3 Days Only! Grab "New Zealand: A Novel" for Free on Kindle (March 15-17)

 

Exciting News from Sterling Gate Books!

We're thrilled to announce a special Kindle promotion for the captivating novel, "New Zealand: A Novel," by Lance Morcan. Mark your calendars for March 15 - 17, 2025, and don't miss this chance to grab your copy for free. Dive into an unforgettable adventure and experience the magic of New Zealand from the comfort of your home. Get your copy today and join the celebration!

New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan

In 1768, medical student Nicholas Young is recruited as Surgeon’s Boy under Captain James Cook aboard the Endeavour. His journey takes him to uncharted lands, including New Zealand, discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Nearly five centuries earlier, in 1301 AD, villagers from Hawaiki flee their homeland and discover Aotearoa, the land of the long, white cloud.

As Nicholas and his crewmates arrive in Tahiti, he becomes a man through trials and tribulations. He forms a bond with Tahiti’s queen, Obadia, and learns about the Maori people and their history. In 1769, Nicholas spots New Zealand, leading to the first encounter between Cook’s crew and the indigenous Maori, marked by conflict and cultural exchange.

The Endeavour’s circumnavigation of New Zealand challenges Nicholas and his crewmates, but they emerge stronger, ready to face the unknown.

What Readers Are Saying About New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan

Riveting and Unputdownable: Readers are captivated by the blend of historical facts and well-crafted narratives, making the story of New Zealand's formation compelling and exciting.

A Page-Turner: The novel spans centuries and continents, offering a fascinating fictionalized account of Captain Cook's voyages and the Maori's arrival in New Zealand. It's a must-read for lovers of adventure, exotic locales, and history.

Amazing Storytelling: Lance Morcan's talent for vivid storytelling pulls readers into the struggles and triumphs of the Indigenous people and explorers, making it a fantastic and immersive read.

Fascinating Historical Journey: The novel brings New Zealand's history to life, blending fictional characters with real historical figures and offering a deep understanding of the land's development.

   Purchase Links

KINDLE

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.

 

 

 

New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan - Free Kindle Promotion January 12 and 13, 2025

 

Exciting News from Sterling Gate Books!

We're thrilled to announce a special Kindle promotion for the captivating novel, New Zealand: A Novel, by Lance Morcan. Mark your calendars for January 12 and 13, 2025, and don't miss this chance to grab your copy for free. Dive into an unforgettable adventure and experience the magic of New Zealand from the comfort of your home. Get your copy today and join the celebration!

***

New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan

In 1768, medical student Nicholas Young is recruited as Surgeon’s Boy under Captain James Cook aboard the Endeavour. His journey takes him to uncharted lands, including New Zealand, discovered by Dutch explorer Abel Tasman. Nearly five centuries earlier, in 1301 AD, villagers from Hawaiki flee their homeland and discover Aotearoa, the land of the long, white cloud.

As Nicholas and his crewmates arrive in Tahiti, he becomes a man through trials and tribulations. He forms a bond with Tahiti’s queen, Obadia, and learns about the Maori people and their history. In 1769, Nicholas spots New Zealand, leading to the first encounter between Cook’s crew and the indigenous Maori, marked by conflict and cultural exchange.

The Endeavour’s circumnavigation of New Zealand challenges Nicholas and his crewmates, but they emerge stronger, ready to face the unknown.

What Readers Are Saying About New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan

Riveting and Unputdownable: Readers are captivated by the blend of historical facts and well-crafted narratives, making the story of New Zealand's formation compelling and exciting.

 A Page-Turner: The novel spans centuries and continents, offering a fascinating fictionalized account of Captain Cook's voyages and the Maori's arrival in New Zealand. It's a must-read for lovers of adventure, exotic locales, and history.

 Amazing Storytelling: Lance Morcan's talent for vivid storytelling pulls readers into the struggles and triumphs of the Indigenous people and explorers, making it a fantastic and immersive read.

Fascinating Historical Journey: The novel brings New Zealand's history to life, blending fictional characters with real historical figures and offering a deep understanding of the land's development.

  Purchase Links:

https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ

Book's Landing Page:

 https://morcanbooksandfilms.com/category/new-zealand-a-novel/   

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.

 

New Release: New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan - Free Kindle Promotion December 10 and December 14-15, 2024

 

We are excited to announce our first Kindle promotion. You can download it for free tomorrow, Tuesday, December 10th, and again this weekend, December 14th and 15th. Take advantage of this opportunity to get your copy!

***

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 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. A land Tasman called 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. A Maori boy sits alone on a sandy beach, looking out across a sparkling bay. On his right is a headland that extends far out into the blue Pacific. Moki is the oldest son of the chief of the Ngati Porou tribe. He’s 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 a giant seabird, he flees inland to his nearby pa, or fortified village, to alert the villagers to the approaching danger.

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 the very headland Moki was sitting alongside moments earlier. 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.

After anchoring in the bay, the captain dispatches a contingent of his marines ashore. From aboard ship, 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 apparent lack of fruit and game, he names the region Poverty Bay.

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

The Endeavour’s circumnavigation of the new land will be an experience that breaks some men. But not Nicholas. The Surgeon’s Boy is now as ready as any of his crewmates to face the many challenges that life will throw at him in the long weeks and months ahead.

 Purchase Links

Kindle link: 

https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan-ebook/dp/B0DPTJTDCQ/  

Paperback link: 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0473728524/ 

Book's landing page:

 https://morcanbooksandfilms.com/category/new-zealand-a-novel/  

New Zealand novelist and screenwriter Lance Morcan is a prolific author with more than 20 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 and Into the Americas. They also have several series on the market 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. An additional non-fiction title, Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, was written in collaboration with Holocaust survivors to document the genocide.

The Morcans’ production company Morcan Motion Pictures has a number of feature films in early development, including adaptations of Silent Fear, Into the Americas and White Spirit. It is also developing Underground Knowledge into a TV series.

Lance is currently revising his solo-written novel New Zealand, an epic historical adventure spanning 500 years of South Pacific and Polynesian history. Including research, writing and life's distractions, this novel has been over a decade in the making.