Uvi Poznansky's Blog, page 173

Let the blood in my caldron boil

Double, double misfortune, trouble Burning coal and blackening rubbleLet the blood in my caldron boilFeed the flames... Oh, such a toil!Tonight it's Friday the thirteenI'm a witch... Boy am I mean!

Listen, dear, no need to fretAnd I promise, no regret:My spellbinding stories, here at last.Get them now, and do it fast!
Here you'll find hair-raising fun
Stories twisted, stories spun

The complete trilogy:The David Chronicles (Boxed Set) Ebook: Kindle ★ Apple ★ Nook ★ Kobo ★ Smashwords
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Volume II of the trilogy:A Peek at BathshebaEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&NobleAudiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible
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A Favorite SonEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&NobleAudiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible 
HomeFREE Ebook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ Smashwords Audiobook: Amazon ★ Audible Paperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&Noble
Apart From LoveEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&NobleAudiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible
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My visit at Dianne Harman's fabulous site @DianneDHarman

Dianne Harman​ draws her stories and characters from a diverse business and personal background. She owned a national antique and art appraisal business for many years, left that industry, and opened two yoga centers where she taught yoga and certified yoga instructors. I am thrilled that she invited me for an interview. Her first question to me was,  Tell us about Anita, the girl in the midst of a firestorm of passion in your book, Apart From Love?

Want to hear my answer? Click here: The Amazing and oh so talented Uvi Poznansky

Richly layered work of art

P.C. Zick, the gifted author of several genres--contemporary fiction, romance, and nonfiction--won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction. She is also an avid reader. I am thrilled to find her in-depth review of my novel, Apart From Love, on her 'Book Review Friday' column, as well as on Amazon. This is what she writes:

5 Richly layered work of artByPatti Annon February 8, 2015Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Here is an astounding book from Uvi Poznansky with her work of literary fiction, Apart from Love. Ms. Poznansky is a multi-talented author and artist, and with this novel, she creates a multi-faceted and multi-layered work of art.

The story is told through the first person narrations of Anita, the new wife of Lenny and step-mother to the other narrator, Ben. The point of view is unique because the story is more about the love between Ben's parents, Lenny and Natasha, than the other two, who form another sort of love story. Ben's separation from his home for ten years only shows the level of dysfunction in this family. I use the word "dysfunction" with disdain sometimes because it is overused to the point where it sometimes means very little. But if any family is dysfunctional, it is this one.
During Ben's absence, the lack of communication with his mother and father is evident when he comes home. For a decade, he assumed his talented pianist mother is out on tour, when in fact, his father is hiding something quite important from his son about Natasha.

In the meantime, Lenny has remarried Anita who is one year younger than Ben. She's a beauty--a younger version of Natasha. It's complicated and completely dysfunctional in the true meaning of that word.

Literary techniques abound in Apart from Love. The author skillfully creates symbols and metaphors with the white piano in the living room, the antique mirror in the bedroom, and the tape recorder on the balcony. The point of view represents the author's skill in writing dialogue that characterizes both Ben and Anita. It's obvious when switching between chapters who is the narrator, even though Ms. Poznansky tells the reader if it's Ben or Anita in each chapter title. That's helpful, but with her paintbrush, she paints prose that is distinct for each one.

Alzheimers rears its horrifying head in parts of the story, as does the family's inability to know how to deal with it. Insanity hovers at the edges of all the characters as well, presenting the reader with that fine line between genius and the alternative.

If that's not enough, Lenny is a writer who uses the words of others to create his stories. The blurred lines between reality and fiction are explored in this intimate look at how authors sometimes steal identities from others to draw portraits of real life. It's haunting in its honesty of how an author works. The "record, rewind, record" element of the story reminds me that all reality is really the fiction of our imaginations.

Uvi Poznansky is a talented author who says in her bio, "I paint with my pen, and write with my paintbrush." The cover of Apart from Love and the content in between are assurances that this is true.

Extraordinary, gripping, compelling... thoroughly complete, well-written, fast moving read

Thomas Baker is an educator and the author of I Live In Chile and many other books. He is also a top 1000 Amazon Reviewer. I am thrilled to find his review for my novel, The Edge of Revolt:


5 The Edge of RevoltByThomas Baker "Thomas is the Past-President of TESOL Chile (2010-2011). He is the Head of the English Department at Colegio Internacional SEK in Santiago."TOP 1000 REVIEWERon February 6, 2015Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase Extraordinary, gripping, compelling. A thoroughly complete, well-written, fast moving read is what author Uvi Poznansky gives the reader with her, "The Edge of Revolt." It is breathtaking in its complexity, delightful in its artistry, and above all, full of the creative genius of its author. We are given an ancient tale, far removed from our curent reality, and yet, grudgingly, have to give up our objective, impartial lens as we realize the premise of the story transcends its time, space and place. Let us consider it carefully:

(quote) "Struggling to find the right balance between loving his sons and upholding justice, David is silent when Amnon rapes his daughter, Tamar, and when Absalom lures Amnon to his death. These crimes go unpunished, because a mysterious change has come upon the king, which his court scribes note even before he does. In the past he had to explain his actions, such as the affair with Bathsheba, to them. Now, they want to understand the opposite thing: his lack of action. In families other than his, such matters may be a mere matter of gossip. Yet when assault, incest, and murder occur in the king's family, they affect matters of the state. David is toppled from his throne, and must escape from the son he adores, Absalom." (end of quote)

And the question we must reflect on is self evident: Is not this story, this set of circumstances, our story? Is it not the story of our times? A glance at any newspaper headlines on any given day is enough to confirm our suspicions, that contrary to rational thought, we must answer in the affirmative... What this talented author, Uvi Poznansky, has done is allow us to hold a mirror up to ourselves, to our world, to our time and to our place, by calling it David's story. It really is enough to set one on the edge of revolt, isn't it? Grab a copy of this book, you will not be able to turn the pages fast enough to keep up with your desire to know what is on each succeeding page...Highly recommended.

He would never suspect he is carrying his own death sentence in his hand

I decide to give him one more chance to redeem himself in my eyes before I give up on him, before I begin to despair of my own redemption. So I tell him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I’ll send you back.” He remains in Jerusalem that day and the next. I invite him to eat and drink with me, which allows me to take a stab at trying to make him drunk.  I slap him on his shoulder with a fine sense of camaraderie. I even give him my goblet. I fill it for him so it is overflowing with beer. He gulps it down dutifully. One keg after another is brought in. Meanwhile I discuss how it is flavored with hops, which add a hint of bitterness, and act as a natural preservative, and how during the process of fermentation, herbs may be added to one keg and fruit to another, for no better reason than achieving variety in taste. By the end of the evening I am exhausted by all this talk, and so, I think, is he. After all this effort on my part I am astounded to learn that nothing, nothing at all comes of it. Uriah goes out in the evening to sleep on his mat among my servants. He is steadfast in refusing to go home. Perhaps he fails to understand that being stubborn may cost him dearly. 
Next morning I sit down at my desk to write a letter to Joav. “Put Uriah out in front,” I write, “where the fighting is fiercest.”I take a deep breath, dip my feather in ink and shake it, that it may not bleed.“Then,” I go on writing, “withdraw from him, so he will be struck down and die.”I seal the scroll and give it to my dear, trusty soldier, knowing he would never suspect he is carrying his own death sentence in his hand.And for a long time after the sound of his steps has died down I remain there, sitting at the edge of my throne, listening for him, hoping he would come back to me, wishing I could find a way to save him. 
David in A Peek at Bathsheba



This is the moment that David signs the death sentence for his soldier Uriah, and lets him carry it unknowingly to his commander, so his life would be placed in jeopardy on the battlefield. 

I slowed this moment down, quite deliberately, by having him pause to take care of his pen so it does not bleed, while he is contemplating shedding the blood of his soldier. At this point David can still change his mind, still refrain from betraying Uriah over the love of his woman, Bathsheba. The crime has not been committed, yet. Watching him from the shadows, we would be tempted to cry out, Stop! There's still time, don't do this! Don't put pen to papyrus!

To me, the contemplation of a crime is more interesting than the crime itself. This moment in David's story is so pregnant with possibilities that it inspired many artists to capture it on canvas, which inspires me in writing my novel. Here are two paintings by Pieter Lastman, a Dutch painter of historical pieces (his pupils included Rembrandt.) In the first painting, David hands the letter to his kneeling soldier, and the relationship between them seems, to all appearances, like one between a benevolent ruler and an obedient subject--if not for the reaction of the boy (who may be a young scribe, or his son) who raises his eyes in great alarm. Like us, he is holding himself back from shouting, Stop!

The second painting depicts the same moment, yet it is executed eight years later. Here, Pieter went to more explicit extremes. The boy has the same expression of mute horror, but look at the relationship between David and Uriah. David, clad in a blue-purple robe and red cape and bearing a golden scepter, is squirming uncomfortably on his throne, knowing that what he is about to do is utterly wrong. Uriah, kneeling before him, seems to suspect the truth, because his posture is one of being repelled, trying to increase the distance between the king and himself. A dog, the symbol of loyalty, separates between them.

In both paintings, the background behind Uriah depicts a holy building (modeled after of St. Peter's Basilica, rumored to contain pillars from the Temple in Jerusalem), suggesting God's presence on his side. In the earlier painting, the sky behind him portends danger. In the latter one, the crimps and folds in fabrics that seem to rustle in the foreground give an unsettling feeling.

Pieter Lastman, King David Handing the Letter to Uriah,  1611
Pieter Lastman, King David Handing the Letter to Uriah, 1619
The complete trilogy:The David Chronicles (Boxed Set) 
Ebook: Kindle ★ Apple ★ Nook ★ Kobo ★ Smashwords
Volume I of the trilogy: Rise to PowerEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&NobleAudiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible
Volume II of the trilogy:A Peek at Bathsheba
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Volume III of the trilogy:The Edge of Revolt
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"She writes with exquisite prose and elegant style, 
yet delivers piercing truth and insights into the human psyche on the way. 
A wonderful read."

I knock, and a stranger opens the door

About a year ago I sifted through the contents of my suitcase, and was just about to discard a letter, which my father had written to me some time ago. Almost by accident my eye caught the line, I have no one to blame for all this but myself, which I had never noticed before, because it was written in an odd way, as if it were a secret code, almost: upside down, in the bottom margin of the page, with barely a space to allow any breathing. The words left some impression in my memory. I almost wished he were next to me, so I could not only listen to him, but also record his voice saying that. I imagined him back home, leaning over his desk, scrawling each letter with the finest of his pens with great care, as if focusing through a thick magnifying glass. The writing was truly minute, as if he had hated giving away even the slightest hint to a riddle I should have been able to solve on my own. I detested him for that. And so, thinking him unable to open his heart to me, I could never bring myself to write back. In hindsight, that may have been a mistake. Even so, I am only too happy to agree with him: the blame for what happened in our family is his. Entirely his. If not for his actions ten years ago, I would never have run away to Firenze, to Rome, to Tel Aviv. And if not for his actions a couple of weeks ago, this frantic call for me to come back and see him would never have been made. And so I find myself standing here, on the threshold of where I grew up, feeling utterly awkward. I knock, and a stranger opens the door. The first thing that comes to mind: what is she doing here? The second thing: she is young, much too young for him. The third: her hair. Red. 
Ben in Apart From Love (narrated by David Kuddler)

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So much more could be said about the manner in which the author brings understanding to the hierarchies of relationships, but that would be robbing the reader of the joy of discoveries that Poznanasky accomplishes in this profound novel. 
-Grady Harp, Hall of Fame Reviewer

I thought I spotted you standing by your window, with your sword aimed at me

But now, Bathsheba… She is different. My God, she is a woman! Which is why she seems untouchable to me, and not only because she is married. All of a sudden she stirs. Has the water cooled down?“Go away,” she says, with her back to me. It seems that shame is not in her nature. She moves the big sponge around her neck, into one armpit, then another, knowing full well I cannot take my eyes off her. I cannot help but notice the bubbles of soap sliding slowly down, all the way down, then around her slippery curves. She may be the one in the tub—but contrary to my expectations, I am the one trapped.“Go back to your place, sir, to that skyscraper thing of yours.” She points carelessly in the direction of the window at the top of my tower. What she should be saying is your majesty or my lord rather than sir, but at this turn of events I hardly wish to correct her.So she goes on to say, “And sir—”“Yes?” I say, eagerly.“No need to hide behind that curtain, up there,” says Bathsheba. “What, you think I haven’t noticed? You think I care?”“I know you don’t,” I say, gloomily.Feeling uninvited should not come as a surprise to me—but somehow it does. Oh, what was I thinking? That she will accept me with open arms, like every other girl I know? I kneel down by her side, which forces me to adjust the crown, because it is now tilting on my head. In profile, her lashes hang over her cheek, and the shadow flutters. Bathsheba brings her hand to her lips and ever so gently, blows off a bubble. It comes off the palm of her hand, then swirls around in the evening breeze, becoming more iridescent until its glassy membrane thins out, and then—pop! Nothing is left but thin air. “Leave me be,” she says, stretching her arms lazily, as if to prepare for a yawn. “You may watch me from up there all day long, if that’s the kind of thing you like.”“You sure put on a good show. I never imagined a woman could pose so many different ways in a small tub.”“Well, if you must know, it’s quite a ritual. Takes a lot to purify the mind.”“And the body, too.” “Yes,” says Bathsheba. “A lot of hard work.”“Apparently so,” say I. “A lot of time, too.”“Oh, go away already!” She waves a hand at me, still without as much as a glance in my direction. To make matters worse, she turns away. “I can feel your eyes in my back. Just, stop it. Stop watching me.”“I am grateful to you,” I say, “for every moment of it.”To which she utters a sigh, barely containing her boredom. Then, on a whim, she plunges underwater nearly all the way, so all that remains above the foamy surface is the little embroidered towel wrapped around her head. After several evenings of watching her from afar I still have no idea if her hair is curled or straight, red or brown. I have painted her in my mind several different ways already, each time more beautiful than the other. By now it matters little to me. She is so sexy, she might as well be bald. When she comes back up, “What,” she says. “You still here?”“What’s the point of going up there,” I say, hearing a slight tone of complaint in my voice. I hope she does not think me childish. That would be devastating. With a hint of a smile, she asks, “What does that mean, What’s the point?”So I say, “You would seem too small from above.”“Really,” says Bathsheba. “I thought I spotted you standing by your window, with your sword aimed at me.”To which I explain, “I could not see a thing through the glass. It became cloudy, or something. At this time of day, even though it is only the beginning of summer, it’s much too steamy in the office.”She rolls her eyes. “I’ve had it with men.”I can find nothing to say, and perhaps there is no need to. She can tell, can’t she, how desperately I ache for her.“My life is scandal-free at the moment,” she says. “It feels nice for a change.”
David in Rise to Power
This passage, selected with tender loving care by my narrator David George, is what you will hear when you play the voice sample for the audiobook edition. If the use of modern language surprises you, if you have expected a language that dates to biblical times--or, failing that, at least good old Shakespeare English, and if you find yourself shocked by Bathsheba mentioning a skyscraper--please consider this:

The view of the story has undergone amazing transformation over the ages. Take a look, for example, at the Painting 'David and Bathsheba' painted by Lucas Cranach the elder in 1526. He treated his subjects with awe and reverence, and the only naked skin visible is Bathsheba's little foot, bathed by an adoring maid. David is presented as a psalmist, rather than a leering, dirty old man peeping on an unsuspecting, naked woman. There is no sin here! 

Now compare the way Picasso transformed this very painting. The composition is exactly the same (only mirrored left to right) but the brush stroke is modern, it is spontaneous and fresh, bringing a sizzle to the entire scene. He enlarged the proportions of all the figures, especially David, so it is easier to spot the king here, because he is the only one fleshed out among the men at the top. His musical instrument is barely sketched, because the important activity is not playing heavenly music but rather gazing at the women, gazing at all the women, with keen, sexual interest. The water dripping from Bathsheba's foot is clearly emphasized, with its juicy suggestion of a symbol of lust. Lucas Cranach the Elder. 'David and Bathsheba.' 1526
Pablo Picasso, after Lucas Cranach the Edler. 'David and Bathsheba,' 1947
There is no right and wrong way to interpret the story. As an artist and writer, I believe that my mission is to let the characters speak to you through my pen. The king is flesh and blood in my mind, and so is Bathsheba. This story is happening here and now.
I invite you to take a listen to the beautiful narration by David George, Here:


★ Love reading? Get The David Chronicles ★
The Complete TrilogyThe David Chronicles (Boxed Set) 
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"A tale of madmen and kings, youth and old age, prison cells and freedom's ring..."

I feel an odd urge to fondle his horns

He turns to me with a sly look. To my surprise, his smile—even with those sharp fangs—is quite endearing.
“Job’s wife, I presume? Hallelujah! I have been expecting for you for quite a long while,” says Satan. His voice is sweet. He must have sung in a choir in his youth, because in some ways he  sounds as pious as my husband. “Shame, shame, shame on you,” he wags his finger. “You sure made me wait, didn’t you...”And without allowing time for an answer, he brings a magnifying glass to his bloodshot eye. Enlarged, his pupil is clearly horizontal and slit-shaped. Which makes me feel quite at home with him, because so are the pupils of the goats in the herds we used to own. Meanwhile, Satan unfolds a piece of paper and runs his finger through some names listed there. Then, with a gleam of satisfaction he marks a checkbox there, right in the middle of the crinkled page. At once, a whiff of smoke whirls in the air. Satan blows off a few specks of charred paper, folds the thing and tucks it into his breast pocket, somewhere in his wool. Cashmere, I ask myself? Really? In this heat? Back home, when I would count my gold coins, this was something I craved with a passion... It would keep me warm during the long winter nights... Then, without even bothering to look at me, Satan says, “I swear, madam, you look lovely tonight.”For a moment I am grateful that my husband is among the living. Or so I think. Nowadays, influenced by the elders, he regards swearing as a mortal sin, as bad as cursing. He even plugs his ears, for no better reason than to avoid hearing it. But if you ask me, I swear: without a bit of blasphemy, language would utterly dull, and fit for nothing but endless prayer. Sigh.Strangely, Satan does not frighten me that much anymore. And so, swaying on my hip bones, I strut out of the cave in his direction. I feel an odd urge to fondle his horns. Along the path toward him I make sure to suck in my belly, because in the company of a gentleman, even a corpse is entitled to look her best.
Job's wife in Twisted.
Take a listen to the last paragraph, narrated by the one and only Heather Jane Hogan:

If your browser wouldn't play it, try this


My sculpture (bronze) half-life size
In Darkness Take a Leap
Took me three months of intensive work to create
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"This is an amazing, exciting read, it is playful as it is intellectually stimulating"

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This is the time, this is the hourTime is ticking: RISE TO POWER!

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Book Description:Here is the story of David as you have never heard it before: from the king himself, telling the unofficial version, the one he never allowed his court scribes to recount. In his mind, history is written to praise the victorious—but at the last stretch of his illustrious life, he feels an irresistible urge to tell the truth. In the first volume, Rise to Power, David gives you a fascinating account of his early years, culminating with a tribal coronation. Rooted in ancient lore, his is a surprisingly modern memoir. 

In an era of cruelty, when destroying the enemy is deemed a sacred directive, the slayer of Goliath finds a way to become larger than life. His search for a path to power leads him in ways that are, at times, scandalous. Notorious for his contradictions, David is seen by others as a gifted court entertainer, a successful captain in Saul’s army, a cunning fugitive, a traitor leading a gang of felons, and a ruthless raider of neighboring towns who leaves no witnesses behind. 

How does he see himself, during this first phase of his life? With his hands stained with blood, can he find an inner balance between conflicting drives: his ambition for the crown, his determination to survive the conflict with Saul, and his longing for purity, for a touch of the divine, as expressed so lyrically in his psalms and music?

The complete trilogy:The David Chronicles (Boxed Set) Ebook: Kindle ★ Apple ★ Nook ★ Kobo ★ Smashwords
Volume I of the trilogy: Rise to PowerEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&NobleAudiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible
Volume II of the trilogy:A Peek at BathshebaEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback: Amazon ★ Barnes&Noble, Audiobook: iTunes ★ Amazon ★ Audible
Volume III of the trilogy:The Edge of RevoltEbook: Kindle ★ Nook ★ Apple ★ Kobo ★ SmashwordsPaperback Amazon ★ Barnes&Noble

This book was amazing!!

A short and sweet review by Keith Greenberg for The Edge of Revolt:


5.0 out of 5 stars This book was amazing!! After reading the first two books of ..., February 5, 2015By Keith Greenberg - See all my reviewsVerified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: The Edge of Revolt (The David Chronicles Book 3) (Kindle Edition) This book was amazing!! After reading the first two books of this fascinating trilogy, I was thrilled to have finished this one.