New Zealand: A Novel by Lance Morcan 💕 5-Star Spotlight and EXCLUSIVE eBook Giveaway 💕(Historical Fiction with Strong Romantic Elements)

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"For lovers of historical fiction,

historical romance,

lust and adventure"

New Zealand: A Novel spans almost 500 years and covers the respective discoveries of New Zealand by Pacific Islanders and Europeans. From the outset the two stories are interposed. It starts in the 1300’s with the departure of Islanders from Hawaiki in search of land far to the south.

The hardy, brown-skinned people who arrive here first call themselves Maori and they call their new home Aotearoa – land of the long, white cloud. The fascinating, eventful and sometimes violent lives of descendants of those first arrivals are traced through the centuries until the arrival of Europeans aboard Captain James Cook’s bark the Endeavour. Cook names the new land New Zealand.

Maoris call the white intruders pakeha. Their arrival heralds a clash of two vastly different ideologies as European civilization collides head on with indigenous culture.

The misunderstandings, tension and bloodshed that follow are relayed as seen through the eyes of one of the Endeavour’s youngest and most engaging crewmembers, Surgeon’s Assistant Nicholas Young, as the vessel embarks on its historic circumnavigation of the country.

Amidst the life-threatening challenges Nicholas faces at sea and on land, the young man finds true love when he meets Anika, a beautiful Maori princess who steals his heart.

"Riveting. I could not put the book down...And now I am just waiting for the movie!" ~ Stephen H. ★★★★★

"I’m amazed at how much has been packed into this wonderful book. It’s well worth a read and easily worth the 5/5 Star Rating." ~ Todd S. ★★★★★

"The interplay of Cook’s crew with the indigenous people follows – war and other challenges, all played on the stage in a manner that makes history come alive....This is a fine novel that invites understanding of New Zealand’s fascinating history!" ~ Grady H. ★★★★★

Moki’s way of hunting was as simple as it was unique. Unique to the Ngati Porou iwi [tribe] at least. It entailed throwing the spear over the head of a kereru [bush pigeon] or any bird for that matter. Tied to the spear was an ordinary fishing net, which, when thrown, trailed behind, entangling the startled bird before it could fly off. His grandfather had taught him the method as a boy, and now he rarely missed snaring a bird when the opportunity presented itself. Once snared, the bird would be decapitated and bled dry in preparation for cooking.

He sighted another kereru. It was perched upon one of the lower branches of a stately rimu tree and seemed oblivious to the approaching danger.

So focused was Moki on stalking the pigeon, he didn’t realise he himself was being stalked. He’d unknowingly crossed paths with five hunters of another iwi. They were members of the Ngati Kahungunu tribe who were long-time enemies of the Ngati Porou. They’d debated amongst themselves whether to kill Moki. Two of them had deemed it too risky as they were trespassing and wished to keep their presence secret, but the other three considered the lone hunter too tempting a target – and so the decision was made: to kill.

As Moki prepared to throw his spear at the kereru, he caught a movement in his peripheral vision. Some instinct prompted him to throw himself to one side. That saved his life, but the spear intended for his chest tore through the flesh in his thigh, its serrated tip lodging in the trunk of the very tree the kereru was perched upon. Grunting in pain, he leapt to his feet as the five hunters emerged from the undergrowth. He identified them immediately: their distinctive dreadlocks and tattoos along with their threadbare sealskin shawls made them unmistakably Ngati Kahungunu. All five looked young, lean and dangerous, and all had the bloodlust in their eyes as they closed in on their prey.

Moki thanked his guardian spirits he still had his spear. If his attackers had waited a moment longer he’d have thrown it at the kereru. That misjudgement cost the nearest hunter – the youngest of the five – his life. Moki thrust his spear’s tip into the hunter’s chest, impaling him. With his free hand, he grabbed the net tied to the spear, swung it about and snared another hunter in its mesh. The entangled hunter, who appeared to be the leader, desperately tried to disentangle himself. Tugging hard on the net, Moki pulled him to the ground and killed him with a savage blow from the club he now wielded. He turned too late to avoid another hunter, the biggest of the five, who crashed into him, knocking him over. They rolled over and over, holding each other tight and each trying to deliver an incapacitating blow with his club.

Fighting for his life, Moki was oblivious to the pain caused by the wound in his thigh or by other wounds he’d sustained. Blood flowed from a nasty scalp wound, causing him to blink rapidly in order to clear his vision. He was vaguely aware of the other two hunters who were awaiting their chance to skewer him with their spears. For the moment they couldn’t use their weapons for risk of accidentally killing their fellow hunter. Moki’s opponent held his club hand in a vice-like grip. Using his free hand, Moki grabbed his enemy by the testicles and squeezed tight. The big hunter screamed in agony and released his grip on his opponent’s wrist. Moki crushed the hunter’s skull with one thunderous swing of his club then leapt to his feet to face the remaining hunters.

The loss of three of their number in what seemed the blink of an eye gave the other two hunters pause for thought. They looked at each other as if to decide on their next course of action.

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New Zealand novelist and screenwriter Lance Morcan is a prolific author with more than 30 published fiction and non-fiction books to his credit as well as several screenplay adaptations of his work. A former journalist and newspaper editor, he regularly writes in collaboration with his son James Morcan, and their books are published by Sterling Gate Books.

The father-and-son team's published books include the new release horror Silent Fear (A novel inspired by true crimes) and the bestselling historical adventures White Spirit and Into the Americas. They also have several series on the market including The Orphan Trilogy, an international thriller series, the globetrotting action-romance series The World Duology, and the controversial non-fiction franchise The Underground Knowledge Series. An additional non-fiction title, Debunking Holocaust Denial Theories, was written in collaboration with Holocaust survivors to document the genocide.

The Morcans' production entity Morcan Motion Pictures has a number of feature films in early development, including adaptations of Silent Fear, Into the Americas and White Spirit.

All Morcan books can be viewed at Lance’s Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Lance-Morcan/e/B005ET3ZUO/