Lyn’s books

COALS & ASH, Lyn’s sf/disaster novel set in Australia was published in August 2018 by Altair Books. The world for some comes to an end, while for others it is a new beginning. Tam, who loves her privacy, has her world interrupted by its ending. Faced with children with no parents and no one to look after them, she embarks on a journey that saves her and all those she embraces. After-the-pandemic survivalist fiction starring a middle-aged woman writer. See also Vestiges of Flames, set in New Zealand after the same world-wide disaster. Available in ebook and paperback from various sources.

The author’s latest Holmes double, SHERLOCK HOLMES: DEADLY DISTRICTS, comprising Death in the Mountains and Death at The Plains, was completed and turned into the publisher for consideration in March 2018.

As well, a new Mandalay compilation, CATASTROPHE – three novellas to appear initially as e-novellas, and a short story – is in progress for possible 2018 publication. The first of the novellas, DEAD FELL, is completed; the second, MEDIUM DEAD, is also completed, and Lyn completed the final novella and short story, sending the collection to Wildside for consideration in November 2017.

SHERLOCK HOLMES: FOUND DEAD. Comprising Dead in a Kitchen Chair, and To Whom It May Concern was completed and turned in. Revision begins shortly.

June saw another work set in the author’s Aradian universe turned in to Wildside for possible consideration. DAUGHTER OF A CITY takes place 300 years after the events in Bastet’s Daughters.

Also completed including revision is the next ‘Mandalay” set of 3 novellas and a short story. These are Cat’s Paw, Belling the Cat, Cat and Mouse, and a short story, Kitty. In book format the title will be CATACLYSM. The first novella, Cat’s Paw, is now out.

Sherlock Holmes: Strange Events (2018), comprising The Mystery of the Misplaced Mother and The Case of the Vanishing Omnibus, appeared from Wildside in March 2018. Available from the publisher in paperback and ebook and from Amazon in paperback.
How can an omnibus with eight passengers and a driver simply vanish into thin air? The newspapers are full of speculation, and the police are clueless. Maurice Jepson’s wife Thelma was on the missing omnibus, and in desperation, he turns to Holmes and Watson. Their investigations lead them from the omnibus’s last route into unsavory gambling hells, where all is not as it seems. And when the body of one of the passengers is discovered in a vacant plot of land, the race is on to save the others!

Mrs. Martha Bewden left for a holiday, placing her legal affairs in the hands of her elder daughter, Heather. But two months have passed without a letter or any word, and her younger daughter Dorothy is growing concerned. Where is her mother? And why hasn’t she written or returned home? Holmes and Watson’s search for the missing woman carries them to the quaint villages of Cornwall and the bleak wilds of Dartmoor, where danger and horror await!

Queen of Iron Years, the alternate history fantasy collaborated by Lyn McConchie and a friend – Canadian author, Sharman Horwood – was published in 2017 by Wildside Press and is available in paperback and ebook. Also available from Amazon in paperback. This is first USA publication, but the work previously appeared in the UK.
In 2035 A.D., a plague strikes terror throughout the world. Transsexuals are the carriers of Tensen’s virus — a death sentence for their sex partners. Already overwhelmed by pollution and over-population, humanity lashes out at this new threat. Thirty-year-old transsexual Cean Rowan has always felt connected to Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni, one of Britain’s early tribes. Threatened and humiliated by the Romans, in 61 A.D. Boadicea led a rebellion and almost succeeded in driving the Romans out of the British Isles. But her lack of tactical skills ultimately cost her people their independence, and Boadicea her life.

Targeted by harsh government measures and attacked by hate groups, Cean and his friends fear for their lives. Yet what can they do? Dr. Leogold Fortescue, a friend and scientist specializing in time travel, might have the answer. What if Cean could go back in time and help Boadicea defeat the Romans? Could he stop the development of Tensen’s virus? Could he change the course of history and save those he loves, including Queen Boadicea?

Sherlock Holmes: Familiar Crimes, published in 2017, comprises two books in the one volume: Too Many Accidents and This Awful Fire. It is available from the publisher, Wildside Press in paperback and ebook and from Amazon in paperback and ebook.
When Bradon Riggston decides to write his family history, he is shocked to find that many of his relatives and their friends have died by unfortunate accidents. Are Riggston family members and their close associates just unlucky, or is there some sinister power working behind the scenes? Holmes and Watson are called in to investigate, only to uncover a deadly saga of revenge for long-hidden crimes.

A terrible fire burns Miss Darna Rosewarne’s home for elderly ladies to the ground, leaving six residents dead. Local opinion blames her for negligence, but as Holmes and Watson sift through the charred ruins and scrutinize the residents and staff, they discover hidden secrets of both the living and the dead — but which one is the motive for murder?

Out in March 2017 was Lyn’s alternate ancient Egypt history, Bastet’s Daughters. If this were the ancient Egypt of our time line, the year that this story begins would be around 1365 BCE. It isn’t. If this were the ancient Egypt of our time line it would be only a nation. It’s an Empire. If this were the ancient Egypt of our time line it would be known by that name. It’s Napata. And if this were the ancient Egypt of our time line then the Gods wouldn’t be real. It isn’t and— They are! Available from the publisher, Wildside Press, in paperback and ebook. Also available from Amazon in paperback. The book features a wide variety of cats as well as humans, and is dedicated to the memory of a friend’s much-loved feline.

Early 2016 Lyn also began writing a series of e-chapbook novellas, stories of Holmes, Watson, and two regular visitors, Miss Emily and her Burmese cat, Mandalay – who tends to bring home some very odd items as gifts for his owner. Something The Cat Dragged In was published by Wildside in April 2016, Cat With A Vested Interest appeared in June 2016, and the third, Cat With Enough Rope was out shortly after. In December 2016 the collection, along with a short bonus story Pinned To A Crime, appeared in book format as Sherlock Holmes: Catalyst. Available from the publisher, Wildside Press, in paperback, and from Amazon in paperback.

Sherlock Holmes: Poisonous People was published in April 2016. Contains two shorter books, A Poisoning at the Publisher, and The Dreadful Diary. Maid and occasional cook Mary Fellowes has been accused of attempting to poison her employers and the evidence against her is damning-or is it? Is she the scheming and vengeful woman that others describe? Or is she innocent, caught in a web of deceit? Holmes and Watson must follow the evidence, exposing long-buried family secrets and hidden conflict, in order to discover the truth and prevent a deadly injustice. Who murdered successful businessman Gerald Barnes Wimbledon, and why? Stymied by the case, Scotland Yard calls in Holmes and Watson. Their investigations unearth a hidden diary-a journal whose pages provide motives for several business rivals, as well as for the woman he loved and who spurned him publicly. As Holmes and Watson dig deeper into Wimbledon’s past, they must question everything they have learned about the man calling himself Gerald Barnes Wimbledon, including how he died. Available from the publisher, Wildside Press, in paperback and ebook. Also available from Amazon in paperback and ebook.

Winter of Waiting and Spring of Decisions, along with new editions of the two previous books in the quartet, Summer of Dreaming and Autumn of the Wild Pony, were published by Avalook Publications (Australia) at the end of November 2015 and are available from Lulu.com and other markets.

Vestiges of Flames. Published June 2015. Can be purchased from the publisher, Lethe Press or from Amazon.com. This book is now going into audio as well, that version currently in preparation.
New Zealand 2039: Jo is a university student when a terrible plague spreads across the world—all but one percent of the world-wide population dead. An only child of fond parents, she has never had to face the harsher realities of life. But with her mother dead, her father stranded in America, and the city dying about her she decides to leave Wellington and search for a safe haven. Along the way, she encounters foe as well as friend, including Shay, who once lived on the street. Fighting where they must, trying to remain civilized when they can, the women are welcomed at a isolated commune. There they find that they cannot lay down their weapons as most had hoped, but must protect themselves from the increasing numbers of wild dog packs and human predators.
In the midst of this, Jo realizes that she has fallen in love with Shay but worries whether their relationship can flourish in a world faced with such despair and death, including from other plague survivors who seek to dominate and rule those remaining. Shay insists that the fight be taken to the very heart of the ruthless victimizers, while Jo desires a more peaceful existence. Neither woman may be ready for what transpires in this gripping post-apocalyptic novel.

Sherlock Holmes: Beastly Mysteries. Contains two short Sherlock Holmes books, Mystery at Foxhunt Hall and The Case of the Mummified Penguins. Published April 15th 2015. Can be purchased from the publisher, Wildside Press or from Amazon.com. This book is now going into audio as well, that version is currently in preparation.

Lyn McConchie returns to the Victorian London of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, this time with two Beastly Mysteries. When Lord Temberton opens an Anglo-Saxon barrow and finds a securely locked Elizabethan chest seven mummified penguins placed around it in a circle, it is to Sherlock Holmes that he turns for answers. Is this sabotage? A practical joke? Or something more sinister? Holmes, together with Watson, must unravel the journeys of an Antarctic traveler, the family history of an old lady, and discover the mind and motive behind this bizarre interment. A fourteen-year-old boy is missing. Could he have run away or is there a more dire reason for his disappearance? The lad’s grandfather begs Holmes for help, but he is engaged on an urgent case for a Lady of Royal Blood, so Holmes sends his faithful Watson in his stead. The supposedly peaceful countryside harbors a multitude of criminals, but there is no trace of the missing boy. Only Holmes can put together the clues that lead to a desperate search and a shocking revelation!

Sherlock Holmes: Repeat Business. 14 new stories about the legendary detective. It is published in the U.S. by Wildside Press and is available in a trade paperback edition of 244 pages at $14.99. It is also available in paperback and a Kindle edition from Amazon.com.

Have you ever wondered about the clients who came to the front door of 221B Baker Street: whence they derived, how they heard of Holmes, who sent them? This book answers these questions. For, as Watson said: “I have often observed the two advantages that my friend Holmes has over most other private detectives and also the police. One is that it is very rare for him to fail, and the other springs from that. In short, his clients tend to recommend him vigorously to others, and, if they have a new problem themselves, it is to Holmes their mind automatically turns for aid again.” Here are fourteen new cases by repeat customers, in which the famous duo deals with blackmail, a kidnapped child, a lost gem of immense value, a missing girl, and other heinous crimes, including murder most foul–and know that for every crime investigated, there will be a Holmesian solution, of far better than seven percent!
Note: Repeat Business was nominated mid-2014 for the USA Silver Falchion Award for Best Single Author (Mystery) Short Story Collection. in August it was shortlisted for this, with final announcement to be made in August of 2015.

Katalagein. Sky Warrior Books, July 2013. ISBN 9781301610969. Available in several eBook formats from Smashwords and other vendors, incuding Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. A collection of feline fantasy and science fiction short stories, including five stories first published here.

Flying Free. Sky Warrior Books, June 2013, ISBN 9781301824663. Available in several eBook formats from Smashwords and other vendors, including Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.

Haast eagles have been extinct for a long time, so when Tina discovers an orphaned Haast eagle chick on her rooftop in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand’s capital city, she knows she’s found something special. But as Icarus growns and is on the point of flying Tina understands that the only way to ensure the eaglet’s freedom is to take him to Maori lands where a tribe can guard him. But a sinister scientist would rather study her bird in a laboratory than allow Icarus to be free. How Tina and her friends secure Icarus’s future, is a fast-paced exciting story.

Rustic (and Rusted) Daze. Avalook Publications (Australia), January 2013, ISBN 978-0958249553. Order from Lulu.com.

Lyn is back with more from her farm: strange events at the local hospital, an odd relationship on the farm, weird goings-on with a lamb, and even more peculiar occurrences (in Spain) with her writing. Visiting cattle are harassed by a bantam, burglars are harassed by the geese, and Lyn is harassed by just about everything — but she’s used to that.

Where There’s Smoke: The Fire That Changed the Law, by Lyn McConchie and Linnette Horne, Heritage Press, March 2012.

This book considers four fires in residential accommodation in Wellington, which occurred between 1867 to 1971.

Starting from the first fire in 1967 when Fire Safety Regulations were almost non-existent, and studying regulatory improvements made in consequence of the events, it follows the fires, one in particular, and asks how and why they occurred, if some or all of the deaths could have been prevented, and if the seven deaths in one of the fires were really accidental as has been accepted for more than forty years or, on the contrary, were they manslaughter caused by a conscienceless arsonist?

The authors, Lyn McConchie, writer, former executive of a government department, and Linnette Horne, researcher and retired government employee, have spent almost four years in the research and writing of this book, and Heritage Press Ltd. feels that it is an important contribution to New Zealand’s history. It is also hoped that the book may result in the original verdict in the Sprott House fire being reopened as a cold case and the coroner’s decision of ‘accidental’ being reconsidered.

Softcover edition $30 including P&P; multiple copies postage free at $25 after initial copy. Prices for within NZ, overseas buyers – suggest Book Depository UK. Available from Farside Farm, 12 Ngamoko Road, Norsewood, 4974.

Queen of Iron Years by Lyn McConchie and Sharman Horwood (cover art by Sharman Horwood), Kite Hill Publishing, UK, February 2012. Winner of the Sir Julius Vogel award for Best SF Novel published in 2012.

Welcome to 2035… Tensen’s Virus affects transsexuals, bonding with their body chemistry to induce a deadly allergic reaction in anyone who has sex with a carrier. Tensen’s carriers are demonized. Even those profiled with the same hormone mix are now coming under attack. Believing himself to be a descendant of the Iceni, thirty-year-old pre-op transsexual, Cean Rowan has always felt an obsessive connection with Boadicea . Leading a rebellion against the Roman invasion in 61 A .D. the Iceni Queen united British tribes and won against superior Roman forces, but two mistakes ultimately caused her defeat and the destruction of her people. What if Cean could go back to prevent all that, change the course of history – and save his friends by altering his original time as well..?

Softcover edition $30 including P&P; multiple copies postage free at $25 after initial copy. Prices for within NZ, overseas buyers – suggest Book Depository UK. Available from Farside Farm, 12 Ngamoko Road, Norsewood, 4974. New Zealand.

Autumn of the Wild Pony, Banana Oil Books, 2012, ISBN 978-1936021406. Available from Lulu.com.

Jo and Rangi, best friends and neighbours, like most kids spend part of their time dreaming of adventures. Their families are sheep farmers in New Zealand. It’s an enjoyable life, but it doesn’t tend to be overly exciting. However adventures can come to even the quietest places. Who would have thought that a routine trip to fix the fences would wind up being more exciting than anything in their wildest dreams?

Summer of Dreaming, Banana Oil Books, August 2010, ISBN 978-1936021222. Available from Lulu.com.

Jo and Rangi are best friends, but their grandparents aren’t because of something that happened a long time ago. And when Jo’s grandmother comes to stay on the farm for a while during the summer, problems blossom like wildflowers after a rain. To top it all off, her grandmother nurses hatred in her heart for Jo’s best friend, and his entire family. Hatred that is returned in kind by Rangi’s grandfather for Jo, and her family. When the feud between the older generation becomes too much, Jo and Rangi set out to uncover the real reason for the all the problems. The truth turns out to be something they would never have imagined in their wildest dreams. Winner of the Sir Julius Vogel award for Best YA Novel published in 2010.

The Questing Road, hardcover, Tor, August 2010, ISBN 978-0765322111. Order from Amazon.com.

Acolytes to a dark god have crossed the gulf between worlds to abduct an innocent young tariling, dooming it to become a sacrifice in a ceremony that will unleash an army of supernatural creatures upon an unsuspecting kingdom. Yoros and Kyrryl know that this is no mere animal, but to its own (felinoid) kind is a cherished child. With their warrior niece, Ashara, they follow its trail through a dimensional gate, little realizing their simple quest will become a desperate fight for survival in the middle of an all-out war. They can’t know of the atrocities that decimated the plains tribes of the strange world beyond the gate. Nor can they know of the massive revenge that threatens an entire civilization. If they are to save themselves and their lost tariling, they must follow its magic through the unknown terrors of a bizarre world of alien creatures and mortal perils beyond their wildest imagining. With the apocalyptic ceremony looming ever nearer, the trio of seekers find others who may help them—or whose treachery could spell doom for them all. As mortal and supernatural armies mass and secret pacts reveal ancient evils, only one thing is certain: death follows their road, and their only hope is to cheat the gods that seem to curse them… Tied for winner of the Sir Julius Vogel award for Best SF/F Novel published in 2010.

South of Rio Chama, paperback, Chaco Canyon Books, September 2009, ISBN 978-1936021048. Order from Lulu.com or Amazon.com.

Illy McLeod’s father was gunned down by a stranger. Not long after, Cinch Jackson showed up at her ranch with a herd of stolen cattle and a handful of shifty-eyed, gunslinging cow hands. Now Illy is fighting to take back her ranch. But winter’s coming, her cattle may die in the snows and Cinch has offered a reward to anyone who can bring her to him. To marry! But Johnny Calder grew up on that ranch and he has an idea how to stop him. Problem is, it’s hard to win a range war with only one woman, one young cowboy and one old rustler. But that’s all he’s got to work with. For now.

Farming Daze series

Field Daze, Avalook Publications (Australia), March 2011, ISBN 978-0958249546. Order from Lulu.com.

Life at Farside Farm continues much as normal… if ‘normal’ is a term that can be applied to Lyn McConchie’s animals, both resident and visiting (cats, sheep, geese, chickens, mice, birds, and the occasional steer and dog), the parade of builders, repairmen, visiting friends and neighbours, and a gunman on the loose, all of which join the weather, earthquakes, and book sales and revisions in contributing to a life that is frequently chaotic, often confusing, but never boring.

Rural Daze and (K)nights, paperback and PDF, Avalook Publications (Australia), September 2009, ISBN 978-0958249522. Order from Lulu.com.

Once again Lyn McConchie is out on her farm, coping with mad baby magpies, peculiar sheep, and inquisitive cattle. After 20 years, her piglets are as odd as ever, and her friends as long-suffering, while her cats remain the lights of her life. Join Lyn as she builds an extension on her house, writes, entertains friends, survives earthquakes, rescues lambs, and is suspected of being a terrorist in disguise… life as usual at Farside Farm, New Zealand.

Daze in the Country, paperback and PDF, Avalook Publications (Australia), September 2008, ISBN 978-0980354515. In this book you’ll read about the bantam that crossed the road, the steer that ate clay, the affair of the farmhouse drains, and the strange events surrounding the escape of Fatso the piglet. Order from Lulu.com or see this page for other choices.

Tiger Daze, paperback and PDF, Avalook Publications (Australia), April 2007, ISBN 978-0980354508. The story of Tiger and his feline friends—a tale of roistering cats and their frequently bemused human. Order from Lulu.com or see this page for other choices.

Daze on the Land, written under pseudonym Elizabeth Underwood. First published November 2003 by Avalook Publications (Australia), ISBN 0958249512. More humorous tales of author’s farming life. Order from Lulu.com or Amazon.com.

Farming Daze, written under pseudonym Elizabeth Underwood. Reprinted November 2003 by Avalook Publications (Australia), ISBN 0958249504. Originally published May 1993 by G.P.Publications (NZ). Book is humorous tales of author’s farming life. Order paperback from Lulu.com or Amazon.com.

Farming Daze was broadcast as an 8-episode series on NZ National Radio in June 1994, and again ‘by popular request’ in 1995. Reprinted in slightly condensed version by Pipers Ash Ltd (UK), 1997.

Beast Master books

Beast Master’s Quest, hardcover, Tor Books, May 2006, ISBN 0765314533. Sequel to Beast Master’s Circus. Order from Amazon.com.
Also available in paperback (ISBN 978-0765353344) in late May 2007 from Amazon.com.

Beast Master’s Circus, hardcover from Tor Books (USA), February 2004, ISBN 0765300427. Work is fourth in Beast Master series. Although marketed as by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie, Circus was written solely by Lyn from a brief collaborated outline. This book won New Zealand’s Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel of 2004. Order hardcover from Amazon.com. Paperback (ISBN 0765340100) published March 2005; order from Amazon.com. Book also sold to REBUS in Poland.

Beastmaster’s Ark, June 2002, Tor Books (USA), H/C ISBN 0765300419; P/B July 2003, ISBN 0765340097. Book is third in Beast Master series. First two were Beast Master and Lord of Thunder, published 1959 and 1962 respectively and written by Andre Norton. Although marketed as by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie, Ark was written solely by Lyn from a brief collaborated outline. Also sold for translation/publication to REBUS Poland. Hardcover 2002 version won New Zealand’s Sir Julius Vogel award for Best SF/F novel of 2002. Order hardcover from Amazon.com. Order paperback from Amazon.com.

Witch World books

The Duke’s Ballad, November 2005, Tor, ISBN 0765345528. Sequel to Ciara’s Song. Witch World setting, marketed as by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie, although all writing and revision done by Lyn using Andre’s background. This book won New Zealand’s Sir Julius Vogel award for Best Science Fiction/Fantasy Novel of 2005. Order from Amazon.com.

Silver May Tarnish (sub-titled Songs of High Hallack), Tor Books, November 2005, ISBN 0765306379. Witch World setting stand-alone novel, marketed as by Andre Norton and Lyn McConchie, although all writing and revision done by Lyn using Andre’s Witch World (Dales) series background. Order from Amazon.com.

Key of the Keplian, July 1995, Warner Books (USA), ISBN 0446602205. Book written solely by Lyn but set in Andre Norton’s Witch World, hence marketed as collaboration. Fantasy. Was on two top-10 lists for book chains in the USA. Named New York Library’s annual list of Best Books for Teenagers for 1995. Appeared Amber Publishing Poland in translation 1997. Still available in paperback through Amazon.com. Also available in Adobe eBook Reader format from Amazon.com.

Ciara’s Song, July 1998, Warner Aspect, ISBN 0446606448. Book written solely by Lyn, but using background and setting of Andre Norton’s Witch World, hence marketed as a collaboration. Nebula Recommendations. Sold to AST (Russia) for translation and publication. Order paperback from Amazon.com. Also available in Adobe eBook Reader format from Amazon.com.

Miscellaneous

Tales from the Marrigan Trade House. A theme collection of the author’s short SF stories, published by Pipers’ Ash Ltd (UK) January 1998. Incorporated into trade paperback with three other chapbooks and titled Writers of the Future; published Pipers’ Ash, January 1999. Out of print.

Lady Fareton’s Fate, under pseudonym Thomas Brynn. Published October
1994 by Olympia Press (UK). Trade p/b format. Victorian specialty historical. Sold out and not reprinted in hard copy but continued for some years as e-book but now deleted from stock.

Lady Fareton’s Journey, under pseudonym Thomas Brynn. Published as e-book by Olympia Press (UK) but now deleted from stock. Victorian specialty historical.

The Centurian’s Slave, under pseudonym Thomas Brynn. Published October 1995 by Olympia Press (UK). Specialty historical novel set in Roman period. Second edition sold out – not reprinted.

Children’s books

The Lonely Troll (illustrated by Judy Giddens), children’s picture-book, 24 pages, published by Stone Press (New Zealand), March 1997. Book and illos use actual background and setting of author’s township. Reprinted October 1997, November 1998.

The Troll’s New Jersey (illustrated by Judy Giddens), children’s picture-book, 24 pages. Published by Stone Press (New Zealand), November 1997. Reprinted November 1998.

The Troll and The Taniwha (illustrated by Judy Giddens), children’s picture-book, 24 pages, published by Stone Press (New Zealand), November 1998.

The Troll and the Huia (illustrated by Judy Giddens), children’s picture-book, published by Stone Press (New Zealand).

Olaf, Tui, and the Bullies, children’s illustrated chapbook written for Dannevirke Victim Support. For distribution to police, victims, support staff, interested public. Produced by Pegapuss Press from EC&C Grant. April 2002.

Page last updated 14 February 2016.