Патриция Брей (the artist formerly known as Patricia Bray)

[pbray]

Ego-googling turned up an unexpected boonus as I finally got to see the cover for the Russian language edition of DEVLIN'S LUCK otherwise known as Выбор Девлина.
.

"Hee!" sums things up nicely. And last year arcaedia sold the Russian language rights for the rest of the trilogy, so I have those covers to look forward to someday down the road.

There's something fascinating about seeing one of my stories translated into another language--especially when it's a language I don't understand.

For those who want to see the Regencies, I've put them behind the cut.

In order of their release:

A London Season (Hebrew).

Bewitching Kittens (German)

The Irish Earl (German).

A Most Suitable Duchess (German).

A Most Suitable Duchess (Portuguese/Brazil).

Comments

[larryhammer]

"Give Me Your Heart, Penelope"??

---L.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I wondered about that. I received author's copies for The Irischer Fruhling, but I haven't received a copy of this one. I'd love to skim it, to see if my college German is still good enough to check out the translation.

[mariannelee.livejournal.com]

You know...I don't see Devlin that way at all! And I can. not. wait. for your next book.

[pbray.livejournal.com]

I don't see him like this either. I'd actually pictured him as more akin to Liam Neeson (think of the film where he played Michael Collins). A tall, strong, solid guy, but no bulging muscles nor running around half naked.

[dancingwriter.livejournal.com]

Very cool having Devlin's Luck out in Russian--but no way is that guy on the cover Devlin!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

The dead bodies laying at his feet are a particularly gruesome touch.

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

Very cool!

I never realized Devlin was so scantily clad. :-)

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Well you get to see his chest on the American covers, but the artist Sanjulian obviously understood that in a cold climate you need some type of clothing.

I actually find the mask more disturbing than the bulging muscles. Wearing a mask to disguise his identity would be inconceivable to him. It's completely against his character.

But hey, I understand that cover art has to be judged against the cultural context and reader expectations for the genre--which of course is why the Harry Potter books (and most other British fantasy) get new covers when they come over to the U.S., and the same holds true when American books are reprinted overseas.

rolanni had a very similar experience with the Russian cover of one of her & kinzel's books a few weeks back. No clue who the people on the cover were, and the translation of the backcover copy was even more of a hoot.

[aeriedraconia.livejournal.com]

I wonder why they gave him a mask rather than a helmet. It does look like an old 70's or 80's Conan cover. :-)

Getting to see the original cover art and then the foreign versions is fascinating. I really wouldn't mind the original cover art on a book (unless it's really baaaad).

I've run across some pretty funny translations too. :-) Do the censors get their hands on the text and change things?

[pbray.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it's censorship or just sloppy translations. For the Russian edition of DEVLIN'S LUCK I was contacted by the translator, something that almost never happens. She wanted to confirm the etymology of the names & invented words I had used, having correctly pegged the Scandinavian sources. That way she could use the established Russian conventions for handling Scandinavian names, and keep the feel that I had been looking for. Needless to say I was quite impressed by her diligence.

[shadowhelm.livejournal.com]

WooHoo!!!! Congrats!!!

[pbray.livejournal.com]

Thanks. It is pretty cool :-)

[(Anonymous)]

I think that you’re rather lucky. At least you have your own cover. On the German market it’s common to take the US cover from one fantasy book and to put it on another. This has happened to authors like Robin Hobb, Laura Resnick, Elizabeth Haydon, James Clemens ...

I have to admit that Devlin looks a bit like Conan, though, – very barbaric.

hwm (from Austria)

[pbray.livejournal.com]

You raised a very good point. I know that's my name on the book cover, but there's nothing to say that this is original artwork. It might very well be a recycled Conan cover :-)