Lance Morcan's Blog, page 90

Historical adventure novel resonates with readers

Newly released World Odyssey (The World Duology, #1) resonates with readers and book critics alike, so far attracting all 5-star reviews from Amazon reviewers.

World Odyssey follows the fortunes of three young travelers as each embarks on an epic journey. Their dramatic adventures span sixteen years and see them engage with American Indians, Barbary Coast pirates, Aborigines, Maoris and Pacific Islanders as they travel around the world – from America to Africa, from England to the Canary Islands, to Australia, New Zealand and Samoa.

Here’s a snapshot of what Amazon reviewers are saying about this novel:

“A highly readable…novel…Download this now!!” -Alice M. Dinizo

“A rip-roaring historical adventure…a heroic journey.” -‘Cloud’

“I felt as if I were a passenger…in exotic locales.” -Sheri A. Wilkinson

“Great Historical Saga…a cast of intriguing characters who are motivated by their own dreams. -Karine Bregeon

Readers are reminded World Odyssey is book one and Fiji: A Novel is book two in the new-release The World Duology…

  

 

 

        Available as kindle ebooks on Amazon

If these books sound like you, here’s the appropriate kindle ebook links:

World Odyssey (The World Duology, #1) : http://www.amazon.com/World-Odyssey-Duology-1-ebook/dp/B00HHVOMO0/

Fiji: A Novel (The World Duology, #2) : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/

The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) : http://www.amazon.com/World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-Novel-ebook/dp/B00HMQRMFG/

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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A timely warning for intelligence agencies

“The moral of this tale is that you don’t ever, ever abduct the young son of your best and most dangerous operative.” – That’s according to c9c Reviews’ Andrew Thompson in his Amazon review of our conspiracy thriller The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy, #3).

Thriller resonates

Andrew’s 4-Star review lowers this novel’s 5-Star average rating (to 4.9 Stars) on Amazon. However, it’s such an insightful review we thought we’d share it with you…

Be careful who you kidnap

The moral of this tale is that you don’t ever, ever abduct the young son of your best and most dangerous operative. Such people will go to great lengths to get their children back, especially as they are very aware of the horrors that await their offspring.

Nine does his very best to look after his pregnant wife while attempting to rescue his son. His employers should have known better and they learn their lesson. Nine is hampered by a heart ailment, but despite this he manages to keep his promises to his family.

Another, final, installment of the Orphan series which does not disappoint.

For a brief synopsis of The Orphan Uprising see c9c Reviews’ blurb at: http://c9creviews.com/

For more reviews of this novel go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BFC66DM/

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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‘The Snowden Files’ billed as the inside story of the world’s most wanted man

Truthdig.com , the online news site that takes pride in “drilling beneath the headlines”, has done it again: it has conjured up the most insightful review we’ve managed to uncover yet on what surely will turn out to be one of the most talked-about books of 2014…

We refer, of course, to Luke Harding’s The Snowden Files, which provides an eye-opening overview of whistleblower Edward Snowden’s running battle with the National Security Agency after leaking thousands of classified files to news organizations.

Book reviewer Greg Miller, national security correspondent for The Washington Post, reminds readers via his truthdig.com review of Feb.21 that author Luke Harding is the same LH who is a correspondent for The Guardian newspaper, which broke the initial Snowden story.

Miller also reminds us that “the course that Snowden chose…surreptitiously stockpiling thousands of classified files, leaking them…and finally fleeing first to Hong Kong and then Russia has been polarizing. He has been condemned as treasonous and hailed as courageous. Either way, his story is one of the most compelling in the history of American espionage.”

Further excerpts (abridged) from Miller’s review follow:

“The Snowden Files”…is the first to assemble the sequence of events in a single volume. The book captures the drama of Snowden’s operation in often cinematic detail but doesn’t necessarily enhance our understanding of the magnitude and impact of the leaks. It is most successful when focused tightly on its then-29-year-old protagonist, whose youth and low station in the spy world were so at odds with the caliber of the material he accessed that his journalist contacts, upon meeting him for the first time, shook their heads in disbelief. Snowden comes across as almost icily composed. He seems to have been undaunted by the challenge of outmaneuvering his employer, the National Security Agency, the largest spy agency in the world. He choreographed his encounters with journalists and revealed himself to the world largely on his own terms…

…Although the book is billed as “the inside story of the world’s most wanted man,” there is no indication Harding had direct contact with his subject. Instead, it reads more like the inside account of Snowden’s interactions with The Guardian. The details drawn from those encounters are fascinating, if not always illuminating. Snowden was so concerned about security at the hotel where they met that the few times he left his room he placed a glass of water behind the door, positioned to spill on a piece of tissue paper marked with a symbol sketched in soy sauce…

…“The Snowden Files” won’t be the last book on this subject nor likely the best, with Gellman and Greenwald titles already in the works. But Harding has delivered a clearly written and captivating account of the Snowden leaks and their aftermath, succeeding beyond its most basic ambition, which was to arrive in bookstores first.

For the full review go to: http://www.truthdig.com/arts_culture/item/the_snowden_files_20140221

Many of the concerns Snowden has raised regarding America’s surveillance programs and its espionage methodologies are highlighted in our top rated conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising). That’s not to say we necessarily sympathize with Snowden or approve of his actions, but we do sympathize with many of the ‘Big Brother’ concerns he and others like him have raised.

The Orphan Trilogy exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few. Our antagonists are a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA… Sounds familiar?

Merging fact with fiction, the trilogy illuminates shadow organizations rumored to actually exist. Our three novels explore a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, MI6, and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama, Queen Elizabeth II as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families.

The Orphan Trilogy is available via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGGM05U/

 

Happy reading! - Lance & James

 

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The novel they branded as “socially dangerous” and “revolutionary” really is a must-read!

The bestselling philosophical thriller The Transhumanist Wager, by former National Geographic and New York Times correspondent Zoltan Istvan, really is a must-read – regardless of your religious persuasion.

It’s a novel every Christian and non-Christian should read. As one of those in the former camp, it challenged my beliefs without changing them, whilst giving me hours of entertaining reading – all at the same time!

I tried to write a summary of the storyline, but for the life of me I couldn’t improve on the publisher’s own summary, so here it is verbatim…

Set in the present day, the novel tells the story of transhumanist Jethro Knights and his unwavering quest for immortality via science and technology. Fighting against him are fanatical religious groups, economically depressed governments, and mystic Zoe Bach: a dazzling trauma surgeon and the love of his life, whose belief in spirituality and the afterlife is absolute. Exiled from America and reeling from personal tragedy, Knights forges a new nation of willing scientists on the world’s largest seasteading project, Transhumania. When the world declares war against the floating city, demanding an end to its renegade and godless transhuman experiments and ambitions, Knights strikes back, leaving the planet forever changed.

Before I was half-way through this book, I could see why religious authorities and scholars have branded it as “socially dangerous” and “revolutionary”: it challenges the current world order and also Christians’ acceptance and understanding of the ‘second coming’ and the afterlife.

If this wasn’t a work of fiction, I doubt I’d have read it. But it is fiction, and I’m very glad I did (read it). Not sure it’s “visionary”, as the book’s splurge would have us believe, but it sure is a page-turner.

Highly recommended!  -Lance Morcan

Here’s what other Amazon reviewers have to say about The Transhumanist Wager:

“This book is a brilliant, provocative masterpiece.” -Immortal Life

“Protagonist Jethro Knights may become one of the grand characters of modern fiction.” -Psychology Today

“I enjoyed The Transhumanist Wager…an adventurous suspense-filled semi-sci-fi about sailing, love, and life extension.” -The Huffington Post

“A philosophical thriller…the Atlas Shrugged for transhumanism.” -Examiner.com

“A very powerful book…this is a must read.” -Serious Wonder

“It’s a page-turner. Istvan knows how to tell a compelling story.” -io9.com

“Really impressive…an unforgettable read.” –Sfmag

“A marvelous work of science fiction.” –IEET

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Here’s a great read for the kids

Francette and the Mystery of the Deaf Soldier – a worthy 5 Stars for this fun read!

OnlineBookClub.org summed it up well when it recommended this as “a book you and your children are sure to love”.

How true!

Whilst not my usual genre (I’m a big kid after all and this is billed as a read for 7 to 10-year-olds) I quicky found it’s a fun read not only for children but for parents, too – as I discovered before I was even through the first chapter.

The way the author cleverly uses engaging young Parisian Francette to investigate a mystery around Normandy’s D-Day landings hooked this reader and my young audience from the outset. Throw in a ghost and a haunting or two, and you have a story guaranteed to please!

Here’s what other Amazon reviewers have to say about Francette and the Mystery of the Deaf Soldier:

The story is fast-paced and fun. The fact that is told from a French perspective makes it highly interesting. -B.Sherwood

Sweet story about summer adventures, youthful independence and the thrill of a mystery. -Paula Florence Flegel

A really cute children’s book. -Patricia Cepeda

My daughters loved the book and the adventures of Francette and Anatole. -Diane Weber

It made me feel like I was also vacationing in France. -M.Hill

Highly recommended for little kids and big kids! - Lance

 

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Mind control fiction at its best

Check out this Goodreads.com list of novels that have mind control as a major theme in their plots. Ranked according to Goodreads’ members votes, the books in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy occupy the first four places on the list!

Here’s the top 10 books (ranked 1-10) on Goodreads’ Mind Control Fiction popularity list courtesy of Listopia:

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) byJames Morcan 3.65 of 5 stars 3.65 avg rating — 328 ratings







The Orphan Trilogy byJames Morcan 4.55 of 5 stars 4.55 avg rating — 47 ratings







The Orphan Uprising (The Orphan Trilogy, #3) byJames Morcan 4.44 of 5 stars 4.44 avg rating — 68 ratings







The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2) byJames Morcan 4.27 of 5 stars 4.27 avg rating — 100 ratings







Manchurian Candidate byRichard Condon 4.03 of 5 stars 4.03 avg rating — 9,163 ratings








1984 byGeorge Orwell 4.08 of 5 stars 4.08 avg rating — 1,133,976 ratings







Scott Bloom en de Dochters van Chenchen byRosa Miller (Goodreads Author) 4.29 of 5 stars 4.29 avg rating — 14 ratings







Animal Farm byGeorge Orwell 3.78 of 5 stars 3.78 avg rating — 1,176,284 ratings







Brave New World byAldous Huxley 3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 avg rating — 663,648 ratings







The Stepford Wives byIra Levin 3.61 of 5 stars 3.61 avg rating — 11,056 ratings

For the top 100 novels on this list go to: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/11984.Mind_Control_Fiction#13250061

Occupying first place, The Ninth Orphan is book one in The Orphan Trilogy. Here’s the storyline for anyone interested:

An orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

Fast-paced, totally fresh and original, filled with deep and complex characters, The Ninth Orphan is a controversial, high-octane thriller with an edge. Merging fact with fiction, it illuminates shadow organizations rumored to actually exist in our world. The novel explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, MI6, and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families.

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is available via Amazon as a trade paperback and Kindle ebook. Here’s the Kindle link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! - Lance & James

 

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Bookworms – You don’t need a Kindle device to enjoy Kindle ebooks

Calling all bookworms… Just because you don’t own a Kindle device doesn’t mean you can’t download and read Kindle ebooks.

You can download Amazon’s FREE Kindle app for your smartphone, tablet and computer.

Here’s what Amazon has to say about it:

Buy Once, Read Everywhere: You don’t need to own a Kindle device to enjoy Kindle books. Download one of our free Kindle apps to start reading Kindle books on all your devices. The Kindle app is available for every major smartphone, tablet, and computer. That means with our free Kindle reading apps, you can buy a Kindle book once, and read it on any device with the Kindle app installed. And of course, you can also read that same Kindle book on a Kindle device if you own one.
With Amazon’s Whispersync technology, you can automatically save and synchronize your furthest page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights across all your devices. That means you can start reading a book on one device, and pick up where you left off on another device.
Shop the Kindle Store for over one million Kindle books, including new releases and New York Times® best sellers. If you are a non-U.S. customer, book pricing and availability may vary.
Read the first chapter of a book before you decide whether to buy it.
Read thousands of free books with a Kindle app, including popular classics like The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Pride and Prejudice, and Treasure Island.
Go into your local library to check out an eBook, and have it delivered wirelessly to your Kindle app.
Adjust a book’s text size to your desired comfort level for easier reading.

For more info go to: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=pe_390220_112582420_sa_menu_karl?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

And here’s a shameless plug for our novels – all available now as Kindle ebooks!

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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‘The Orphan Factory’ priced down to 99c in Kindle Countdown Promo

Our coming-of-age spy thriller, The Orphan Factory (The Orphan Trilogy, #2), is available to Kindle users at the reduced price of 99c via Amazon.com and Amazon.UK until Feb. 17th PST.

4.6 Star average review rating

This top rated thriller is the prequel to The Ninth Orphan, book one in The Orphan Trilogy. It’s an epic, atmospheric story that begins with twenty-three genetically superior orphans being groomed to become elite spies in Chicago’s Pedemont Orphanage and concludes with a political assassination deep in the Amazon jungle. Embark on another frenetic journey with Nine, the ninth-born orphan, as he goes on the run across America.

Here’s a brief synopsis:

In the late 1970′s, in Chicago, Illinois, the secretive Omega Agency initiates the Pedemont Project – a radical experiment utilizing genetic engineering technologies – to create twenty-three orphan babies with the plan to turn them into the world’s most effective assassins.

One of the prodigies will rebel: meet Number Nine, an orphan with a mind of his own.

In 1998, when Nine reaches adulthood and graduates with honors from the Pedemont Orphanage, he is already an adept of the deadly espionage arts. Ordered by his Omega masters to assassinate a survivor of the Jonestown tragedy in Guyana’s Amazon rainforest, Nine is forced to draw upon all of his advanced training just to stay alive.

After 38 reviews, The Orphan Factory maintains its 4.6 Star average review rating on Amazon.

Here’s a sample of Amazon reviewers’ comments:

I loved getting to know more about Nine and his early years, his rivalry with 17 and interaction with other orphans, his self discovery and his ability to survive in a dangerous and deadly world. I am now looking forward to reading the third and final novel in this thrilling trilogy. –Pat O’Meara

Fast paced and never boring. I was drawn into the plot almost right from the beginning. –S.C.M. Hartstra-van Kan

Action and drama prevail in this exciting story. –Sheri A. Wilkinson

This novel explains how the orphans were produced and why and how they were trained…An awesome read. –“Westerntarheel”

A very well written, multifaceted book that is a joy to read. The authors have taken a genre which has been attacked from many angles and woven a modern, distinctive adventure. I am now going to re-read The Ninth Orphan.  –S.J. Hailey

An exceptional read, well written with just the right amount of explosive excitement that makes you sit up and take notice. Looking forward to the first and last in the trilogy which gives me the excuse to read the second one once again. –D. Catterall

The authors remind you The Orphan Factory is available now through to February 17th PST at the sharply discounted price of 99c. It’s available via Kindle at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008M9WWKW/

 

Happy reading! - Lance & James

 

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New poster for our feature film in release MY CORNERSTONE

MY CORNERSTONE will screen in cinemas in all major Australian cities from April 25 onwards and in New Zealand thereafter. Plus it will screen in India later this year and will also be dubbed/translated into the following Indian languages: Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada & Konkani.

MY CORNERSTONE was filmed in Sydney, Australia and Mumbai, India with an Australian and Indian cast and crew. It is the first Indian-Aussie cross-cultural feature film in cinema history.

CREDITS:

Director: Stanley Joseph

Writers: James Morcan (screenplay), Stanley Joseph (story)

Stars: Zenia Starr, Romin Khan, James Morcan

IMDb listing: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2527256/

Logline: A young Indian nurse moves to Sydney where she’s placed in the household of a wealthy Indian-Australian family and given the task of caring for an elderly lady.

Runtime: 119 mins

Thanks for everybodys support.

James

Calling all lovers…of historical fiction!

Lovers of historical fiction will be pleased to know the Kindle ebook price of our new release series The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) has been slashed as part of our book launch.

Two books in one in The World Duology

Readers will receive two novels in one at a real sharp price until the new book launch promo ends February 9th PST.

Meanwhile, World Odyssey and Fiji: A Novel, books one and two in the duology, remain regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists in their appropriate categories in historical fiction. And readers continue to resonate with both novels if reviewers’ ratings and comments are anything to go by.

Set in the nineteenth century, The World Duology follows the fortunes of three young travelers. Their dramatic adventures span sixteen years and see them engage with American Indians, Barbary Coast pirates, Aborigines, Maoris and Pacific Islanders as they travel around the world – from America to Africa, from England to the Canary Islands, to Australia, New Zealand, Samoa and Fiji.

If these books sound like you, here’s the appropriate kindle ebook links:

World Odyssey (The World Duology, #1) : http://www.amazon.com/World-Odyssey-Duology-1-ebook/dp/B00HHVOMO0/

Fiji: A Novel (The World Duology, #2) : http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/

The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) : http://www.amazon.com/World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-Novel-ebook/dp/B00HMQRMFG/

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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