It made me both cruel and sick to my stomach

Often, when thinking about creativity, I marvel at how close it is for various disciplines, such as art and writing. In both disciplines, I'm interested in questions such as, how much detail should I flesh out? Where can I provide just a hint, and let the reader participate by 'connecting the dots'? 

This last question is particularly important when writing a suspense novel (the ink is still wet on the last chapter of my upcoming thriller, Virtually Lace.) I want to provide enough detail so the sharp-minded reader will solve the who-done-it early in her reading, but not too much detail as to make the exploration a thing of boredom. It's tricky to find just the right balance between red-herring and real clues.

The earliest version of this novel was written nearly twenty years ago. Luckily, I could not manage to find a publishing agent at that time. Luckily, because now I could separate myself from the writing, discover its flaws, and completely rewrite it, using my newly-gained experience as a writer.

It's easy to say 'rewrite'--but the process was harrowing to me. First, I removed all the over-the-top, flowery phrases, deleted a few characters so I could focus on the main protagonist in more depth, gutted out many of the scenes, and marked passages that were worth saving. The destruction phase was difficult. It made me both cruel and sick to my stomach, until I embarked on the creation phase. That's the part where, phrase by phrase, paragraph by paragraph, scene by scene, chapter by chapter, the characters start to breathe in me, and they take over the story.

This, to me, is much like painting in watercolors. Creating beautiful watercolor puddles is where the image starts to flow, starts to suggest to me how to flesh out the forms that only I can see in there.

More about Virtually Lace in upcoming posts. Stay tuned... 

This is a recent watercolor painting, inspired by a bone, which I cast into becoming an underwater creatures crossing your path.

Virtually Lace

(Volume I of High-Tech Crime Solvers)

Paperback ★ Hardcover

Audiobook

Complex, intriguing characters

A short and sweet review for my WWII spy thriller, Marriage before Death:

5.0 out of 5 starsComple, intriguing characters

BySQon May 20, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Loved the complexity of the characters, Lenny & Natasha and the way the story unfolds. Uvi Poznasky paints an intriguing picture in this thrilling love story. She is a master at leading you deep into her world. Fabulous read!

THE CYCLE OF LIFE

Thrilled to find this review by Barbara Mojica, a top contributor (Children's Books, Coloring, Pets) for my Childrens' Book (for the child in you), Now I Am Paper:

5.0 out of 5 starsTHE CYCLE OF LIFE

ByBarbara MojicaTop Contributor: Children's Bookson May 20, 2018

Format: Paperback

This book is a beautiful commentary on the cycle of life. A tree grows in the forest. It is happiest when a young girl arrives to spend time in it. One day the child carves an arrow in its trunk, but soon after she disappears. Now the tree is lonely and sad. Much time passes until one day someone arrives with an ax to chop the tree down. The tree is ground into wood chips and eventually pressed into paper. Now that paper becomes the book which tells her story.

The language is sensual and flowing, evoking the sounds and smells of the forest. Poznanksy has chosen an elaborate Gothic font that complements the mood of the poem, though readers of the Kindle version are able to click on it to make reading easier. Watercolor illustrations penned by the author enhance the mood of the poetry. This book is targeted for an audience in the two to ten age range. Young readers will enjoy the images but may not appreciate the message of the poem. I think that adults will find it a treat as well.

Just in case this journey would end badly for me

I turned on my heels and hastened away. Soon I found myself in a wooded area. Worn out by the long, sleepless night I curled over my knees down at the root of a Beech tree. It was smooth to the touch, which brought back a memory of another forrest. I recalled how as a child I had been caught there, scoring the bark with my pocket knife. At the time, I had promised my father never to do that again.

 And yet here I was, all these years later, with an urge to leave behind some clue, some evidence of my being here, just in case this journey would end badly for me. 

I took out my bayonet and with it carved a big heart, into which I wrote, Natasha. One day when I am long gone, she might come here to piece together what happened during my last days. She might find this symbol, this scar that would never heal. 

I could just imagine her standing here in awe. My love for her would continue to grow, higher and higher, along with the trunk.

Above me, beyond the black shapes of branches snaking around each other, a reddish hue began to wash across the sky. At first I thought it was the first hint of sunrise. With great delight I rose to my feet, only to realize my mistake. 

Far from being the subtle light of dawn, there it was, in full glare. 

Fire.  

★ Love suspense thrilles? Treat yourself to a gift ★

Marriage before Death

Paperback ★ Hardcover 

Audiobook

"Ms. Poznansky has done it again, but this time--and I don't say this lightly--she has written my favorite book to date in her stable of literary gems... The tension was riveting." 

- Aaron Paul Lazar, Author

How hard can that be?

Lately, a lot of advice for writers seems to center on spewing words at a higher speed, with the reasoning that the faster you write, the better you become at your craft. While I don't dispute the age-old truth that 'practice makes perfect' I would like to suggest the exact opposite to you. Every day, when I start writing the next passage of my upcoming novel, I set one mission before me. It's simple: write one good paragraph. 

One benefit of my method is that rarely, if ever, do I suffer from writer's block, because the target I set for myself is not daunting. It's just a paragraph. How hard can that be?

Well, let me tell you, it ain't easy! It takes a lot for me to be satisfied with a paragraph. Even though I know what I want to deliver, forming words around it in a crisp manner--a manner that sweeps the reader into the story and inside the skin of the character--is far from being a breeze. How do I know that I've achieved my mission? I know it when there's a click in my mind. Yes, I actually hear a click when the paragraph is just what I want it to be.

Once I hear the click, the creative juices take over and I continue writing at high speed, usually at the rate of two or three pages a day, and cycle through the new paragraphs until I hear the music of all these clicks. Or not. But the speed is a result of my method--not the sole target of it.

The method is a bit similar to how I approach watercolor painting. My mission is to create beautiful puddles, without messing them up by overworking the piece. 

Here is my recent watercolor painting (inspired by a bone.) The idea for it came to me because of a suggestion of my art teacher, Chris Hero, to concentrate on the edges of the paper rather than on its center. So, the center of the painting is the white space that connects the creature to its prey.

Interesting Artwork + Compelling Story = Enjoyment for All Ages

Just discovered a great review by Top Amazon Reviewer Dee Arr, for my illustrated Children's Book, Now I Am Paper:

5.0 out of 5 starsInteresting Artwork + Compelling Story = Enjoyment for All Ages

ByDee ArrTop Contributor: Harry PotterTOP 100 REVIEWERon May 17, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

It is seldom that one finds a treasure that has the power to delight young and old readers at the same time. Uvi Poznansky delivers with an enchanting story enriched by the original artwork that accompanies it. The dazzling watercolors are guaranteed to fascinate children while adults will find themselves lost in the sensitive emotions that wind their way in and out of the story of a child and a tree.

The author takes poetive license with her rhyming scheme, and I loved the way the rhythm of the poetry wins out over the chosen words. The Gothic fonts match the mood of the book, with sweeping loops that mimic the tree and leaves. I found the idea of writing the description on a leaf drawing very original. If you are reading the book on a Kindle Fire and find the text difficult to read, you can bring up a box with normal text with a simple double-click.

This is a nice, simple tale with a learning opportunity at the end. Five stars.

A Father's Love

Just discovered a new Audible review of my historical fiction book, The Edge of Revolt:

Amazon CustomerBeliever

• 825 reviews    776 helpful votes

• The Edge of Revolt
• The David Chronicles, Book 3
• By: Uvi Poznansky
• Narrated by: Bob Sterry

 A Father's Love 

Overall  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    

4 out of 5 stars

Performance  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    

5 out of 5 stars

Story  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    

4 out of 5 stars

Reviewed: 05-12-18

I got this story via audiobook boom and this is my voluntary review. First off I would like to say the narrator did a great job. King David is brought face to face with many of the mistakes he made in having sons by many women. This is historical fiction but based on fact. Sons turning on father but father never stops loving sons. I did not listen to the first two but this one is still a good stand alone.

Interesting Addition to a Familiar Tale

Just found this great review by Top 100 reviewer Dee Arr for my novella, A Favorite Son:

5.0 out of 5 starsInteresting Addition to a Familiar Tale

ByDee ArrTop Contributor: Harry PotterTOP 100 REVIEWERon May 13, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This is a variation of a Bible story, fleshed out and with full rein given to various degrees of motivation. Author Uvi Poznansky tells the story of Jacob and Esau in a modern setting, allowing her to bring a new awareness to the thoughts and reasoning of Jacob (Yankle in Ms. Poznansky’s tale). Diving into the inner workings of a character’s mind is one of the author’s strengths.

The story is a mixture of the story we are familiar with coupled with enough indications for us to know this is a modern tale (automobile and Rolls Royce being two of the many clues provided). Updating the story to present times allows the author the ability to inject her own voice, permitting a deeper look into the internal issues that can plague a family. The jump from a few passages to a novella provided a quick and interesting read. Five stars.

My blue period

I'm into my blue period now, painting watercolors with blue ink. Here's a new watercolor painting, still untitled. Inspired by a bone, I painted it without plotting in pencil, wet-on-wet technique, and reflected its shapes in the background, as if seen on a flexible mirrored surface.

Beautiful, Poignant, Powerful

Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bewstselling author, a three-time winner of the HOLT Medallion, a CataRomance Reviewers Choice Award winner for Best Single Title, a Desert Rose Golden Quill Award finalist, a Golden Heart finalist, and a two-time winner of Best Romance of the Year given by BigAl's Books & Pals Review Blog. Her books have sold 4 million copies worldwide and have been published in two dozen languages.. I'm thrilled to find her review for my WWII Spy Thriller, Marriage before Death:

5.0 out of 5 starsBeautiful, Poignant, Powerful

By~DJ Faz~on May 10, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

An achingly sweet love between a man and a woman, danger and desperation set amid a ghastly war, beautiful, poignant, powerful—all of these describe Marriage Before Death. I was touched by Lenny’s deep affection for Natasha, shocked by the horrors of war, mesmerized by the author’s alluring descriptions of 1944 France. This story is both bold and riveting. Although Marriage Before Death stands on its own, I recommend reading books 1-4 of the series in order to get the most from this fascinating novel.

What can I tell you about my mother?

What more can I say, son? What can I tell you about my mother? She was a woman of many charms. Her clothes were striking, her footwear unconventional—but her most prized possession was a long-sleeved goatskin coat. It had a different feel, a different touch than the hide of a kid in our herds, because it came from afar, from the slopes of the snow-covered mountains in the North, where the goats, I am told, have fine, long, human-like hair. 

Why my mother had brought this coat with her, why she kept it all these years, I will never know. Your guess is as good as mine. It was of no use here, in the scorching heat of this wasteland. Perhaps it reminded her of her childhood in that distant country, Harran, where the air was cooler, and the sunlight more slanted. She would often lament how far out of reach that place was. Out of reach, getting more remote and more remarkable with time, like a memory of youth. 

The land there, she said, was more fertile, and the language more refined. According to her, it was the cradle of civilization. 

Most winters, there was an abundance of rain, and the mud-brick homes there were taller, better insulated and less given to the wind than our flimsy tents.

Yes, she treasured that coat, and would let no one—not even me—touch it. If there was any mending to be done, she would do it herself, which caused the maidservants to raise their eyebrows. 

It was kept safely in her chest, hidden from the eyes of the world, until the day came when she ripped it to shreds. I will never forget it. If I close my eyes, close them tight, then—in an instant—I can see it happening again, right here in front of me. 

Jacob in A Favorite Son

★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift ★

A Favorite Son

Paperback ★ Hardcover

"With masterful storytelling and rich, poetic prose that feeds all of the senses, she has breathed life into an old tale, giving it layers and depth which gives the reader a thought to pause and think." 

- Michelle Bellon, Author

An entertaining WWII Suspense/Romance story...

• Marriage Before Death: WWII Spy Thriller
• Still Life with Memories, Book 5
• By: Uvi Poznansky
• Narrated by: Don Warrick
• jstep
• 04-29-18
• 
  

 An entertaining WWII Suspense/Romance story... 

o
Marriage Before Death,Still Life with Memories, Book 5 by Uvi Poznansky is a fun, fast paced WWII spy thriller with a bit of romance thrown in. If you like stories that take you back in time and show you how a particular story could have gone, then you'll likely enjoy this book. There's an American, the French Resistance, Nazi's, war...this book has all of the necessary elements to keep you listening until the end!

Don Warrick's narration wasn't bad, per se, it just didn't fit this book as well as I had hoped. His diction and cadence were great and he did a solid job with the various accents of the characters, but there was enough of the book where it was Rochelle/Natasha speaking, and I didn't love his female voices. This is a fairly minor thing though, so if this story sounds good, don't let it deter you too much from listening! I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher for an honest review.

Modern Language Reflects Human Nature

B.J. Robinson is Top 100 Amazon Bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author with four traditionally published novels as well as independently published short stories, novellas, and novels. River Oaks Plantation, her first full-length indie, has been on Amazon's bestselling Christian historical novel list as well as the Civil War list. River Oaks Plantation won an Indie Award and was a top three finalist in the Grace Awards for 2013 in the historical romance category.

I am thrilled to find her review of my historical fiction novel (with a modern twist),  A Peek at Bathsheba:

5.0 out of 5 starsModern Language Reflects Human Nature

ByB. J. Robinsonon May 5, 2018

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

King David and Bethsheba, the wife of one of his soldiers are flawed and humanized through modern language that allows us to reflect upon them as real human beings with the same issues and problems. David blames his youth on not understanding his wives. Bethsheba is beautiful and married, forbidden romance, forbidden fruit which makes her only more desirable to King David. He has many wives to deal with and makes me think of how men today would find it hard to please two women, and he had so many to please. He seeks redemption but not in the right way. The author is an expert at taking Biblical stories and translating them into modern language easier for some to understand. Others like the historical and Biblical language. The author's prose is wonderful, and she is a prolific writer when it comes to this type of book. If you enjoy seeing Biblical historical figures in an everyday light using modern language, this is the series of books for you!