New Zealand

I’m throwing the spotlight on this title today, in part because for today and tomorrow (Jan 12 and 13, 2025) it is FREE on Kindle! What?? Yes, you read that right. FREE!

New Zealand: A Novel spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south.

The hardy, brown-skinned people who arrive here first call themselves Maori and they call their new home Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud. The fascinating, eventful and sometimes violent lives of descendants of those first arrivals are traced through the centuries until the arrival of Europeans aboard Captain James Cook’s bark the Endeavour. Cook names the new land New Zealand.

Maoris call the white intruders pakeha. Their arrival heralds a clash of two vastly different ideologies as European civilization collides head on with indigenous culture.

The misunderstandings, tension and bloodshed that follow are relayed as seen through the eyes of one of the Endeavour’s youngest and most engaging crewmembers, Surgeon’s Assistant Nicholas Young, as the vessel embarks on its historic circumnavigation of the country.

Amidst the life-threatening challenges Nicholas faces at sea and on land, the young man finds true love when he meets Anika, a beautiful Maori princess who steals his heart.

About the author:

New Zealand novelist and screenwriter Lance Morcan is a prolific author with more than 35 published fiction and non-fiction books to his credit as well as several screenplay adaptations of his work. A former journalist and newspaper editor, he regularly writes in collaboration with his son James Morcan, and their books are published by Sterling Gate Books.

The father-and-son team’s published books include the new release horror Silent Fear (A novel inspired by true crimes) and the bestselling historical adventures White Spirit, Fiji: A Novel and Into the Americas. They also have several series including The Orphan Trilogy, an international thriller series, the globetrotting action-romance series The World Duology, and the controversial non-fiction franchise The Underground Knowledge Series, which includes Genius Intelligence and The Catcher in the Rye Enigma.

Several of their books have been regular visitors to Amazon’s bestseller lists over the years.

An additional non-fiction title they’re especially proud of is Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, which was written in collaboration with Holocaust survivors to document the genocide.

Lance’s first solo-authored novel, a historical adventure-romance titled New Zealand: A Novel, was published late 2024. Spanning almost 500 years, this novel covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south. Researching and writing this epic was literally half a century in the making for Lance who described the task as “A labour of love that spanned 50 years.”

The Morcans’ production entity Morcan Motion Pictures has a number of feature films in early development, including adaptations of Silent Fear, Into the Americas and White Spirit.

My friends at Penguin-Random House/Berkley Publishing asked if I’d like to be part of the tour for Nalini Singh’s new thriller: There Should Have Been Eight and of course I said yes! This is a super suspenseful, slow burn of a read, where long time friends come together as they remember one of their group who supposedly committed suicide a few years before the story starts.

Description

In this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh, a remote estate in New Zealand’s Southern Alps hosts a reunion no one will ever forget.

Seven friends.
One last weekend.
A mansion half in ruins.
No room for lies.
Someone is going to confess.
Because there should have been eight. . . .

They met when they were teenagers. Now they’re adults, and time has been kind to some and unkind to others—none more so than to Bea, the one they lost nine long years ago.

They’ve gathered to reminisce at Bea’s family’s estate, a once-glorious mansion straight out of a gothic novel. Best friends, old flames, secret enemies, and new lovers are all under one roof. But when the weather turns and they’re snowed in at the edge of eternity, there’s nowhere left to hide from their shared history.

As the walls close in, the pretense of normality gives way to long-buried grief, bitterness, and rage. Underneath it all, there’s the nagging feeling that Bea’s shocking death wasn’t what it was claimed to be. And before the weekend is through, the truth will be unleashed—no matter the cost. . . .

This was a great read and I really liked the uniqueness of the main character, Luna, who had no partner and axes to bury, but who was also losing her sight. I kept wondering if it was a metaphor (along with her name) while I was reading.

If you like psychological suspense with a slight paranormal twist, don’t miss this one!

Thank you for my e-copy!