, I think. So does the way electric light flickers inside, buzzing on and off, off and on. It strobes with a certain rhythm, as if trying to convey some coded message. I have heard this sequence before. It has a particular type of silence towards the end of it, which I sense quite vividly, but cannot explain in words.

Cover for the paperback edition of The Music of Us

★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a love story ★

“Liberally salted with buttery smooth prose & fascinating insights”

Thursday, March 19, 2015

A great mix that gave me hours of pleasurable reading

Brenda Perlin is the author of Reality BitesShattered Reality, and Burnt promises.and she also writes children's books. I am thrilled to find her lovely, comprehensive review of the multi-author boxed set, At Odds with Destiny:

5.0 out of 5 stars  At Odds With Destiny!March 19, 2015
By 
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: At Odds with Destiny (Kindle Edition)
At Odds with Destiny by Uvi Poznansky, Aaron Paul Lazar, Christoph Fischer, Brandt Legg, Amalie Jahn, Suzanne Jenkins, S.W. Vaughn, Janet Morris, P.C. Zick, and J.J. DiBenedetto is an attention grabbing collection of books. Each compelling in their own right. I enjoyed the different writing styles and genres. It’s a great mix that gave me hours of pleasurable reading.

Rise to Power (The David Chronicles Book 1) by Uvi Posnansky is a beautiful book filled with wonder and a poignant story that pulled me right in. Eloquently told, this was a mesmerizing take on the Biblical figure, King David.

Double Forté by Aaron Paul Lazar has many unusual, unexpected twists that took me by surprise. This is a well-crafted book that kept me glued to the pages. Enjoyed the mystery and the life-like characters in this compelling read.

"The Luck Of The Weissensteiners” by Christoph Fischer pulled me in from the very first page. This beautiful narrative centers on a Jewish family's struggles. It begins as a sweet romance but quickly turns into a story of survival. The writing feels natural and the dialog is realistic. There is a sophistication to the writing and a heavy subject matter concerning the anti-semitic movement but at the same time the story was easy to connect to. There are so many layers to this one book that keeps you thinking and wondering what is coming next? This sage was not only intriguing, suspenseful and emotional, but entertaining all the way through.

Outview by Brandt Legg is an unusual young adult YA fantasy full of that sparked my curiosity. Very compelling story that was easy to get hooked on. This story held me captive all the way through.

Among the Shrouded by author Amalie Jahn is a mind blowing read about human trafficking that was both compelling and emotional. Really well written and easy to get lost into. Will have to go back and read The Clay Lion. Great writing and story!

Pam of Babylon by Suzanne Jenkins is a really easy read with real life emotion and realistic three dimensional characters. I great escape into the unknown. Kept me guessing and wondering what next. Well done!

Broken Angel by S.W. Vaughn is a fun suspenseful adventure ride. Part thriller and part crime story. A great read with an edgy story. Action packed and unpredictable, making this a great escape into the unknown.

Tempus by Janet Morris is not quite like anything else I have read. Deep and compelling. A smart read that makes you think at the same time you are being entertained. This fantasy is filled with a real life-force. Powerful and right on point. Full of action and adventure. Easy to get lost into this well-written tale.

Native Lands by P.C. Zick brings you back in time and to another place. This is a smart story that was well paced and full of surprises along the way. Very intriguing story!

Dream Student by James DiBenedetto is a story easy to get lost into. Enjoyed the escape that this surprising story offered. There is mystery, romance and so much more.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Forgiveness is something you pray for

With one step I close in on her, and hang over her shoulders; which brings a shudder over her. In an instant, Anita pulls her hand away from the keys, as if she has been caught—by a bad stroke of luck—in something worse than theft. 
“Don’t,” I say. “Please, don’t stop.” 
“No,” she denies. “I didn’t even start.” 
“Please, let me hear you,” I plead, taking a step back, to give her some space. 
Anita takes a deep breath. For the first time I realize how afraid she is, afraid of anyone listening to her music, especially my father. I suppose he expects her to be perfect; which must be an impossible burden. I understand it, because I have been there: growing up with a mother who had no tolerance for errors, and no forgiveness either, I have carried that burden before. 
Even so, I have no idea what to say, how to calm her down, and make it clear to Anita that I get it, I do. To me, this is a moment of revelation: I can imagine not only how she feels—but also, how my father looks at her, how he thinks of the forgotten woman then, and something shifts in his mind, so that all of a sudden he sees in her that which, for a long time, he must have been yearning for: mom coming back—back from that place, a place called Sunrise—perhaps to forgive him, at long last. Let bygones be bygones. 
In Anita, he may catch a glimpse of mom, reborn. 
Mirrored in the open wing of the piano, her face is so young, so alive with the red glow of her hair. Her green eyes shine back from the polished surface. This, I suppose, is why my father is so drawn to Anita. Apparently, he wants her to learn to play the piano, but then—even though she is just a beginner—he expects her to reach a level which no one can sustain. Not even mom.
In our family, forgiveness is something you pray for, something you yearn to receive—but so seldom do you give it to others. 
And so, Anita may never stumble, never make any mistakes, because he wants her to be exactly, just exactly like mom, who in her good years—before losing her balance—could produce such a heavenly sound, and vary it over an incredible range, from a murmur to a powerful burst, until her music would swell in you, and bring tears to your eyes. 

★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family drama ★


"There is an air of mystery about the book that runs from the beginning to the final pages, but that also draws the reader in and makes the book difficult to put down." 
-Kathy Parsons, Top 1000 Reviewer