Hey guys, apologies for the radio silence the last few months but life around the Malone house has been pretty hectic. Nevertheless, that’s still no excuse for the fact that I really do need to get better at writing these. So, expect to see more blog posts in 2017 and beyond.
Okay, let the news begin…
A new book looms on the horizon
For those who don’t know, my new book is tentatively titled Colonies Lost and will not be set in the Mako universe. It’s an entirely new story about a present-day U.S. Marshal from North Carolina (Trip Hackett) who finds himself on the outs with his agency and in need of work to support his family.
Enter the enigmatic “Mr. Smith.”
Smith seeks to enlist the aid of someone who specializes in finding people — specifically, his boss’s daughter who has mysteriously gone missing.
Trip takes the assignment, and so begins the inevitable trek down the rabbit hole. In the end, he’ll be asked to find the girl, stop a conflict that could trigger an interplanetary war, and while he’s at it, solve one of the greatest mysteries in American history.
(Hint to the Latter: Google The Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.)
I won’t lie to you, people. This has been a HUGE undertaking, and one far greater than I set out to tackle when I started this project. It’s taken a lot of research, and a crap-ton of worldbuilding, the likes of which I’ve never done before. Suffice it to say, though, I’m really happy with the direction this project has taken, and I’m almost ready to unveil it to the world.
Where do we stand?
I’m on track to have the initial beta manuscript done by the first week in March. From there, it’ll go to a cop friend of mine for subject matter proofing (Trip’s a U.S. Marshal, not a pizza guy. He has to read like it). Once my subject matter guy is finished, I’ll make changes and be ready to roll for editor submissions.
Ah, but here’s the rub…
Before I go to press with my company, Sharkflight Publishing, I want to give this book a pass through a handful of agents and some larger publishers. I do this because I think this story has real potential to strike. That said, I won’t sit on it long, nor will I sell it to just anyone. If I get a reputable bite, so be it. We’ll talk. If not, I’ll go to press with Sharkflight after two months or so.
If Colonies Lost sells, I don’t know when it’ll release as that would be dictated by the publisher. If, on the other hand, I publish it myself, expect it to hit sometime this summer.
But wait! There’s more!
Not only am I working on content for my own projects, but in very short order I’ll be developing content for others. I’ve been asked by Amazon bestselling Military SF authors Chris Kennedy and Mark H. Wandrey to pen a short story for the second of two anthology books due out later this year.
The anthologies will be set in the duo’s Four Horsemen universe, and boy is it a doozy (see books cited below for more info).
In addition to myself, Kennedy, and Wandrey, here are some of the other authors who’ll be involved in this project:
- Nick Cole
- Christopher Nuttall
- Doug Dandridge
- Brad R. Torgersen
- Sarah Hoyt
Oh, and the foreword is being written by NYT bestseller and Baen Books stalwart Chuck Gannon, so there’s that.
The first anthology is titled Fistful of Credits (frickin’ love that), and is slated for release later this spring. Anthology two (the one I’m in) should arrive this summer. In the meantime, readers can bone up on all things Horsemen with Cartwright’s Cavaliers and Asbaran Solutions, books one and two of The Revelations Cycle series.
So there ya have it, folks — the latest and greatest from yours truly, Ian Jazner Malone. As always, stay tuned here as news unfolds, and email me anytime if you’ve got questions.
Cheers, and talk then.
IJM
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