Lance Morcan's Blog, page 107
October 11, 2012
Fiji: A Novel enters Goodreads’ list for Best Humorous Books
Our swashbuckling historical novel has snuck into Goodreads’ list for ‘Best Humorous Books!
Here’s the link to that list. It makes for interesting reading and you’ll find some great books: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/312.Best_Humorous_Books
Fiji: A Novel currently sits at #91 (yay!) – and here’s the Top 5 on that same list as at 11 October 2012 PST:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Hitchhiker’s Guide, #1)
by Douglas Adams
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
by Terry Pratchett
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal
by Christopher Moore
Me Talk Pretty One Day
by David Sedaris
The Princess Bride
by William Goldman
And let’s not forget #91…
While we didn’t set out to be humorous when writing this novel, we found the period (early 1800′s) and the setting (Fiji/South Pacific) and the genre (historical romance/action-adventure) certainly allow for humor. They were bawdy, lusty days and we wanted to capture that in our writing.
As at today, I note our novel remains at #1 in Goodreads’ list for ‘Great Romance Novels’. One reviewer called it “a bodice-ripper”, but I think she exagerates… “A Fifty Shades of Grey” it ain’t!
-Lance
October 9, 2012
SILENT FEAR our latest feature film to go into development
Reblogged from Morcan Books & Films:
When you can’t hear…death comes silently.
That’s the tagline for SILENT FEAR, a unique and chilling New Zealand thriller screenplay penned by James and myself, and now in development as a Film Shock Productions-Morcan Motion Pictures production.
Inspired by a true story, it’s set in a university for the deaf in Auckland.
Here’s the logline -
Detective Valerie Crowther is assigned to investigate the murder of a student at Auckland’s Wandsworth University, an international institution for the deaf.
October 8, 2012
Orphan books top Goodreads’ list for Best Spy Novels
Our first two books in The Orphan Trilogy, The Ninth Orphan and The Orphan Factory, are at #1 and #3 respectively on Goodreads’ list for Best Spy Novels of the 20th and 21st Centuries!
Here’s the link to that list. You’ll see we are keeping company with some great writers! http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/8887.Best_Spy_Novels_
And here’s the Top 10 spy novels on that same list at 9 October 2012 PST:
1
The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1)
by James Morcan
4.21 avg rating — 101 ratingsscore: 3,091, and 31 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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2
The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, #4)
by Tom Clancy
3.79 avg rating — 162,099 ratings
score: 2,425, and 25 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
3
The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2)
by James Morcan4.60 avg rating — 35 ratings
score: 2,280, and 23 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
4
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (George Smiley, #5)
by John le Carré3.97 avg rating — 13,630 ratings
score: 2,269, and 23 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
5
The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1)
by Robert Ludlum3.81 avg rating — 182,071 ratings
score: 2,223, and 23 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
6
The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (George Smiley #3)
by John le Carré3.92 avg rating — 12,506 ratings
score: 2,159, and 22 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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7
The Day of the Jackal
by Frederick Forsyth4.17 avg rating — 23,707 ratings
score: 2,114, and 22 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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8
Smiley’s People (George Smiley, #7)
by John le Carré4.13 avg rating — 7,141 ratings
score: 1,348, and 14 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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9
Eye of the Needle
by Ken Follett4.06 avg rating — 27,881 ratings
score: 1,328, and 14 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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10
The Faithful Spy (John Wells, #1)
by Alex Berenson (Goodreads Author)3.88 avg rating — 2,487 ratings
score: 1,173, and 12 people voted
My rating:
Fiji: A Novel tops Goodreads’ list for Great Romance Novels
Our historical adventure-romance is currently top of Goodreads’ list for Great Romance Novels!
Here’s the link to that list. It makes for interesting reading and you’ll find some great books: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/17225.Great_Romance_Novels
And here’s the Top 10 on that same list as at 9 October 2012 PST:
1
Fiji: A Novel
by Lance Morcan
4.00 avg rating — 95 ratingsscore: 698, and 7 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
2
Seduction and Snacks (Chocolate Lovers, #1)
by Tara Sivec (Goodreads Author)4.53 avg rating — 3,473 ratings
score: 675, and 7 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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3
Point of Retreat (Slammed, #2)
by Colleen Hoover (Goodreads Author)4.40 avg rating — 15,296 ratings
score: 564, and 6 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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4
Fifty Shades of Grey (Fifty Shades, #1)
by E.L. James (Goodreads Author)3.61 avg rating — 257,700 ratings
score: 432, and 5 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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5
Avoiding Commitment (Avoiding, #1)
by K.A. Linde (Goodreads Author)4.18 avg rating — 3,744 ratings
score: 423, and 5 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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6
Pride and Prejudice
by Jane Austen4.23 avg rating — 761,722 ratings
score: 395, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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7
Fifty Shades Darker (Fifty Shades, #2)
by E.L. James (Goodreads Author)3.97 avg rating — 153,733 ratings
score: 344, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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8
Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades, #3)
by E.L. James (Goodreads Author)3.93 avg rating — 131,090 ratings
score: 340, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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9
Slammed (Slammed, #1)
by Colleen Hoover (Goodreads Author)4.39 avg rating — 18,158 ratings
score: 289, and 3 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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10
The Bronze Horseman
by Paullina Simons4.39 avg rating — 9,821 ratings
score: 283, and 3 people voted
My rating:
The Ninth Orphan tops Goodreads’ Best Technothrillers Ever list
Our first novel in The Orphan Trilogy is top of Goodreads’ Best Technothrillers Ever list!
Here’s the Goodreads.com link to the Top 100 list of technothrillers: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/24177.Best_Technothrillers_Ever#12257650
And here’s the Top 10 on the list as at 9 October 2012 PST:
1
The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1)
by James Morcan
4.21 avg rating — 101 ratingsscore: 1,199, and 12 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
2
Closed Doors, a Trilogy
by Rich Weatherly (Goodreads Author)4.91 avg rating — 11 ratings
score: 1,100, and 11 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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3
Miami Spy Games
by Armand Rosamilia (Goodreads Author)4.81 avg rating — 16 ratings
score: 800, and 8 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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4
Virtually True
by Adam L. Penenberg4.00 avg rating — 5 ratings
score: 489, and 5 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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5
Eye of the Storm (Black Eagle Force, #1)
by Buck Stienke4.74 avg rating — 31 ratings
score: 399, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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6
Sacred Mountain (Black Eagle Force, #2)
by Buck Stienke4.65 avg rating — 17 ratings
score: 397, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
7
The Andromeda Strain
by Michael Crichton3.73 avg rating — 63,186 ratings
score: 366, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
8
The Hunt for Red October (Jack Ryan, #4)
by Tom Clancy3.79 avg rating — 162,099 ratings
score: 337, and 4 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
9
Metallic Dreams
by Mark Rice (Goodreads Author)4.34 avg rating — 32 ratings
score: 294, and 3 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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10
Relic (Pendergast, #1)
by Douglas Preston3.95 avg rating — 23,901 ratings
score: 286, and 3 people voted
My rating:
NOTE: Technothrillers are a hybrid genre, drawing subject matter generally from science fiction, thrillers, spy, action and war. The inner workings of technology and the mechanics of various disciplines (espionage, martial arts, politics) are thoroughly explored, and the plot often turns on the particulars of that exploration.
“The Orphan Factory” tops list for ‘Great coming-of-age books’
Goodreads.com - the world’s leading site for books, readers and reviewers - has some amazing lists.
Here’s its Top 100 list for ‘Great coming-of-age books’: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3713.Great_Coming_Of_Age_Books#
And here’s the Top 10 (below) as at 9 October 2012 PST:
1
The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2)
by James Morcan
4.60 avg rating — 35 ratingsscore: 1,498, and 15 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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2
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger3.75 avg rating — 883,250 ratings
score: 1,436, and 15 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
3
To Kill a Mockingbird
by Harper Lee4.21 avg rating — 1,194,930 ratings
score: 1,345, and 14 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
4
Great Expectations
by Charles Dickens3.64 avg rating — 177,415 ratings
score: 850, and 9 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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5
Jane Eyre
by Charlotte Brontë4.05 avg rating — 517,486 ratings
score: 752, and 8 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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6
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
by Mark Twain3.75 avg rating — 605,412 ratings
score: 720, and 8 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
7
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret
by Judy Blume3.86 avg rating — 72,491 ratings
score: 589, and 7 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
add my review
8
Anne of Green Gables (Anne of Green Gables, #1)
by L.M. Montgomery4.21 avg rating — 200,602 ratings
score: 542, and 6 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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9
Little Women
by Louisa May Alcott3.95 avg rating — 605,241 ratings
score: 535, and 6 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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10
Harriet the Spy
by Louise Fitzhugh3.97 avg rating — 33,541 ratings
score: 493, and 5 people voted
My rating:
Added to my books!
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(Points are based on the ranking of the book on each list and the number of people have voted for it. A book’s “score” is the total).
October 7, 2012
Book reviewer calls The Orphan Trilogy “a wonderful series”
Here’s the latest review to appear on Amazon for our top rated coming-of-age spy thriller The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2):
★★★★★Phenomenal series, October 7, 2012
By JWinstead – See all my reviews
This review is from: The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) (Kindle Edition)
I loved this book and this series has me hooked…they are both great reads. I cannot wait until the third instalment. If you are looking for a good espionage type thriller, this series is for you. 5 stars
The Amazon link to The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/
October 6, 2012
JK ROWLING'S TEAM BUILDING APPROACH, CASUAL VACANCY BOOK LAUNCH & THE HORIWOOD TOP TEN 28.9.12
Reblogged from Horiwood's Blog:
“The fields polluted and corupted a place of beauty… cut the place adrift,” are lines of J.K Rowling‘s new book of prose. Christchurch City book club readers are the first readers to complete Rowling’s new novel Casual Vacancy. JK’s comments on how the author views the USA are quite a revelation.
For Kiwis reading the book first in the world, go New Zealand!
Interesting stuff!
October 5, 2012
“The Orphan Factory” takes readers from the concrete jungle of Chicago to the rainforest of Guyana
Our top rated, coming-of-age spy thriller The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) starts in the ‘Windy City’ that is Chicago where our central character Nine, the ninth-born orphan, is raised…
The vagrant’s parents had always assured him the city’s misleading nickname had nothing to do with the weather. His mother had insisted the Windy City label came from the longwinded speeches given by the city’s Nineteenth Century politicians, while his father claimed the moniker had been mischievously bestowed by competitive New Yorkers in their attempt to win the World Trade Fair of 1893.
From Chicago, readers are taken to the rural centre of Mount Pleasant, in Iowa…
Despite the early hour, Mount Pleasant was coming alive. Many of its seven thousand residents were already up and about. Today was the weekly farmers’ market day, and for many that was the social event of the week. Those who were planning to sell their wares at the market were already making their way to the venue. Some were on foot while others drove vehicles that included cars, trucks and tractors, and even a horse-drawn cart.
From Iowa interstate through America’s Midwest…
By late evening, the Ford Falcon had crossed Nebraska’s western border into Colorado and continued unerringly toward Arizona.
Nine was relieved that Trey showed zero signs of fatigue and didn’t seem interested in stopping or sleeping. Whatever this guy’s on, it’s working. Nine could tolerate the drugs and the heavy metal music, but Caligula’s bowels were something else. Even with both rear windows down, there wasn’t enough fresh air to hide the Pit Bull’s foul stench. What made it worse was Trey seemed oblivious to Caligula’s constant farting.
To Santa Monica, greater Los Angeles…
The orphan watched the Ford Falcon until it disappeared into traffic then stood for a moment and took in his surroundings. To the north were the Santa Monica Mountains, the peaks of which looked like towering silhouettes. To the south he could see the community of Venice. Behind him were skyscrapers of the city’s business district and in front of him was the vast Pacific Ocean. Nine also observed the local populace who included yuppies, hippies, homeless and numerous beautiful people. Clearly, Santa Monica was a popular destination, as evidenced by the amount of tourists who mingled with the locals.
To Guyana’s Amazon rainforest…
Tropical heat, humidity and mosquitoes assailed the unlikely partners as they followed the Maparri River in the isolated Kanuku Mountains, in southwest Guyana. A tributary of the Rupununi River, the Maparri was a scenic wonder. Its usually placid, crystal clear waters occasionally morphed into churning white water, cascading over high, spectacular waterfalls. More than once, the two orphan-operatives had to deviate away from the river to avoid impassable falls and rapids.
Click on the cover of our novel below to access and read the first few chapters – to establish whether The Orphan Factory is a novel you’d like to read.
To order The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/
For more info about The Orphan Trilogy, go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
October 4, 2012
Reviewers compare James Bond to the ninth orphan
Book reviewers have favorably compared James Bond to Nine, the ninth-born orphan in our international thriller, The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1).
See for yourself to judge whether the reviewers are right…
Here’s the Amazon links to reviews of The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056I4FKC
