Ian J. Malone

Character-charged sci-fi with a shot of Rock & Roll!

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IJM says “Stay Calm, Be Informed” on COVID-19

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I was asked by a friend what I’m doing to stay informed on #COVID19.

Tip 1. Avoid cable news at all costs (all of it).

Tip 2. Watch live White House/NIH briefings when possible to get everything in context.

Tip 3: Download a local news app to skim headlines and stay informed on your homefront.

Tip 4. Bookmark the crap out of https://coronavirus.gov and read up.

Tip 5: Follow the CDC, the National Institute of Allergy and Infections Disease, and NIH Director Francis Collins on Twitter.

One other thing. While it’s very true that COVID-19 is no run-of-the-mill flu and should thus be taken very seriously, it’s also not cause for the complete hysteria that’s gripped so many people in our country. This will pass, and we as a community will get through it. Here’s a great video from Dave Ramsey explaining why I feel this way.

Hope it helps, gang. Y’all stay safe out there and keep washing those hands. To borrow a line from Raiders of the Lost Ark, “our top men are working on this.”

Cheers,

Ian

IJM on the Indy 500 move, NASCAR/IndyCar Doubleheader

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HUGE news broke today in the world of North American Motorsports.

In response to COVID-19, the Indy 500 is being moved to Aug. 23, while the Indianapolis Grand Prix (typically run in the first week of May) is moving to the July 4th weekend where it will run as part of a doubleheader with NASCAR (click here for coverage from the India polis Star).

IJM on the 500

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway staff had no choice but to postpone the Indy 500. It was only a matter of time. Even if we, as a society, are somehow on the downhill slide of fighting this virus by Memorial Day — and that’s a big if — there’s no way they’d be able to pull together an event of this scale on that much of a truncated timetable. Logistically speaking, it’s just not possible.

Moving the 500 to late-summer was the only way to preserve the integrity of what this event is while caring for fan safety.

Having said all that, every sport has its nasty little community of trolls who dump on any sort of change in the name of dying on Tradition’s Hill. IndyCar is no different.

Don’t listen to those fans. They’re idiots.

IJM on the IndyCar/NASCAR doubleheader

This is a ginormous story for A LOT of people… I’m just not one of them. it’s not that I dislike IndyCar. I really don’t. Heck, I used to be one of their biggest fans back in the early 2000s. Somewhere along the way, though, I simply fell out of love with that series, and it never came back.

These days, my time cup runneth over with everything from family obligations to day job duties and church stuff, plus writing, of course. That only leaves me so much time for sports. Thus,  if I’m to choose but one racing series to follow, it’s gonna be my bread and butter — NASCAR.

As for the doubleheader, I honestly don’t care who NASCAR partners with for its race weekends, July Fourth or otherwise. So long as the guys I root for each week are on the track at some point — i.e. Kevin Harvick, Bubba Wallace, Brad Keselowski, etc. — then everything else is gravy in the Malone house.

The caveat…

Much like Alabama and Auburn fans or in-laws at a family reunion, NASCAR and open wheel fans haven’t always mixed well in a crowd (open wheel = wine and cheese, NASCAR = beer and pizza). Some think that’s changed over time, and maybe it has. Nevertheless, I’ll be interested to see what the fan reaction is when those two groups collide in the stands at Indy come Independence Day weekend.

Again, all of this is assuming that we’re back to racing by then, which I, for one, sincerely hope we are.

Think I’m going wrong in my analysis of this story? Track me down on Facebook or Twitter (@ianjmalone) and throw me your beef. Trust me. I can handle it. 😉

Stay safe, y’all.

Ian

(Photo courtesy of the Indianapolis Star)

NEWS: IJM joins forces with Theogony Books for DETRON CITY VICE and THE MAKO SAGA

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I’m proud to announce that the next book in my sci-fi Makoverse series, titled DETRON CITY VICE, will be released in August 2020 through the Theogony Books imprint of Chris Kennedy Publishing (CKP). In addition, CKP has also acquired the rights to the original Mako Saga trilogy and will be re-releasing each book in the series throughout the summer in preparation for the arrival of VICE sometime before Labor Day.

Tentative Makoverse release schedule (exact dates TBA):

  • MAKO (The Mako Saga: Book 1) — May
  • RED SKY DAWNING (the Mako Saga: Book 2) — June
  • AT CIRCLE’S END (The Mako Saga: Book 3) — July
  • DETRON CITY VICE (A Makoverse Novel) — August

For more information on this development as well as what readers can expect from the new book, visit the IJM Facebook page and watch my live announcement video on the Makoverse/CKP partnership.

For more on Chris Kennedy Publishing and Theogony Books, visit the CKP website or follow the company on Facebook.

IJM short story AKALLA NIGHTS arrives with new Salvage Universe anthology

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I’m proud to announce that the new Salvage Title Universe anthology, SALVAGE CONQUEST, featuring my new short story, AKALLA NIGHTS, is now available for purchase through Theogony Books on Amazon. Click here to get your copy today!

AKALLA NIGHTS follows the adventure of a husband-and-wife freight running team as they seek to save their struggling business by entertaining a deal that could net them more than they bargained for.

About This Anthology

Harmon Tomeral and his friends wanted nothing more than to go to space, and they have beaten the odds, time and again, to get there. They developed a mech and won the Top Fleet Marine Competition. They brought back a battlecruiser from an unknown system and made it their own. They made allies who helped them achieve great victories, and they ultimately founded new colonies in what has become known as the Salvage System.

Salvage System is a beacon of hope, and a number of other races have begun looking toward it as an inspiration for how to live and govern themselves, and—in some cases—for assistance in defending themselves and throwing off oppressive regimes.

But the galaxy is a big place, and many of the races in it aren’t friendly. Would these forces like to take over Salvage System and acquire its resources? Absolutely.

Fifteen incredible authors take you further into the Salvage Title universe, giving you looks at some of the beacons of hope…and some of the malevolence that has yet to show its face. Can Harmon Tomeral and his friends hold out against it? Take a look inside and find out!

With stories by:

  • Kevin Steverson
  • Chris Kennedy
  • Christopher Woods
  • Kevin Ikenberry
  • Robert E. Hampson
  • Van Allen Plexico
  • Ian J. Malone
  • Marisa Wolf
  • Quincy J. Allen
  • John G. Hartness
  • KC Johnston
  • Alex Rath
  • David Alan Jones
  • Mark Wandrey
  • Brad R. Torgersen

IJM returns to the stars with the Salvage Universe

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I’m proud to announce that I’ll have a short story featured in the upcoming SLAVAGE CONQUEST: TALES FROM THE SALVAGE TITLE UNIVERSE anthology from Theogony Books.  The piece is titled AKALLA NIGHTS and follows the plight of a husband-and-wife freight running team as they seek to save their business by entertaining a deal that could net them more than they bargained for.

SALVAGE CONQEUST will arrive on Amazon Oct. 19 and features loads of great works from several amazing authors including John Hartness, Kevin Ikenberry, and Christopher Woods among others.

Stay tuned to the IJM News Desk as more details unfold!!!

About the Salvage Title Universe

The Salvage Title Universe was created in 2018 by bestselling sci-fi author Kevin Steverson and began with the debut book in the series, SALVAGE TITLE. The series went on to spawn two sequels — SALVAGE SYSTEM and SALVAGE FLEET — and is now primed to become shared universe with the forthcoming anthology, SLAVAGE CONQUEST.

Not familiar with the Salvage Title Universe? Click here to find book one in the series on Amazon.

Fallen World anthology arrives with new IJM short story

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Happy Friday, everyone!!!

The new Fallen World anthology, FROM THE ASHES, featuring my short story, THE COWARD OF LEON COUNTY, is now available on Amazon!

Talk about a fantastic world to write in. I had an absolute blast with this one!

On behalf of myself, the universe creators, and all the incredible authors who took part in this project, we sincerely hope y’all enjoy it!!!

Story Synopsis:

The world has Fallen, but life goes on…

In the late 2020’s and early 30’s corporations managed to render the major governments of the world obsolete. The big corporations owned most of the territories as well as the majority of the world’s wealth. While many of the old traditions were still observed in various parts of the world, the true power was with the corporations.

In the late 30’s, what would be known as the Corporate Wars began as larger companies initiated hostile takeovers in a whole new fashion. Employees, armed with corporate weapons, warred for dominance. It was a bloody time, and many small corporations were destroyed, as were a lot of civilians in the wrong place at the wrong time…as well as those who’d been buying the wrong products.

On May 1st, 2067, it all ended in nuclear fire.

Sixteen outstanding authors have come to this Fallen World with stories that take place from the islands off the coast of Washington to the plains of central Europe; from the swamps of Florida to the streets of Philadelphia. These stories document the fall…and introduce you to people who might just drag civilization back from the ashes…

FROM THE ASHES, the Fallen World anthology edited by Chris Kennedy and Christopher Woods, is now for sale exclusively on Amazon.

FREE BIRD RISING arrives in audiobook

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I’m thrilled to announce that the audiobook for FREE BIRD RISING is now available for purchase on the following platforms:

The story is read by James Patrick Cronin and is a service of Podium Publishing in conjunction with Seventh Seal Press.

Story Synopsis:

“A noted explorer once asked, ‘Who knows if there are secrets lurking in the unseen corners of hyperspace?’ The answer is simple. There are!” — Colonel Terrance Van Zant, Commanding Officer, Swamp Eagle Security

Taylor Van Zant has a lot on his mind.

Like everyone in Jacksonville, North Florida, the early-twenties bartender from Riverside saw his world upended when his brother, Terry, an interstellar mercenary and local hero, died suddenly in a freak starship accident. Five years later, having been stonewalled for answers, Taylor faced a choice: Honor his mother’s wish that he never go merc or defy it to save her life by resurrecting Terry’s company.

That was thirteen months ago. Now the newly reformed Eagles stand on the verge of a major milestone: owning their own flagship. There’s just one problem. Terry left behind a ship that no one knew about, a rare breed of cruiser with a most peculiar secret.

“Free Bird Rising” is the story of a young man’s quest for justice and to escape his brother’s shadow. The shocking revelations he finds, though, will likely rock the Galactic Union to its core and get him killed.

IJM enters ‘This Fallen World’ with new anthology story

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Chris Kennedy Publishing announced at LibertyCon last weekend that a new anthology set in Chris Woods’s “Fallen World” universe is scheduled for release on August 2. The project is titled FROM THE ASHES and will feature short stories from more than a dozen authors, one of whom happens to be yours truly!

What is the Fallen World?

The Fallen World is a fictional universe set on Earth in the late-twenty-first century roughly 20 years after a handful of corporations took over the planet them promptly blew it to hell in a fiery nuclear war. It’s a time of raiders and warlords, an age of imprinted soldiers and physically-modified “geno freaks.” It’s a place where society exists solely in small pockets throughout the rubble of the old world, and one where justice lives at the tip of a blade because the notion of real law is downright laughable.

Think Mad Max meets the future from Terminator post-Judgement Day.

Thus far, there are two novels set in the Fallen World universe — THIS FALLEN WORLD by Christopher Woods and DON’T CALL ME ISHMAEL by Chris Kennedy — with two more on the way. FROM THE ASHES is meant to blow the doors open for even more.

What does an IJM tale look like in the Fallen World?

I don’t want to reveal much because I’d hate to spoil the fun in an email. What I will say is that my short story follows an enigmatic character named Ethan as he embarks on a dangerous trek down the American Gulf Coast toward my hometown of Tallahassee.

Stay tuned here as more details unfold!

IJM unveils panel schedule for LibertyCon 2019

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Hey y’all! The following are my panel and author’s alley schedules for next weekend’s LibertyCon in Chattanooga, Tennessee (June 28-30).

  • ri – 05:00PM — Opening Ceremonies
  • Fri – 09:00PM — Author’s Alley (M: Plaza Ballroom Mezzanine)
  • Sat – 10:00AM — Character Development in Military Science Fiction (CC: Meeting Rooms 9 & 10)
  • Sat – 01:00PM — World Building for Space Opera (CC: Meeting Rooms 4 & 5)
  • Sat – 08:00PM — Author’s Alley (M: Plaza Ballroom Mezzanine)
  • Sun – 10:00AM — Kaffeeklatsch/coffee and breakfast (M: Tennessee River Room)
  • Sun – 01:00PM — Author’s Alley (M: Plaza Ballroom Mezzanine)

 

For more on LibertyCon, including info on other guests, program schedules, and events, visit the convention’s official website or follow them on social media.

 

Hope to see you at the con!!!

IJM Panel Schedule for FantaSci

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The following is my panel schedule for this weekend’s FantaSci convention in Raleigh-Durham.

Friday

  • 1-1:50 — Swing, Trooper, Trooper: A Discussion of Sports in Genre (Camellia Room)
  • 4-4:50 — Science for the Writer (Rose Room)
  • 5-5:50 — Shared Worlds (Rose Room)

Saturday

  • 1-1:50 — Writing by the Seat of your Pants (Rose Room)
  • 4-4:50 — Genre Blending (Rose Room)

Sunday

  • 9-9:50 — Jump, Jive, and Write: A Discussion of Music as Creative Inspiration (Rose Room)

As always, you learn more about the con by visiting their website at http://fantasci.rocks/fantasci/

For those not attending, be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter as I’ll posting pictures and notes throughout the event.

Cheers, gang. Have a great week and be sure to stop by my table to say hi if you’re around the hotel this weekend.

Ian

INTERVIEW: IJM returns to the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast!

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It’s always a treat to hang out with J.R. Handley and Chris Winder of the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast!

In this episode we discuss my latest book, “Free Bird Rising,” as well as the craft of writing, geek culture, and more.

Click here to hear to the interview online or listen through your favorite podcasting app i.e. iTunes or Google Play!

Enjoy!

IJM

NASCAR: There’s still life in the old girl yet!

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Race fans were treated to a fantastic read this week from ESPN’s Ryan McGee about why there’s still plenty to love about NASCAR despite grumblings to the contrary.

I happen to agree with a lot of what the article says. There’s no shortage of changing coming down the chute for NASCAR, probably as soon as 2020. Rightfully so. Much about the sport has gone stale, from the schedule to the drivers and even the on-track product itself in some instances. Nevertheless, there’s a reason why fans like me fell in love with this series, and a lot of that spirit still exists. You’ve just got to beat through the weeds of pessimism and Twitter trolls s to find it.

Don’t let the trolls win, folks. Grab yourself a cold one and pull up a chair for Daytona this weekend. After all, it still is — and always will be — the Great American Race!

Cheers,

Ian

PS – Be sure to catch up with me tomorrow (Sunday, Feb. 17) via Facebook Live at 2 pm EST on the IJM author page. I’ll drop updates about my future writing projects, as well as my predictions for the 500.