New historical novel (based on a true story) published

My epic historical adventure White Spirit (A novel based on a true story), co-written with my father Lance Morcan, has just been published. Spanning 1,000 pages, White Spirit follows on from the success of our bestselling historical adventure novel Into the Americas.






Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/White-Spirit-n...

Based on the remarkable true story of Irish convict John Graham, WHITE SPIRIT is an epic historical adventure set in 19th Century Australia.

After escaping from the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, Graham finds refuge with the Kabi, a tribe of Aborigines who eventually accept him as one of their own.

Attempts to recapture Graham are orchestrated by a variety of contrasting characters working for the all-pervasive British Empire. They include Moreton Bay's tyrannical, opium-addicted commandant Lord Cheetham, the dashing yet warlike Lieutenant Hogan, native tracker Barega and the penal settlement's captain, Tom Marsden.

Marsden's young daughter Helen, a progressive lady ahead of her time who is both an egalitarian and a feminist, boldly inserts herself into the clash between the Irish convict, her father and Moreton Bay's other iron-fisted rulers. Helen complicates things further when she finds herself in a Pride and Prejudice-style love triangle with men on opposite sides of the conflict.

When Scottish woman Eliza Fraser is found shipwrecked and close to death in Kabi territory, Graham and his legion of pursuers, as well as the Irishman's adopted Aboriginal family, are all forced to navigate a multi-faceted rescue mission. The precarious rendezvous is made all the more dangerous by Helen Marsden's ethically-driven meddling that often outwits the men involved.

WHITE SPIRIT is not only based on arguably the great Australian (true) story, a sweeping tale that encapsulates all the nuances of the southern continent's unique history, it also provides readers with detailed insights into the tribal life of First Australian (Aboriginal) peoples.


A few notes about our writing process for White Spirit:

John Graham's story is not well known - certainly not as well known as that of Eliza Fraser whose life is integrally and forever linked with the Irish convict's. That's surprising, to us at least, because John's adventures in the wilds of an untamed Australia must surely rank with the most incredible true-life tales of survival. Not only Down Under, in Australia, but anywhere in the world. Having both lived in south east Queensland for many years, and having regularly visited the Kabis' former domain (the Sunshine Coast), we can only marvel at John Graham's bravery, endurance, fortitude and gumption.

Though WHITE SPIRIT is first and foremost a novel and therefore a work of fiction, many of the adventures described herein happened - exactly as related in some cases, and with some embellishments for drama's sake in others. In reality, John's story was so unbelievably remarkable it needn't have been dramatized. However, as novelists, we couldn't resist expanding upon and adding characters to certain true-life events. The great challenge, of course, was the need to always stay true to the broad historical realities while subtly infusing "fiction".

We sincerely hope we have also done justice to the Indigenous Australians in our writing. We strived for accuracy and balance in our portrayals of these unique people. Through Eliza Fraser's experience, we show the cruelty the Kabi were capable of, while, through John's experiences, we show their love for family, their community-mindedness, their incredible hunting and tracking skills, and their ability to survive in the most unforgiving of environments.



Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/White-Spirit-n...

PROMO VIDEO: The history that White Spirit is based on -- And a song by John Denver about the Australian convict settlement Moreton Bay -- https://www.goodreads.com/videos/1089...