Character-charged sci-fi with a shot of Rock & Roll!
Huge thanks to Landis Wade and his staff for having me on the show. It’s always a treat to talk the ins and outs of storytelling with a fellow writer.
NOTE: Landis was recently a guest on The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast where he discussed his holiday-themed novel trilogy, the Christmas Courtroom, and whether or not Die Hard is an actual Christmas film (pretty sure we all know the answer to that by now). Click here to give a listen!
Hey everybody! I’m thrilled to announce that the agency patches for my new novel, Detron City Vice, are now available via the IJM patch store! Moreover, I’m donating 100% of my author royalties from these items to the Concerns Of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), a national non-profit organization serving the families and colleagues of America’s fallen law enforcement officers.
This is an amazing group, y’all. I kid you not. As someone who served four years in law enforcement as a civilian during the early 2000s, I’ve seen first-hand the incredible work these folks do, and just how much it’s desperately needed.
Click here to buy your Detron City Vice patch today and show your support for C.O.P.S!!!
All IJM patches are sold in sew-on or hook-and-loop (Velcro) styles for $9-10 and are stitched by Rob and Laura Marshall of Creative Gems GA.
About Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.)
Each year, between 140 and 160 officers are killed in the line of duty and their families and co-workers are left to cope with the tragic loss. C.O.P.S. provides resources to help them rebuild their shattered lives. There is no membership fee to join C.O.P.S., for the price paid is already too high.
C.O.P.S. was organized in 1984 with 110 individual members. Today, C.O.P.S. membership is over 54,000 survivors. Survivors include spouses, children, parents, siblings, significant others, and co-workers of officers who have died in the line of duty according to Federal government criteria. C.O.P.S. is governed by a national board of law enforcement survivors. All programs and services are administered by the National Office in Camdenton, Missouri. C.O.P.S. has over 50 chapters nationwide that work with survivors at the grass-roots level.
C.O.P.S. programs for survivors include the National Police Survivors’ Conference held each May during National Police Week, scholarships, peer-support at the national, state, and local levels, “C.O.P.S. Kids” counseling reimbursement program, the “C.O.P.S. Kids” Summer Camp, “C.O.P.S. Teens” Outward Bound Adventure for young adults, special retreats for spouses, parents, siblings, adult children, extended family, and co-workers, trial and parole support, and other assistance programs.
C.O.P.S. knows that a survivor’s level of distress is directly affected by the agency’s response to the tragedy. C.O.P.S., therefore, offers training and assistance to law enforcement agencies nationwide on how to respond to the tragic loss of a member of the law enforcement profession. C.O.P.S. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. C.O.P.S. programs and services are funded by grants and donations.
To learn more about C.O.P.S. and its mission, visit the group’s official website at https://www.concernsofpolicesurvivors.org/.
Had a blast this week talking Detron City Vice, the crat of writing, and more with the guys of the Keystroke Medium Podcast.
Click here to check out our conversation on YouTube!
Today’s the day! My new novel, Detron City Vice, the next installment in the Makoverse is now for sale on Amazon! Click the link below to grab yours today and please take a moment to leave it a review if you enjoy the story. I know I beat that drum a lot but believe me. It’s important. Even two or three sentences with five stars make all the difference for small press titles like mine.
https://www.amazon.com/Detron-City-Vice-Universe-Novel-ebook/dp/B08J6K3HBT/
NOTE: Detron City Vice is a standalone novel meant to serve as book one of an entirely new series set in the Mako Universe, or “Makoverse.” If you haven’t read the other Saga books then you’re still fine to follow this story.
Story Synopsis:
Do you belong to the City?
The age of human division should’ve ended five years ago when the decades-old war between the Auran Alliance and the Alystierian Empire drew to a close. Turns out, things change.
When the League of Independent Worlds, aka “the Bog,” announced its secession from the Prime Territories, debate raged across the galaxy. For some, the move was an affront to the peace for which so many had paid the price. To others, it represented a clean break from years of superpower neglect and a fresh start on a new frontier where a being’s destiny could be its own.
Fast-forward to present day and one truth remains: “Folks in the Bog make frok-tons of money.”
Nowhere is this more evident than in the bustling streets of Detron City, a place where thrills are chased by thousands, deals are made to impact millions, and where temptations lie in wait beneath the neon glow and lavish excesses of the city’s nightlife for anyone seeking an escape.
It’s also a place where people vanish.
Danny Tucker is a retired Auran staff sergeant and an ex-cop from Miami living in Detron City. He just got a call. A friend’s son has gone missing.
“Detron City’s eastside housed an entirely different class of clientele from the everyday starport crowd. Those were the patrons who arrived on yachts and high-end starliners, most of them looking to close the kinds of deals that impacted millions or blow off steam in the neon wonders, thumping beats, and illicit thrills of Detron’s Dreamland District.”
DETRON CITY VICE arrives Sept. 18, 2020 to a Kindle or bookshelf near you. In the meantime, grab a taste of the music that inspired this bold new re-imagining of the Makoverse by downloading the Detron City Vice Soundtrack playlist. It’s FREE, only on Spotify!
Hey folks. In the spirit of The Mako Saga’s release through Theogony Books, and given that we’re now less than a month from the Detron City vice launch on Sept. 18, I thought it might be fun to dig back into the IJM News Desk archives and dust off an old favorite for updating.
Welcome to Mako: The Motion Picture 2.0!
Lots of people have asked me over the years who I’d task to shepherd a Mako film onto the screen, and the actors I’d love to see as part of that project. Well, I’ve given it some thought and here goes.
The following is my dream list for a Mako cast and crew. Let the games begin! 😊
AUTHOR’S NOTE: If you want to know what a Mako film would sound like, be sure to check out the Mako: The Soundtrack playlist on Spotify (free to listen after you download the app).
Director: Jon Favreau
So, has anyone reading this post NOT seen Iron Man or The Mandalorian?
If there were ever a director to nail a Mako movie, it’s Favreau. He just gets it. Beyond the fact that everyone’s favorite Swinger makes an awesome action piece, he’s also extremely adept at showcasing the unique charms and nuances of an ensemble cast. That’s a necessity in a Mako film.
Screenplay Writer: Dave Filoni
Those who listen to The Dudes in Hyperspace Podcast know how much respect I have for Dave Filoni. Put simply, the man is almost singlehandedly responsible for everything that is great about Star Wars in the post-prequel era. Star Wars: The Clone Wars? That’s a Filoni creation. Same with Star Wars: Rebels and several of the marquis episodes from The Mandalorian.
The bottom line for me is this: Filoni knows how to tell groundbreaking stories in the sci-fi/space opera genre with genuine weight and a real emphasis on characters relationships. Couple this with his connection to Favreau from their time together on The Mandalorian, and he’d make a phenomenal scribe for a Mako film.
CAST
(Actor’s real ages as of 2020 were not a factor in this post.)
Lee Summerston: Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) — I’ll admit it. I’m a total mark for Dean Winchester. Having conceded that, Ackles is the perfect choice for Lee. He looks the part, he knows his way around a sidearm in an action sequence, and he’s a Texan, which gives him the requisite “country boy swagger” one needs to stick the role. He also plays “conflicted” better than many give him credit — an important trait given the amount of time Lee spends in his own head.
Danny Tucker: Justin Hartley (This is Us) —I know Hartley from way back in the early-2000s for his work as the original Oliver Queen/Green Arrow on Smallville, and it’s that role that lands him the part of Danny Tucker in a Mako film. For starters, he’s got the look (blond, tan, lean build, good smile), though he also plays “strung out on the ragged edge” better than most. Couple that with his skills as a martial artist in an action sequence and Hartley’s my guy for Danny.
Evelyn “Mac” McKinsey: Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) — In my initial post, I casted Rosario Dawson for the role of Mac, mostly for her work on Clerks 2. For the record, I still think she’d rock the part. Now, however, many years and many new Makoverse characters later, I need our favorite Night Nurse for a different role (more on that later).
This takes me back to the drawing board to the very actress who I modeled this character after to begin with — Elizabeth Banks, specifically the character she played in the Vince Papale biopic, Invincible.
Hint: Banks’s character in Invincible was a smartass, sports-loving bartender from New York with a take-no-prisoner’s attitude toward her customers and a love for running with the boys. Sound familiar?
Hamish Lunley: (Unknown Actor) — Honestly, I’ve racked my brain for years on this one, but to no avail. The truth is, Mako: The Motion Picture would require an actor every bit as unique as the Hamish character himself, and there’s just no one I know of in Hollywood right now who could fit that bill. So, I say we cast an unknown (from the theater ranks, perhaps?) and roll on.
Link Baxter: Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) — I challenge anybody to name one actor in the movie business, past or present, who plays “hot-headed, punk-ass good guy” better than Jesse Pinkman. Seriously, I’ll wait.
*taps toe while listening to the Jeopardy theme*
No one else would even read for this part if I could get Aaron Paul, period.
Dr. Madisyn Reynolds: Rachel McAdams (True Detective, Wedding Crashers) — McAdams has shown a lot of depth in her career, and as any Makoverse reader will attest, that’s key for playing Madisyn, a character who evolves quite a bit from book to book.
BONUS: McAdams looks great as a redhead.
Dr. Katie Summerston: Katee Sackhoff (Battlestar Galactica) — Any chance to put Starbuck back in space is fine by me. However, my love of Ron Moore’s BSG reboot notwithstanding, Sackhoff would make an excellent Katie. She’s sassy and quick-witted, but she’s also a very cerebral actress who conveys a lot of confidence on-screen.
Katie is funny and charming, sure, but she’s also more than capable of taking command in a crisis when needed. Sackhoff does all of that and then some.
Chief Engineer Kris Wyatt: Connor Trinneer (Star Trek: Enterprise) — Mild-mannered gentleman with humble origins and the engineering IQ of a savant… Trip Tucker, maybe?
Trinneer would nail Kris Wyatt. Furthermore, it’d be nice to see him in more than a bit role outside of Enterprise.
ASC Fleet Admiral Markus Katahl: Dennis Haysbert (Major League) — Long before Haysbert was the spokesperson for All State, he was (and still is) a decorated actor. His portrayal of Jonas Blane in CBS’s The Unit was out-of-this-world good. Combine that with his physical stature and presence on-screen, and Haysbert would make a phenomenal Katahl.
Alystierian Commandant Alec Masterson: Ian McShane (Deadwood) — McShane is a world-class actor, no matter the medium. It was his portrayal of Al Swearengen, the sleazebag bar owner with the silver tongue in HBO’s Deadwood, however, that earns him the role of Mako’s top villain. Alec Masterson must ooze evil through every pore of his character, from the manner in which he carries himself physically to the way in which he annunciates his speech.
Simply put, Masterson should crawl up your skin like a disease. McShane would deliver that in spades.
Alystierian Chancellor Lucius Zier: Anthony Hopkins (Silence of the Lambs, Thor) — Do I seriously need to explain this one? He’s Anthony freaking Hopkins, y’all. Nobody does “noble patriarch” better.
Sgt. Major Keith Noll: David Ramsey (Arrow) — ‘John Diggle’ would kill as the hard-nosed, battle-hardened drill instructor for the Renegades.
Dr. Jon Reiser: Michael Shanks (Stargate: SG1) — In addition to the obvious fact that both characters are brilliant scientists who wear glasses, Jon Reiser and Daniel Jackson (Shanks’s SG1 character) have a lot in common, from their academic demeanor to their ability to drop a line on a dime.
Sgt. Nathan Briggs: Benjamin Bratt (Law & Order, Doctor Strange) — Bratt is a rangy actor who’s been in this business for a long time. Most know him as Detective Rey Curtis from Law & Order. However, it’s his role as ex-junkie-turned rehab superhero William Banks from A&E’s The Cleaner that lands him the Briggs role. That show ended long before its time.
Other notable cast members:
Les Reegan: A young Lou Diamond Phillips (Henry Standing Bear from Netflix’s Longmire)
Obadiah “Doc” Khard: Jeremy Irons (Alfred Pennyworth from Justice League)
Wade Shotzel: Michael Cudlitz (Abraham from The Walking Dead)
Remy Tanaka: Osric Chau (Kevin Tran from Supernatural)
Xayna Lorne: Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano from The Mandalorian)
Auran President Rick Wylon: Patrick Dempsey (Derek Shepherd from Grey’s Anatomy)
ASC Capt. Vince Ryan: Joe Flanigan (Col. John Shepherd from Stargate Atlantis)
Shannon “Layla” Baxter: Michelle Rodriguez (Letty from Fast and Furious)
Kendu-Tephala Rikanun: Jason Momoa (Aquaman)
Spiggy (voice): Sam Witwer (Darth Maul from Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
That’s gonna do it for now, gang. Take care, stay safe, and drop me a line on social media if you think somebody else deserves a shot at one of these roles.
Cheers,
IJM
Coming to a bookshelf near you September 18 from Theogony Books.
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):
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.
Hey ya’ll, just wanted to pop by for a quick update on where I stand with my current slate of projects.
Colonies Lost
Colonies has wrapped the content edit phase and is on to line edit with the publisher. I hope to have those notes back in the next month.
Where Eagles Fly
50,000 words and climbing on the new Mil SF project. At this rate, I should have draft one wrapped in the next three weeks. From there, it’s on to the fleshing out phase of draft two, the polish phase of draft three, then a submission to the publisher by Memorial Day.
Detron City Vice (A Mako Story)
Already outlined and ready to start draft one as soon as Eagles and Colonies are out the door. Right now, my plan/hope is to have Colonies launched by early summer, Eagles into the publisher by May 25 (late summer launch), then get cracking on Vice in June.
As always, all of this remains fluid on account of publishers. Vice is the lone exception. I’ll indie pub that one, so I’ll get to set the schedule.
In summery…
Roll on, Big River. Roll on.
Cheers, gang. Be good, and talk soon.
Ian
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