The Creative Spark with Uvi Poznansky discussion

During the production of Rise to Power I learned one thing about David George, the voice talent for the audiobook edition: he is a man of few words. He lets his thoughts resound in his voice, in the reading of the text. I indicated to him what passage I would choose for the audio sample (which is what you'll listen to on the Audible/Amazon product page), saying I loved the way he read it, teasing out notes of comedy at the beginning, followed by quick action, and culminating with deep, profound ruminations.

So when he asked me--once again--what passage I prefer for the voice sample, I knew he had a different passage in mind, only he would not say it outright...

To read more, click here: A madman is in the house

Are you curious about how a narrator goes about his craft, how he goes through the process of becoming the character, and lifting him from the text to life? I know I am! Take a listen:

Becoming David

"Holding the sword upright over the head of the Philistine, and shaking a little on my feet, I know one thing for sure: by the rules of engagement, the outcome of this battle has already been decided by his fall. Now I have little time before they arrive here, I mean, our soldiers. They are sure to leap down into the valley, uttering wild battle cries and aiming their weapons at the backs of the enemy, who would be dispersing in confusion.
And time is dear, time something I need. I must finish the job quickly, because when a giant falls you take no chances. What if he has merely fainted—only to rise to his feet again in a few minutes, and come at me? And what if he is simply faking it?
So I take a deep breath. The sword feels ferociously heavy over me. Then in one fell swoop I bring it down with all my force, cutting deep into his throat.
This is the moment when I decide that in the future, I must refrain from describing all the gory details, I mean, how my victim coughs and sputters as the flesh starts tearing apart... How his arms flail, trying to reach for me, to yank the hilt of the sword out of my hold... How the color seems to be draining from his skin... How blood spurts from the wound, gushing from the sliced vein... How it shoots from his neck all over the blade, and all the way up to the palm of my hand.
This, I say to myself, used to be the hand of a musician. Is this the hand of a hero? A warrior? A killer? It seems to move by its own will, as if it belonged to someone else.
Who am I now?"

David in Rise to Power

I love it when my character says that he will refrain from describing all the gory details, only to go ahead and do it anyway, in full, vivid color, holding the dismembered head directly in front of our faces, so we can almost smell the blood, just the way artists have done over the centuries. There are countless paintings of David with the head of Goliath.


David with the head of Goliath by Caravaggio

"I do not trust a single one of the Kish clan—not even Jonathan, who declares he loves me.
I keep him at arm’s length, and give careful thought to what his motives may be when he says things like, “My heart is knit with yours.” Being Saul’s eldest son, he is the heir to the throne, so what does he want with someone like me, an outsider?

To read more, and take a listen, click here: My heart is knit with yours? What does that mean? Behind the scenes discussion

Here is a lovely new audible review, written by Aaron Paul Lazar. Aaron is a mystery writer, and many of his books have audiobook editions. I am thrilled by what he says about the narration of Apart From Love:

03-13-14
Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★

"A Literary Masterpiece!"

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I already have, several times actually. This book is totally out of my usual genre (mysteries/thrillers) and probably falls most squarely in the literary fiction category, but I was completely blown away by its beauty and pathos. The quality of the writing is absolutely top notch, and when that is coupled with two supremely talented narrators, the combination is riveting.

What did you like best about this story?
I loved the current tense in which the vignettes were told, alternating between Anita and Ben, and the immediacy of the sensations one experiences when listening. The voices are so authentic, the dialog just perfect. I am so in awe of David Kudler's ability to interpret the written word. He is astoundingly good. And Heather Jane Hogan is equally as talented - her Southern accent was impeccable! I've become instant fans of both narrators.

Which character – as performed by David Kudler and Heather Jane Hogan – was your favorite?
That's really tough, because I loved Anita, Ben, Lenny, and the three aunts. But I guess if I was forced to choose, I'd pick Anita. She was so honest and real, no pretenses. She'd been through so much. My heart broke for her in many scenes.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
So many moments... but I think one of the most moving was when Ben went to visit his mother in the nursing home. So sad, so heartfelt...

Any additional comments?
I really loved this book, and I think it should win lots of literary fiction awards. It's just so powerful. But I didn't like the ending! Too much was left open, and I didn't get that warm, fuzzy feeling I crave. (Okay, so I'm a happy ending kind of guy). I think it could have ended shortly after Ben was kicked out of the house - this might have been a good point if there was not to be a happy ending! Aside from being disappointed that I didn't get to see the characters living happily at the end of the story, this book, its amazing narrators, and the beautiful scenes will stay with me for many years to come.

The Leprechauns are coming,
They want to stay a while
See what they are bringing?
Take their gifts, and smile!

Happy St. Patricks Day!

And so, slowly climbing the path, nearly collapsing under the weight of my trophy, I let the troops follow me. At last I arrive at the top, bringing the battle to the Philistines. They gape upon the dismembered head of their champion, and when they notice that it is coming at them, they start gasping and shrieking in fear. A great number of them leave their shields and weapons behind, because the lighter they are—the faster they can bolt from this place.
What happens next seems like a daze to me. Having been a child entertainer up to this point, I have never been to a battlefield before, let alone in this new role, this odd public capacity as half David and half Goliath. Constantly advancing I feel the earth rumbling under my feet as the Philistines flee in fright before me.

I sense heat, the heat of battle, sizzling in my veins. I hear a flourish of metal, the swoosh of arrows flying back and forth on all sides. Without looking down I step over the bodies of the fallen, the wounded, the weak… Guided mostly by a sense of touch I am unable to make any distinction between theirs and ours.

And for a minute I think I spot someone out there, a tiny outline of him back there on the ledge, on our side of the valley. I know it must be Saul, because the sun hits a metallic thing on his head, and at once it comes aglitter.

Then the sweat runs into my eyes, and I can no longer find him out there, nor can I locate his crown.

David in Rise to Power

My story is greatly inspired by the differences in depicting the story by artists throughout the ages. Here, for example, the way David is presented in Barry Moser's art. His is a young shepherd, a modern character, one that may be living right now, perhaps in a third-world country. Ambition is burning in his eyes. He wants to become larger than life. His look is directed at you. You become part of the scene. You are Goliath.

Compare this to the the wood engraving by Louis August Gustave Doré. His David is an iconic hero, with a great, dramatic flair suggested in the folds of his tunic. At his moment of victory, he indeed becomes 'half David, half Goliath' as I suggest in my story. Here, David is more than a character--he becomes a symbol of the possibility of the weak defeating the mighty, with a glorification of war, and with the help of God.


David by Barry Moser


David slays Goliath by Dore

In a word: Fabulous!

Christian Ashley is an author of Historical Romance, Paranormal Fiction, and Erotic Fantasy. All of her Historical Fiction novels, Rose of Gwynedd, In Daddy's Arms, and Dignity, came to her through dreams that evolved with ample research into the historical period being presented. I am truly honored that she posted this review for for the audiobook edition of Rise to Power:

Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★

What made the experience of listening to Rise to Power the most enjoyable?
Uvi Poznansky combined her superb knowledge of Biblical history and her amazing sense of humor to create David’s story. In Rise to Power, David is looking back on his life and telling not only his story, but how he thought and felt at the time.
Because Rise to Power is told in first person by the protagonist, David, his-story literally comes to life!

What did you like best about this story?
With David at the center during a time of war and constant upheaval for the people, his story, as written through Poznansky and narrated by George, made me laugh out loud more times than I could count. Rise to Power in many ways, makes sense of some of the difficult to understand and nonlinear parts of the Bible.

What about David George’s performance did you like?
George was expressive, articulate, and engaging. Very professional - serious when he should be and appropriately amused when called for.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I would have liked to listen to Rise to Power for it's entirety but did it over a few nights.

Any additional comments?
Of all the audiobooks I've listened to thus far, Rise to Power has been my favorite.

Sherri Christian

Don't miss this opportunity! A select group of authors has joined forces with me. We bring you amazing historical fiction stories. Let us whisk you away to a different time and place. Come listen to our stories. You may win one of the ebooks!

Join us in A Time to Remember

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 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.

To read more click here:

Happy Passover!

Need a gift for the holiday? Check out the rave reviews
Here are but a handful of the reviews

★ The miracle of Uvi Poznansky's writing is her uncanny ability to return to old stories and make them brilliantly fresh. At times startling, as times awe-inspiring, and at al times fine reading, this is a welcome addition to the growing library of one our more important writers. -Grady Harp, Hall of Fame Reviewer
★ What a treat to have the story of David presented in such an intellectually stimulating manner. -Christoph Fischer, Top 500 reviewer
★ A tale of madmen and kings, youth and old age, prison cells and freedom's ring. It's drawn from Biblical history, enjoyed through the eyes of modernity, and it vividly recreates character and place. -Sheila Deeth, Top 1000 Reviewer
★ Written for a smart and perceptive reader, who is not afraid to let her imagination fly. -Oleg Medvedkov, Top 500 reviewer
★ Dark, intense, entertaining, thought-provoking and emotional, these stories each hold their own brand of magnetisim that lasts long after the last word is read... A wealth of depth in few words. -Dii, Top 1000 Reviewer



RISE TO POWER
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A FAVORITE SON
★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★

TWISTED
★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★

Here is a timely excerpt from Apart From Love, a flashback to Passovers past:

"If I were to focus strictly on my parents, ignore the entire background of this place, and let the clutter and the smell of it just fall away, this could take me back to a different time, a time in my childhood, when our kitchen table was set for the Passover meal. What comes back to me first is the tinkle, as my father finished blessing the wine, and clinked his glass against hers, against mine.
I remember: the table was draped, all the way down to the floor, with mom’s best, rarely used tablecloth, made of the smoothest ivory satin you ever touched. Dad sat at the head of the table, mom to his right, I opposite her.
All day long she had been cooking, which infused the air with a wonderful aroma. In it you could detect a sharp whiff of horseradish and of gefilte fish and sweet brisket and red cabbage and roasted potatoes, all of which made my stomach growl. It went on growling until he finished reading the long, archaic text in the Hagadda, which meant little to me, except a vague notion of the utter futility of patience.
I remember: my mother ladled the clear, golden chicken soup and set it here, steaming before my eyes, with three matzo balls floating inside, which was her way of giving. “It’s hot,” she said. “Make sure to blow on it first.” Yes, the smell of her cooking was good, but then, the taste! Just wait till you took the first bite—"



Treat yourself to a gift:
APART FROM LOVE
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“But my music—”
“It awakens something in me,” he groans, pressing a hand against his temple. “Something I wish to ignore. An unspeakable sort of pain. There’s a demon in me, and I know—I just know he’ll break loose, he’ll take over, the moment I’ll let myself soften.”

To read more, and listen to the narration by David George, click here:
The other side of obedience

Somewhere at night a string sings out
All's dark, silent, filled with doubt
I'm alone, and you?
Out there, in the cold, a string sings out

To read the poem, and to listen to the beautiful narration by Kathy Bell Denton, click here:
Forgive me, ma

It's a rush, don't break a heel!
The price is slashed, each book--a steal!

The regular price $5.99 has been slashed
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This Monday and Tuesday only
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★ Apart From Love ★

★ Rise to Power ★

★ A Favorite Son ★

★ Twisted ★

★ Home ★

Here, on my ear, I can feel the tickle of her curl, which must have slinked out of the towel wrapping her head. And I can smell the scent of shampoo as she leans closer to whisper, “Get in.”
In confusion I whisper back, “Get in—what?”
“The tub,” she breathes in my ear. “What else?”

To read more click
I must guard myself from her, because she knows me

"I sit there at her feet watching her work. My mother is so skillful in manipulating that sleeve. Inside of it, my limb feels hot, suffocated. I let her control me, control my hand. It is no longer my hand.
By and by, a perfect calm comes upon me. I have no thought in my head, no clue that this is to be the last sunrise, the last morning that I spend with my mother; no premonition that our time together is running out, and that I should kiss her, and hug her, and bid her farewell."

To read more, and listen to the narration, click here:
I should kiss her, and hug her, and bid her farewell

"I hear the slight rustle of her skirt, and her soft voice saying, “Wait, Isaac—” just before it becomes muffled. So sharply, so unexpectedly does it happen, that it makes me giddy with curiosity; and so, I do what I have to do: I lift the flap of the tent, allowing light in, to peek in on them; and what I see leaves me dumbfounded..."

To read more, and listen to the narration, click here:
She wraps her arms around his frail shoulders, and kisses him

"My mother, you ask? She was—how shall I say it?—different. No woman among us in the camp, or out there in the grazing fields, was as captivating as her.
It was not just her beauty; nor was it the regal manner in which she carried herself, as if her tent served only as a temporary, makeshift shelter, a place to stay until the completion of a some new, modern wing in an imaginary palace. If there was something that set her apart from all other women, it was her garments..."

To read more click here:
The thought of modesty lost

Writing about David as a fugitive, I asked myself, where would he hide in the wilderness? What would that place feel like? How would it look? How would the place reflect the mode he would find himself in, during this testing time of his life, when he is called a traitor?

And once I found that place in my imagination, the question became: how do I convey the mood in this place? How would the mood change from bitterness to hope? And as an author, how do I bring all of this to life, by painting images with words? How do I use the rhythms and pauses of David's inner reflection?

Not only do I talk to myself, but out of loneliness I answer back, too. I say, Forget Happily Ever After. Old legends are nothing but deceit. In reality, it is the political needs of the state, it is money and power that dictate royal family unions—not some emotion, a fickle, faithless emotion that is known to be fleeting.
Bitterness is eating at me. I stagger into the darkest nook, deep down in my underground hiding place, and curl myself there, unable to stop seething at my misfortune, and most of all, at her.
“Michal, perhaps I don’t deserve a fine, highly schooled princess such as you. All the same, thank you,” I hurl at her, forgetting for a moment that she is absent. “Thank you for the education, dear. I won’t forget it.”
For a long while, maybe days, I stare at the ceiling of the cave, where a slow, mind numbing drizzle is heard, and where calcium salts, deposited by the drip of water, have been forming over innumerable centuries into what looks to me, at first, like icicles.
Then something stirs in me, an awakening. All of a sudden I note the miracle of their stony, frozen trickle, and it takes my breath away. Nothing in the king’s palace compares to this beauty. Here is the process of creation, eternity flowing in a drop.
If not for the hunger I could stay here, in this cave under the stalactites, till the end of time. I imagine that long before that, my bones would be unearthed here, and brought before the king.

David in Rise to Power

My quick charcoal drawing was done to the sound of music. It is a landscape of music, if you will, which conveys the same awe expressed in the excerpt above: "Here is the process of creation, eternity flowing in a drop."



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Rise to Power
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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...

To read more, and listen to the narration, click here:
His smile, even with those sharp fangs, is quite endearing



Get the ebook at sale price, then you can get the audiobook for only $1.99

The princess lets me down through the window, lowering me one knot after another. The bed of roses is far beneath my feet, and it looks unreal and a bit eerie from here, because of the strange shadows cast every which way by torches passing through the garden, and by sudden flashes of lightning. I am hanging on for dear life, swaying in the wind between heaven and hell.

Meanwhile, from the chamber above me, a knock is heard...

To read more, click here:
I land with a shriek, which is swallowed at once by the clap of thunder

I got tagged by Christopher Bynum on his blog The Black Writer to carry the torch by taking part in a blog tour, in which we discuss our writing process.
What am I working on? How does my release differ from others of its genre? Why do I write what I do? How does my writing process work?

Click here to find out:
The Writing Process

CK Webb is an author of thriller books, a book reviewer, and the host of WebbWeaver Books, Where our favorite authors read their books for you and clothing is 100% optional!. What a joy it is to come on her radio show, to talk about my dark fantasy book, Twisted, and my other books!

Come to a place where favorite authors read their books for you and clothing is 100% optional

Here is my interview with author and poet Euponos Aus on her blog, Tassels of Intertwined Emotions:


MY CONVERSATION WITH UVI POZNANSKY

At that second it dawns on me—I understand, in its entirety, my mother’s plan; which nearly brings me to split my sides and roar with laughter—but at a single hint from her, I hold it in. No need for other people to hear us.
Intoxicated, I marvel in her plan; and in my mind I shout: My God, this is so clever! So deceitful!

To read more, and listen to the beautiful narration by David Kudler, click here:
I marvel in her plan. It is so clever! So deceitful!

Cover reveal: A Peek at Bathsheba

My book, A Peek at Bathsheba, includes a sighting of Bathsheba at mouth of a cave, located just above the Kidron valley, near Jerusalem. The setting immediately brought to my mind A Woman Bathing in a Stream, painted in 1655 by Rembrandt, immediately after he painted Bathsheba at Her Bath.

During the history of art, most artists portrayed Bathsheba as a fleshy, mature woman. They often placed her in a lush outdoor scenery, such as a royal garden, with flowing water or with a fountain. Spotting a forbidden woman in a setting reminiscent of the Garden of Eden is a tempting fantasy, and quite a departure from the biblical account, that states she was bathing on her roof. Artists go after their own heart—and so, indeed, do writers—to suggest the emotional essence of the story.

Rembrandt places his figure not in a garden, but in a cave with a pool of water, which is at once an outdoor and indoor scene (and in Bathsheba at Her Bath he presented her in an indoor scene, in her bedroom.)

Unlike paintings done by other artists—depicting Susanna and the Elders, Bathsheba, or the goddess Diana, who were all spied upon while bathing—this painting does not show the peeping man. Instead, Rembrandt supplants him by you, the viewer. Also, the woman in his painting is in control of the situation, rather than a victim of it.

Rembrandt worked mostly with a grays, browns, and blacks, setting objects back by plunging them into this dark tone, and bringing them forward by shining a bright light directly upon them, creating stark contrasts. The resulting image is sculptural in nature, and strikingly dramatic.

Clearly, the composition of my watercolor painting is inspired by his admirable art, shares a similar spirit of intimacy, and maintains a loving respect for the model. Here is my approach, my homage to it, which illuminates the new vision I use for the story.

I strive to maintain a sculptural feel for Bathsheba, but take the freedom to play with a splash of colors, so as to draw contrasts between cool and warm hues. I create a variety of textures, using a loose, spontaneous brushstroke. This I achieve by applying puddles of pigments over Yupo paper, which (unlike traditional watercolor paper) is non-absorbent. I let these puddles drip in some places, and in other places, I lift and shape them into careful designs, using various tools.

The font selected for the title depicts a regal, dynamically slanted, and rather grandiose handwriting style, just the way I imagine David’s penmanship in his private diary.
By contrast to the title, the font selected for the name of the trilogy—The David Chronicles—is a more formal one, and it is presented in capitals. This adheres to the font scheme for the cover of the first volume, Rise to Power.

At the top, the letters are bathed in golden light, which fades gradually towards the bottom. Down there, they are soaked in a blood red color, as befits this dramatic affair of love and war.

A Peek at Bathsheba is one volume out of a trilogy. Therefore I am designing the spines of all three covers to have a matching feel in terms of the image and font scheme. So when you place them on your bookshelf, one spine next to the other, all three volumes will visually belong together. Together they will grace the look of your library.


Detail from the Cover



A Peek at Bathsheba is now available in ebook format.

Against the backdrop of wars, raging within the land and without, David is growing into the mantle of leadership. Between his anointment as a tribal king and his anointment as the king of all of Israel, he uses wisdom, cunning, and his own understanding of the forces of history, aiming for high ideals: stopping the bloodshed, uniting the nation, and bringing about healing and peace.

But then, having reached his peak, David falters. He makes a serious error that threatens to undo his political success, and cost him not only the adoration of his people—but also the sense of being sustained by a divine power. That error is the most torrid tale of passion ever told: his deliciously forbidden love for Bathsheba, followed by his attempt to cover up the ensuing scandal by sending her husband—who serves him faithfully in his army—to his death.

This is volume II of the trilogy The David Chronicles, told candidly by the king himself. David uses modern language, indicating that this is no fairytale. Rather, it is a story that is happening here and now. Listen to his voice as he undergoes a profound change, realizing the magnitude of his sin, and the curse looming over his entire future.

My announcement of the day:
The beautiful print edition of A Peek at Bathsheba has come out!

Get it now:
✿ Print http://BookShow.me//0984993274
✿ ebook http://BookShow.me/B00LEPPDV6

Hop upon a train of stories, win ebooks and audiobooks!
Join my author friends an me
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One of each of the ebooks in each book series
And
The first one of the audiobooks in each series

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Here is my conversation at the wonderful Arts and Media radio show Anything Goes, with the great host: Bennet Pomeranz. He asked great questions, some of which readers and listeners had asked him about my work. I was elated to hear that he read my books, and to hear his impressions about them.

Take a listen:
Anything goes! A lovely chat with Bennet

We’re packing our suitcase for the journey ahead
Cheeze, grapes, wine, and a long loaf of bread
We’ll give gifts to the winners, share plenty of food
So excited to meet you, such is our mood!

Train tickets are ready, each one with a stub
Let’s pack Donna’s series: The Single Daddy Club
Barbara’s Wendy Darlene Comedy Mystery
Aaron’s cozy read, The Gus Legarde Mystery

Here's the Gladstone series by John, and at the extremes
Here’s James’s what-if kind of series about Dreams
Last but not least, The David Chronicles, about a great king
These are our books, which to you we will bring!

Hop Upon a Train of Stories
And join to win our books!

Wanda "Panda" Hartzenberg is a top rated reviewer, and the author of The Struggle of Me. She ranks #11 best reviewers , #1 top reviewers on Goodreads. I am thrilled that she posted this review for the audiobook edition of Apart From Love:

Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★
"Add to or amplify, audio adds."
Here is the review I did on the book after I read it.
Literary fiction at it's best.
This is not an easy read, nor a fast one. The reader is immersed in the life and love of a complicated family. The plot is complicated. The theme is one of perspective and in this lies part of the beauty of this novel. The readers perception is formed from multiple point of views. As soon as one perception is formed another take on the reality that is displayed is introduced.

The above is nice extra topping on literally poetry in motion. The authors ability to economically use words in a fluid descriptive manner is akin to see a master painter start a work of genius on a blank canvas. By the end of the process the observer is left stunned and awed.

I know this for this is the effect this book had on me. With almost every known emotion exploited and turned topsy- turvy, I stand in awe.

Now on to the narrators, David Kudler as Ben and Bens' dad did a masterful job in bringing to the fore, for me, what a pathetic man Ben really is. At 27 he never had a job. He blames his folks for everything. He drifts around like a hobo and assumes it is his right that his father keeps looking after him for he is his son.

Anita came to life with Heather Jane Hogan. She may not be well educated or even brought up well but she has smarts. The real type, the deep type that gives her insight into the human state of being that is actually kind of chilling. The two narrators added so much to the story, amplified it. Made it sharper, made the contrasts that more deep. I absolutely adored this book after I was a bit hesitant to start on it since I could still recall the book pretty well after reading it not that long ago. Absolutely amazing. A must listen.

WaAr.

Get ★★★★★ APART FROM LOVE
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Lovely new audiobook review: "Apart from Love weaves a dual spell"
Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★

Would you listen to Apart from Love again? Why?
I'll listen to Apart from Love again because I so enjoyed the interplay between Heather Jane Hogan and David Kudler, the two narrators.

Who was your favorite character and why?
Ben was my favorite character. David Kudler brings Ben to life with sensitivity and grace, subsuming his narration in the story and letting the character come forth. Ben's story is at times heart-rending, and would be easily over done but a narrator of lesser skill.

What does David Kudler and Heather Jane Hogan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
The combination of Kudler's Ben and Hogan's Anita makes the tension of the book crackle with life; Anita's southern accent and Ben's underlying musicality (even to sometimes singing his lines), are unique to the narrators' interpretation of this sometimes tragic story.

If you could take any character from Apart from Love out to dinner, who would it be and why?
Definitely Ben, for his view of life as a melody with white keys and black.

Any additional comments?
A deep and complex tale, well worth hearing more than once.

Get ★★★★★ APART FROM LOVE
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Ebook
Print

Later, when I start awakening from my slumber, the first thing I sense is her touch. Or is it the memory of her touch? I fumble, I reach for it, rolling into the dent in the mattress, which is where she used to lie. I wonder where she is, and why her absence screams at me so crisply, even as I curl myself into the crimson bedspread.
Alas, reality is such a fluid, fleeting thing when you find yourself as old as I am.
Bathsheba is gone, but her voice still echoes in my head. It is still resonating around me in the chamber, whispering softly, “I beg you: show me you still care. Read the scroll. Do it now, David, because this you must realize: my life, and the life of our son, are both in grave danger.”
The scroll has been hanging by a thread from Goliath’s sword up there over my head, but now it has fallen next to my pillow. With some effort I break the seal. Even so I do not care to read it, or to deal with danger, at my age. She should know that. At his point, the present is such a boring thing for me. Not so the past: I ask myself, over and again, what happened? How in heaven’s name did it come to this?
Was it not just yesterday when I was standing there, in my court, beaming a wide smile at the sight of my handsome, mischievous little boys as they came running to me, as they pushed each other aside, simply to cling to my hand?
And didn’t Bathsheba raise the baby, then—ever so gently—from his little crib, and let me cradle him in my arms, for the first time? Was it all a dream, nothing more than a yearning for a new beginning?

David in A Peek at Bathsheba

My novel is greatly influenced by art. Here is an oil painting by Govert Flinck, Bathsheba makes an appeal to David. It depicts a scene similar to the excerpt above, perhaps a scene that happened just an hour earlier, when an aging Bathsheba pleads before David. Here, he pays her full attention, to the point of pushing the young Abishag, who takes care of him, away.



★ Just released! Volume II of the trilogy ★
A Peek at Bathsheba
★ Audio ★ Ebook ★ Print ★
"The richness of her descriptive language, to me, evokes a sense of majesty that seems, well, biblical."

Looking forward!!

Len wrote: "Looking forward!!"

Great Len!

Apart from love you shouldn't be
Take my book, it's yours, it free!

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And while you get it, check out the audio edition, too!
Apart From Love
Free 07/24-07/26



Secrets, passion, betrayal...
Written with passionate conviction, this story is being recorded by two of its characters: Ben, a twenty-seven years old student, and Anita, a plain-spoken, spunky, uneducated redhead, freshly married to Lenny, his aging father. Behind his back, Ben and Anita find themselves increasingly drawn to each other. They take turns using an old tape recorder to express their most intimate thoughts, not realizing at first that their voices are being captured by him.

Meanwhile, Lenny is trying to keep a secret from both of them: his ex-wife, Ben's mother, a talented pianist, has been stricken with early-onset alzheimer. Taking care of her gradually weighs him down. What emerges in these characters is a struggle, a desperate, daring struggle to find a path out of conflicts, out of isolation, from guilt to forgiveness.

These tapes hold the secret of the story. As one of the characters concludes, "I wish I could be more confident of its veracity and completeness. I wish I could do more. This, I suppose, is the nature of the quest for truth--even if it is truth in fiction."

Where does the title, Apart From Love, come from?
The word Love is used sparingly in the novel, which makes it ever more precious. The title comes from a phrase used three times in the story:

After a while I whispered, like, "Just say something to me. Anything." And I thought, Any other word apart from Love, 'cause that word is diluted, and no one knows what it really means, anyway.
Anita

Why, why can't you say nothing? Say any word--but that one, 'cause you don't really mean it. Nobody does. Say anything, apart from Love.
Anita

For my own sake I should have been much more careful. Now--even in her absence--I find myself in her hands, which feels strange to me. I am surrounded--and at the same time, isolated. I am alone. I am apart from Love.
Ben

I'm waiting to be taken, but now, be forewarned
Don't you dare come near me, or else you'd be scorned--
Unless you delight in literary fiction
And enjoy reading a book with detailed scene depiction

If you let me pull you in, deep inside
Until you find yourself there, in my characters' mind
I'll make you burn in hell, ablaze in desire,
I'll let you swirl like smoke, ever higher and higher

I'll bring you down here: Santa Monica, Venice Beach
For a father-son meeting, with a blame and a breach
You'll hear Lenny, Natasha, Anita and Ben
And be tortured by guilt, again and again

Find a path to forgiveness, find a way to come clean
Find the words to explain what exactly you mean
Turn page after page, then fall to your knee
'Cause Apart From Love, no feeling is free



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Apart From Love
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Clarissa Simmens says, "I am so grateful that my poetry is able to be published and stored in the modern version of what author Carlos R. Zafon has called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books." She is the author of seveal books, and I am thrilled that this is what she said about my poetry book,

Overall ★★★★★
Performance ★★★★★
Story ★★★★★

"Soul-Touching"
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys poetry, family relationships and the universal emotions echoing in my heart, this luminous combination of autobiography and dialog between a man who has died and his surviving daughter?

Who was your favorite character and why?
Both the strengths and fraility of the mother and the father were portrayed excellently.

Have you listened to any of Kathy Bell Denton’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
I have not heard any of her other performances, but I was mesmerized by her voice and the power of the performance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The yearning many of us share by using the magical metaphor of “life rewinded,” reflecting the theme in her father’s poetry.

Any additional comments?
The combination of both the powerful poetry and performance has made this a book worth listening to many times.

Get ★★★★★ HOME
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At the height of the lunar cycle, when the moon grows full once again, I give in to temptation. I go out onto the roof, where I hope, in vain, to catch a glimpse of her. And just as I start agonizing, asking myself how long can our secret be kept silent, an interruption occurs.
My bodyguard, Benaiah, comes out. I want to believe that he knows nothing about me except what orders I give him, and how I want them obeyed.
When he comes to a stand near me I spot a note in his hand. I recognize it: this is the same little papyrus scroll I sent with him that first time, a month ago, but she must have sealed it anew.
I break the seal and then, then I stare at the unfurled thing, utterly speechless. It takes just three words to get me into this state.
In long, elegant glyphs, Bathsheba has written, simply, “I am pregnant.”

David in A Peek at Bathsheba

The correspondence between David and Bathsheba is the invention of artists, whose mind was tickled to imagine how the two lovers communicated to try and prevent a public scandal. Here is the work of two great artists, Rembrandt's Bathsheba at her bath, and Picasso's version based on Rembrandt's. Compare how he makes Bathsheba lean forward, emphasizing her keen attention to the letter, and how he plays with the patterns so that the entire space is abuzz with energy.

Rembrandt, Bathsheba at her bath


Picasso, Bathsheba at her bath


Just released! Volume II of The David Chronicles trilogy:
A Peek at Bathsheba
★ Ebook ★ Print ★

So lovely to come in for a conversation with John Tucker on his blog. A life-long Georgia native, John has burned through three wives, raised two sons, and has persevered despite being brought up in a wonderfully dysfunctional family. He is a multi-genre author with psychological thrillers, romantic Dramedy, adult contemporary novel, and an Erotica sizzler. This is what he asked:

✿ Tell us about A Peek at Bathsheba and what inspired you to write it?
✿ Name two personal details about yourself that may surprise people?
✿ What do you personally get out of writing, and do you have a mentor who helped you along the way?
✿ Have you ever censured yourself while writing, and could you tell us the details?
✿ Last Question. Give us a three song playlist you would listen to all day long?

To read the entire interview, click here:
JOHNTUCKERMUSTLIVE

History is written by the winners. They make sure to remove that version of history that belongs to the losers. David, the young entertainer coming to play his lyre in king Saul’s court, makes this point in Rise to Power:

Hung on the wall is an shiny iron shield. I brush my fingers over the sharp ridges of the engraved inscription, trying to figure it out by touch.
It says, The House of Kish. To a naive observer it may seem like an emblem of a highly respected ancestry—but as everyone around the country knows, Saul has no royal blood in his veins. He is the son of Kish, a lowly farmer who owns but a few asses. In his youth Saul used to tend to these stubborn animals.
He may long for those carefree days. Even so, word on the street is that he did a lousy job, because the asses got lost more often than not. Everyone hopes and prays that he will do better as a king.
The worst part is, his family comes from a tribe of ill-repute. The tribe of Benjamin is known to be nothing but a rowdy mob, notorious for an insatiable appetite for rape and murder, for which it was severely punished. In a fierce civil war, it was nearly wiped out—not so long ago—by the other tribes.
For the life of me I cannot figure why the first king of Israel should be picked from the poor, the downtrodden. It is a questionable political decision—but perhaps it is better this way. In the back of his mind Saul should know his humble beginnings. He should feel compassion for his subjects, even though at this point all I sense out of him is rage and jealousy.
He is the son of a simple farmer, which makes this emblem quite pretentious. But who cares? By instinct I get it, I understand his need to display the thing, because this is the way to create history, when none is available.

Even when the winner’s version of history makes it to the books, it is modified by later generations, adding layers upon layers of interpretation. So when I select old yarn to give it a new twist, I always focus on the human aspect: my biblically-inspired characters are no heroes. They are modern men and women, who at times find the courage to do heroic acts; at times they are besieged by emotions of grief, jealousy, or overwhelming passion; and always, they ponder who they are with the doubts and hesitations that are familiar to all of us.

Here, for example, is what Yankle--the main character in my book A Favorite Son, inspired by the biblical figure of Jacob--says about who he is.

I like to think of myself as a modern man. A confused one. One left to his own devices, because of one thing: the silence of God. When Isaac, my father, lay on his deathbed, waiting for me, or rather, for his favorite son to come in, he suspected, somehow, that he was about to be fooled. And yet, God kept silent. Now, all these years later, I wonder about it.
God did not help the old man. He gave no warning to him, not one whisper in his ear, not a single clue. Now as then, He is utterly still, and will not alert me when my time comes, when they, my sons, flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, are ready to face me, to fool their old man.



★ Like reading? Get these books ★
Just released! Volume II of the trilogy:
A Peek at Bathsheba

Volume I of the trilogy:
Rise to Power

Other biblically-inspired books:
A Favorite SonA Favorite Son
Twisted

Just because... Here is a little poem:

She:
I dabbed a drop of perfume right under my ear
As soon as I laid eyes on you, here
You dance with such rhythm, such elegant flair
I adore your bald spot and your dwindling hair

He:
I think of myself as a dashing young man
No surprise you came over when the music began
You smell so good, I feel such a bliss
Leaning over to you, can I hope for a kiss?

She:
I wore my best dress, with the arms left bare,
Painted my lips, put a rose in my hair
I love dancing with such a tall gentleman
My heart is yours, hold me tight if you can

He:
Let me lift you up high into the air
Come fly with me, if only you dare
To hang on my arm and trust every step
Let us tango together, now your weight I must shlep


I love sculpting dancing figures, because not only is the dance dynamic--
but it expresses the relationship between the dancers.
I made this piece of clay, burnt it in the kiln and painted it.

This piece certainly does express the dancers' relationship. Now that I'm aging, it is a joy to see an aging couple, happy, despite the fact that he "must shlep" her weight (still smiling from that line!)

Clarissa wrote: "This piece certainly does express the dancers' relationship. Now that I'm aging, it is a joy to see an aging couple, happy, despite the fact that he "must shlep" her weight (still smiling from tha..."

lol... This is one of three sculptures I made of him, each time with a different girlfriend. A dashing young man, indeed! Thank you Clarissa :)

A year ago, the chief architect for my palace became overly inventive, which is something I welcome. He suggested to embellish the look of my tower by adding an external staircase, with each stair projecting outward from the wall—which would be seen by everyone, from every hill surrounding the city, no matter how far. At the time I thought it was a good idea, because that would leave the internal staircase as a private approach to my chamber, to be used by me alone.
I approved his plan, because as a poet I enjoy solitude, and as a politician I need to relieve myself—on occasion—from the pressure of dealing with the crowds.
Once constructed, I found it offered one more advantage, which I had not foreseen before. The staircase put those who climbed up to my office on public display. It helped make them know their place once they got here.
For the most part, this works in my favor.
Since many of those who come happen to be of the opposite sex, my interest in them becomes truly notorious, whether I deserve it or not. For a king, this is not a bad thing. Depending upon whom you ask about it, my virility is hated, envied, or else, much revered.
So now when Bathsheba, my new bride, comes to me from the women’s quarters, she does it the same way as the rest of my wives.
Bending over the sill of my chamber window I spot her clambering up, slowly and heavily, around the tower.
She stops for a minute to wipe her brow, because the heat of this summer is more intense than usual. Short of breath, she holds one hand on the iron railing, and the other around her belly. On her, the climb takes its toll.
Bathsheba lowers her eyes and gives a shy, hesitant nod to one concubine after another, as they are coming down, measuring her top to bottom, and flinging their skirts about, with a happy whistle on their lips.
That uneasy scramble to the top has the questionable effect of humbling her. By the time she arrives, there are tears in her eyes.

David in A Peek at Bathsheba

This excerpt is inspired by a painting of Bathsheba in one of the frescos based on the life of king David painted by Salviati at the Palazzo Sacchetti in Rome. Salviati moves this story forward to the time she has come to the palace to see David. This inspired me to write of the reality Bathsheba must face once she comes to the palace, as one of many wives and concubines.

"What's next in store for King David? I am sure in the third and final book of this trilogy, we are about to find out!

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Book Description:

Home. A simple word; a loaded one. You can say it in a whisper; you can say it in a cry. Expressed in the voices of father and daughter, you can hear a visceral longing for an ideal place, a place never to be found again.

Imagine the shock, imagine the sadness when a daughter discovers her father’s work, the poetry he had never shared with anyone during the last two decades of his life. Six years after that moment of discovery, which happened in her childhood home while mourning for his passing, Uvi Poznansky presents a tender tribute: a collection of poems and prose, half of which is written by her, and half—by her father, the author, poet and artist Zeev Kachel. She has been translating his poems for nearly a year, with careful attention to rhyme and rhythm, in an effort to remain faithful to the spirit of his words.

Zeev’s writing is always autobiographical in nature; you can view it as an ongoing diary of his life. Uvi’s writing is rarely so, especially when it comes to her prose. She is a storyteller who delights in conjuring up various figments of her imagination, and fleshing them out on paper. She sees herself chasing her characters with a pen, in an attempt to see the world from their point of view, and to capture their voices. But in some of her poems, she offers you a rare glimpse into her most guarded, intensely private moments, yearning for Home.

Don’t open your eyes
Try not to see
Things are no longer
Where things ought to be

That voice—is it her?
Behind a closed door
She calls you a stranger
Your mother no more

Breathe through the moment
Turn, turn your eyes
The past you imagined
Was all lies, lies, lies

Things are no longer
Where things ought to be
Who is this stranger
Is it still me?

(included in Home)

The Kindle edition is still on a kindle countdown deal!
Home http://bookShow.me/B00960TE3Y

In this excerpt I explore the moment of anticipation, before Bathsheba comes to David. He can still back down from going ahead with this forbidden affair, which is why I make frequent mention of the presence of the tent of God, the presence of his conscience. Is this a moment of pure love? Lust? Decadence? I explore all these possibilities...

To read more, click here: Love? Lust? Or decadence?