Ian J. Malone

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

Book News

Calling all beta readers!!!

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Yo, gang! I’m working on a new Mako short story which will be a freeie for my email list subscribers. I need some beta readers to help me polish it out. Should be done in the next day or so.
 
Shoot me a message via the contact page if you’re interested.
 
Story Synopsis:
 
Link Baxter defied orders on Mako Assault’s nineteenth environment to save Markus Katahl. Neither he, nor the others could’ve ever known what that started.
 
Witness the moment when the Renegades first came to Jon Reiser’s attention in “Mako: Genesis,” the action-packed short story available only to members of the Ian J. Malone email list.

‘A Family Tradition’ is live on Amazon

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Hey y’all, it’s finally here! For a Few Credits More is officially live on Amazon! Click here to score your copy in ebook or paperback!

For those unaware, this marks the second in a series of anthologies set in the bestselling military science fiction world known as the Four Horsemen Universe (4HU).

My entry, A Family Tradition, tells the story of a young man in Jacksonville, FL who is left to pick up the pieces when his older brother (a mercenary and local hero) passes away in a tragic starship accident at the pentacle of his success. It’s a tale of legacy and loss, though ultimately it’s the story of a family pulling together in search of better days — days that may well be at hand with a stranger’s proposition that could change everything.

I hope you enjoy A Family Tradition, as well as all the other fantastic works in this anthology. I can tell you that we as the authors are extremely proud of them.

Cheers, y’all. Have a fantastic Friday and I’ll catch up with you later.

Ian

PS – Favor to ask: Hit me up via email and or social media once you’ve read the story. I’d love to hear what you thought of it.

About the 4HU

The 4HU is a brilliant new military science fiction canvas from the minds of Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, both Amazon bestsellers in the genre.

Here’s a quick blurb from the publisher (Seventh Seal Press):

It’s the Twenty-Second Century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There’s just one catch: we are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain.

Enter the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Enter a galaxy not only of mercenaries, but also of Peacemakers, bounty hunters, and even a strung-out junkie in the way of a hired assassin.

To date, the 4HU has seven books for sale on Amazon.

Project update, anthology story coming in September

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Hey y’all. It’s been a few weeks since my big announcement about the Colonies Lost publishing deal. So, thought I’d stick my head out for a quick update about my plans moving forward.

As mentioned in my last blog, the delay of Colonies Lost means I’ve now got time to devote to other projects that I might not have gotten to otherwise (this year, anyway).

Here’s a quick rundown of what those are, after which I’ll give details:

  • For A Few Credits More anthology short story
  • Mako second edition, trilogy relaunch
  • New Mako novel (untitled)
  • New Mako short story (untitled)
  • Nightfall: A Roanoke Short Story (Colonies Lost prequel)
  • Colonies Lost launch

So yeah… I’m busy.

For A Few Credits More anthology short story

As previously announced, I was invited to write a short story for the forthcoming second anthology set in the Four Horsemen universe (FHU).

I now have a tentative release date for that — September 15, 2017.

For those not familiar with the series, the FHU is a brilliant new Military Science Fiction canvas from the minds of Chris Kennedy and Mark Wandrey, both Amazon bestsellers in the genre.

Here’s a quick blurb from the publisher (Seventh Seal Press):

It’s the Twenty-Second Century. The galaxy has opened up to humanity as a hyperactive beehive of stargates and new technologies, and we suddenly find ourselves in a vast playground of different races, environments, and cultures. There’s just one catch: we are pretty much at the bottom of the food chain.

Enter the Four Horsemen universe, where only a willingness to fight and die for money separates Humans from the majority of the other races. Enter a galaxy not only of mercenaries, but also of Peacemakers, bounty hunters, and even a strung-out junkie in the way of a hired assassin.

To date, the FHU has two books set in its space: Cartwright’s Cavaliers by Wandrey and Asbaran Solutions from Kennedy. The next book — A Fistful of Credits (anthology) — will arrive June 30, and be followed by four more books by year’s end.

  • Winged Hussars (novel) by Mark Wandrey
  • The Golden Horde (novel) by Chris Kennedy
  • For A Few Credits More (anthology) by various authors including yours truly
  • Peacemaker (novel) by Kevin Ikenberry

So, what does an IJM short story look like in the FHU?

I don’t want to say too much because there’s something of a thematic element here that likeminded fans of Southern rock will quickly detect.

*cough* FREEBIRD!!! *cough*

Alas, I’d be a jerk if I didn’t at least throw you a bone or two. So, here goes:

  • Set in Florida: The story is set in my home state, specifically in the city of Jacksonville. (Fun Fact: Jacksonville, FL is the largest city in the United States by land mass.)
  • Florida has changed… a lot: The Sunshine State is a very, very different place in the 22nd century. Case in point: it’s not even called “Florida” anymore.
  • Jacksonville = Merc Capital of the Deep South: For a bevy or reasons, mostly economic, Jax has risen to prominence as one of the biggest centers for mercenary operations on Earth. It’s also home to the largest hub, or “starport” as they’re known in the FHU, south of Houston, Texas.
  • The Cult of Apple is No More: Anyone who follows me on social media knows the love/hate relationship I have with Apple products. I guess I was feeling rather spiteful the day I wrote this, because the fruit giant is officially sliced in the FHU. Sorry, oh ye followers of Jobs. Your cult is dead. I freakin’ killed it. (I love fiction writing.)

Again, my story along with all the others in For A Few Credits More will arrive this September. On behalf of everyone who contributed, we hope you enjoy them.

Mako 2.0

As many know, the original Mako novel went through quite a few incarnations before finally going to print, and even then it took some tweaking afterward. I’ve since gone on to finish the trilogy, an experience I’d like to believe has made me a better writer. As such, the time has finally come to upgrade that initial book so it falls in line with the others in terms of story and style quality.

Enter Mako: Second Edition.

Just so we’re clear, nothing will change in this version of Mako. It’ll simply be a cleaner, more polished read on par with its counterparts. I will, however, take the opportunity to “trim some of the story fat” in an effort to pick up the pace a bit.

An example of this might involve the game, Mako Assault. It’s an intragap part of the story in the early going, though that ceases to be the case as the main arc progresses. By trimming some of those details, it tightens the narrative, increases tempo, and keeps the focus of the story where it truly belongs — on the characters today.

Relaunching the Saga

In addition to craft, I’ve also learned a lot about cover design in the last few years — specifically the need for series uniformity.

I was extremely fortunate when I released Mako to have a dear friend who specialized in graphic design. He built an amazing cover, no doubt about it. As the series progressed, however, he was no longer available, meaning I had to hire another artist. Thus, in turn, created a break in design style which is why the covers for Red Sky Dawning and At Circle’s End look so drastically different for that of Mako.

It’s time to correct that.

In the coming months, I’ll roll out brand-new covers for all three saga books, starting first with that of Mako 2.0. The process will then conclude with the cover reveal for…

A new novel set in the Makoverse

I told you after At Circle’s End that I wasn’t done with these characters, and I meant it. In fact, I’ve got stories in mind for each of The Big Five (Lee and Mac, Danny, Link and Hamish). Some of these will be standalone stories. Others may lead to new series on their own. We’ll just have to wait and see.

The first of these “spinoff” books will center on Danny Tucker and his crew from Overlook. Think of them as the A-Team of that universe— or at least, that’s what they’re working toward.

The novel itself should be short (70,000 words or so) and packed with action. It’ll also find Danny in a very different place than he was in At Circle’s End — a happier place. He’ll need that, too, for what’s coming in the days ahead.

As was the case with the other books in this universe, I will indie publish to retain full control over the story, its themes, and its cover. Because of this, there shouldn’t be much of a lag once the manuscript is finished. That means I can get it onto shelves quickly.

Expect the Danny Tucker book in early-2018.

Full Disclosure: I already know the title but don’t want to give it away until I have the cover. Believe me, die-hard fans of this series will understand why when they see it.

A Mako short story

Quick note here: I’ll also be penning a brief Mako short story for distribution to my email list. Not sure what this will look like yet, but expect something light and fun to the tune of 3,000-5,000 words.

Nightfall: A Roanoke Short Story

Like the Mako short story, this will be another 3K-word quick-hitter for my email listers. Unlike the former, though (likely a fun, wisecracking standalone story), Nightfall will serve as a direct prequel to the vents of my novel Colonies Lost (tentative title now), due out next year from Red Adept Publishing.

I already have the cover for Nightfall, so look for a reveal sometime in the coming months. The story itself will drop in early-2018.

Colonies Lost release

Finally, if I play my cards right, everything I’ve laid out above will serve to ramp up momentum for the launch of Colonies Lost. I won’t expound on that story here, as I’ve already done so in earlier blogs. Just know that I’m still every bit as jacked for its release as I was then, perhaps even more so now that I’ve got a partner in Red Adept to help me make this story all that it can be.

Whew…

Okay, gang. That’s it for now. As you can plainly see, I’ve got tons to do in the days, weeks, and months ahead, so let me get to it.

Take care, stay cool this summer, and thanks as always for supporting my work.

Cheers,

IJM

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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, REVIEW AN IJM BOOK TODAY!

Customer reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others are vital to the success of independently published works like those of Ian J. Malone. As such, if you enjoy his books, please consider leaving them a brief review on the retailer of your choice. (One or two sentences will do wonderfully.)

Please Note: Clicking “yes” on the “Did you find this review helpful?” line for other four and five-star reviews is also extremely helpful.

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BREAKING: IJM inks publishing deal for ‘Colonies Lost’

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So, you might recall a few weeks back my saying, “Hey guys, the beta manuscript for my next book is done. Just for grins and giggles, I’m gonna shop it to see what happens.”

Well, stuff indeed happened… a lot of stuff. That brings us to today’s announcement.

I’m thrilled to announce that my next book, Colonies Lost, will be published by the wonderful folks at Red Adept Publishing.

Going Hybrid

I’ll blog more about this in the weeks to come, but suffice it to say I’m ecstatic to be turning in my indie card for that of a hybrid author (someone who publishes works both independently and traditionally). Don’t misunderstand me. I love being an indie, and all of the freedoms that come with that distinction. This deal, however, gives me the best of both worlds: top-flight editing and production services, as well as a partner to help me take my work to new audiences.

It also helps that this particular partner just so happens to be one of the top small presses in the country. Not a bad gig at all.

What this means moving forward

I know I’d promised that Colonies Lost would arrive this summer, but that’s about to change. Signing with a publisher means I’m now beholden to their schedule and as small presses go, Red Adept is extremely busy. Right now, we’re looking at an early-2018 launch for my next book.

That’s a long time to wait, I know. But trust me. In the end, this story is worth waiting for to get it right.

The other upshot to this kind of delay is that it’ll give me time to pen some more content and do some housecleaning with my existing trilogy.

*cough* new Mako story *cough*

More on that in later posts.

About Red Adept Publishing (RAP)

Based in the heart of North Carolina’s Research Triangle, RAP publishes works in a various fictional genres, ranging from romance and mystery to science fiction and fantasy.

Some of their more notable authors include:

  • New York Times bestseller Kate Moretti (mystery)
  • USATODAY bestseller Morgan C. Talbot (mystery)
  • Amazon bestseller Micheal Myerhoffer (fantasy)

For more on RAP and its authors or to purchase a book, visit them online at www.redadeptpublishing.com. You can also like them on Facebook.

Gotta jet now, gang, but thanks as always for your support of my work and stay tuned here as more unfolds.

Cheers, y’all.

IJM

Colonies Lost hits the next phase

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Hey y’all, just wanted to pop by and let you know that my family’s move into our new house is finally done, which puts me back on track in writing world.

HUZZAH!!!

The first COLONIES LOST beta manuscript has been finished and shipped off to my subject matter expert for “cop stuff” review. Ass mentioned before, this story does have something of a “who done it?” element, thus I felt it wise to let an actual cop give it a gander. Fortunately for me (and the story), one of my dearest friends in the world is a former detective, and he’s graciously agreed to help out.

I expect to have my friend’s notes back by the end of the month/first of May. After that, I’ll need a few weeks to make changes then it’s off to edit. As to how that’ll look, I’m not yet sure. I may well publish through my own press (Sharkflight Publishing), or I might go through one of a handful of small presses who’ve shown interest in the project.

Oh, and I’ve also queried a few agents, just for grins and giggles. Because, you know, why not?

Either way, barring a trip to NYC for meetings with major publishers (a fella can dream, right?), I expect COLONIES LOST to drop sometime this summer, as scheduled.

Peace for now, gang. Hope you’re staying dry (we’re getting pummeled with rain in Durham right now), and thanks as always for keeping tabs on my work.

Cheers,

IJM

Colonies Lost update, IJM joins an anthology in time for summer

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Cowboy 2

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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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, REVIEW AN IJM BOOK TODAY!

Customer reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others are vital to the success of independently published works like those of Ian J. Malone. As such, if you enjoy his books, please consider leaving them a brief review on the retailer of your choice. (One or two sentences will do wonderfully.)

Please Note: Clicking “yes” on the “Did you find this review helpful?” line for other four and five-star reviews is also extremely helpful.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. It is much, much appreciated.

Trip Hackett update + events abound in NC!

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Hey folks, what’s the good word?

It’s been a while since I’ve written, so I thought I’d take a few minutes and bring you up to speed on what’s been happening.

Work on Trip Hackett continues

I’m deep into editing on the second draft of my next book, THE NEW WORD: A TRIP HACKETT NOVEL. All and all, I’m really happy with the way it’s going, though it has been somewhat of a learning experience (aren’t they all?). It’s a very different kind of book for me. Yes, it’s still sci-fi. But Trip is a very different character than the Renegades, with a very different skillset. It also bears mentioning that the world I’m dropping him into (named Sunoro) is quite different than those of Aura and Alystier in that it’s much more grass roots. Think the Industrial Revolution with alien tech.

My goal is to be ready for an editor by Christmas for a late-spring, early-summer release in 2017. Stay tuned for more details as they come.

honorcon-logo

Spend Halloween weekend with me at HonorCon in Raleigh

Halloween weekend marks the return of HonorCon to the Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown, and I’m “honored” as always to have been invited back as a panelist. This is a great event, no matter what strand of the SF&F genre you’re into. Of course there’s military SF (It’s the official con of the HONOR HARRINGTON series… duh!). There also loads of venders, panels, guests, and workshops to attend.

This year’s guest of honor is actress and writer Claudia Christian. Christian is best known for her role as Commander Susan Ivanova on the hit television series Babylon 5.

Other guests include the following authors:

  • David Weber
  • Chris Kennedy
  • Greg Cox
  • Christopher Nuttall
  • Marko Kloos

As for me, I’ll be in Authors Alley and on several panels. Hope to see you there!

For more information, or to register for the convention, visit HonorCon online.

The NC Writers Network fall conference

If you miss me at HonorCon, you can also find me the following weekend at the annual fall conference for the North Carolina Writers Network. I’ll be teaching a class that Sunday, titled “Beyond Vanity: How Indie Publishing Builds Professional Writers.” Come say hi and check out the class. If you’ve ever had interest in publishing a book, it’s my hope that these contents will put you on a path to making that happen.

Plus, who knows? Maybe one of the myriad publishers/agents in attendance meets you in the crowd and offers you a contract. Stranger things have happened, right?

The conference will be held at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley, Nov. 4-6. Visit the event’s official webpage for more details.

All right, gang, that’s gonna do it for this one. As you can see, I’ve got tons to do and not much time to do it. So back to the office I go.

Take care, stay warm, and see you around the inter-web thingy.

Cheers,

IJM

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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, REVIEW AN IJM BOOK TODAY!

Customer reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others are vital to the success of independently published works like those of Ian J. Malone. As such, if you enjoy his books, please consider leaving them a brief review on the retailer of your choice. (One or two sentences will do wonderfully.)

Please Note: Clicking “yes” on the “Did you find this review helpful?” line for other four and five-star reviews is also extremely helpful.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. It is much, much appreciated.

New book, character sports allegiances, and early CFB thoughts

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Greetings, all!

HOLY FREAKIN’ CRAP, IT’S HOT!!!

Moving on.

Update on the new book

I managed to bang out another thousand words this morning, thus bringing my total so far to just under 30k. At this rate, I’ll have a first draft by the end of September, and a beta manuscript by Christmas. I say that, mind you, as this story grows like a weed every time I sit down at my computer. Seriously, when I first started this project, I expected it to be a nice, compact little 300 page scifi/alt history adventure tale. But no, it’s gotta run off and get all complex and epic on me… stupid imagination. LOL

OBX

Back to the matter at hand: I will take a break from writing next weekend so the Mrs. and I can vacay in the Outer Banks (OBX) for a few days. I’m really excited about it, too. That’s a part of NC that I’ve yet to visit and I hear it’s gorgeous. It’s also loaded with American history, and I’ll need that as research material for my next book… more on that in later blogs. 😉

Oh, one other thing.  I found out last night that Smalls and I are going hand-gliding in Kitty Hawk on Friday so keep an eye on my Facebook page for photos after.

Trip Hackett, sports enthusiast

As any reader of The Mako Saga knows, my characters tend to be sports fans. Shocker, I know. First there was Mac, the Yankees fan. Then came Link, the Bronco, Hamish the All Black, Danny, the Dolphin, and Lee, the Buccaneer — all of whom cheer for Florida State because, well, that’s what good guys do.

So, where are the allegiances of my new guy, Trip Hackett, native son of the Tar Heel state?

Drum roll please….

Braves Logo

Yep. My man is a Braves fan.

I know, I know. Most locals from the OBX area tend to support Washington or Baltimore teams, but hear me out on this. Right out of the gate, I knew I wanted the All-American element of baseball in this story. Thematically, it just fits, and when you read it next year, you’ll understand why. That said, North Carolina has no MLB club, which leaves me with two options: the Nationals (aka the Montreal Expos prior to 2005) or the more likely choice, the Oriels.

There’s just one problem with the latter: While the Os were solid during Trip’s childhood in the mid-90s, they paled in comparison to the Braves who were at the peak of their popularity with guys like Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, and Chipper Jones. Add to that Atlanta’s accessibility back then (they were televised almost nightly on TBS) and LOTS of people outside of Fulton County, Georgia were Braves fans.

So, there you have it. My guy’s a Bravo.

Okay, so maybe there’s one more reason. *sigh* Fact is, a lot of my peeps back home still haven’t forgiven me for making Mac a Yankee. So there. We square now or what?

Ridiculously early thoughts on college football

With ACC and SEC Media Days having just ended, the time is almost upon us to start talking college football.  It’s a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Like Christmas or Happy Hour or BOGO milkshake day at Cookout.

Coming out of ACC Kickoff, a lot of folks are picking Clemson to repeat as conference champs. And you know what? I’m good with that. They’ve got arguably the nation’s top player under center (Deshaun Watson) and a full arsenal of weapons at his disposal.

That’s the group, you’ll recall, that pushed Bama’s defense to the brink in last year’s national title game. They’re a great squad, deserving of all the accolades they’ve gotten.

Now, do I think they’ll be conference champs? No, I don’t. It’ll be Florida State, for three reasons.

  • Reason 1: The Tigers’ defense is poised to take a significant step back this season due to heavy losses in the draft and graduation.
  • Reason 2: Clemson will travel to Tallahassee this fall for what will likely be one of, if not the biggest game of the CFB season.
  • Reason 3: In addition to home field advantage, FSU has two other things going for it: a defense tat’s expected to be ferocious and a generational talent at running back who’s healthy for the first time in a year.

It’s the tried and true formula, folks — a running game that slashes and a defense that smashes. Advantage, Noles.

It’s also worth noting that Louisville could be decent, provided of course that Bobby Petrino can steer clear of mopeds and co-eds for the duration of the season.

As for the rest of the ACC… eh, we’ll see.

That’s it, people. I’m off to that place that gives me money to play on Twitter all day. (No really. I’m in charge of social media.) Take care, email me anytime if you’ve got questions, and for the love of Pete, STAY COOL!!!

Cheers,

Ian

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SHOW YOUR SUPPORT, REVIEW AN IJM BOOK TODAY!

Customer reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and others are vital to the success of independently published works like those of Ian J. Malone. As such, if you enjoy his books, please consider leaving them a brief review on the retailer of your choice. (One or two sentences will do wonderfully.)

Please Note: Clicking “yes” on the “Did you find this review helpful?” line for other four and five-star reviews is also extremely helpful.

Thank you in advance for your assistance in this matter. It is much, much appreciated.