Posts Tagged ‘yamashita’

 

Our conspiracy thriller The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has entered Amazon’s bestseller list in the popular Conspiracy category for kindle ebooks. This follows yesterday’s announcement that our historical adventure romance, Fiji: A Novel, has also entered Amazon’s bestseller list.

In book one in The Orphan Trilogy, Nine – the ninth-born orphan – grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

But can the ninth-born orphan ever get off the grid? To find out you’ll need to go on a tumultuous journey around the globe to such far-flung locations as China, France, the Philippines, Andorra, America, England, Germany and French Polynesia. The frenetic cat-and-mouse chase moves from airports to train stations and hidden torture prisons, taking the reader on a shocking, nail-biting ride into the world’s closet of skeletons that goes beyond conspiracy theories to painful reality.

Fast-paced, totally fresh and original, filled with deep and complex characters, The Ninth Orphan is a controversial, high-octane thriller with an edge. Merging fact with fiction, it illuminates shadow organizations rumored to actually exist in our world. The novel explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, MI6, and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families.

Tackling genetic selection, mind control and secret societies, The Ninth Orphan exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few. The novel’s antagonists are members of a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. Could something like this ever take place? Or, is it already taking place right now?

This unique and unpredictable thriller also has a poignant, romantic sub-plot. The story contains the kind of intimate character portraits usually associated with psychological novels.

Buckle up for a wild trip full of death-defying action, cloak and dagger intrigue, unexpected role reversals and surprise endings.

Here’s what reviewers have to say about The Ninth Orphan:

★★★★★    “Nail biter to the end.” -My Scribe World
★★★★★    “One hell of a great story.” -Random Writings Book Reviews
★★★★        “If you’re keen on spy stories, international espionage or conspiracy theories, give this fast-paced book a try!” -Coffee2Words Reviews
★★★★★    “I was drawn into the world of espionage, assassins and DNA alterations.”
-Lynelle Clark (author of ‘A Pirate’s Wife’)
★★★★★    “Intense suspense that will keep you up at night turning pages.” -Phoenix Book Review
★★★★        “A slick spy thriller.” -Two Ends of the Pen
★★★★★    “A major must read!” -A Bit Of Everything Reviews
★★★★★    “Action packed – intense – gripping – edge of the seat.” -Review of Books For You

★★★★★    “For any spy thriller fan The Ninth Orphan is not to be missed!” -Vickie McKeehan (author of ‘The Evil Trilogy’)  

                 

If you want to see what readers and critics like about The Ninth Orphan, visit it at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! –Lance & James

 

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Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the controversial novel that has been associated with several high profile shootings including John Hinckley Jr’s assassination attempt on Ronal Reagan, features prominently in our conspiracy thriller novel, The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1).

References to Salinger’s book are made in the context of the CIA-sanctioned MK-Ultra mind control activities, which made international headlines at the time.

In the following excerpt from The Ninth Orphan, Omega Agency founder Andrew Naylor, uses mind control in an attempt to have his way with Seventeen, the agency’s seventeenth-born orphan-operative and a lady not to be messed with:

Now alone with Seventeen, Naylor stared intently at the young blonde operative. She was as motionless as a statue, staring right through him. She’d been like this for the past couple of minutes, but she didn’t know that. Her eyes had glazed over and she was in some kind of trance. She held a copy of the novel, The Catcher in the Rye.

Smiling, the Omega director stood up and walked over to the door to check it was locked. He walked back to Seventeen and studied her features. Feeling aroused, he stroked the orphan’s hair then kissed her on the lips. She remained unresponsive.

Minutes earlier, Naylor had hypnotized Seventeen using the MK-Ultra voice commands he’d recently received from Langley. For years, he’d wanted to have his way with Seventeen. Receiving the orphans’ MK-Ultra codes had presented him with the perfect opportunity. It was perfect because she would never remember a thing. The copy of The Catcher in the Rye he’d given her was all part of the mind control program. The book acted as an additional control mechanism to activate hypnotism triggers in the brain.

Still in a trance-like state, Seventeen did not resist Naylor’s sexual advances. The Omega director started to unbutton her blouse when his cell phone suddenly rang. The shrill ringing caused Seventeen to snap out of her trance. She was surprised to see Naylor’s pock-marked face only inches from hers. His lazy eye gave the impression he was staring over her left shoulder, but she knew he was staring directly at her. 

Suddenly feeling guilty, Naylor quickly turned away and answered his phone. “Naylor.” Marcia Wilson was on the other end of the line, calling from CIA headquarters. Naylor listened intently to her news.

Seventeen frowned when she noticed the top button of her blouse was undone. Her gaze strayed to the copy of The Catcher in the Rye on her lap. The orphan had no recollection of picking up the book at any stage. In fact, she’d never even read it. All she knew about the novel was it had been found on the men behind the assassination and attempted assassination of John Lennon and Ronald Reagan respectively, and its author, J.D. Salinger, had significant ties to the CIA.  

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is available via Amazon as a trade paperback and Kindle ebook: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC 

For more about the disturbing history behind MK-Ultra go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fml1Z5saLH0

 

Happy reading! –Lance & James 

 

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Edward Norton, John Cusack, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Martin Sheen are among a star-studded line up of A-Listers who headline a soon-to-be-released documentary on J.D. Salinger, the reclusive author of The Catcher in the Rye.

JD Salinger reading Catcher in the Rye in 1952

J.D. Salinger in 1952

September 5, 2013 is the scheduled release date of the Weinstein Company-distributed doco, which the publicists say “provides an unprecedented look inside the private world of J.D. Salinger”.

Listed as one of the best novels of the 20th Century, The Catcher in the Rye was also the most censored book and the second most taught book in US public schools at one point. Its vulgarity, sexual references and alleged undermining of family values have seen it earn the dubious distinction of being one of the most frequently challenged books since the early 1990’s.

Total sales 65 million and rising.

The Catcher in the Rye has been associated with several high profile shootings including and John Hinckley Jr’s assassination attempt on Ronal Reagan and Mark David Chapman’s shooting of John Lennon. Chapman was arrested with his own worn copy of the book on his person.

The Catcher in the Rye features prominently in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy – most notably in book one, The Ninth Orphan. Our references to Salinger’s book are made in the context of the CIA-sanctioned MK-Ultra mind control activities, which made international headlines at the time. Google “MK-Ultra” some time… It makes for sobering reading!

This book acknowledges Catcher’s hold on people.

Meanwhile, Associated Press reports the authors of a new J.D. Salinger biography claim they have cracked one of publishing’s greatest mysteries: what the author of The Catcher in the Rye was working on during the last half century of his life.

AP reports a series of posthumous Salinger releases are planned after 2015, according to David Shields and Shane Salerno, whose book Salinger will be published on 3 September… Providing by far the most detailed report of previously unreleased material, the book’s authors cite “two independent and separate sources” who they say have “documented and verified” the information.

The Salinger books would revisit Catcher protagonist Holden Caulfield and draw on Salinger’s World War II years and his immersion in eastern religion. The material also would feature new stories about the Glass family of Franny and Zooey and other Salinger works…

Over the past 50 years, there has been endless and conflicting speculation over what Salinger was doing during his self-imposed retirement. That Salinger continued to write is well documented. The author himself told the New York Times in 1974 that he wrote daily, although only for himself.

But there is no consensus on what he was writing and no physical evidence of what Salinger had reportedly stashed in a safe in his home in Cornish, New Hampshire. The Salinger estate…has remained silent on the subject since the author’s death in January 2010. –AP.

 

And so the intrigue over The Catcher in the Rye and its mysterious author continues!

 

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Our conspiracy thriller The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) has achieved another milestone, amassing forty 5-Star reviews on Amazon.

The latest Amazon reviewer, Grace H. Busch, of Brazil, says:

Good suspense the whole time. I had difficulty going to bed at night because I wanted to see what would happen.

In The Ninth Orphan, an orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

But can the ninth-born orphan ever get off the grid? To find out you’ll need to go on a tumultuous journey around the globe to such far-flung locations as China, France, the Philippines, Andorra, America, England, Germany and French Polynesia. The frenetic cat-and-mouse chase moves from airports to train stations and hidden torture prisons, taking the reader on a shocking, nail-biting ride into the world’s closet of skeletons that goes beyond conspiracy theories to painful reality.

Fast-paced, totally fresh and original, filled with deep and complex characters, The Ninth Orphan is a controversial, high-octane thriller with an edge. Merging fact with fiction, it illuminates shadow organizations rumored to actually exist in our world. The novel explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, MI6, and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families.

Tackling genetic selection, mind control and secret societies, The Ninth Orphan exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few. The novel’s antagonists are members of a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. Could something like this ever take place? Or, is it already taking place right now?

This unique and unpredictable thriller also has a poignant, romantic sub-plot. The story contains the kind of intimate character portraits usually associated with psychological novels.

*   *   *

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is available as a trade paperback and Kindle ebook via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! –Lance

 

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In the wake of whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations it seems there’s little doubt that New Zealand is part of the US spy network.

Ah well, I guess it had to happen. Down here in God’s Own (New Zealand, or Newzil as we Kiwis call it), buried as we are at the bottom of the world, it’s easy to be lulled into a false sense of security – to believe our isolation protects us from terrorism, Big Brother and snooping spy agencies.

While our Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) refuses to say whether it transmits information from American spy satellites to the US, information leaked by former US National Security Agency contractor Ed (Snowden) suggests our listening stations are indeed  used to collect data from American spy satellites overhead.

Protestors at Waihopai spy base, New Zealand

It was NZ Herald reporter Isaac Davison’s article of August 6 that first got my interest over this whole sorry business. He reported security experts fear GCSB’s Waihopai base (here in NZ) is used to process data from an American mass surveillance program – a program “which is capable of secretly accessing emails, online chats and internet browsing histories from around the world”.

The article quotes computer forensic investigator Daniel Ayers, who founded IT security firm Special Tactics, as saying the leaked documents showed the global scale of the US spy program.

Here’s more from the article:

…New Zealand’s spy bases were already used to collect intelligence from the South Pacific and relay it to Five Eyes intelligence alliance partners – the US, Canada, the UK and Australia. Mr Ayers said the leaked document hinted that New Zealand could be a conduit for data intercepted by US spy satellites.

“Does that red dot on the map signify that Waihopai is being used to ‘downlink’ intercepted data from other countries? If that’s the case, then it’s pretty big news because I don’t think that’s been publicly discussed by the Government. It means our role in this is greater than we knew.”

He said it also raised the possibility that US agencies were intercepting New Zealanders’ communications.

Former GCSB senior adviser Damien Rogers said the revelation that an XKeyscore server was located in New Zealand was not in itself significant. But it prompted questions about where data from the mass surveillance programme went and who had control over it…

For the full article go to: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/privacy/news/article.cfm?c_id=546&objectid=10908642

We raise many of the concerns highlighted by Edward Snowden, and Julian Assange before him, in our conspiracy thriller series The Orphan Trilogy (The Ninth Orphan / The Orphan Factory / The Orphan Uprising). Yesterday’s blog at https://morcanbooksandfilms.com/ highlights some of these.

We set the tone in The Ninth Orphan, book one in the series. Here’s an excerpt from The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):

“…The emerald green eyes that stared back were full of strength and determination. They were also tinged with sadness – for a life their owner had never experienced.

Studying his reflection in the safety of his hotel room, Nine noticed the mirror had flecks of mold on it as well as fingerprints from other guests.

Lamenting his foiled transaction with the Chinese in Kensington Gardens earlier that morning, he still didn’t know which agency had interfered. It had been a serious setback for his plans. He knew there’d be another opportunity to trade with the Chinese, however.

After he’d given the police the slip at Saint Yeghiche Church, he’d gone to the East End. Then, once satisfied he’d shaken his pursuers, he had checked into this inconspicuous hotel and immediately set about establishing a new identity for himself.

Nine knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the Omega Agency would already know he was in London. He was only too aware Omega had people planted on the inside of all Western intelligence agencies. It was a no-brainer his fellow Omega operatives would be coming for him.

The contents on his flash drive were far too valuable for the agency to give up on.

The fugitive agent reminded himself it was imperative he presented a different face to the world each time he ventured out.

He made a silent vow to make good use of his vast array of disguises. Be like a ghost and they’ll never catch you.

The Ninth Orphan is available as a trade paperback and kindle ebook via Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

P.S.  I liked one wag’s comment on TV last night. He said our GCSB is a misnomer and should be renamed GCBS…and we all know what BS stands for!

Happy reading! –Lance

 

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Book one in The Orphan Trilogy explores a plethora of conspiracies involving real organizations like the CIA, NSA, MI6 and the UN, and public figures such as President Obama as well as the Clinton, Marcos and Bush families. It exposes a global agenda designed to keep the power in the hands of a select few.

The novel’s antagonists are members of a shadow government acting above and beyond the likes of the White House, the FBI, the Pentagon and the NSA. Timely considering recent intelligence released by whistleblower Edward Snowden.

Could something like this ever take place? Or is it taking place right now?

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In The Ninth Orphan an orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

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Here’s an excerpt from The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1):

Nine glanced at his reflection in a nearby wall mirror. Perplexed green eyes stared out of a pale, serious face which was framed by dark, curly, slightly longish hair. His was a face that didn’t look lived in.

Handsome in a dangerous sort of way, he had the appearance of a man permanently at war with his inner demons. Despite this, he looked slightly younger than his thirty one years. Only his eyes revealed any sign of his true age; they were haunted – as if they’d witnessed one too many tragedies.

After drying himself, Nine approached the table, selected a scalpel and proceeded to make a three inch incision in the fleshy portion of his left forearm. Although he’d never operated on himself before, the incision was quick and neat. Even so, the blood flowed freely and immediately soaked the towels beneath his arm.

Gritting his teeth against the pain, he cut through the flesh until the scalpel’s wickedly sharp edge came into contact with something metallic. “Got you!” he hissed through clenched teeth. Using a pair of tweezers, he clamped the metallic object and extracted it from his flesh. The blood-stained object, which was almost two inches long, was a miniature tracking device in the form of a microchip.

Placing the device on a towel, he selected a surgical needle and thread, then proceeded to stitch himself up. Nine found this part of the operation even more painful. Sweat rolled down his forehead as he struggled to sew himself up using one hand. Only by jamming his wounded arm between his hip and the table was he able to compensate for not being able to use both hands. Ten long minutes and thirty stitches later, he was done.

As a final act, he bandaged his wound. Limited as he was to using one hand, this took several attempts before he got it right. Nine straightened up and took several deep breaths to fight off the pain and feelings of nausea he was experiencing. He shuddered involuntarily.

Nine was knowledgeable enough about human anatomy and medicine to understand the nerve hypersensitivity he felt was an entirely normal post-surgery symptom.

Despite the pain and light-headedness, he gathered his things – including the tracking device, surgical instruments and bloodstained towels – bundled them into his backpack and checked out of Baguio Mountain Hotel. In the establishment’s car park, he headed toward a rental car and jumped in. After starting the engine, he wrapped the microchip in several sheets of tinfoil before driving off…

…Twenty three red dots flashed at various places on a digital map of the world. The dots represented the locations of the Omega Agency’s field operatives. Carrying out high-level black ops on all seven continents, the twenty three operatives included males and females of almost every race.

The red dots confirmed only two Omega operatives were currently in Asia. Seventeen, a blonde female, had recently landed in Luzon, the main island of the Philippines. Nine’s dot, which only a short time earlier had mysteriously vanished before reappearing, indicated he was also situated on Luzon.

Omega director Andrew Naylor and veteran agent Tommy Kentbridge studied the digital map grimly. Neither looked happy as the two dots in the Philippines rapidly converged.

Physically at least, the two officials were chalk and cheese. Naylor was a short, but dapper man in his late fifties. His skin was badly pock-marked and he had a lazy eye which people found disconcerting as they could never be sure if he was looking at them or someone else. Unfortunately for him, his personality matched his appearance.

Fifty-three-year-old Kentbridge looked like someone who could take control of any situation. At six foot one and with a commanding presence, he quickly earned the respect of all who came into contact with him.

 

An audible groan from Naylor confirmed what Kentbridge already knew. The director was seething at the latest turn of events.

Kentbridge had seen enough. The results of the past few hours had made him sick to his stomach. Hiding his concern, he swiveled his chair and surveyed the Omega Agency’s headquarters. It was a hive of activity as usual. Scientists, IT specialists, political analysts and other high-ranking officials were on duty. Sworn to secrecy, each was the best in his or her chosen field.

Although it looked like the interior of any corporate headquarters, Kentbridge knew appearances in this case were highly deceiving. For a start, these headquarters were located one mile below ground, hidden beneath a long-since abandoned hydro dam in south-west Illinois.

The secret facility was not only off limits to the general public, it was completely off the US Government’s radar. In fact, like everything else connected with Omega, knowledge of its existence was beyond any government.

 

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) is a regular visitor to Amazon’s bestseller lists. It’s available as a kindle ebook and trade paperback.

To order this novel, or view the 85 Amazon customer reviews, go to:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! – Lance & James

 

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The passing of Margaret Thatcher has predictably sparked an outpouring of mixed emotions around the globe. Thatcher’s supporters have lauded her as Britain’s greatest leader while her enemies in one infamous London neighborhood have gone as far as throwing a street party to celebrate her death.

Love her or hate her, milestones in the tumultuous career of Britain’s first female Prime Minister will forever be etched in history.

One little publicized fact about Thatcher is she was the member of a very exclusive, very mysterious group. An invitation-only group. Its name: The Bilderberg Group.

The Bilderberg Group has some big names in its elite membership. Famous Bilderbergers include Bill Clinton, David Rockefeller, Prince Charles, Bill Gates, Ben Bernanke, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt and Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes who have all attended meetings of the organization.

Other notable US political figures to have officially attended Bilderberg meetings include current Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, former Secretaries of State Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig and Colin Powell, former President Gerald Ford as well as Texas Governor and 2012 Presidential also-ran Rick Perry.

On the international roster, Bilderbergers have included leaders of almost every Western nation, Swiss bankers, EU Commissioners and Royalty. Among past and present attendees are current Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, former British Prime Ministers Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, the King of Spain Juan Carlos I and the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, as well as Thatcher.

Beyond these confirmed Bilderbergers, there’s also a raft of other high profile figures suspected to have participated in conferences – according to the conspiracy theorists at least. For example, shortly before becoming the US President, Barack Obama was rumored to have met with key Bilderberg members at or near their conference venue in Chantilly, Virginia, in 2008.

Other rumored attendees include Rupert Murdoch, George Bush, Sr. and George W. Bush. Hillary Clinton also denies having attended any Bilderberg meetings despite reported sightings of her at the locations of the 2006 (Toronto) and 2008 (Virginia) conferences.

Bill Clinton, however, was an official attendee of the 1991 Bilderberg conference in Germany while still a little known Governor of Arkansas; the following year he won the US Presidential Election.

Conspiracy theorists have long said the Bilderberg Group undermines democracy and influences everything from nations’ political leaders to the venue for the next war. Is there any truth behind this supposed political conspiracy? Well, that depends on who you ask. Certainly, it’s easy to see why conspiracy theories plague the Bilderberg Group.

Bilderberg takes its name from a hotel of the same name in the Netherlands where the first meeting took place in 1954. Ever since, every Bilderberg conference has received almost complete media blackouts despite being held at prominent five-star resorts.

Critics point out this dearth of media coverage is highly unusual given the veritable who’s who of world leaders and movers-and-shakers in attendance each year.

The Bilderberg Group features prominently in our conspiracy thriller, The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1). Okay, it’s a work of fiction, but it does raise some interesting questions about a secretive, invitation-only organization whose annual conferences for the most part remain mysteriously off the record. Questions that demand answers.

Still sceptical? Here’s some interesting bedtime reading…

bilderbergmeetings.org

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bilderberg_Group

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bilderberg_participants

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX-aEcF8Rjg

Want to learn more? Get your copy of The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1): http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

The Ninth Orphan exposes Bilderberg.

The Ninth Orphan, which merges fact with fiction, exposes a secret elite pulling the strings of various administrations.

Happy reading! –Lance

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Copies of The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy #1) and Fiji: A Novel trade paperbacks will be posted out to the winners of a competition underway now on the global literary site Goodreads.com

Competition for The Ninth Orphan giveaway ends April 6 PST.

The Ninth Orphan by James Morcan

The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) byJames Morcan, Lance Morcan

How do you catch a man who is never the same man twice?
That is the question posed in The Ninth Orphan, a top-rated international thriller novel and the first book in The Orphan Trilogy.

An orphan grows up to become an assassin for a highly secretive organization. When he tries to break free and live a normal life, he is hunted by his mentor and father figure, and by a female orphan he spent his childhood with. On the run, the mysterious man’s life becomes entwined with his beautiful French-African hostage and a shocking past riddled with the darkest of conspiracies is revealed.

Enter to win via this link: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/47606-the-ninth-orphan

Competition for the Fiji: A Novel giveaway ends April 15 PST.

Fiji by Lance Morcan

Fiji: A Novel byLance Morcan, James Morcan

Fiji is a spellbinding novel of adventure, cultural misunderstandings, religious conflict and sexual tension set in one of the most exotic and isolated places on earth.

By the mid-1800’s, Fiji has become 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 an innocent young Englishwoman and a worldly American adventurer find themselves.

Enter to win via this link: http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/47608-fiji-a-novel

 

Be in to win!

 

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Our international thriller, The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) retains first place on Goodreads.com’s list of ‘Best Technothrillers Ever’ and – as the list below shows – now ranks eighth on Goodreads.com’s list of ‘Best Spy Novels’.

Nonofficial Asset by William SewellThe Hunt for Red October by Tom ClancyTinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John le CarréThe Bourne Identity by Robert LudlumThe Spy Who Came In from the Cold by John le Carré

Best Spy Novels

    8th out of 425 books    —    339 voters
Closed Doors, a Trilogy by Rich WeatherlyThe Ninth Orphan by James MorcanErasure by A.T.H. WebberThe Andromeda Strain by Michael CrichtonMiami Spy Games by Armand Rosamilia

Best Technothrillers Ever

    1st out of 265 books    —    115 voters

Click on the links above for full details of these and other top rating novels.

For the Top 100 in Goodreads’ Best Technothrillers Ever list go to: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/24177.Best_Technothrillers_Ever#12257650

 

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Product DetailsProduct DetailsProduct Details

The Prologue to The Ninth Orphan (The Orphan Trilogy, #1) provides an intriguing insight into the ninth-born orphan’s formative years and kinda sets the scene for what’s to follow…so we thought we’d share it with you.

Here ‘tis. Read and enjoy with our compliments…

 

Prologue / The Ninth Orphan

A deer grazed on lush grass in a forest clearing. Around her, early morning mist clung to the tops of the spruce and fir trees common to Montana’s Custer National Park. Her ears twitched as the distant screech of a Merlin falcon carried to her in the still mountain air. The deer looked up, but mist concealed any view of the small and relatively rare bird of prey. She resumed grazing.

The deer wasn’t to know, but her remaining lifespan could be measured in minutes.

Two hundred yards downwind, an unusually large hunting party approached. This was a hunting party with a difference. Only one of the hunters was armed – their leader, Tommy Kentbridge; the others were all children ranging in age from ten to twelve. Male and female, they were of various racial backgrounds. Following Kentbridge, they walked silently in single file along a forest trail.

A tall, powerfully-built man in his mid-thirties, Kentbridge moved effortlessly across the hilly terrain. In his wake, the youngsters had to scramble to keep up. Muddy underfoot conditions added to their difficulties. Despite the challenges posed by keeping pace with their fast-moving leader, the children were doing admirably well. Their faces were flushed with excitement.

Kentbridge, who earlier that day had transported the kids from Chicago’s Pedemont Orphanage, kept one eye on his charges as the trail took them along the edge of a cliff. He noted with satisfaction not one of them seemed fazed by the thousand foot drop. They appeared to cope with the danger with all the poise of adults, or of young adults at least.

As he continued to observe the orphans, Kentbridge’s keen eyes missed nothing. A head count confirmed all twenty-three were still with him. Strangely, he only ever referred to them by numbers. The oldest child was Number One, the youngest Twenty Three.

Directly behind Kentbridge, following like a shadow, was a serious-looking, twelve-year-old boy. Number Nine, who was the ninth-born orphan, had startling green eyes that seemed all-knowing and gave him a maturity beyond his years. Nine’s intelligent face was framed by dark, wavy hair. He wore a silver necklace. A ruby dangled from it, bouncing on his chest as he walked. The exquisite stone gave off a blood red glow in the sunlight.

A slightly younger, blonde-haired girl followed close behind. Number Seventeen was, of course, the seventeenth-born orphan. She surveyed the world through icy-blue eyes. Those same eyes were now fixed on the center of Nine’s back. It irked the competitive Seventeen that Nine had ensconced himself between Kentbridge and herself. She felt like she was always following in the boy’s footsteps.

Kentbridge slowed momentarily as the trail took them away from the cliff-top. The screech of a Merlin falcon attracted his attention. Just as the mist had concealed the falcon from the deer’s view moments earlier, it also concealed the falcon from Kentbridge’s view.

Some sixth sense prompted Kentbridge to unshoulder his rifle – a powerful, semi-automatic, military-issue weapon which he handled with the familiarity of a sniper.

The orphans’ leader suddenly froze. Behind him, the children became motionless also. A hundred yards upwind, a beautiful deer stood grazing, superimposed against the green foliage. She continued to graze, unaware humans were in the vicinity.

Kentbridge flashed military-style hand signals to his young charges. In unison, the orphans dropped to the ground. Close behind Kentbridge, Nine and Seventeen watched in awe as their leader sunk down onto one knee and aimed his rifle at the deer. At the last second, he lowered his weapon a fraction then fired. The shot shattered the silence. The deer went down.

The orphans and their leader raced over to the deer to discover she was not yet dead. On her side, the deer was trembling and white foam covered her nose and mouth. The foam turned pink then red as her inner organs reacted to the trauma caused by one not-so-well-placed bullet. Her breathing came in short rasps. The dying animal pawed the air with her legs as the orphans crowded around her.

Kentbridge handed his rifle to his shadow, Number Nine, and nodded toward the trembling animal. Of all the orphans, Nine was his most brilliant pupil. He was stubborn and defiant, but also highly intelligent. In many ways he reminded Kentbridge of himself.

The other twenty-two orphans felt varying degrees of jealousy as they watched Nine psyching himself up to carry out their teacher’s order. Although very intelligent and gifted in their own right, the others sensed Nine had some indefinable X-factor that gave him an edge over them. It set him apart and they knew it…

 

 

If you are enjoying it so far, click on the cover image of The Ninth Orphan (below) to read the balance of the Prologue and the opening chapters of this novel.

For readers’ reviews, or to purchase the trade paperback or kindle version of this book go to: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0056I4FKC

 

Happy reading! –Lance & James

 

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