Monday, February 25, 2013

It Made Me Hot All Over


"The minute our eyes met, I knew what to do: so I stopped in the middle of what I was doing, which was dusting off the glass shield over the ice cream buckets, and stacking up waffle cones here and sugar cones there. From the counter I grabbed a bunch of paper tissues, and bent all the way down, like, to pick something from the floor. Then with a swift, discrete shove, I stuffed the tissues into one side of my bra, then the other, ‘cause I truly believe in having them two scoops—if you know what I mean—roundly and firmly in place. 
Having a small chest is no good: men seem to like girls with boobs that bulge out. It seems to make an awful lot of difference, especially at first sight, which you can always tell by them customers, drooling. 
I straightened up real fast, and it didn’t take no time for him to come in. I was still serving another customer, some obnoxious woman with, like, three chins. She couldn’t make up her mind if she wanted hot fudge on top or just candy sprinkles, and what kind, what flavor would you say goes well with pistachio nut, and how about them slivered almonds, because they do seem to be such a healthy choice, now really, don’t they. 
He came in and stood in line, real patient, right behind her. So now I noted his eyes, which was brown, and his high forehead and the crease, the faint crease right there, in the middle of it, which reminded me all of a sudden of my pa, who left us for good when I was only five, and I never saw him again—but still, from time to time, I think about him and I miss him so.
I could feel Lenny—whose name I didn’t know yet—like, staring at me. It made me hot all over. For a minute there, I could swear he was gonna to ask me how old I was—but he didn’t." 

★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family drama ★


"Unique & Spellbinding!!" "a masterfully created piece of artwork"

Friday, February 22, 2013

Love, Lies and Betrayal... Anything Apart From Love

Renee Pierce Williams is the author of the five-star rated, GCBA-nominated book, Buck the Good Doog. Born and raised in Georgia, she began her seventeen-year career at Aflac, where she held positions in both the Marketing and Legal Documentation divisions of the company. I simply love her ★★★★★ review of my novel, Apart From Love:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love, Lies and Betrayal... Anything "Apart From Love"February 22, 2013
This review is from: Apart From Love (Paperback)
"Apart From Love" is the debut novel by the multi-talented Uvi Poznansky, a writer, poet, painter, sculptor, architect, software engineer, and teacher.

This book is a compelling story about an aging, aspiring writer named Lenny Kaminsky, his very talented ex-wife Natasha, who is in a nursing home with early-onset Alzheimer's disease, his new wife Anita, who is much younger than he and comes from the "school of hard knocks," and his estranged twenty-seven year old son, Ben.

Poznansky gives just enough detail as to not overwrite her characters but paints a very vivid picture of each one in your imagination. She allows the pertinent characters to tell their own account of this modern-day love triangle which keeps the reader totally engaged.

"Apart from Love" is so well written and relevant to the world we live in today... I feel an adapted screenplay may be on the horizon for this debut novelist.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A Captivating Tale

Christian Ashley is an author of Historical Romance, Paranormal Fiction, and Erotic Fantasy. You may have seen some of her books:  Rose of GwyneddIn Daddy's Arms, and DignityI appreciate a story for its contrasts, which explains precisely why I enjoy her mixed-genre work. I am thrilled that she posted a ★★★★★ review for my ebook, A Favorite Son
Here is what she wrote:


5.0 out of 5 stars A Captivating TaleFebruary 21, 2013
By 
Christian Ashley (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)
I love how the author, Uvi Poznansky, can convincingly tell a story from a first person perspective, literally fold time, and simultaneously convey the emotions of all of the other characters as well. The way that Jacob tells his story is captivating, and I read it through from the beginning to the end. Jacob is also quite humorous as he often pulled something in from the present day to bring forth a chuckle. The "Yankle in the Box" actually made me laugh aloud. Bravo, Uvi! A Favorite Son, like Apart from Love, is brilliant!


Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Cover Reveal for the Audiobook Edition of Apart From Love

So, here is the cover for the audio edition of Apart From Love

My purpose is to display the title, author, and narrator names in a way that complements the underlying image. So I had to adjust the brightness of the text, so that the name "Heather Jane Hogan" stands out, blue on blue, by the same degree as "David Kudler" stands out, red on red. It is all a question of balance... 

I chose the Golden color of the title so it stands out the most over the image. Under it, the  author name is displayed in a peachy flesh color, same as the figure. I wanted to impart the feeling that light comes from above, and it is caught by the text, more so at the top--Apart From Love--and less and less as it trickles farther and farther down. 



And here is the musical score for the audiobook: Stefano-Ligoratti playing Mozart's variations on Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star. Natasha, the mother in Apart From Love is a pianist, and this music was chosen with her in mind:


If your browser wouldn't play it, try this.

★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family saga ★
The complete series: 

Volume I: 
AudibleUS ★ UK ★ FR ★ DE
AudiobookAmazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes 
PaperbackAmazon ★ Barnes&Noble

Volume II: 
AudibleUS ★ UK ★ FR ★ DE
Audiobook: Amazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
PaperbackAmazon ★ Barnes&Noble

Volume I & II, woven together: 
AudibleUS ★ UK ★ FR ★ DE
AudiobookAmazon US ★ Amazon UK ★ iTunes
PaperbackAmazon ★ Barnes&Noble

"Passion at its finest"

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Closeup Reveal for the Cover of A Favorite Son

The cover of A Favorite Son, in both the ebook and audiobook editions, is based on my own mixed media painting. The main difference between the two is the proportions (square instead of rectangle.) In the original art I floated various paints on the paper, letting them drizzle and mix, to create an intricate, fiery flow of color. Then when they dried out I came in with a black pen, and drew just a few lines to suggest the figure. 

To me, this is what this image means: looking directly at yourself, facing the pain and the imperfections within, without any attempt to mask who you are—even if you find yourself on the verge of a meltdown. Which is the process the protagonist, Yankle, is going through in this story. He finds himself coming to terms with his core being, with how the tension between his emotions and needs has driven him over a lifetime. In a most profound sense, this is a story of crime and punishment.


As in my previous book cover designs for Apart From Love and Home, the  title and the author name cast a shadow over the image. If you look closely, the shadow has soft, fuzzy borders. However, one detail is different here: two of the letters of the author name cast a shadow like all the other letters, but the two glyphs themselves—U and P--are intentionally missing. Why? For two reasons.

First, because often in my art I discover that the
 eye is drawn to the unexpected, and the brain rises to the challenge when there is a missing link to resolve. The observer, then, becomes engaged with the art, and in a sense, becomes its creator. And second, because this missing detail is a symbol, an indication of the flawed character in this story. 
As with the U and P, the narrator's name, David Kudler, appears in shadow form only. This extends the graphical concept of the missing glyphs. It is also symbolic, because the voice is a soul. It fills our mind and heart, it resonates without having a visual, physical existence.


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★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift 
Audible: USUKFRDE
AudiobookAmazon US ★ Amazon UK iTunes
PaperbackAmazon ★ Barnes&Noble

"On a moral level  the novel had a powerful impact on me

Monday, February 18, 2013

Drum roll please... My Announcement of the Day!

Drum roll please...
Here is my announcement of the day: 
A second one of my books is going into audio production! Here is a detail of the cover

★ Love literary fiction? Treat yourself to a gift 



"On a moral level  the novel had a powerful impact on me" 

Friday, February 15, 2013

The Man Behind Ben's Voice

Today I would like to introduce the voice artist of The White PianoTake a listen to his voice, and you too would feel like cuddling in bed with the book, or perhaps with Ben, the character he plays. Which is why I thought that his name must have been misspelled: David Kudler. He is lyrical, intelligent, literate, capable of multiple accents and ages for the characters. So in my novel, he becomes not only Ben (at the age of twenty-seven and at the age of twelve) but also his father Lenny, the bumbling lawyer, Mr. Bliss, and aunt Hadassa as well! 

David has been a voice and stage actor (AEA, SAG-AFTRA), a writer, and a book editor for over twenty years. Since 1999, he has been in charge of publications for the Joseph Campbell Foundation. Based on this experience, he added the titles of ebook designer and audio producer to his shingle. As a narrator, he has a warm, versatile voice, and a great ear for character and dialect. He loves bringing multiple characters to life at the same time. Here is what he says about himself:

"Though I'd done plenty of voice-over work, it wasn't until I was creating an ebook of my own children's story The Seven Gods of Luck and was producing a read-aloud track that it occurred to me: I've got all of the skills and facilities to create professional, high-quality audiobooks."


The first book he narrated for me was A Favorite Son. By the time he finished it I was so taken by his voice--correction, his voices--as to write this Ode to the great Kudler:

Springing out of my mind, out of this cage
His words but a whisper, right here on this page
Jacob trembles in shame--not because of his sin 
But because he wears nothing but a sleeve of goatskin 

Lonely and naked, how can he rejoice
Wishing to be wrapped by the warmth of voice
While back in the camp, Eliezer the butler
Croaks out of the throat of the Great Kuddler

Oh please, trust me now, this is no spelling mistake
For his voice can cuddle--but it can also shake
Yes, Kuddler lets you hear the subtle clipclop
Of a camel approaching, Becky perched at the top

And so at long last, by hook and by crook
Jacob speaks loud and clear in this audiobook


★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family saga ★
"A feast for the armchair psychologist"

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Brilliant? Compelling? You Decide!

Two reviews for my ebook A Favorite Son coming in on the same day! Now that's a first... One of them is titled Brilliant, the other--Compelling. You decide...


5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant.February 14, 2013
By 
Wendy Scott (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)
I loved the descrptive writing, so flavourful it was almost as if I was inhaling and tasting the story. The story flowed well and the narrative voice rang true. Just wondeful!

5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling.February 14, 2013
This review is from: A Favorite Son (Kindle Edition)
As the reviewer above says this is a modern retelling of the Bible story of Esau and Jacob and the rivalry between brothers and it does translate well into a modern context. Beside all stories have been written before, good against evil, a right of passage etc. What made me read on was the way it had been written, direct and compelling.

The Woman Behind Anita's Voice

So today I would like to introduce the narrator behind the voice of my character, Anita, featured in My Own Voice (volume I of the series.)

To find her I listened to numerous auditions of talented narrators and actors. But when I heard her voice, I knew instantly that I need not look any further. What set Heather Jane Hogan apart was not only her sultry, intimate voice, not only her talent in doing Anita's Southern twang, and not only the heartfelt interpretation of the text, but most of all, this: hers was no performance. Heather did not play Anita--she WAS Anita! 

So in designing the cover for the audiobook, I have already added her name in the bottom left corner of the image. Graphically, there is the 'busy factor' consideration: taken together, the book title, author name and the names of the narrators add up to a lot of text, but I wanted to avoid cluttering the image. 

This is why I chose the color of the font to be very similar to the cool turquoise background behind it--just a little bit brighter, so as to separate from it in a subtle way. You will also notice that the shadow cast down from the letters is soft and fuzzy, no hard edges, which helps separate the letters from the background over which they are floating. 

And here are a few quotes of what Heather says about herself:
  • "I work as a Voiceover. In case you’re not sure what that is, Webster’s definition of a voiceover is, “the voice of an offscreen narrator, announcer, or the like.” For me, it was an easy transition from stage and film acting to voice. I love telling a good story, so voiceover has been a great fit for me."
  • "In 1999, I went skydiving. I’ll never forget it. It wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be exhilarating; that I would land and shout something like, “WOO HOO!!”… but… at least for me, it was more of an overwhelming experience. Afterwards, I just wanted to sit and contemplate my belly button."
  • "In 2003 and 2004 I won the NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), hosted by http://www.nanowrimo.org. They host a challenge every year during the month of November for you to write a novel. It doesn’t have to be good, no one reads it for proof (the contest is honor-based) – but you have to write 50,000 words in one month (the definition of a novel). It’s a great and challenging exercise, even if you’re not a writer."
  • "I sing in the car. Loudly. I’m that woman you see on the highway, belting out tunes as if she were on stage somewhere and blissfully unconcerned that other people on the highway can see me." 
  • "I love roller coasters. The more twisty-turny-upside-down-back-and-forth-hair-raising, the better."




"Uvi Poznansky has penned a literary symphony"

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Powerful Modern-Day Relevance behind a Haunting Antiquity

I am thrilled that my new ebook, A Favorite Son, has just received a five-star review from top Amazon reviewer and author Sheila Deeth. She has just released her novel, Divide by ZeroWith a Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England, she is a reviewer for Amazon, Goodreads, Gather and other reading sites. This is what she says:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bringing the familiar to unfamiliar lifeFebruary 13, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)

Dysfunctional families aren't reserved just for the modern day, and this story retells what must be one of the most classic cases in history. The fact that it's Biblical history just adds to the mystique.

It's the gentle twists of difference that bring this tale of Jacob and Esau to life and give it power. Yankle, the younger son, grows up resenting his bigger, stronger, marginally older brother. Parental favorites wound. Meanwhile the beloved mother appears as a foreigner, carried away from home and family (and riches) to live in a tent with her past safely hidden in a box. She doesn't wear a burka. Her shoes are painfully inappropriate. She doesn't belong, and neither does her son.

Author Uvi Poznansky adds a sense of immediacy to the tale as Yankle looks back on his past with a curious mix of modern and ancient perspectives. There's a pleasing humor as he muses over religions born from his home or complains of "no bus ticket to be found; and... a plane ticket was out of the question." There's all the delight of the familiar when Jacob's ladder appears, and all the joy of the new as hints and details sneak quietly into the tale. Simultaneously bringing past and present to life, the author gives this Bible story a powerful modern-day relevance behind its haunting antiquity, with every detail inspiring further thought and contemplation. A masterful retelling.

The art for the Audiobook Cover of Apart From Love

Did you hear the great news? I am so excited to tell you: my novel, Apart From Love, is now in production, soon to become an audiobook! As you may already know, the novel is told in two voices, Ben's and Anita's, and the interplay between the two of them is the essence of the story. In the coming weeks I will tell you everything about the voice auditions, and about the two amazing narrators I have chosen. Today, I will start with a different aspect of the production: the cover art.

Of course, the image is the same as for the print edition--with one exception: the dimensions. The cover art for the audiobook must be square.



★ Love reading? Treat yourself to a family saga ★

"Uvi Poznansky has penned a literary symphony"

Friday, February 8, 2013

Hang Out With Me At The Authors Corner

I am so excited to invite you! Here is my interview at The Author's Corner. The host of the show is Elaine Raco Chase. She is the author of erotic romantic comedies (updated eBooks), updated 'steamy' romantic eBooks, and classic eBooks. The show was originally scheduled for Thursday night--but as fate decreed, a sudden family emergency stood in the way. Elaine's husband is doing good now, and she thanks everybody for their prayers and concern.



In this show Elaine stringed together several author interviews, mine being the first. Come take a listen:


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