Lance Morcan's Blog, page 10

Global nuclear threat could explain spike in sales of book about underground bases

A spike in the sale of underground bunkers could explain the spike in sales of Underground Bases, book 7 in The Underground Knowledge Series by James & Lance Morcan.

Global security leaders are warning nuclear threats are growing as weapons spending surged to $91.4 billion last year. At the same time, private bunker sales are on the rise globally, from small metal boxes to crawl inside of, to extravagant underground mansions.

So says Associated Press writer Martha Mendoza in an article published by AP on December 18.

Mendoza writes: “Critics warn these bunkers create a false perception that a nuclear war is survivable. They argue that people planning to live through an atomic blast aren’t focusing on the real and current dangers posed by nuclear threats, and the critical need to stop the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

“Meanwhile, government disaster experts say bunkers aren’t necessary. A Federal Emergency Management Agency 100-page guide on responding to a nuclear detonation focuses on having the public get inside and stay inside, ideally in a basement and away from outside walls for at least a day. Those existing spaces can provide protection from radioactive fallout, says FEMA.

“But increasingly, buyers say bunkers offer a sense of security. The market for U.S. bomb and fallout shelters is forecast to grow from $137 million last year to $175 million by 2030, according to a market research report from BlueWeave Consulting. The report says major growth factors include “the rising threat of nuclear or terrorist attacks or civil unrest.”

Mendoza reports that COVID lockdowns, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war have driven sales.

None of this surprises my co-writer and I. The blurb for our contentious book ‘Underground Bases’ reads as follows:

“(This book) details confirmed and rumored underground facilities in the United States and around the world. Containing rare photographic evidence throughout as well as little-known quotes from key government figures, it makes a compelling case for there being an enormous hidden world under the Earth’s surface.

“The Morcans speculate that the covert underground infrastructure may be far bigger than anyone has previously supposed and is likely used for the development of suppressed technologies. Their sources include declassified files, university reports, WikiLeaks’ documents and interviews with ex-military personnel turned whistleblowers who claim to have worked in ‘cities below ground.’”

UNDERGROUND BASES: Subterranean Military Facilities and the Cities Beneath Our Feet is available via Amazon.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/UNDERGROUND-BASES-Subterranean-Facilities-Underground-ebook/dp/B0184KA4KS

*****************************************************************

‘New Zealand: A Novel’ now available as a hardcover, paperback and Kindle ebook

The hardcover version of the new release historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel was launched on Amazon this week. Also available as a paperback and Kindle ebook, this epic spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Maori and European. It’s a no-holds-barred tale of lust, betrayal and conflict.

First book reviews are in now. Check them out!

****************************************************************

Christmas dinner in 1769 surprisingly good aboard the Endeavour

Researching my new release, historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel, I discovered that Christmas dinner for the crew of the Endeavour on December 25th, 1769, was surprisingly good. That’s according to one logbook entry penned by English botanist Joseph Banks who also alluded to heavy drinking by fellow crewmembers that particular Christmas.

The Endeavour, helmed by Captain James Cook, had anchored off Three Kings Islands, in New Zealand’s Far North, during her circumnavigation of the country. What transpired is covered in the following excerpt from my novel…

The crew spent Christmas Day anchored off Three Kings Islands, a small island group that had been discovered by Abel Tasman. For Christmas dinner, the bark’s company enjoyed a meal that passed as goose pie thanks to the marksmanship of Banks who had shot a good number of gannets the previous day.

The meal was so well received that Banks made mention of it in his diary entry that evening. It read:

“Our goose pye was eaten with great approbation and in the evening all hands were as drunk as our forefathers used to be on such an occasion.” 

Cook, who was never one for frivolity, didn’t mention the dinner in his logbook. Nor did he make mention of the sorry state of his men the following day. Banks did mention it, however, stating: “All heads ached with yesterday’s debauchery.”

New Zealand: A Novel was launched last week as a Kindle ebook and paperback. First reviews are in! https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

************************************************************************

Acclaimed U.S. book reviewer asks, “Could this be the Great New Zealand novel?”

First reviews are in for the new-release historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel, and acclaimed American book reviewer Grady Harp asks, “Could this be the Great New Zealand novel?”

Harp, who is also an artist representative, gallery owner and published author of note, says, “This is a fine novel that invites understanding of New Zealand’s fascinating history!” He describes it as “Fascinating!”

Excerpts from the other 5 ★★★★★ reviews follow:

“What a fantastic story! This is a story of the beginnings of New Zealand, warts and all and very well researched and written. A good insight into the early settlers in NZ, both Māori and Pakeha but told with a flair for the story and information and facts laid out with clarity, that both New Zealanders as well as those who have never been here would find factual and interesting. “The sex scenes were tastefully done as well!!” –Kotuku

“Riveting. I could not put the book down. Historical facts were woven with some well-crafted narratives into a story of how the nation of New Zealand came to be. The knowledge of the author about native beliefs, customs, and the way of life in the tribal communities of the south Pacific coupled with Captain Cook, the explorer of legend, made this a compelling and exciting story to read. And now I am just waiting for the movie!” –Stephen Heartland

“Wow, what a fantastic novel. Lance Morcan has that special talent of being able to pull you into the story, so you can vividly picture everything that’s going on. The struggles of the indigenous people are not something one can possibly imagine, and courage it must have taken to leave their home in search of a better place. I always enjoy reading about Captain Cook, and this has been incorporated really well into this story. I’m amazed at how much has been packed into this wonderful book. It’s well worth a read and easily worth the 5/5 Star Rating.” –Todd Simpson

*

New Zealand: A Novel is currently exclusive to Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook @  https://www.amazon.com.au/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

The paperback will soon be available in public libraries, and the hardcover and audiobook versions will be published early in 2025.

Happy reading!

Lance Morcan (Author)

***********************************************************

SCOOP Independent News: 18 Dec. 2024: NEW ZEALAND AUTHOR BRACES FOR “BACKLASH” FOLLOWING BOOK LAUNCH

Papamoa author Lance Morcan said today he was bracing for a likely backlash from some Maoris and from academics following this week’s official launch of his historical adventure epic New Zealand: A Novel.

The novel, published by Sterling Gate Books, spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Maori and European.

It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Pacific Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south and ends in the 1700’s with Captain James Cook’s historic circumnavigation of New Zealand.

“From the outset the two stories are interposed so readers are taken back and forth in time,” Morcan said.

“The adventures of the descendants of the earliest Maoris are followed down through the centuries, culminating in their often-violent interactions, initially between tribes and later with Europeans.”

Morcan described his novel as a no-holds-barred historical adventure that reflects the betrayal, lust and conflict of the times with passages highlighting the savagery of Maori juxtaposed with true accounts of the brutality of the British Empire.

“It includes passages relating to slavery and cannibalism, and I predict criticism from some Maoris as I suspect they’d prefer those unsavoury practices weren’t mentioned.

“Under Historical Notes at the end of the novel, I advise readers that cannibalism was widely practised by Maori and it continued until well into the 1800’s, especially during the Musket Wars of the 1800’s when a quarter of the Maori race perished in inter-tribal warfare.”

The author refers readers to acclaimed New Zealand historian Paul Moon’s contentious book This Horrid Practice: the Myth and Reality of Traditional Maori Cannibalism.

“Moon leaves no doubt in his book that cannibalism was widespread in early Maori society. He quotes none other than Captain Cook as stating, ‘Though stronger evidence of this horrid practice prevailing among the inhabitants of this coast will scarcely be required, we have still stronger to give.’”

Morcan said he was also bracing for a backlash from historians, history teachers and other academics who were likely to take issue with the fact he has fictionalised many historic events.

“In the interests of telling a good story I have deviated from Maori and European history in places. However, while my novel may not convey exactly what happened during the discovery and settlement of New Zealand, I believe it accurately captures the spirit of those bygone days.

“I would remind critics I’m a novelist not a historian, and I’d point out that prominent historical fiction authors, Bernard Cornwell (The Last Kingdom) included, often replace history with invention in their novels.”

Morcan said he had severe misgivings regarding what young Kiwis today are learning about New Zealand’s history in schools, universities and other learning institutions, but was heartened that some prominent individuals were airing their concerns.

He referred to an article by Paul Moon that The Post published (on May 2 this year) headed ‘The new history curriculum is failing our students’ in which the historian described the new history curriculum in schools as ‘Narrowly written, clumsily implemented, and sorely lacking in diversity and inclusion.’

“Moon refers to ‘an attempt to smuggle elements of now largely debunked critical race theory into the curriculum, with history being depicted primarily as a story of the exercise and abuse of power (and) at its crudest, people are reduced to either villains or victims.’

“I have a fair idea the ‘villains’ he refers to in this case are the dreaded Colonialists. My forefathers in other words.”

Morcan said he hoped New Zealand: A Novel might spark wider debate on the subject of New Zealand’s history curriculum while providing readers young and old with insights into the country’s colourful history albeit via a work of fiction.

For the Papamoa author, this is his first solo-authored novel. He usually writes in collaboration with his Sydney-based son James, and together they have co-authored 35 published books, both fiction and non-fiction. Several of their historical fiction novels including Into the Americas, White Spirit and Fiji: A Novel, have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists.

Lance Morcan said his novel had been a labour of love for half a century. “I wrote a one-paragraph logline for it 50 years ago and added to it, a few paras at a time, right up until its publication.”

New Zealand: A Novel is available via Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook. Hardcover and audiobook versions will be available early 2025.

Amazon link:  [image error] https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

****************************************************************

SCOOP Independent News: 18 Dec. 2024: NEW ZEALAND AUTHOR BRACES FOR “BACKLASH FROM SOME MAORIS” FOLLOWING BOOK LAUNCH

Papamoa author Lance Morcan said today he was bracing for a likely backlash from some Maoris and from academics following this week’s official launch of his historical adventure epic New Zealand: A Novel.

The novel, published by Sterling Gate Books, spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Maori and European.

It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Pacific Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south and ends in the 1700’s with Captain James Cook’s historic circumnavigation of New Zealand.

“From the outset the two stories are interposed so readers are taken back and forth in time,” Morcan said.

“The adventures of the descendants of the earliest Maoris are followed down through the centuries, culminating in their often-violent interactions, initially between tribes and later with Europeans.”

Morcan described his novel as a no-holds-barred historical adventure that reflects the betrayal, lust and conflict of the times with passages highlighting the savagery of Maori juxtaposed with true accounts of the brutality of the British Empire.

“It includes passages relating to slavery and cannibalism, and I predict criticism from some Maoris as I suspect they’d prefer those unsavoury practices weren’t mentioned.

“Under Historical Notes at the end of the novel, I advise readers that cannibalism was widely practised by Maori and it continued until well into the 1800’s, especially during the Musket Wars of the 1800’s when a quarter of the Maori race perished in inter-tribal warfare.”

The author refers readers to acclaimed New Zealand historian Paul Moon’s contentious book This Horrid Practice: the Myth and Reality of Traditional Maori Cannibalism.

“Moon leaves no doubt in his book that cannibalism was widespread in early Maori society. He quotes none other than Captain Cook as stating, ‘Though stronger evidence of this horrid practice prevailing among the inhabitants of this coast will scarcely be required, we have still stronger to give.’”

Morcan said he was also bracing for a backlash from historians, history teachers and other academics who were likely to take issue with the fact he has fictionalised many historic events.

“In the interests of telling a good story I have deviated from Maori and European history in places. However, while my novel may not convey exactly what happened during the discovery and settlement of New Zealand, I believe it accurately captures the spirit of those bygone days.

“I would remind critics I’m a novelist not a historian, and I’d point out that prominent historical fiction authors, Bernard Cornwell (The Last Kingdom) included, often replace history with invention in their novels.”

Morcan said he had severe misgivings regarding what young Kiwis today are learning about New Zealand’s history in schools, universities and other learning institutions, but was heartened that some prominent individuals were airing their concerns.

He referred to an article by Paul Moon that The Post published (on May 2 this year) headed ‘The new history curriculum is failing our students’ in which the historian described the new history curriculum in schools as ‘Narrowly written, clumsily implemented, and sorely lacking in diversity and inclusion.’

“Moon refers to ‘an attempt to smuggle elements of now largely debunked critical race theory into the curriculum, with history being depicted primarily as a story of the exercise and abuse of power (and) at its crudest, people are reduced to either villains or victims.’

“I have a fair idea the ‘villains’ he refers to in this case are the dreaded Colonialists. My forefathers in other words.”

Morcan said he hoped New Zealand: A Novel might spark wider debate on the subject of New Zealand’s history curriculum while providing readers young and old with insights into the country’s colourful history albeit via a work of fiction.

For the Papamoa author, this is his first solo-authored novel. He usually writes in collaboration with his Sydney-based son James, and together they have co-authored 35 published books, both fiction and non-fiction. Several of their historical fiction novels including Into the Americas, White Spirit and Fiji: A Novel, have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists.

Lance Morcan said his novel had been a labour of love for half a century. “I wrote a one-paragraph logline for it 50 years ago and added to it, a few paras at a time, right up until its publication.”

New Zealand: A Novel is available via Amazon as a paperback and Kindle ebook. Hardcover and audiobook versions will be available early 2025.

Amazon link:  [image error] https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

****************************************************************

LOOKING FOR SOME GOOD HOLIDAY READING? CHECK OUT THESE “ADDICTIVE” BOOK TRILOGIES!

Romper.com invites you to check out its “Addictive Book Trilogies with a Cult Following to Dive into STAT.” Our bestseller international thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan, The Orphan Factory, The Orphan Uprising) – by James & Lance Morcan – comes in at #5 on the list! James’s name comes first because the trilogy was his brainchild.

The list follows below.

Addictive Book Trilogies list:

#1  The Hunger Games – by Suzanne Collins
#2  The Millennium Trilogy – by Stieg Larsson
#3  Infernal Devices Trilogy – by Cassandra Clare
#4  Graceling Realm Series – by Kristin Cashore
#5  The Orphan Trilogy – by James and Lance Morcan
#6  The King Trilogy – by Stephen Douglass
#7  His Dark Materials – by Philip Pullman
#8  The Bourne Trilogy – by Robert Ludlum
#9  Trilogy Of The Chosen – by J.M. LeDuc
#10 The Falsifiers – by Antoine Bello
#11 Bloodlines Trilogy – by Glen Duncan
#12 The Beyond Trilogy – by Janet Morris
#13 The Bronze Horseman Trilogy – by Paullina Simons
#14 African Trilogy – by Chinua Achebe
#15 The Ibis Trilogy – by Amitav Ghosh

*

Romper.com’s summary of The Orphan Trilogy follows:

“James and Lance Morcan’s Orphan Trilogy is a fast-paced international conspiracy series that follows an orphan named Nine. He is one of twenty-three genetically superior orphans being raised and groomed by Chicago’s Pedemont Project to start a new world order. The series follows Nine as he comes of age within the orphanage, then escapes and goes on the run across America and overseas, all the while using espionage skills from his upbringing to try to outrun his former father-figure. Talk about suspense from the get-go!”

Amazon link to The Orphan Trilogy: https://www.amazon.com/Orphan-Trilogy-Ninth-Factory-Uprising-ebook/dp/B00BGGM05U – It’s available as a Kindle ebook only. However, the three books in the trilogy are available individually as paperbacks and ebooks.

************************************************************

NEW ZEALAND: A NOVEL freebie blitz & giveaway courtesy of Silver Dagger Book Tours

You can visit Silver Dagger Book Tours “New Zealand freebie blitz & giveaway” here: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/sdsxx-tours/new-zealand-freebie-blitz-and-giveaway

The historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel is FREE on Kindle this weekend December 14 & 15 PST. Go to: https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

************************************************************

SILVER DAGGER BOOK TOURS a must-visit site for authors!

Silver Dagger Book Tours was founded in September 2016 from the creative mind of Maia, a book blogger extraordinaire who wanted to share her passion for books with new readers. Eight years later and Maia has done over 4,000 tours and worked with hundreds of amazing authors – many who come back for repeat tours! In the interests of full disclosure, I’m one of those authors.

Tours kick off almost every weekday with occasional tours on the weekends and EVERY tour is required to have a giveaway so readers can gain a little something and have fun while they enjoy learning about new books.

Silver Dagger Book Tours accepts all fictional genres and the occasional non-fiction book if it is interesting enough. She works with publishers big and small, indie authors, hybrids, personal assistants and of course authors directly that just want to get a promo boost for their books.

My fellow authors! You can “tour” Silver Dagger Book Tours here: https://www.silverdaggertours.com/  and then email Maia to book YOUR tour at: maia@silverdaggertours.com

Examples of Silver Dagger Book Tours’ current tours feature below.

And here’s a bonus for you… SILVER DAGGER BOOK TOURS’ Winter Sale!

https://www.silverdaggertours.com/

************************************************************************

Listen up, historical fiction lovers…How’s this for ‘A Darn Good Read’!

A Darn Good Read is the Internet home of Australian historical fiction addict Yvonne and who lives in a tiny rural town in the Eastern Grampians region of Victoria. Do yourself a favour and check it out at https://adarngoodread.blogspot.com/

Saturday, December 14, 2024

New Zealand: A Novel – by Lance Morcan
Spotlight & Free Kindle Download
December 14th/15th (PST)

This weekend marks the official launch of Lance Morcan’s epic novel New Zealand. In celebration, a free Kindle download is being offered. The promotion will take place over two days, December 14th and 15th (PST). Time converter HERE –

Publication Date: 6 December 2024
Publisher: Sterling Gate Books
Format: Kindle and paperback
Hardcover and audio available early in 2025.
Pages: 391 (print length)

Genre: Historical Fiction

Book Description:

It’s 1768. A chance meeting at London’s dockyards sees medical student Nicholas Young recruited as Surgeon’s Boy to serve under Captain James Cook aboard a bark called the Endeavour. Ahead of the handsome 17-year-old is a voyage that will test his mettle and take him via Tahiti to uncharted places at the bottom of the world. One of those places being a land Dutch explorer Abel Tasman discovered the previous century when he encountered its western shoreline. The land was occupied by tattooed, brown-skinned, warlike people. Tasman called it Nieuw Zeeland.

Nearly five centuries earlier, in 1301 AD, huge, twin-hulled canoes depart the South Pacific Island nation of Hawaiki. Aboard each craft are 80 villagers hand-picked by their rangatira, the mighty Hotu. Raids by enemies from neighbouring islands prompted the decision to flee their homeland. Their destination is a land far to the south. Many weeks later, the survivors aboard Hotu’s canoe sight the eastern shoreline of a rugged land covered by cloud. They call it Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud.

In 1769, eight months after departing England, Nicholas Young and his crewmates arrive in Tahiti aboard the Endeavour. The Surgeon’s Boy is quickly becoming a man; the journey out was a baptism of fire for him with mid-Atlantic storms resulting in injury and death. In Tahiti, Captain Cook puts his men to work, building an observation post from which he can observe the transit of Venus. Nicholas is excused from shore duties after a local priest, Tupaia, informs Cook that Tahiti’s beautiful queen, Obadia, has invited his Surgeon’s Boy to stay in the village as her guest. Tupaia didn’t mention he convinced the childless queen that Nicholas had been sent to her by the spirits of her ancestors and that he would give her a son. The beautiful queen seduces a surprised but delighted Nicholas, and in the weeks that follow they enjoy long days and nights of lovemaking.

It’s 1501 AD and for the first time the hills of Aotearoa echo to the sounds of war. As the competition for food and land increases, so too does inter-tribal fighting between tribes of the brown-skinned people who now call themselves Maori. Apera, chief of the Te Arawa tribe, leads a war party down the east coast, attacking settlements along the way. Defeated warriors are either enslaved or eaten for cannibalism is widely practised.

October 1769. It’s springtime in Aotearoa. Aboard the Endeavour, Nicholas serves as lookout in the bark’s crow’s nest. Many long weeks have passed since leaving Tahiti. He spies land and shouts, “Land ahoy!” He’s looking at a headland that extends far out into the blue Pacific. So delighted is Cook by the sighting, he names the landmark Young Nick’s Head after his keen-eyed lookout. The captain suspects it’s part of the eastern shoreline of the land Abel Tasman called Nieuw Zeeland. Translating the Dutch to English, Cook renames it New Zealand.

At the same time, a young Maori sits alone on a sandy beach, looking out across a sparkling bay. On his right is the same headland Nicholas spied moments earlier. Moki is the oldest son of the chief of the Ngati Porou tribe and is a proud descendant of Hotu whose battered canoe arrived on this same beach centuries earlier. Moki suddenly jumps to his feet when he sees a tall ship far out to sea. Mistaking its billowing sails for the wings of a giant seabird, he flees inland to his nearby pa, or fortified village, to alert the villagers to the approaching danger.

After anchoring in the bay, Cook dispatches a contingent of his marines ashore. Nicholas and his crewmates look on as the marines are greeted by an impassioned haka, or war dance, performed by Ngati Porou warriors armed with clubs, spears and other Stone Age weapons. The chief’s brother is killed and several warriors wounded in the inevitable violence that follows. So disillusioned is Cook by the conflict, and by the region’s scarcity of wild game, he later names it Poverty Bay.

This first bloody encounter with New Zealand’s indigenous people is a sobering harbinger for what follows.

The Endeavour’s subsequent circumnavigation of the new land is an experience that breaks some men. Amidst the life-threatening challenges they face at sea and on land, Nicholas finds true love when he meets Anika, a beautiful Maori wahine who steals his heart.

Meet the Author: For more information about Lance Morcan and his writing, visit his Amazon Author Page or visit his blog.

*

Posted by Yvonne  of A Darn Good Read Saturday, December 14, 2024 

Labels: Book Promotion, Historical Fiction, New Zealand, Spotlight

Yvonne’s credentials in her own words: “I don’t have a university degree or anything like that. I just love to read, so I hope my comments, good or bad, will inspire you to grab a book, a cup of your favourite brew and get reading!”

***********************************************************************