"TRAVELING IN SPACE ROCKS!" - So Says an Appreciative Reader

One of the great joys of being an author is when you get a fan letter or a readers review that not just compliments your work, but “gets it” and appreciates those areas of your work you took particular effort with or take particular pride in. Such was the case when this Readers Review appeared last week on the Amazon page for my latest novel, “Traveling in Space”

And it beautifully coincides with Amazon offering the Trade Paperback at an 11% discount down from $14.99 to $13.33.  The Kindle version is only 2.99

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5.0 out of 5 stars Traveling In Space rocks! June 21, 2013

By Brian Hart

“I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a book as much as Traveling In Space. The characters, dialog and situations were unique and interesting from start to finish. I have read many, many ‘First Contact’ books and stories over time, but never had read one that had such a fun premise.

The entire story is told strictly from the point of view of the aliens, who come from what they call,The Living World. That does take a bit of getting used to at first, in the way the aliens think and speak, (we are simply called, Otherlife) but isn't that the fun of really good SF, getting you out of your comfortable human zone? The best ones allow an examination of human culture from an otherworldly point of view, making us think long and hard about who we are as a species. Leiva does a great job here, keeping the aliens consistent, and always engaging.

Any SF story is allowed at least one "gimme" and this one is, admittedly, a doozy, but just go with it and enjoy the ride. There is a bit of fantasy element at work here as well, the Living Worlders look exactly like us, except that they are so genetically advanced that they appear extremely beautiful to Earth people. 

"Holy shit! You're fucking gorgeous!"

You just have to go with that, and the plusses and minuses of their advancements are explored in full, and are part of the plot.

This is his first SF book, and I was expecting some creaky technology. However I was knocked out by some of the unique ideas, especially the frequent use of the different kinds of ‘bubbles’; very cool indeed. Bubbles are difficult to explain in this short review, but as the story moves along they start to make more sense. It allows Leiva to get around the ‘Treknology’ problem of creating new miraculous devices as the plot gets sticky and harder to resolve.

One of the more interesting parts of the book is how the human culture has a profound effect on the aliens themselves. Again, this can be a clichéd and tired SF concept, but Leiva handles this very well indeed.

Congratulations to Mr. Leiva on a great book!”

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Thanks Mr. Hart! It is deeply appreciated.

Cover and interior illustrations by Todd Cronin

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A NEW COVER FOR "BLOOD IS PRETTY"

On the tenth anniversary of my first published novel, Blood is Pretty—The First Fixxer Adventure, Crossroad Press is bringing it back into print with a great new cover.  

CEO/Publisher, author David Niall Wilson, started Crossroad press in 2009 at first to publish his own books as ebooks. But he soon realized he could help his fellow authors do the same thing, and has dedicatedly done so ever since, broadening out Crossroad into audiobooks and now trade paperback print editions. Crossroad published the ebook edition of Blood is Pretty in 2010. At that time we decided to just keep the book's original cover from its first print edition.

But for this new edition we decided to spiff things up a bit and put a new face on. I wanted to keep the original cover's concept of the title written in blood (when you read the book—and you will read the book, won't you?—you'll see the appropriateness of this graphic image) as the title is meant to be a slightly over-the-top indication of the slight homage nature of the book to thrillers and heroes from Bulldog Drummond through The Saint onto James Bond and the loves of my 60s TV life, I Spy and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  

But there is also some serious blood-letting in the book and—despite the humor—some serious considerations of life, death, morality, and how our brains—fragile and malleable presenters of reality—can be messed with for fun and profit. I always felt that the original cover just did not convey this.

So I threw the task to the talented animator & illustrator Todd Cronin, who did the covers for my novels Traveling in Space and Hollywood is an All-Volunteer Army.
















Todd picked a new typeface for the blood and wonderfully added drips and a pool of the stuff.

This I liked!  Especially my name etched not in blood but on the blood. 

Then, Aaron Rosenberg, a very prolific author and master of graphic arts who designs covers for Crossroad Press, suggested adding the film strip boarder. Which made a lot of sense because the novel, besides being all I say it is above, it is also a satire on Hollywood. Taking that theme and Todd's work Aaron designed the whole package, front cover:

Back cover:

And the more-important-than-you-might-think, spine:

I'm really happy with the spine. Most book spines are pretty boring. This one is—as Dr. Who might say—cool!

Aaron, by the way, had also designed the interior of the book and has done a stunning job. 

So thanks to David and Crossroad Press for giving Blood is Pretty new printed life. To Todd for being, once again, a visualizer extraordinaire. And to Aaron for his bright and witty intelligence and graphic talents (I mean that in a nice way).

We'll be announcing the publication date of the new print edition of Blood is Pretty soon.

THE COVER OF MY NEXT NOVEL

Just got this in - 

The cover of my new novel, TRAVELING IN SPACE to be published this fall by Blüroof Press. 

It's a science fiction first contact novel from the point-of-view of the aliens; a 21st Century Gulliver's Travels with Homo sapiens as the Lilliputians. 

I think Todd Cronin did a 

great job on the cover and I thank him much!