Ian J. Malone

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

4HU

SALE: Save 20% in the IJM Fan Shop for Valentines Day!

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Nothing says “I love you” to that special someone like an official ballcap for a fictional baseball team from a city of interstellar mercenaries in the 23rd century.

On the other hand, maybe you just wanna stick it to that obnoxious Rays fan in your life with a shirt that says, “Congrats! Your team bolted town and won eight World Series titles playing in a real stadium!”

Either way, get 20% off all items in the IJM Fan Shop TODAY ONLY by using the coupon code LOVE19 at checkout.

Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all… and GO GENERALS!!!

Introducing Jax Generals Fan Gear!

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One of the fun things about writing “Free Bird Rising” was getting to show readers what the city of Jacksonville, Florida looks like 200 years in the future. Naturally for me, sports were a huge part of that, so much so that I gave Jax its own Major League Baseball franchise.

Enter the 8-time World Series Champion Jacksonville Generals (formerly the Tampa Bay Rays). Better yet, we’ve got our own fan gear — WITH FREE SHIPPING!!!

Today through Saturday (Feb. 2), visit the new IJM Fan Shop and click “shop now.” From there, add the items you want to your cart then use the coupon code SHIP4U19 at checkout to take advantage of this special offer.

Among the items you’ll have to choose from:

  • Jax Generals hats (including the “Gold J logo” navy blue cap worn by Taylor Van Zant in the book)
  • Men’s and Women’s t-shirts (classic, jersey style, ringer, tank, and baseball)
  • Hoodies
  • Coffee Mugs, Sports Bottles, and Drinkware
  • Duffel and tote bags

Happy shopping, gang … and GO GENERALS!!!

Ian

IJM talks FREE BIRD RISING and more with the Dead Robots Society Podcast

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Had a blast talking Free Bird Rising, Colonies Lost, the craft of writing, and more with the Dead Robots Society Podcast!

Check it out via the links below!

Audio Podcast: http://deadrobotssociety.com/2019/01/23/drs-episode-529-interview-with-author-ian-j-malone/?fbclid=IwAR1dM9mZSnmD5Ntr-EX80JhWa86x7_Y_9fbg4PA5PPALXVjDZx8IoXpXMzY

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMUaVH4Q0-g&fbclid=IwAR3Z9tRSnAZG5VQk8J7q67glUlAD-3QVAq9q02G7OCHHqEAk7O2eH62gzYU

FREE BIRD RISING gets an official description

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Story Description

“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.

Free Bird Rising arrives worldwide on January 18. In the meantime, you can read the prequel tie-in with the short story, Pronounced Ry-Lee O-Sy-Ris, available FREE when you sign up for my mailing list!

COVER REVEAL: Free Bird Rising

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I’m happy to report that my next book, Free Bird Rising, has been approved by the publisher and is set for release on January 18, 2019. For more on this project, visit this previous post on the IJM News Desk.

FYI, as previously mentioned, there will also be a free short story tie-in for this book, titled Pronounced Ry-Lee O-Sy-Ris, which will go out later this month to my newsletter subscribers.

Merry Christmas, y’all!!!

Ian

PODCAST: IJM invades the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast

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Did an interview recently with the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast that was a lot like taking a trip to the local buffet. For starters, we steer completely off the reservation in the first five minutes with a full-blown foodie discussion then roll tastefully through every topic imaginable from writing to geek stuff, and yes, even a little sports talk.

Click here to play the interview!

Thanks again to JR and Christopher for having me. This was a fun one!!!

About the podcast

Hosted by JR Handley and Christopher Winder, the Sci-Fi Shenanigans Podcast (SFS) is a regular audio production featuring a wide range of content, from author interviews and discussions of craft to geek culture rants and fan analysis of trending topics.

To learn more about the SFS Podcast, visit them online via their website or join their Facebook Group.  You can also subscribe to SFS wherever podcasts are distributed.

NEWS: IJM to return to 4HU with “Free Bird Rising”

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This week, I signed a contract with military science fiction publisher, Seventh Seal Press, to pen a full-length novel set in the Amazon-bestselling Four Horsemen Universe (4HU).

The book will be titled, Free Bird Rising, and tells the story of Taylor Van Zant, a bartender from Jacksonville, North Florida who is left to pick up the pieces when his older brother, a successful mercenary and local hero, passes suddenly away in a freak starship accident. It’s a story of legacy, loyalty, and loss, and one of a young man stepping into his own, only to stumble onto a conspiracy that could change the Galactic Union forever.

Free Bird Rising will continue the tale begun in A Family Tradition, the short story featured in last year’s 4HU anthology, For a Few Credits More (click here for more info).

Stay tuned to social media and the IJM News Desk as more details about this project unfold!

About the Publisher

Seventh Seal Press is the military science fiction imprint of Chris Kennedy Publishing (CKP) for books in the Four Horsemen Universe. CKP focuses on fun, message-free science fiction and fantasy for readers of all ages. You can learn more about their books and authors at chriskennedypublishing.com, or follow them on Facebook.

IJM 2018 Project Update

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Happy New Year, y’all! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and are bunkered in for Snowmageddon 2018!

I wanted to take a second while I had one to bring you up to speed on my current slate of projects.

First,Colonies Lost is through round one of line edits and back in the hands of the publisher. We’ll now take that into round two of line edits before moving on to copy edits, then the first of two proofreads before sending the novel to post-production (formatting, cover design, etc.).

Sadly, I don’t have a release date yet for Colonies Lost, though it’s my hope the publisher will have it out by Memorial Day, if not sooner. Regardless, I think you’ll find Trip Hackett’s story well worth the wait once it does arrive.

Second, I’m currently penning draft one of a novel called, Where Eagles Fly. This will be a continuation of A Family Tradition, the short story I wrote in 2017 for the Four Horsemen anthology, For a Few Credits More. In brief, this story will follow Taylor Van Zant as he struggles to rebuild his family’s mercenary company while slowly realizing that there may’ve been more to his brother’s death than investigators let on.

My goal is to wrap this manuscript by May so the publisher can have it out by the end of summer.

BONUS: I’ll also be writing a second short story to set the table for this book, told from the perspective of Taylor’s late brother, Terry. It’ll be titled, Pronounced Ry-lee O-sy-ris, and be made available only to my newsletter subscribers.

Not a member? You can sign up here to get Pronounced when it drops, as well as the Mako prequel short story, Mako: Genesis, which is available now!

Finally, the long-awaited Mako spinoff novel, Detron City Vice, chronicling the adventures of Danny Tucker and the Overlook crew should be out by Christmas.

In closing, much of what I did in 2017 with The Mako Saga relaunch and two short stories was to set up what will hopefully be a banner year in 2018. I can tell you this: with four—FOUR—projects on the docket, it’ll be a busy one if nothing else. LOL

Cheers, y’all! Stay warm and talk soon!

Ian