Posts Tagged ‘readers’

Historic encounter, this week in 1769, captured in ‘New Zealand: A Novel’

Posted: April 13, 2026 in New Zealand: A Novel
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In Matavai Bay, Tahiti, almost 257 years ago to the day (April 14, 1769), Captain James Cook welcomed Tupaia, an engaging Tahitian priest and navigator, aboard the bark the Endeavour. I capture this historic encounter in the following excerpt from my historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel.

HMS Endeavour…as she’d have looked upon arrival in Tahiti back in the day.

First, some background. The Endeavour was en route to the Southern Ocean. Cook was under orders to locate the land discovered 127 years earlier by Dutch mariner Abel Tasman – that land being what’s referred to now as New Zealand. First, he (Cook) was tasked with recording the upcoming Transit of Venus in Tahiti.

Meeting Tupaia would be a Godsend for Cook as the Tahitian would quickly prove his worth as a navigator after being recruited to join the crew of the Endeavour for the remainder of her voyage.

Excerpt from New Zealand: A Novel follows. (Note the events are described as seen through the eyes of one Nicholas Young, Surgeon’s Assistant aboard the Endeavour)…

The morning after the Endeavour’s arrival at Matavai Bay dawned bright and sunny, a welcome change from the recent foul weather.

Even before the crew had finished breakfasting in the mess, a cry went up that a canoe was approaching. Nicholas and several other crewmen hurried topside and saw two paddlers propelling the canoe toward them across the calm waters of the lagoon. Behind the paddlers sat an impressive-looking Tahitian resplendent in a fine black cloak. His handsome head was adorned by a head-dress of colourful feathers. It was obvious from his appearance, and from the ornate carvings on the bow of his canoe, he was someone of importance.

Aboard the Endeavour, the bosun gave the order to prepare for the arrival of the mystery visitor. A ladder was thrown over the starboard rail as the canoe arrived and two sailors leaned over the side to help the Tahitian on board.

Nicholas noted the visitor appeared to be in his mid-twenties. He possessed an engaging smile, which he flashed frequently, and, to everyone’s surprise, he spoke passably-good English and even better French – a legacy of earlier visits by other ships, and a testimony also to his intelligence and penchant for foreign languages.

The crewmen were astounded to hear someone they considered a savage speaking both French and English so far from Europe and Mother England.

Several minutes later, Cook appeared on deck. “Greetings, Mister Tupaia,” the captain said, having been alerted to the visitor’s name.

“Good day, Captain,” Tupaia beamed as he clasped Cook’s hand between both of his hands.

Cook took an immediate liking to the visitor. He judged him to be a confident chap with an intelligent air. A charming savage, he told himself.

As the two men sized each other up, Nicholas and the other onlookers made their own evaluations. Like most Tahitians, Tupaia cut a fine figure. Yet he was very different to his countrymen. Slender of build and more refined than most, he seemed thoughtful and inquisitive, his sparkling eyes forever moving from one white face to the next as he assessed the strangers around him.

It was Tupaia who spoke next. “Captain, as I, ah, tell your people…I am guide and interpreter…for rest of your stay.” It was a statement, not a request. “Make your time here easy for you.”

Cook looked at him shrewdly. He was sure the Tahitian’s services would be useful, and he was in no doubt the man would expect to be well paid for those services.

As if reading his mind, Tupaia continued smoothly, “Captain, I also high priest and very good navigator. It give me great, ah, happy…to be of service.”

Delighting in the other’s charm, Cook dropped his reserve and clapped the Tahitian on the shoulder. “By thunder, Mister Tupaia, I can see ye will be an asset to this vessel and all who sail aboard her!” Turning to the bosun, he said, “Mister Molyneaux, bring our visitor to the quarterdeck.”…

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New Zealand: A Novel is available now from Harvard Book Store, Mighty Ape NZ, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Kete Books NZ, Amazon and via public libraries.

The audiobook version is available via Amazon’s Audible Audiobooks initiative.  (listening time: 11hrs. 25mins.).

Amazon paperback link: https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473728524/

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Historical adventure novel takes readers back to first-ever circumnavigation of New Zealand

Posted: March 26, 2026 in New Zealand: A Novel
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This week in March 1770, having completed the first-ever circumnavigation of New Zealand, Captain Cook’s bark the Endeavour sails past Cape Farewell at the top of the South Island. In between bloody altercations with local Maori and other dramatic interludes I capture this historic moment in New Zealand: A Novel.

Ahead of the Endeavour and the hardy men aboard her is a 1,200-mile journey across the Tasman Sea to Australia’s eastern seaboard.

This epic historical adventure remains my bestselling Kindle ebook. It’s also available as an audiobook courtesy of Amazon’s Audible initiative. (Listening length: 11hrs. 25mins.).

For those who prefer the printed word, the paperback version is available from Harvard Book Store, Mighty Ape NZ, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Kete Books NZ, Amazon and via public libraries.

To read the blurb and to see what critics are saying about this novel go to: https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473728524/

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Reminder for historical fiction lovers

Posted: March 5, 2026 in New Zealand: A Novel
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Historical fiction lovers are reminded my bestselling Kindle ebook New Zealand: A Novel is also available as a paperback, hardcover and audio book. The paperback is available via Harvard Book Store, Mighty Ape NZ, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Barnes & Noble, Kete Books NZ, Amazon and via public libraries.

Amazon paperback link: https://lnkd.in/ghJiPGHi

The audio version is available courtesy of Amazon’s Audible Audiobooks initiative. (Listening time: 11hrs. 25mins.)

This novel is a sweeping tale of discovery, destiny, and forbidden love in which the old and new worlds collide. Spanning five centuries, it begins in the 1300’s when daring Pacific Islanders set sail from Hawaiki, chasing whispers of a bountiful land they believe awaits them far to the south.

⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Could this be The Great New Zealand novel?” one critic asks.

 ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “Riveting! I could not put the book down,” says another.

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Vietnam War debacle another false flag that features in ‘The Orphan Conspiracies’

Posted: November 25, 2025 in The Orphan Conspiracies, Underground Knowledge
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In a chapter titled ‘False Flag operations’ in our book The Orphan Conspiracies, readers’ attention is drawn to the false flag that began the Vietnam War in a chapter titled ‘False Flag operations’.

An excerpt from the above-mentioned chapter follows:

On August 4, 1964, President Lyndon Johnson alerted his fellow Americans on national television that North Vietnam had attacked the American destroyer USS Maddox (pictured below) in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Not long after, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, which gave Johnson the green light to begin military operations against North Vietnam. American troops were soon stationed in Vietnam and neighboring countries, and the war that would dominate an era began.

However, President Johnson and his Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, successfully hoodwinked the American people because North Vietnam never initiated a sea battle with the USS Maddox as the Pentagon had claimed, and the so-called unequivocal evidence of a second attack by the North Vietnamese is now commonly acknowledged as being a false report.

A National Security Agency (NSA) report on the Gulf of Tonkin Incident, declassified in 2005, concluded that USS Maddox had engaged the North Vietnamese Navy on August 2, 1964, but (and this is a big but) “The Maddox fired three rounds to warn off the communist boats. This initial action was never reported by the Johnson administration, which insisted that the Vietnamese boats fired first.”

Regarding the all-important second attack on August 4 – which effectively caused the Vietnam War – the NSA report concluded there were no North Vietnamese Naval vessels present during the entire incident: “It is not simply that there is a different story as to what happened; it is that no attack happened that night.”

If an organization as biased as the NSA says no attack ever happened then it seems very safe to say the Gulf of Tonkin Incident was nothing but a phantom attack on the US Military. It was carefully crafted propaganda devised to manufacture consent for all-out war.

In this instance that propaganda ended up costing approximately 60,000 American lives and three million Vietnamese lives.

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The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy is available as an audiobook courtesy of Amazon’s Audible initiative. (Listening time: 13hrs. 44mins.).

For those who prefer the printed word, the paperback version of this book is available from Harvard Book Store, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Amazon and via public libraries.

Amazon link:

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Historical fiction box set THE WORLD DUOLOGY now available as audiobook!

Posted: July 13, 2025 in Audiobooks, The World Duology
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‘THE WORLD DUOLOGY (World Odyssey / Fiji: A Novel)’ – co-authored by Lance & James Morcan – is now available as an audiobook courtesy of Amazon’s Audible initiative.  (Listening time 19hrs. 8mins). To listen to the Introduction, click on “Virtual voice sample” at: https://www.amazon.com/World-Duology-Odyssey-Fiji-Novel/dp/B0FDKRM3NN/

★★★★★ “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’)

★★★★★ “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’)

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

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For those who prefer the printed word, the paperback version of Books 1 and 2 in ‘THE WORLD DUOLOGY’ are both available from Harvard Book Store, Barnes & Noble, Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Amazon and via public libraries.

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Gladiatrice features in historical romance short story set in Rome

Posted: May 25, 2025 in 5 Short Story Gems, A Gladiator's Love
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As a student (albeit unqualified) of ancient Rome and an avid reader of Ben Cane, Conn Iggulden and other great historical fiction novelists, I was intrigued to learn there were gladiatrices, or female gladiators, in Rome. And there’s evidence to suggest they were honored as highly as their male counterparts.

Women of all classes participated in spectacles hosted by emperors Nero, Titus and Domitian, and history suggests many gladiatrices were ‘high born’ women of means. Affluent women could afford the training and had leisure time to work out. Professional gladiator troupe managers encouraged these women, offering money and glamour. Popular gladiators were revered as sex symbols and feted by Roman citizens, and no doubt it was the same for gladiatrices.

Not only did gladiatrices fight each other, they also fought wild animals, and sometimes even dwarfs for entertainment in public games.

Roman historians described women fighting each other at after-dinner acts in Rome and especially in the thriving city of Pompeii. Apparently, it wasn’t without controversy, and the participation of gladiatrices was often criticized by Romans of the day. Even so, it wasn’t until 200 A.D. that all female gladiatorial combat was banned.

Upon learning this, I was inspired to write a short story titled A Gladiator’s Love. In this action-romance tale, dashing Greek gladiator Leonidas promises his true love he’ll buy her freedom if he wins his own in the Colosseum. His beloved is Fatuma, an Ethiopian beauty who is a gladiatrice.

-Lance Morcan (Author)

A Gladiator’s Love is available via Amazon as a Kindle ebook… https://lnkd.in/gjcb_x3g
It’s also one of five short stories in my paperback titled 5 Short Story Gems.

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‘INTERNATIONAL BANKSTER$’ still very relevant in Trump era 2.0

Posted: April 14, 2025 in INTERNATIONAL BANKSTER$, Underground Knowledge
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As world stock markets reel from huge losses in Trump era 2.0, it seems much has changed and little has changed since our book INTERNATIONAL BANKSTER$ was published.

The man of the moment.

Trump’s tariffs war might have turned the markets upside down like never before, but one thing that hasn’t changed is the contents of our book’s very first chapter titled ‘Banksters on the rampage’. In it we remind readers we live in a really perverse world where we have almost unlimited military expenditure to finance wars, where our governments readily bail out privately-owned banks with multi-trillion-dollar relief packages, and yet politicians tell us there is not enough money to cover the measly costs of citizens’ basic healthcare, food, education and shelter.

The above-mentioned chapter, incidentally, includes my favorite quote of Warren Buffett’s:

“If a graduating MBA student were to ask me, ‘How do I get rich in a hurry?’ I would not respond with quotations from Ben Franklin or Horatio Alger but would instead hold my nose with one hand and point with the other toward Wall Street.”

There’s a growing awareness in the general population of large-scale financial corruption by the so-called global elite, or the 1%, if you will. Regardless of whether or not Trump’s tariffs work, I hope the 99% demand greater transparency in the way their money is being managed, and I pray the grotesque gap between the haves and the have-nots closes sooner rather than later.

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INTERNATIONAL BANKSTER$: The Global Banking Elite Exposed and the Case for Restructuring Capitalism is book 5 in our contentious Underground Knowledge Series. It’s available via Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, public libraries and Amazon.

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‘Antigravity Propulsion’ authors examine Einstein’s unified field theory

Posted: March 26, 2025 in Antigravity Propulson, Underground Knowledge
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There was a rumor going around at Princeton’s Institute for Advanced Study that Albert Einstein did indeed complete a version of his Unified Field Theory for Gravitation and Electricity – even though officially it remains a never-completed theory.

In a chapter titled “Einstein’s unified field theory”, we examine this in book two in our Underground Knowledge Series, ‘ANTIGRAVITY PROPULSION: Human or Alien Technologies?’

Albert Einstein…Famous theory completed?

Einstein’s theory was published in German and appeared in a few scientific journals. In his papers, the scientist called his purported mathematical proof of the connection between the forces of electromagnetism and gravity as being “highly convincing”. However, this work was withdrawn as incomplete, although no published reason is given save that Einstein suddenly grew dissatisfied with it.

British mathematician Lord Bertrand Russell considered Einstein’s Unified Field Theory complete but felt that “Man is not ready for it and shan’t be until after World War III.”

Thus the Unified Field Theory on the connection between gravity and the electromagnetic field remains unproven.

Leading scientist and former high-ranking employee of Japan’s Ministry of Defense, Dr. Takaaki Musha, published an article in the 2004, Issue 53 edition of the Infinite Energy Magazine relating to this very question. The article, which covers a unique formula Dr. Musha developed for the link between electromagnetism and gravitation, was titled The possibility of strong coupling between electricity and gravitation.

After publication of the article, Dr. Musha claims he was contacted by a scientist (name redacted) from the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy, in Bulgaria. The scientistwas already working on a similar formula to Dr. Musha’s.

According to Dr. Musha, the Bulgarian’s “formulation proves it is possible to create an unbalanced acceleration by creating intense electric and magnetic fields in a dielectric or ferromagnetic medium. These predicted coupling effects for electromagnetic and gravitational fields would be static and thus they should be able to produce a net force to propel a spaceship.”

The Bulgarian scientist wrote two papers on his formula in 1994.

“However,” Dr. Musha claims, these “papers were rejected by two well-known science journals.”

The strong implication is there was a cover-up. Either that or mainstream science was just not prepared to consider such theories on antigravity.

T. T. Brown, who discovered this electrogravitic effect first, conducted several experiments during the 1950’s and succeeded to generate thrust without the reliance on a surrounding medium, such as air, by applying high voltages to materials with high dielectric constants. Around this time, US aerospace companies also become involved in such research, but their results are mostly classified.

In the late 1990’s, Dr. Musha says he worked with the Honda Corporation Research Institute in Japan and conducted an experiment to confirm the electrogravitic effect. Astonishingly, Dr. Musha claims he and the Honda Corporation obtained a positive result.

Dr. Musha also says, “In Dr. Thomas Valone’s 1993 book Electrogravitics Systems: Reports on a New Propulsion Methodology, Dr. Paul LaViolette claimed that electrogravitic technology was developed under US Air Force black projects since late 1954, and it may now have been put to practical use in the B-2 Advanced Technology Bomber to provide an exotic auxiliary mode of propulsion.”

Dr. Musha continues, “An electrogravitic drive of B-2 could allow it to fly at a sufficiently high speed at high altitude, or even (in) space, and it could fly around the world without refueling in an antigravity mode.”

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Antigravity Propulsion is available via Amazon and public libraries.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/ANTIGRAVITY-PROPULSION-Technologies-Underground-Knowledge/dp/0473365391/

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Historical adventure novel set in the land that time forgot

Posted: March 19, 2025 in New Zealand: A Novel
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Shrouded in cloud at the bottom of the world, this was the land that time forgot: the last sizeable piece of undiscovered land on Earth. Two hundred million years after breaking away from the vast southern continent of Gondwana, Man had yet to leave his footprints on this prehistoric place.

The land in question is New Zealand and the piece you are reading is the blurb for my historical adventure New Zealand: A Novel.

Mythology would have it the land was fished up out of the ocean. In fact, earthquakes and volcanic activity forced it to literally erupt from the seabed. This violent birth left it with a majestic ruggedness that would always reflect its former turbulence. The legacy of those fiery beginnings includes still-active volcanoes amidst the mountain chains that dissect the land.

Over time, its features softened. Scenes of beauty emerged out of the mists. There was a haunting stillness about the land. It was a place of mystery – of magical forests and sparkling lakes and rivers.

And the sea surrounded it – like some huge tidal moat.

Its isolation ensured it wouldn’t be until well into the First Millennium AD that Man would step foot on these shores. The brown-skinned people who settled here would call their new home Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud. Not until its rediscovery centuries later by European explorers would the land receive the name by which it is known today…

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New Zealand: A Novel currently enjoys a global review rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars on Amazon…  https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473728524/

It is also available via Mighty Ape NZ and via Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores and via public libraries.

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Introducing Kete Books – an online literary magazine for readers everywhere

Posted: March 9, 2025 in New Zealand: A Novel
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All about books in Aotearoa, all in one Kete.

Mō ngā pukapuka i Aotearoa, kua whaowhia ki te kete kotahi.

Kete gathers reviews and news about books, authors, events and awards in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kete forages weekly selecting books for you.

Kete Bag on Side

There’s a site I recommend to discerning readers that is dedicated solely to the promotion of quality Aotearoa New Zealand books. Kete Books, an initiative of the Coalition for Books, publishes reviews and news about books, authors, literary events and awards in New Zealand. Here’s the link to Kete’s site. It’s worth a visit… https://www.ketebooks.co.nz/en

Every week, Kete Books announces the bestselling New Zealand books. Here’s this week’s Top 10 bestselling adult fiction books:

-The Secrets of Maiden’s Cove – by Erin Palmisano

-Delirious – by Damien Wilkins

-Kāwai: Tree of Nourishment – by Monty Soutar

-The Bookshop Detectives: Dead Girl Gone – by Gareth and Louise Ward

-Kāwai: For Such a Time As This – by Monty Soutar

-Kataraina – by Becky Manawatu

-The Songbirds of Florence – by Olivia Spooner

-Star Gazers – by Duncan Sarkies

-You Left Your Heart – by Johanna Aitchison

-Auē – by Becky Manawatu

The Coalition for Books, the inspiration behind Kete Books, is a collaborative organisation that works to raise the profile of NZ books and authors; it develops programmes and initiatives that serve authors, publishers, booksellers, festivals, readers, and organisations that make up the country’s literary eco-system. Its site is worth a visit… https://coalitionforbooks.nz/

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Indie publisher Sterling Gate Books is delighted that its latest release, New Zealand: A Novel, is highlighted on Kete Books’ site at: https://www.ketebooks.co.nz/en/book/9780473728533

This new release book is available from Waterstones UK & Europe bookstores, Mighty Ape NZ and from Amazon. It’s also stocked or available on order at public libraries.

Current global review rating: 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/New-Zealand-Novel-Lance-Morcan/dp/0473728524/

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