Hi
Welcome to Morcan Books & Films, the blog devoted to providing a unique perspective and intelligent commentary on books and films. It includes commentary on our own books and films – i.e. novels and screenplays co-written by the Morcans, and feature films produced by, or in development with, Morcan Motion Pictures.
Lance & James
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
What do Bill Clinton, David Rockefeller, Prince Charles, Bill Gates, Ben Bernanke, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Facebook Co-founder Chris Hughes have in common? Read The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) to find out…or watch this video… http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
Amazon links to The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):
Here’s the latest review to appear on Amazon for our international thriller The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):
This is a superbly written thriller that kept me hooked throughout its entirety. I really enjoyed the whole story and the characters. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a good thriller. 5 stars.
Our international thriller The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) starts in Montana’s Custer National Park…
…then takes readers at break-neck speed from the Philippines…
…to rural Illinois…
…to London…
…to Paris…
…to the French countryside…
…to Germany’s Black Forest…
…to Cornwall’s Saint Michael’s Mount…
…and finally to the Marquesas Islands
To share the ninth-born orphan’s journey, read The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1).
Available now on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
For more information about The Orphan Trilogy go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
There’s no doubt FIJI, the movie based on our historical novel, will be extremely cinematic as these wonderful images show…
The search is on now to find a name director to helm FIJI. James and I will then adapt the screenplay from our novel, Fiji: A Novel, under our director’s guidance so that it’s his/her vision that makes it to the big screen.
Click on our book’s cover to read the first few chapters.
The Amazon link to this novel is: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
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The search is on for a name director to helm FIJI, the period film based on our swashbuckling, historical, action-adventure, Fiji: A Novel.
Set in 19th Century Fiji, the novel has been a regular visitor to Amazon’s bestseller lists. It was published by Sterling Gate Books late in 2011.
It’s a story of adventure, cultural misunderstandings, religious conflict and sexual tension set in one of the most exotic and isolated places on earth – and we have no doubt FIJI will make a wonderful movie.
The storyline: In the mid-1800’s, Fiji was a melting pot of cannibals, warring native tribes, sailors, traders, prostitutes, escaped convicts and all manner of foreign undesirables. It’s in this hostile environment in our story that an innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer find themselves. Despite their differences, there’s an undeniable chemistry between them. When their lives are suddenly endangered by marauding cannibals, they are forced to rely on each other for their very survival.
With the strong themes of love running through what is essentially a fast-moving and sometimes violent adventure story, FIJI the movie will appeal equally to males and females.
Here’s what reviewers have said about Fiji: A Novel:
It’s an intense story that will have you turning the pages long into the night. –Susan M. Heim, author and editor of the bestselling “Chicken Soup for the Soul” series.
A well-written, totally absorbing novel. –J.B. DiNizo (author of Comings and Goings)
A wonderfully entrancing read. –Joan McGrath (historical author)
You’ll enjoy the voyage this book takes you on. –Have You Heard Book Review
A fabulous novel, beautiful for its blunt rawness, exotic scenery, and fascinating storyline. –Historical Novel Review
Relevant links for Fiji: A Novel:
Amazon ebook link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/
Sterling Gate Books: http://www.youtube.com/user/SterlingGateBooks
September 16, 2012
New Zealand father-and-son writing team Lance and James Morcan, co-authors of the critically acclaimed historical adventure novel, Fiji: A Novel, say their book seems to have struck a chord with Indian residents of Fiji.
“Judging by the review requests and fan mail we receive from Indians based in Fiji, they seem to resonate with our novel,” says Lance. “I can only put this down to the fact that they are avid readers who take an interest in the history of their adopted country.”
Lance, who is a novelist and screenwriter, is based in New Zealand. He writes in collaboration with his Sydney-based son James. They are very aware of Indians close ties to Fiji.
“Indo-Fijians comprise more than one third of Fiji’s population, and most are descended from indentured labourers brought to the islands by Fiji’s British colonial rulers in the late 1800’s to work on sugar cane plantations,” says Lance. “These were complemented by the later arrival of Gujarati and Punjabi immigrants who arrived as free settlers in contrast to their counterparts who were brought under the indentured labour system.”
In the course of several visits to Fiji, Lance says he has observed the Indo-Fijians’ relationship with the indigenous Fijians has been an uneasy one. “It seems the cultural divide between the two racial groups is very wide. Many Indo-Fijians have left Fiji in search of greener pastures.”
Nevertheless, he says, Indo-Fijians seem to relate to Fiji: A Novel, even though it predates the arrival of Indians in Fiji. “I think it paints an authentic picture of the tropical paradise their forefathers came to.”
The novel doesn’t gloss over the cannibalism the Morcans claim was rife in Fiji.
“Fiji wasn’t called ‘the Cannibal Isles’ for nothing. The history books show Fiji was a melting pot of cannibals, warring native tribes, sailors, traders, prostitutes, escaped convicts and all manner of foreign undesirables,” he says. “It’s in this hostile environment our story is set.”
Published by Sterling Gate Books in late 2011, the novel is set in 19th Century Fiji and has been a regular visitor to Amazon’s bestseller lists. The publisher describes it as ‘a spellbinding novel of adventure, cultural misunderstandings, religious conflict and sexual tension set in one of the most exotic and isolated places on earth’.
The story is a fast-paced adventure-romance about an innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer who are thrown together in Fiji in the mid-1800’s.
Lance says Fiji was inspired by James A. Michener’s classic novel, Hawaii.
“To our knowledge, there has never been a novel that truly does justice to Fiji,” he says. “I’ve felt a novel that captures Fiji’s culture, exoticness and beauty is long overdue.”
The Morcans, who are also film producers, are developing a feature film adaptation of Fiji through their film production company, Morcan Motion Pictures.
Fiji: A Novel is now available in both kindle ebook and paperback form via Amazon, and the trade paperback version is also available at Junglee.com. The links are: www.amazon.com/dp/B0057YCZM0/ and www.junglee.com/Fiji-A-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473194716/
If you’re a fan of international conspiracy thrillers in the vein of James Bond and James Bourne – and you like your action fast and furious – this latest offering from father and son writing team, James and Lance Morcan, is guaranteed not to disappoint.
The first of a trilogy, The Ninth Orphan follows the fate of Sebastian George Hannar, the ninth orphan of Chicago’s Pedemont Orphanage. We meet ‘Nine’ at the age of 31, a highly skilled assassin, trained since birth to be the perfect secret agent.
Increasingly frustrated with the life that he has been bred for – and the dark secrets it entails – our protagonist decides to make his next mission his last, and secure his freedom with the highly sensitive information he is privy to. But of course, our hero making a quick escape to the suburbs and settling into a life of quiet domesticity would not a satisfying thriller make. No rogue agent ever escaped from a covert, evil organization with designs to ‘take over the world’ so easily, and ours is no exception.
Just as it seems that Nine might achieve his goal of independence, a chance encounter with a beguiling photographer, Isabelle Alleget, causes his plans to unravel. And so begins a frenetically paced cat and mouse chase that takes us all over the world, from Paris to the Philippines.
Deftly weaving some fantastical twists and turns, flashbacks to our hero’s extraordinary childhood, and a series of impressive action sequences into a tense plot, the Morcans deliver a satisfying narrative that never lets up. And as he is hotly pursued by his mentor, Tommy Kentbridge, and various secret organizations, Nine’s intriguing, chameleon-like ability to disguise himself ensures that our attention never wavers.
What makes The Ninth Orphan stand out from other thrillers is its intelligent handling of its themes. Like Kazuo Ishiguro’s haunting novel, Never Let Me Go, The Ninth Orphan taps into our fascination with the possibilities of genetic selection, and the sinister consequences it may bring.
Throw in a pinch of romance and the suggestion of political shadow organizations that may or may not operate in the real world, and you have an exhilarating read that will keep the little grey cells ticking over long after you’ve reached the final page.
-The Flaneur http://flaneur.me.uk/09/the-ninth-orphan-by-james-and-lance-morcan-2/
Links for The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):
Trade paperback – https://www.createspace.com/3642008
Kindle ebook- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056I4FKC http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0056I4FKC
Here’s some favorite quotes from our international thriller The Ninth Orphan, Book #1 in The Orphan Trilogy:
Contrary to the media circus which portrayed politicians as all-powerful figures, Kentbridge knew from experience the vast majority of US Government officials – elected or otherwise – were puppets who only had the illusion of power…
The purpose of having the orphans study all these diverse fields was not for them to just become geniuses, but to become polymaths – meaning they would be geniuses in a wide variety of fields…
Democrats and Republicans were essentially the same party with different faces and that was why, no matter how many promises each leader made, significant change rarely transpired…
Japan had gained enormous wealth when it invaded China and a dozen or so other Asian countries during the Second World War. The Japanese looted bullion by the truckload. In addition to the incalculable amounts of gold, gigantic quantities of diamonds, silver and religious artifacts had also been stolen. These colossal treasure troves were shipped to the Philippines in preparation for transportation to Japan. However, as the war in the Pacific intensified, the ever-increasing presence of Allied ships made the transport of such treasure problematic for Japan. As a result, much of it was hidden in the Philippines…
Links for The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):
Trade paperback – https://www.createspace.com/3642008
Kindle ebook- http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0056I4FKC http://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0056I4FKC
Now, we can see a new world
coming into view.
A world in which there is
the very real prospect of a
new world order.”
-President George H. W. Bush
(Speech to Congress – March 6, 1991)
Morcan Books & Films 