Astral Pipeline Books

07/04/2024

Happy July 4th everyone! Have fun and stay safe out there. Enjoy all that beautiful sunshine☀️. Today is also the official 4th anniversary of Astral Pipeline Books! One of the best decisions we ever made💫. Thanks for hanging out with Us.

04/05/2024

If Malcolm Ivey has a birthday, it’s March 21, 2005... Find out why in his new book, now available on Amazon.

"Letters to the Universe: Essays on crime, craft, and the middle way, 2014-2023" by Malcolm Ivey

https://astralpipelinebooks.com/projects/letters-to-the-universe/

01/02/2024

Happy New Year friends! We closed out 2023 with Malcolm Ivey's newest book, LETTERS TO THE UNIVERSE, in the final stage of prepublication. For those of you waiting, here's a sneak peek at the four Part sections of his 300-page hybrid memoir... a fusion of personal story and transformation with insight, observations, and commentary spread across nine years of essays and letters written while incarcerated. Coming soon.

10/09/2023

“Books provide windows, mirrors and sliding glass doors… The ultimate goal is that when you do get to meet someone who may have a lived experience that you read about in the book—now you've got common ground where you can open that sliding glass door and walk through it and have a real conversation with someone and have true understanding and empathy, simply by reading a book.” —Michelle White (former Escambia County Florida School District Coordinator of Library Services, resigned in 2023 after 12 years of service due to book challenges consuming her days)

10/07/2023

Letters to the UNIVERSE

I was pi**ed when Colson Whitehead won the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for his best-selling novel, "The Nickel Boys." I remember listening to his interview on NPR’s "Fresh Air" while quarantined in a prison on the Florida Panhandle during the height of Covid, feeling the way an overzealous sports dad must feel when someone else’s kid wins the MVP. His critically acclaimed novel—and second Pulitzer—was set against the backdrop of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys, a subject I explored four years earlier in a book I consider to be my life’s work, "On the Shoulders of Giants."

There was something intrusive about this darling of the New York literati writing about incarcerated youth in Florida. Like a rival gang member who wandered onto the wrong side of the yard (or a Walmart going up across the street from a local independent grocer). The thing that really grinded my gears was that Dude never even bothered to come down here to tour the cottages or the unmarked graves or the infamous White House.

Of course, I was being irrational, not to mention hypocritical and territorial. Fiction writing, the best of it, turns on imagination and empathy and research. Did it matter that he wasn’t from the Sunshine State? Or that he had never spent time in a facility like Dozier? Hadn’t I written essays slamming cancel culture for attempted takedowns of other authors for similar transgressions? Half of my beloved "Giants" is written in the point of view of Pharaoh Sinclair, a young black man from the Azalea Arms housing project. To my knowledge, Colson Whitehead has never written an op-ed accusing ME of cultural appropriation.

I didn’t care about any of that at the time. I just wanted some love for my book. And aside from my state-raised brothers and sisters and a handful of Facebook friends, my "Pillars of the Earth," my Led "Zeppelin IV," my "David" was toiling away in obscurity, unnoticed and unread. I think I even sent Terry Gross a copy at WHYY in Philadelphia. No response. Such is life for a self-published and incarcerated author. (Sidenote: The following year, "Giants" did win first place in the Mainstream/Literary Fiction category of the Writer’s Digest Self-Published book awards. A longtime goal and major milestone in my world. But let’s be real—there’s an Everest of altitude between a WDSPBA and a Pulitzer.)

In fairness, I can’t say that Mr. Whitehead is undeserving of the accolades since I’ve never read his work. I plan to though. Some of the best novels I’ve read over these last 18 years in prison were Pulitzers—Junot Diaz’s "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," Donna Tartt’s "The Goldfinch," Anthony Doerr’s "All the Light We Cannot See"… Maybe "The Nickel Boys" will be an upcoming Astral Pipeline Book Club selection. We’ll see if it can stand shoulder to shoulder with these modern classics.

But as I was thumbing through my almanac looking at the various awards for writing—the Pulitzer, the Nobel, the Man Booker—a phrase winked up at me from the page. It was in the National Book Award section. In the fine print below the heading were the words "Distinguished Contribution to American Letters."

Letters… Shonda would call this a breadcrumb. A little something from the Universe to let me know I’m on the right path. I thought I was the only one who referred to my novels and essays as letters. Apparently, this was a thing long before I wrote the first words of "Consider the Dragonfly." Like centuries before. One of the definitions of letters in the Oxford Dictionary is “literature.” The irony here is that my writing style—if I have a writing style—was cultivated and refined over decades of writing ACTUAL letters. Hundreds of them. Letters dating all the way back to the Dade Juvenile Detention Center in 1987; many to strangers, mostly unanswered. Until one day when I decided to write the world a letter in the form of a book.

Hard to believe I’m now on the verge of releasing number seven, a hybrid memoir and essay collection that spans the final nine years of a twenty-year mandatory prison sentence, an era in which I learned to conquer my demons through the redemptive power of writing. Is it Pulitzer caliber? Probably not. But it’s a massive accomplishment in my little corner of captivity, a bookend to a fantastic journey, the best I could do between the years of 2014–2023.

"Letters to the Universe"—available this Fall from Astral Pipeline Books.

(Cover image by Bobby Marko of https://wefoundadventure.com)

07/04/2023

Happy 4th of July! Wishing you all a safe and happy day of celebration with friends and family. As with freedom and independence, don't take those fireworks for granted either. It's a beautiful visual representation of ambition and determination that many, if not most, of our incarcerated population can only hear but not see. To all those who are working hard to regain that opportunity after losing their way--who fight to learn, grown, redeem, build--we wish you all the momentum in the Universe.

02/14/2023

The love stories in the Ivey books.

02/12/2023

Looking for a good love story to read? Malcolm Ivey calls this one, "My fourth son. The most mild-mannered of all my boys. And the most kind-hearted." A story about new beginnings, finding love, and the beauty of family. (Malcolm Ivey Books)

An unforgettable story of neighbors, lovers and friends...

2018 Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards HONORABLE MENTION

Released after years in prison, Mason Foster now clings to the solitude of his boyhood home, until two neighborhood children barge into his life. Their widowed mother is dating a man she thinks she knows, but does she, really? Hearts will be broken, lives shattered, tables turned in Sticks & Stones, an unforgettable story of neighbors, lovers, and friends.

http://ow.ly/CfXT50MQ2il

10/31/2022

I was 126 pounds with bones sticking out of my face when I was removed from society in 2005. Barely a man, a broken pitiful thing, enslaved by addiction, financially destitute, I would’ve bee…

10/28/2022

What makes a story a good one?

“The perfection of the artistry lifts me up, as does the precision of the descriptions. When I’ve read it, I feel more, not less, able to go out into the world and do what I have to do, with attentiveness and as much love as I can summon up – and the story has given me a boost in love, to take with me.
And this is true of all good stories, regardless of their surficial ‘happiness’ or ‘sadness.’ The writer, writing, might be thought of as a sort of role model. What truly uplifts and inspires us is watching that writer thinking through things, in the form of a story, with empathy and warmth and genuine curiosity — then I feel inspired to try to do the same, in my own work, and also once I’m back out there in the real world.” —George Saunders

10/17/2022

"There’s a reason why people withdraw inward and batten down the hatches. Nobody is born bad. We are each of us a tapestry of our life experiences, influences, and impressions. We are all grown children, some of us with heartbreaking backstories." —MALCOLM IVEY, author of the Miranda Rights series
(Book One: Year of the Firefly ~ Book Two: The Weight of Entanglement ~ Book Three coming Fall 2023)

10/13/2022

“Bruce Lee understood that the quest for truth is only useful if you’re prepared to take action on what you find” —James Wilks, in the Netflix documentary “The Game Changer”

09/12/2022

“A culture cannot evolve without honest, powerful storytelling. When society repeatedly experiences glossy, hollowed-out, pseudo-stories, it degenerates. We need true satires and tragedies, dramas and comedies that shine a clean light into the dingy corners of the human psyche and society. If not, as Yeats warned, the centre cannot hold.” —Moniek Kramer

07/25/2022

Posted April 14, 2022 Category Criminal Justice Reform Tags Criminal Justice Reform, SCOTUS, Supreme Court Comments 1 Response Bobby and the Supremes A prison visitation park is not a park at all. Just a cinder block room packed with folding tables and chairs. Maybe a box of dirty and well-used toy...

06/14/2022

05/03/2022

Available now at Amazon! 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓, 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐓𝐰𝐨 in the 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 series by 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐦 𝐈𝐯𝐞𝐲.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1953519067

12/15/2021

The results of the 29𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 are in!
"𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐘 by Malcolm Ivey is a tremendous novel. From the opioid addiction that spurs the plot, to the pregnancy, to the texture of the criminal justice system that establishes such an unforgiving setting, this novel is firing on all cylinders. Miranda is a captivating main character, and her quirky nature makes her both intriguing AND unfamiliar. She's somewhat easy to relate to, while still presenting something new to watch that I haven't seen before. At the center of it all, of course, is Ivey's great prose that reads smoothly and works like a foundation for the other aspects of the novel to succeed." —Judge, 29𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳’𝘴 𝘋𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘚𝘦𝘭𝘧-𝘗𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘈𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴

Although 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚 did not place this year, we believe in the story of Miranda McGuire and in her ability to not just entertain, but also to provide comfort and encouragement to the compounds of women who share a similar journey as hers, living too many years behind bars missing their children and families, many because of a substance addiction that holds them hostage... We’ll submit again in 2022, but this time around we’ll be able to include Book Two: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝑬𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 along with 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚. They’ll have more of the story, more characters to fall in love with, and they’ll get to meet Miranda's counterpoise in Dixie Adams :-). Look for Book Two to be released in a few more months.

08/26/2021

In case y’all were wondering…

You all may prefer to use neither, but there is a correct contraction to use when combining the words "you" and "all." In this Grammar Rules post, we look at whether writers should use y'all or ya'll in their writing.

08/06/2021

“Write the story that gives you insomnia.” —Zachary Petit

(In other words: write the story you can’t stop thinking about, not the one that best-seller lists make you think people want to read.)

08/03/2021

Mailing books to an inmate? Some facilities don't allow incoming mail from carriers other than the United States Postal Service (USPS). Amazon does not currently allow buyers the option to select the carrier preference, but thankfully Barnes & Noble does. Here's how...
(Note: You must have an account in order to see this option at checkout. If you purchase as a guest, this will be unavailable to you.)

https://help.barnesandnoble.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/3160/~/placing-orders-to-correctional-facilities-or-prisons

To ensure delivery, it is best to contact the correctional facility to which you will be shipping to inquire about any specific rules they have regarding what can and cannot be accepted, such as subject matter, book format, and what courier services they do and do not accept.

06/20/2021

In a recent 𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑟’𝑠 𝐷𝑖𝑔𝑒𝑠𝑡 interview, author Charles Martin was asked, “If you could share one piece of advice with other authors, what would it be?” A favorite question of many aspiring writers for sure, and one even published authors tune into for the possibility that some part of the answer will shore up or add to their own magical creative toolbox… Here’s his reply:

“This question always causes me to half-close one eye. By asking it, I feel like you’re assuming I know what I’m doing. I’ve written 20+ books, published over two million words and the truth is—I’m still figuring this out. Every day I show up to a white page. Books don’t write themselves. I too have much to learn. If I’ve done anything well in my career, I’ve shown up. Put my seat in the seat. Week after week. Year after year. Decade after decade. I sweat my books more than I write them and I’m a better rewriter than I am a writer. I also know that I remain grateful that I get to do what I get to do. It’s not lost on me. Sometimes I shake my head. This privilege I live…” —Charles Martin

New York Times bestselling author Charles Martin discusses what inspired him to write a book about human trafficking and the internal struggle of researching and writing such a difficult topic.

06/03/2021

Something worthy of consideration: Should a juvenile who makes even the most awful mistake be sent away to spend the entirety of their adulthood living behind bars, irrevocably deemed a hopeless cause? “Who were you at age 15?” asks Malcolm Ivey in his recent essay on juvenile life without parole. Let’s put those shoes on for a moment. Do you have a child who is 15? Who were you yourself at 15? What if the awful mistake you made was that you were “in the wrong place at the wrong time,” with a sequence of unintended acts leading to an outcome of a life sentence charge based on the felony murder rule? That rule allows for murder charges, even when murder wasn’t intended, and even when it was committed by someone else’s hands... but you were there, participating in some other type of criminal activity. Or what if you were not your true self at the time—drunk or drugged up, or sick and desperate from addiction withdrawal, or traumatized from abuse or neglect? Does the child in those shoes, who made those mistakes in immaturity and with only a handful of years’ experience as a semi-adult, deserve to never have the opportunity to redeem themselves in adulthood?

05/23/2021

Are you an outliner or a pantser? Or unsure either way? Enjoyed reading this article on what can happen by foregoing conventional outlining advice... and being a rebel.

Author (and pantser) Steven James shares six secrets of writing a novel without an outline. If you’ve ever wanted to throw away your outline and uncover a story word by word, here’s how to get started.

05/04/2021

Proud to have entered our first competition with 𝒀𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒚: 𝑨 𝑴𝒊𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝑴𝒄𝑮𝒖𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍. Another mile marker on this journey... Look for 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝐸𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, Book Two in the Miranda Rights series in the fall, as well as a newly published edition of Ivey's award-winning 𝑂𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑆ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝐺𝑖𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑠.

This week, we’re excited to announce the deadlines for several competitions, give you information on our upcoming conference, and more!

04/28/2021

“Remember, every professional was once an amateur, and every master started as a beginner.” —Robin Sharma’s 𝑇ℎ𝑒 5 𝐴𝑀 𝐶𝑙𝑢𝑏
(future Astral Pipeline Book Club selection)

03/26/2021

“Life unfolds for your greatest good. A bad day for your ego really is an excellent day for your spirit. The events that break us—in truth—actually open us. And those experiences that bring us to our knees are the very conditions that take us closer to our grandest selves.” —Robin Sharma, Author and Motivational Leader

02/09/2021

YEAR OF THE FIREFLY by Malcolm Ivey is now available in Kindle format at Amazon (retail price $2.99). You can also find it in the Kindle Unlimited library. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still read it on your device by downloading one of the free Kindle reading apps for iOS, Android, Mac or PC.

ebook link --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08V8MFD4X

The paperback edition, published December 2020, is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers.

01/21/2021

2021. Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a better year than last. Maybe we've turned another societal corner, having let all our grievances be known and our hearts ache so openly last year, with the urgency of it all becoming evident--and unignorable--in the fervor that shook us into paying attention. Hopefully 2021 sees us continuing on a path of mending and progress, led by unity and kindness. Some thoughts to share on this Inauguration Day, looking back on a year of chaos and turmoil that was 2020 . . . Two quotes from Tavis Smiley in the book "The Other Wes Moore" by Wes Moore:

"Small interactions and effortless acts of kindness can mean the difference between failure and success, pain and pleasure--or becoming the people we loathe or love to become. We are more powerful than we realize..."

"The words of the author Samuel Beckett . . . 'Try again. Fail again. Fail better.' In fact, I believe that this describes the ebb and flow of life itself--try again, fail again, fail better. Failing doesn't make us a failure. But not trying to do better, to be better, does make us fools."

12/29/2020

We are excited to announce that YEAR OF THE FIREFLY, Malcolm Ivey's fifth novel, has made its debut! Meet Miranda McGuire in Book One of the new Miranda Rights series. Available now, retail price $11.99 at:

Amazon --> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1953519024/
Barnes & Noble --> https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/year-of-the-firefly-malcolm-ivey/1138479637

Malcolm Ivey has also written Consider the Dragonfly, With Arms Unbound, On the Shoulders of Giants, and Sticks & Stones.