Derek Laurens is the pen name of Northern California attorney Bryan Smith.

     G. (Gerald) Bryan Smith was born in Atlanta, Georgia. He graduated from Georgia State University in 1979 (BA, Journalism). Thereafter, he worked for several years as a reporter and news editor for Atlanta-area newspapers until deciding to go to law school in 1983. He attended Walter F. George School of Law, Mercer University (Juris Doctorate, 1986); and later Golden Gate University School of Law, San Francisco (L.L.M., Master of Laws in Taxation, 1996). He is an active member of the State Bars of California and Georgia. The author’s direct e-mail is traderbryan1@yahoo.com.

     After stints as an attorney associate at a real estate-focused law firm and a Deputy District Attorney in Georgia, a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force, and association with private law firms in California, Mr. Smith started his own law office in 1999. He has since worked as a solo practitioner attorney specializing in general civil litigation with emphasis on family law, estate planning, probate, and bankruptcy.

     From a teenager Mr. Smith has been an avid fan of science-fiction literature and film. His favorite science-fiction writers, in alphabetical surname order, are the grand masters of Poul Anderson, Piers Anthony, James Blish, Robert Bloch, Ray Bradbury, Philip K. Dick, Robert A. Heinlein, Richard Matheson, and Clifford D. Simak. Mr. Smith was a regular childhood fan of the original Star Trek and Outer Limits television series.   

     Lizard's Lair is Mr. Smith’s second soon to be published novel--this one is actually termed a "novella" at around 20,000 words--and is a "prequel" to the already noted science-fiction space adventure novel, The Survivors. 

     Both books are available in paperback on www.amazon.com, published through Amazon Createspace, and for electronic download on Amazon Kindle, which is Amazon’s new portable reading device to download a variety of reading materials from the internet. Both books are also available in paperback in the Wordclay “Bookstore” at  www.wordclay.com .

The novels may be easily accessed at the named sites by author name, and obvious subject area descriptions including Science Fiction and Adventure.

     Wordclay has also made the author's books available for wide-spread distribution through Ingram which is a primary supplier for many retail book stores including Barnes and Noble.

     The Survivors has just now been made an available E-Book at www.ebookmall.com and

at www.ebookomatic.com where the novel may also be easily located at each site by title, author, and under obvious subject area descriptions including Science Fiction.  

     The author expresses his sincere gratitude to all new readers who opened their wallets to purchase his work. He is interested in receiving candid in-put on both novels, The Survivors and Lizard's Lair. He invites readers to post reviews on www.amazon.com   (where, again, both novels may be easily located by title and author).The author invites his  readers to e-mail their input directly to traderbryan1@yahoo.com.

     The author also encourages interested readers to check the author’s website, www.survivorsnovel.com for engaging author commentary and other items.