Posts Tagged ‘historical romance’

Amazon Australia Top 50 reviewer Todd Simpson says “The Authors have really brought this story alive with some amazing characters and splendid writing” in his five-star review of our new release historical adventure WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story). 

 

White Spirit (A novel based on a true story)

 

Excerpts from Todd Simpson’s review follow. (Paragraph breaks added):

Both Lance and James Morcan have done an amazing job with this incredible story. Being based on a true story, made it that much more interesting. One of the standouts is how well they explained how hard the white settlers and convicts had it back in the 1800’s. Some of the convicts went through hell, and all for stealing a loaf of bread. The Authors have really brought this story alive with some amazing characters and splendid writing.

With no supermarket or corner store in the 1800’s Moilow stood for hours like an unmoving statue waiting for a kangaroo to drink from the waterhole. This was the patience required to hunt and catch food for his tribe in the Australian bush. The soldiers of the Penal Colony had it a little easier when it came to food, and they were smart in employing the services of Barega an Aboriginal Tracker. He was the main reason they had such success in tracking down escaped convicts. That and because they were a long way from civilisation.

Morton Bay Penal Colony definitely wasn’t a place you wanted to end up in as a convict. Lord Bertram Cheetham was the man in overall charge, and he probably let the power go to his head a bit too much. He ruled with an iron fist, and he demanded punishments were dished out in the harshest imaginable terms…It was because of Cheetham’s hard-line approach that Captain Marsden his second in charge believed there were so many escape attempts by the convicts.

The prisoners had very little to eat, and their cramped living conditions were deplorable. Then add in the 16 hour working days in the quarry, which was tough going. Especially if you were exhausted or sick as most of the men were.

Young Helen Marsden certainly has her admirers. With not many women around, and certainly none as beautiful as she is. Lieutenant Hogan isn’t the only one showing a keen interest in her. Helen is becoming quite outspoken and is beginning to put her two cents worth in around the colony.

As soon as John Graham arrives in Morton Bay, he is already counting how many guards there are, and planning an escape. He is much smarter than the average man, and he knows if he is caught, then he will face death at the gallows.

Helen begins to write a newspaper column, and it makes her father very angry when she writes of the atrocities that are happening at the penal colony. Her father doesn’t realise it yet, but one of the convicts is hopefully going to rescue his daughter. This was such a captivating story, and it made for a few very enjoyable days of reading. I would definitely recommend it.

 

WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story)  is exclusive to Amazon. To see all the reviews for this book go to: https://www.amazon.com/White-Spirit-novel-based-story-ebook/dp/B01LWIRH9J/

 

*****************************************

 

 

 

Our new release book, WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story), was inspired by, arguably, the great Australian (true) story; it’s a sweeping tale that encapsulates all the nuances of the southern continent’s unique history, and it provides readers with detailed insights into the tribal life of First Australian (Aboriginal) peoples.

White Spirit (A novel based on a true story)

After escaping from the notorious Moreton Bay Penal Settlement, on Australia’s east coast, Irish convict John 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.

Image result for eliza fraser

Eliza Fraser…a name forever linked with convict John Graham.

 

WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story)  is exclusive to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/White-Spirit-novel-based-story-ebook/dp/B01LWIRH9J/

 

************************************

Finding a worthy follow-up to our popular historical novel Into the Americas  was always going to be a challenge, but we believe we’ve achieved that with our new release historical adventure WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story).

  white-spirit-ebook-cover

Set in 19th Century Australia, White Spirit  is based on the adventures of Irish Convict John Graham who escaped the brutal Moreton Bay penal settlement in what was then New South Wales, and lived with a tribe of Aborigines who eventually came to accept him as one of their own.

This epic tale caters as much for lovers of romance novels as it does for action and adventure fans. A love triangle adds to the storyline’s tension.

It’s fair to say few have heard of John Graham. 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, but anywhere in the world. Having both lived in Australia for many years, and having experienced first-hand the harshness of its climate and terrain, we, the authors, can only marvel at John’s bravery, endurance and fortitude.

Though White Spirit  is first and foremost a novel and therefore a work of fiction, many of the adventures described therein happened – exactly as related in some cases, and with some embellishments for drama’s sake in others.

In reality, John Graham’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 Aboriginal people; we show the cruelty the Aborigines were capable of, and 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.

 

WHITE SPIRIT (A novel based on a true story)  is exclusive to Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/White-Spirit-novel-based-story-ebook/dp/B01LWIRH9J/

 

************************************

A book reviewer who happens to call Fiji home has described the historical adventure novel Fiji as “poignant and nostalgic” in his 5-star review on AmazonUK.

 

Fiji A Novel cover image

Fiji: A Novel resonates with Fijian national.

Here’s the review in full:

★★★★★

Well-thought out tale. You could hear the waves, feel the sea breeze, hear the rain thundering through the thick forest canopy, Nathan’s change, Susannah’s love, feel the pain in the Qopi warriors’ sacrifice … it was all a truly remarkable read set in the lands to which I proudly call home. London is certainly far removed from paradise. -AmazonUK reviewer @JonFiji 

 

Fiji: A Novel is book two in The World Duology.

 

The World Duology ebook cover 4

The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel).

The AmazonUK link to Fiji: A Novel is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fiji-Novel-The-World-Duology-ebook/dp/B0057YCZM0/

The AmazonUK link to The World Duology is: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-ebook/dp/B00HMQRMFG/

 

***************************************************************

The World Duology combines the historical adventure yarns World Odyssey and Fiji: A Novel in a gripping, epic tale that takes readers on a 19th Century journey of discovery – from England and America to Fiji and many places in between.

The World Duology ebook cover 4

Product Details        Product Details

In book one, World Odyssey, ambitious American adventurer Nathan Johnson, sheltered English missionary Susannah Drake and irrepressible Cockney Jack Halliday each follow very different paths as they undertake journeys that span 16 years.

Nathan’s journey begins when runs away to sea and finds himself the slave of a Northwest American Indian tribe after his ship founders on a rocky shoreline; Susannah’s journey begins after she agrees to accompany her clergyman father to Fiji to help him run a mission station there, and they must endure a nightmare voyage they’re lucky to survive; Jack’s journey begins when he’s sentenced to seven years’ hard labor in the British penal colony of New South Wales after stealing hemp from an unscrupulous employer.

After traveling thousands of miles and experiencing the best and worst that life can offer, these three disparate individuals eventually end up in the remote archipelago of Fiji, in the South Pacific, where their lives intersect.

In book two, Fiji: A Novel, Jack sets himself up to trade Fijian kauri to European traders while Nathan trades muskets to the same natives Susannah and her father are trying to convert to Christianity. Conflict’s inevitable.

Susannah despises Nathan, but is also attracted to him. She soon finds she’s torn between her spiritual and sexual selves.

When their lives are suddenly endangered by marauding cannibals, all three are forced to rely on each other for their very survival.

 

Here’s what Amazon reviewers are saying about The World Duology:

★★★★★ “I was immediately drawn into the story, and the fast-paced action kept me turning the pages until the end. The historical and cultural details made it a highly interesting book offering an insight into the anthropological issues at a time when conflicts between different ethnic groups were solved by brutal violence. Between romance, action and historical accuracy, this story has all the elements of great entertainment. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy historical fiction or epic adventures.” –Karine Brégeon (author of ‘Francette and the Mystery of the Deaf Soldier’)

★★★★★ “A truly gripping epic James Michener style!” –Historical Novel Review

★★★★★ “Great adventure.” -Lynelle Clark (author of ‘A Pirate’s Wife’)

★★★★★ “Historic fiction at its best.” -J.B. DiNizo (author of ‘Comings and Goings’)

★★★★★ “Read this and you will NOT be sorry!” -A Bit Of Everything Reviews

★★★★★ “Exciting adventure, exotic ports of call, and terrific characters.” -Lee Jordan (author of ‘A Whisper from Eden’)

★★★★★ “A spectacular journey by sea and through land you don’t want to miss!” -Remy Benoit (historian and author of ‘Peace, Now’)

THE WORLD DUOLOGY (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel) is available via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-Novel-ebook/dp/B00HMQRMFG/

 

Happy Reading! Lance & James

 

****************************************************

 

Set in the 19th Century, WORLD ODYSSEY (The World Duology, #1) 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 Native 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.

 

???????????????????

 

Ambitious American adventurer Nathan Johnson’s journey begins when he runs away to sea to escape a violent father. After surviving a shipwreck and enslavement by one of the indigenous tribes of America’s northwest, his stocks rise and he becomes a successful trader. When Nathan decides to visit Fiji to trade muskets to the natives, he doesn’t know it but his fortunes are about to change again.

Sheltered English missionary Susannah Drake’s journey begins after she agrees to accompany her clergyman father to Fiji to help him run a mission station there. They endure a nightmare voyage they’re lucky to survive. When Susannah finds herself sexually attracted to a young crewmember, she is forced to choose between her forbidden desires and the life her father has mapped out for her.

Irrepressible Cockney Jack Halliday’s journey begins when he steals hemp from an unscrupulous employer who owes him outstanding wages. For this he’s sentenced to seven years’ hard labor in the British penal colony of New South Wales. Jack escapes to Fiji only to be tracked down by a bounty hunter employed by the British Government to round up escaped convicts.

After traveling thousands of miles and experiencing the best and worst that life can offer, these three disparate individuals eventually end up in the remote archipelago of Fiji, in the South Pacific, where their lives intersect.

★ The adventures of Nathan, Susannah and Jack continue in FIJI: A NOVEL (The World Duology, #2). ★

 

Here’s what Amazon reviewers are saying about World Odyssey:

★★★★★ “World Odyssey is a sweeping historical saga.” -Karine Brégeon (author of ‘Francette and the Mystery of the Deaf Soldier’)

★★★★★ “A Totally Engaging Epic!” -Historical Novel Review

★★★★★ “Get ready to sail the high seas.” -Remy Benoit (historian and author of ‘Peace, Now’)

★★★★★ “A must read for any and everyone!” -A Bit Of Everything Reviews

★★★★★ “A wonderful read filled with adventure, tragedy, hope, struggles and overcoming the odds.” -Lynelle Clark (author of ‘A Pirate’s Wife’)

★★★★★ “Recommended for globe-trotting adventure fans.” -Jason Letts (author of ‘The Inevitable Trilogy’)

★★★★★ “Highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable.” -J.B. DiNizo (author of Comings and Goings)

★★★★★ “High Seas and Exotic Ports.” -Gary Jordan (author of ‘Leon’s Lair’)

World Odyssey is available via Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/World-Odyssey-Duology-1-ebook/dp/B00HHVOMO0/

 

Happy reading! -Lance & James

 

***************************************************

 

 

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

 

**************************************************** 

 

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

 

**************************************

Readers are resonating with our new release historical adventure title, World Odyssey (The World Duology, #1), which has just joined book two in the duology, Fiji: A Novel, in Amazon’s bestseller lists. Added to that, The World Duology, which offers readers two books in one, has also entered the bestseller list in its appropriate category – Action & Adventure/Travel.

   

Bestsellers on Amazon

The early reviews are in for World Odyssey and The World Duology – all five stars!

Sample reviews (abridged) follow:

World Odyssey (The World Duology, #1)

The Morcans write another first-rate novel!

By Alice M. Dinizo

 Cockney Englishman Jack Halliday, American Nathan Johnson and well-bred English missionary Susannah Drake are all, for various reasons, on their way to Fiji in the South Pacific in the 1840’s. Their adventures are highly believable as each copes with others, including family members, the present situation in which they find themselves, and their own human frailty…”World Odyssey” is a highly readable and thoroughly enjoyable novel of historic fiction that no one will want to miss. Download this now!!

The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel)

A fantastic two book story of adventure at sea and exotic locales

By Sheri A. Wilkinson

 Set in the 19th century, Nathan Johnson, Jack Halliday & missionary Susannah Drake each for their own reasons are sent to sea…Along the way they face danger, pirates, murder, death and interesting and (some) dangerous people, as they sail around the globe. Well written with great detail, I felt as if I were a passenger, watching and setting port in exotic locales. Susannah with her naive ways is likable, Nathan has character and Jack has likable traits as well…Both Books are fantastic…I highly recommend to adventure lovers.

  

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

  

**************************************

Readers are resonating with our new epic historical adventure series, ‘The World Duology (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel)’, which has already entered Amazon’s bestseller list in the Kindle eBooks Action & Adventure/Travel category.

Duology already a bestseller

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.

The early reviews for The World Duology are in. All five stars, they show the series has struck a chord with readers hungry for adventure and romance stories in a historical setting.

Sample reviews (abridged) follow:

The World Duology is not to be missed!! – January 4, 2014

The Morcans have combined their novels “Fiji” and “World Odyssey” into a novel that readers everywhere will enjoy. Its three believable main characters come to live in the southern Pacific island of Fiji in the 1840s. Cockney British convict Jack Halliday, American adventurer Nathan Johnson, and English gentle woman Susannah Drake, who insists on accompanying her missionary father to Fiji, live their lives believably, humanly, and will continue in readers minds long after the last page has been read. This is historic fiction at its best, for “The World Duology” is very, very readable. It is also historically accurate…Well-created characters, historic accuracy, a storyline that is pleasing to follow to the very last page, books don’t get better than this! -Amazon reviewer Alice M. Dinizo

A fantastic two book story of adventure at sea and exotic locales. – January 2, 2014

Set in the 19th century, Nathan Johnson, Jack Halliday & Missionary Susannah Drake each for their own reasons are sent to sea…Along the way they face danger, pirates, murder, death and interesting and (some) dangerous people, as they sail around the globe. Well written with great detail, I felt as if I were a passenger, watching and setting port in exotic locales. Susannah with her naive ways is likable, Nathan has character and Jack has likable traits as well…Both Books are fantastic. I recommend reading…one after the other to really get the entire story in on sitting. If not each book is great as a stand alone. I highly recommend to adventure lovers. –Amazon reviewer Sheri A. Wilkinson

 

The new release title is available at a discounted price to Kindle ebook readers via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-Novel-ebook/dp/B00HMQRMFG/

 

Happy reading! –Lance & James

 

*********************************************